Despite the advances that science has provided
humanity throughout the many millennia, there
are still things that it cannot explain. Among
one of those was a discovery made in the Polynesian
Islands in the early 1960s.
When a Japanese cargo ship suddenly ran aground
on a deserted and ravaged isle called Infant Island,
they discovered that despite the immense radiation
from nuclear tests still present, humans were
capable of living on the land mass. After being
rescued by search parties from Japan, the survivors
relay word to the authorities who promptly dispatch
a research party to learn more about the discovery.
What they find is a civilization able to live
on the island despite the radiation due to a native
juice. To find out more, Japan along with at least
one other nation sends an expedition to Infant
Island. There they find land capable of supporting
vegetation and a human civilization present. Among
the inhabitants are two tiny girls who are priestess
to the civilization, the Shobijin. They are powerful
telepaths and that power along with their ability
to sing allows them to communicate with the civilization's
god, a giant being named Mothra.
After the Japanese contingent of the expedition
thwarted his efforts, the leader of the combined
research team, an entrepreneur by the name of
Clark Nelson, kidnaps the Shobijin. Seemingly
ignorant of what he has done, Nelson tries to
exploit the Shobijin despite protests from Japan
and his own government. When Mothra arrives in
Tokyo in response to the Shobijin's pleas
for assistance, Nelson manages to escape and eventually
heads back to his own country. However, the Japanese
know about his activities and soon a manhunt is
on with Nelson being hunted by his fellow comrades
as Mothra tracks him and the Shobijin. After Nelson
is disposed of by his own people, the girls are
set free and return aboard Mothra to their home
island.
Some time later, an immense typhoon struck the
island and eventually washed Mothra's egg out
to sea. That egg eventually ended up on the shores
of Japan with the two Shobijin following right
behind it as Mothra flew them there to persuade
the Japanese to return the egg. Unfortunately,
they were met with little success as the present
owners of the egg would not give it back and there
human supporters had little power to help them.
At first, they took the failure with good grace
but it haunted them as well as their fellow inhabitants
on Infant Island. It was not therefore surprising
that when the humans of the modern world asked
them for assistance against the monster known
as Godzilla, the Shobijin at first rejected the
plea, citing the problems with Mothra's egg as
the reason. However, after hearing their human
allies out, the Shobijin communicated the request
to Mothra although they feared rightly that it
was a suicide mission for their beloved god. They
journeyed aboard Mothra to Japan and watched as
Godzilla killed their deity in battle. Fortunately,
the Shobijin voiced a plan to use Mothra's
offspring in the egg to help stop Godzilla. The
plan worked and the Shobijin journeyed back to
Infant Island aboard the two giant caterpillars
with the eternal gratitude of the population of
Japan.
Sometime later, one of the two Mothra offspring
passed on, leaving the remainder as the guardian
of Infant Island and its people.
Eventually, the Shobijin returned to Japan willingly
and served as the roles of ambassadors, which
included appearing on television shows. They were
just about to return home after promising to the
people that Mothra would return to defend them
against Godzilla and other monsters when they
encountered a woman who claimed to be a priestess
from Venus. After hearing her warning, they delayed
their departure and provided what assistance they
could to the priestess, which included helping
to thwart an assassination attempt on her while
in Yokohama. They are present when the “Venus
priestess” states that the threat comes
in the form of a horrific space monster known
as King Ghidorah. Later, they are at the Diet
Building where they first promised to send Mothra
for assistance and then they voice the incredible
idea of asking Godzilla and Rodan for help. At
first incredulous at the proposal, the humans
agree after witnessing first hand King Ghidorah's
destructive power over Tokyo. They then head up
to Mt. Fuji where Godzilla and Rodan are fighting
each other and King Ghidorah is attacking nearby.
When Mothra arrives, they serve as translators
as Mothra tries to persuade Godzilla and Rodan
to join her in stopping King Ghidorah. This effort
is a success and after peace has returned to the
land, the Shobijin return to Infant Island aboard
Mothra.
Some time in the future, a group called the Red
Bamboo invaded Infant Island and kidnapped some
of its inhabitants as slaves. In response, the
Shobijin lead the prayers and pleas to Mothra
to help rescue the inhabitants. After assisting
two Japanese men who were dealing with the same
problem, they ventured out once more on Mothra
to the island to evacuate their allies as it was
about to be destroyed in a nuclear explosion triggered
by the Red Bamboo.
