Author: Forrest Freund | Banner: Christian Salabert

Mechagodzilla arrived on Planet X, its retro-booster rockets kicking up a cloud of dust and rock debris as the titanic mech came to a landing. The crew that piloted the machine pivoted the battle robot’s head, looking for the creature that it had been sent to eliminate. The crew did not have to wait long. Mechagodzilla’s sensors picked up a blip on the radar, and the pilots realized that the creature was almost as big as they were, and approaching rapidly. Its crew turned the mech and saw the mammoth creature barreling down from the sky, its three heads screeching like the songs of hell.

The multi-headed hydra landed approximately 100 yards from the mech. Its wings folded up, while a shower of dust was blown into the empty void as its bulk came to rest. With horror, the crew recognized the target that they had been deployed to battle; an ancient and lethal organism codenamed Desghidorah, the destroyer of worlds.

The black and red serpent eyed the metallic creature opposite of it with detached malice. The mighty machine brought its arms up and locked them into battle position. Screeching out in a synthesized cry, Mechagodzilla eyed the deadly opponent. Suddenly, Mechagodzilla opened up its mouth and released its Mega-Buster attack, blasting Desghidorah in the right head. Startled by the sudden attack, Desghidorah screamed out in pain as the compact beam seared its flesh.

Screaming out defiantly, Desghidorah launched a volley of plasma-beams from its three mouths. Mechagodzilla stood its ground, bolts of crimson flame bombarding the great machine. Mechagodzilla’s armor drew in most of the energy, dissipating it harmlessly. Though the impact forced the bulky robot to stagger, struggling to maintain balance. Spotting an opening, Desghidorah unfurled its wings and took off, barreling towards its metallic enemy.

Mechagodzilla recovered from Desghidorah’s blast, just in time to see the monster bull rushing toward him. Its vile heads screamed bloody death as it advanced. As the demonic dragon was almost on them, Mechagodzilla dove to the side. Desghidorah surged overhead and past. The metallic doppelganger got to its feet and fired the Mega-Buster and optic beams at the hell-beast.

Furious at missing its mark, Desghidorah was struck in the back by the energy beams, erupting in a shower of sparks. The assault angered the beast even further, who made a wide turn and headed back towards its enemy. As Mechagodzilla unloaded more of its arsenal, Desghidorah swerved and maneuvered, avoiding the relentless assault as it closed in on the battle weapon.

Once within range, Desghidorah fired another volley of plasma-beams at Mechagodzilla. The bolts collided with the mech, one connecting with its face, one the right arm, and one in the chest. Once again, the beams forced knocked the mech back. Just as the mech tried to regain its footing, Desghidorah rammed into the powerful machine. A shower of sparks erupted as Mechagodzilla collapsed and smashed into a mountain of basaltic rock, scattering stone in all directions.

Desghidorah landed on Mechagodzilla, pinning the machine down by placing its bulky forelegs on the mech’s chest plate. The destroyer of worlds shouted out with rage as the demon ruthlessly stomped its enemy into the ground, pounding them with deadly blows from its forelegs. The armor of Mechagodzilla’s chest warped and dented under the demon’s wrath. Desghidorah lowered its central head and spewed a torrent of volcanic flame into the machine’s visage. Mechagodzilla tried to focus on the target, but the visual sensors were useless with the wall of flames blocking them.

Realizing they were in deep trouble, Mechagodzilla’s crew relayed commands and parted the Plasma Grenade port on its stomach. The energy lens flashed blue, then a beam of golden-hot energies erupted from the orifice on its stomach. The force hurled Desghidorah through the vacuum and into a ravine several hundred meters away. Seeing their chance, Mechagodzilla activated its thrusters and took off.

Closing in on the ravine, the superweapon landed and walked up to the fissure. Mechagodzilla spotted the savage demon lying in the bottom, its chest and heads twitching sporadically.

Mechagodzilla set its arms towards the unconscious foe, and fired the G-Crusher cables, piercing Desghidorah in the right leg and stomach. The sudden jerky pain revived Desghidorah, who screeched out in agony. Seeing Desghidorah resume activity, Mechagodzilla discharged a deadly electrical current through the G-Crusher cables. The vicious hell-beast screamed out and tried to get up, but the G-Force weapon shot it back down with the Mega-Buster, continuing to electrocute Desghidorah.

After a few moments, Desghidorah stopped and became still, and Mechagodzilla ceased fire. Then, without warning, Desghidorah’s body glowed and an electrical current was sent back through the G-Crusher cables. The sudden jolt threw Mechagodzilla backwards, and the mech landed gracelessly on its posterior. As it fell, the G-Crusher cables became overheated and snapped, whipping about.

The heavyweight machine rose to its feet, only to notice that the tri-headed terror was climbing out of the trench. The G-Crusher hooks were still embedded in its right leg and stomach, both wounds seeping quantities of blood. The look on Desghidorah’s faces read unmasked fury and hatred as it trudged towards its enemy.

Desghidorah closed the gap and assailed the recovering mech, taking its good left leg and stomped on the idle machine, knocking it back down. Desghidorah released a torrent of volcanic flame onto the prone robot. Mechagodzilla tried to move, but the heat began to overload its circuits. The machine and its crew heard a creaking sound, and with horror realized that the heat resistant plating was melting under the intensity of Desghidorah’s assault.

With little time and options left, Mechgodzilla tried to aim for its target. The servos in its neck mechanism screeched in protest, but managed to turn its head. Targeting Desghidorah, Mechagodzilla fired its optic blasters. The beams struck the G-Crusher hook embedded in Desghidorah’s stomach, causing the creature to cease its attack and stagger back in reeling pain. Mechagodzilla used this opening to activate its thrusters and parted distance. Mechagodzilla was several hundred meters away before Desghidroah recovered. Seeing its enemy fleeing, Desghidorah opened its wings and pursued its prey.

The mechanical titan saw the pursuing demon chasing after them. Knowing that it couldn’t be outrun, Mechagodzilla instead turned around and fired a volley of paralyzer missiles from the shoulder ports. The missiles streaked towards Desghidorah, who was startled by this new attack. The missiles struck the ebony plating in its right neck, injured right leg, and left wing. Desghidorah shrieked from the pain and was suddenly gripped with paralysis from the cadmium toxin in the shells. Desghidorah plummeted to the ground, sliding along the rocky surface and into a cliff of basalt. Desghidorah struggled to rise to its feet and glared at the machine with utmost hate.

Mechagodzilla opened fire with all of its remaining weapons. Paralyzing missiles, Mega-Busters, optic beams, and Plasma Grenades bombarded its grounded enemy. Desghidorah was forced to its knees by the impact of the beams and missiles before collapsing. The assault kicked up a massive wall of dust and rubble, obscuring the gargantuan serpent. Mechagodzilla ceased its thrusters and landed on the moon rock, held on standby for what was to come next.

Suddenly, the monster sprang to life, launching two plasma-beams from its two functional heads. Mechagodzilla tried to dodge the bolts, but the beams blasted through its armor, which had lost its heat resistance. In a shower of sparks, Mechagodzilla’s left arm was blown off, and its chest plate shattered. Mechagodzilla staggered back, almost losing its balance as it tripped on a small hill. Desghidorah charged at its foe, overrunning him and pinning the mech to a cliff of basalt. Desghidorah bit down onto Mechagodzilla’s remaining arm with its left head, while the central head breathed volcanic flame into Mechagodzilla’s face.

Mechagodzilla, losing power fast, attempted to reach up and grab Desghidorah’s left neck. The mech’s arm shrieked under the strain, but it managed to grab Desghidorah’s left throat and squeeze down. Desghidorah lessened its grip a bit, but the central head continued to hurl flames into Mechagodzilla’s anterior. The armor plating melted under the strain, the eyes cracked from the thermal stress.

In one last bid for escape, Mechagodzilla charged up its Plasma Grenade. Focusing all the remaining energy it had, Mechagodzilla fired a searing beam of plasma energy into Desghidorah’s chest, throwing the creature backwards several hundred meters, through a mountain and into another ravine. Nearly blind, Mechagodzilla tried to move, but was losing functionality.

Just as they were about to signal HQ for a retrieval squad, Desghidorah dragged itself out of the ravine. The demon bled from the chest, an immense burnt crater imprinted as a result of the last attack. Its right leg had been broken, and its right neck torn off in the process. Desghidorah heaved itself onto level ground, screaming bloody murder, and fell to its knees. The savage beast shuddered and collapsed, keeling over. Mechagodzilla relaxed, smoking from what was left of its joints, and shut down from internal mechanical failures.

Draw: Desghidorah, Mechagodzilla (Heisei)