Unmade Film
Intended Release: 1993

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (Preparatory Draft)

ゴジラVSメカゴジラ
[Gojira vs. Mekagojira]

The United Nations Headquarters comes into view. Inside, G-Force is busy reverse-engineering the body of Mecha-King Ghidorah, creating not just combat weapons but also a giant mechanical doppelganger of Godzilla. The machine is given the ability to separate itself into two parts - an upper half and a lower half - which can merge together to form the powerful "Union Mechagodzilla" super-weapon. The bird-like Garuda is also developed, a land-and-air dual robot with legs and large wings. Elsewhere, G-Force member Kazuma Aoki gets himself into trouble as he uses his custom built Mini-Garuda to fly into fellow member Catherine Berger's bathroom while she bathes.

Later, an expedition is launched to Adonoa Island where a giant egg is uncovered, believed to be a remnant of prehistoric times. Shortly after, the expedition team is attacked by a male and female Pteranodon pair. The UN receives word of the two creatures and dispatches the upper half of Mechagodzilla to deal with them. The mech besieges the Pteranodon couple, repelling the female and sending it into the ocean, while burning the male to death with a beam attack. The scientists then leave the island, egg in tow, though Kazuma notices a connection being established between the egg and biology researcher Azusa Gojo when the two of them glow red.

Upon the team's return to Japan, the egg eventually hatches to reveal a newborn Godzillasaurus, as opposed to a Pteranodon as speculated. The BabyGodzilla quickly forms a bond with Azusa, while Azusa tends to the baby by feeding it an apple. In light of this discovery, it's feared that Godzilla might try to rescue the infant. The fear is quickly justified as a report comes in of Godzilla attacking an oil refinery and making his way toward the laboratory. In response, the UN sends Union Mechagodzilla to attack the nuclear menace. The two powerhouses do battle, with Union Mechagodzilla utilizing Domyumu Missiles, unleashing high-voltage currents from its Flying Hands, and splitting into its two halves. However, a technical malfunction occurs as the two halves are unable to reunite, giving Godzilla the edge needed to win the fight. F-15J Jets arrive as back-up while the two Mechagodzilla units retreat. As the jets fire upon Godzilla, the infant Godzillasaurus suddenly grows an astonishing 6 meters.

Unfazed by the military, Godzilla continues onward to the lab. However, upon arriving Godzilla suddenly turns away and leaves the vicinity. It is later discovered that the BabyGodzilla can communicate telepathically, and was sending off distress waves which caused Godzilla to leave. The UN, seeing the tactical advantage that this presents, sets up a new plan to kill Godzilla in which the infant is used as bait. As an extra precaution, the UN also readies the dual robot Garuda in order to ensure Godzilla's defeat at the hands of Union Mechagodzilla. In order to execute the plan, BabyGodzilla is sealed away in a canister to be shipped to a remote location. Inside, the small Godzillasaurus sends out a distress call.

Meanwhile, off the shores off Adonoa Island, the female Pteranodon that was knocked into the sea awakens. The agitated female then flies further out over the Bering Sea where it spots and attacks a Russian nuclear submarine. The Pteranodon grabs the front of the sub and thrusts it to the ocean floor. An explosion ensues, engulfing the sea in a gigantic white light. Suddenly, something rises from the sea, and lets loose a roar to the heavens. Influenced by the submarine's radioactivity, the Pteranodon's body flickers and its feathery exterior sheds, revealing a pure white body beneath while growing five times in size. The reborn White Rodan then flies to Japan to answer Baby's distress call. White Rodan discovers the helicopter transporting the small Godzillasaurus and quickly destroys it, then carries BabyGodzilla off to safety, forming a nest atop a high-rise hotel. The winged monster proceeds to infiltrate the Yumenoshima Tropical Greenhouse Dome to look for food for the young Godzillasaur.

The UN reacts to this change of events by deploying the repaired Union Mechagodzilla and Garuda to finish off the new monster. White Rodan does its best to defend BabyGodzilla from the combat machines, eventually forming a powerful low-altitude tornado to keep them at bay, but this proves to be too much for White Rodan as it dies from exhaustion and falls into the sea. Not long after, Godzilla emerges from the nearby water. Union Mechagodzilla begins its counterattack, this time piloted by psychic Miki Saegusa, who uses her powers to aim the G-Crusher's "target lock" feature. Godzilla is killed in the battle by Union Mechagodzilla's shoulder-mounted G-Crusher - at the expense of Garuda being defeated. The flying robot's unstable nuclear reactor then explodes and the fallout from the detonation resurrects Godzilla, who resumes battle with his mechanical doppelganger. Union Mechagodzilla attempts to escape, but dire circumstances lead it to forcibly separating, and the upper half containing the cockpit is destroyed by Godzilla as a result, with Miki managing to escape in the nick of time using one of the cockpit boats.

Now on the beach, Miki sends telepathic messages to the hesitant BabyGodzilla to join its parent. Godzilla then heads out to sea with BabyGodzilla following behind him.

LOST PROJECT HISTORY

Identical in many ways to the preceding outline of Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (Considered Draft), special effects director Koichi Kawakita decided that seven Mechagodzilla units might be too much to work with and cut the number down, aiming for two to three primary units. For this draft, Union Mechagodzilla only requires an upper half and lower half to fuse as Garuda remained a separate entity, though some artists would depict the unit attached to Mechagodzilla's back. Likewise, Union Mechagodzilla was made to be something of a modern rendition of the '70s Mechagodzillas, with the "unifying robot" gimmick giving it its own distinct characteristic.

The opening scene of the Godzillasaurus and Pteranodon fighting is cut entirely and replaced with an opening shot of the United Nations Headquarters, while Kazuma Aoki is given the "Mini-Garuda" mech, which would carry over into the final film after being renamed to "Pteranodon Robot". Kazuma is also somewhat more mischievous in this draft as he seems to have some infatuation with Catherine Berger, a minor character who would be given a more substantial role in future revisions as a G-Force pilot for Mechagodzilla.

One of the bigger changes from the previous draft is the introduction of the Pteranodon pair over two Rodan for the Adonoa Island confrontation. The two prehistoric creatures play nearly identical roles to their monster counterparts, though the White Rodan transformation scene is more fleshed out. However, screenwriter Wataru Mimura would later cut the idea of using a pair, and the Pteranodon would be reverted back to Rodan as he thought having a tiny Pteranodon attack a huge nuclear sub was a little too far-fetched.

Sometime into early 1993, Kawakita would receive a concept Mechagodzilla design by Bandai's Katsushi Murakami, with the design in question sporting smooth, curved surfaces and having an almost futuristic sci-fi look. This, coupled with budgetary and technical limitations, would change the direction of future drafts almost entirely into the final product of Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993). Mechagodzilla's ability to coalesce with other units would be scrapped in favor of simply attaching Garuda to its back, while White Rodan would be changed to Fire Rodan, whom would sacrifice itself in order to revive Godzilla to keep with the theme of "life versus artificial life."

Monsters

Aliens, SDF & Misc.

Background and Trivia

• A synopsis for this draft can be found in the special features of the 2016 Toho-published Japanese DVD release of Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993).
• One of the Union Mechagodzilla designs by Shinji Nishikawa would later appear on Noriyoshi Ohrai's illustrated poster for the final movie alongside the female Rodan from the previous outline, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (Considered Draft), and several unused Mechagodzilla units by both Nishikawa and Minoru Yoshida. The resulting Mechagodzilla from the poster would later go on to receive a Bandai/Tamashii Nations figure in the form of Chogokin Tamashii MIX Mechagodzilla (Ohrai Noriyoshi Poster Ver.).
• The scene of BabyGodzilla being fed an apple would be changed to have him being fed a flower in the final draft.
• The idea for Super Mechagodzilla would be influenced by this draft's "two combining robots" concept.
• In an interview with David Milner in December 1994, Mimura revealed how the "Godzillasaurus vs. Pteranodon" sequence was cut due to budgetary constraints, though he was "very fond of it." These limitations also led to the Pteranodon being removed in favor of Rodan in future drafts, as opposed to having the pterosaur evolve into Rodan.
• The sequence of the Pteranodon evolving into White Rodan in the synopsis was translated from text in the 1993 Japanese publication Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla Super Data Book (ISBN: 4061032895), with the text itself originating from the script for this particular draft.

Images

Concept Evolution