Monster Discussion: Megaguirus

[Stump Feet]

If that's not the case, I'm the one who feels dumb

I too always assumed Megaguirus was meant to resemble that underwater larva but gained the Godzilla teeth after she mutated

[LSD Jellyfish]

If that's not the case, I'm the one who feels dumb

I too always assumed Megaguirus was meant to resemble that underwater larva but gained the Godzilla teeth after she mutated

It`s not that I think you`re wrong, I just realized its an assumption based on the appearance, and I`m not sure if the film itself or anything confirms it.

[Stump Feet]

The English version doesn't, that I can confirm.

[Terasawa]

I've wondered this before too but is there anything in the film that implies it was the intent? The weird insect professor guy doesn't seem to think there's anything strange about Megaguirus. He expects it to be as large as it is and even mentions something about fossils of prehistoric Megaguiruses having been found in China. To me that implies that the film's Megaguirus is not significantly mutated, if at all.

GXM and G2K share a common concept in having Godzilla single out mankind's power sources when he attacks so I wonder if the concept of a monster that draws its lifeforce from Godzilla is another shared concept. Ultimately though GXM is a movie that relies on explicit storytelling so I can't imagine that they'd leave something like this unspoken.

[Arbok]

I've wondered this before too but is there anything in the film that implies it was the intent? The weird insect professor guy doesn't seem to think there's anything strange about Megaguirus. He expects it to be as large as it is and even mentions something about fossils of prehistoric Megaguiruses having been found in China. To me that implies that the film's Megaguirus is not significantly mutated, if at all.

I've always assumed this to be the case, that Megaguirus mutated based on Godzilla. I assume she would have looked more like a giant Meganula rather than what she turned into being.

Her bio in Godzilla: Defense Force, which is a great source of English info and is as recent as this year, seems to back this up. To my surprise, though, it notes that it's not just appearance that changed but that she was also made larger and physically stronger as well:

"Because she was mutated by Godzilla's energy during development, she possesses more powerful jaws, greater size, and superior strength compared to other members of her species."

[Terasawa]

Fascinating, I wonder if that was a detail in the film that was obscured by Toho's English translation.

[LSD Jellyfish]

I've wondered this before too but is there anything in the film that implies it was the intent? The weird insect professor guy doesn't seem to think there's anything strange about Megaguirus. He expects it to be as large as it is and even mentions something about fossils of prehistoric Megaguiruses having been found in China. To me that implies that the film's Megaguirus is not significantly mutated, if at all.

I've always assumed this to be the case, that Megaguirus mutated based on Godzilla. I assume she would have looked more like a giant Meganula rather than what she turned into being.

Her bio in Godzilla: Defense Force, which is a great source of English info and is as recent as this year, seems to back this up. To my surprise, though, it notes that it's not just appearance that changed but that she was also made larger and physically stronger as well:

"Because she was mutated by Godzilla's energy during development, she possesses more powerful jaws, greater size, and superior strength compared to other members of her species."

Hmmm, yeah, but the weird part of that, is the mention of "Godzilla`s energy", as opposed to "Godzilla`s DNA". This is a really minor and niche convo, seemingly a debate over nothing, but the distinction between the two has a lot of really weird implications. For example, it would imply that MireGoji, has some unique way of processing energy, and making it into a sort of "Godzilla Energy". If it`s DNA, it implies that Godzilla`s DNA has mutagenic properties, which is heavily if not outright shown in Godzilla vs. Biollante, and G2000. The idea that it got larger and more physical is cool though.

And while discussing Concept Art, is something that shouldn't be taken too literally, because it's just concept art, and a lot of poster art is misleading, a lot of Megaguirus concept art, makes her waaaay more insectoid.



Compare the jaw, and how originally, Megagurius had a "flatter" more chitinous carapace. Also note the wings, are definitely more insect like, then the leathery bat like wings we got. Additionally, she now lacks the second pair.

While this might be too headcannony, it would be cool to sort of think that the poster Megagurius, is that it would have been what the queen meganulon would grow into, if not for the Godzilla energy/DNA.

[Stump Feet]

Having a better look at her face now and not having to rely on memory, there's no doubt in my mind she's some sort of Godzilla mutant, their heads and teeth are literally identical, I always thought it was JUST the teeth but the head and jaw shape is there too.

[BlankAccount]

She was a nice throwback to monsters like Gigan, didn't need to be the most powerful or even be built as an anti-Godzilla weapon, didn't need to be OP and shrug off everything thrown at her as we saw she got hurt at times too showing the fight could have gone either way, she just needed to fight hard and earn her victory. She almost did to, Godzilla got stupid lucky at the fights end.

[Zarm]

I feel like we only ever had an indication of the energy itself being siphoned off, so it doesn't make any sense to me for there to be any Godzilla influence. She might be mutated by radiation, like Godzilla is, but it's not like she is absorbing anything particular to Godzilla's DNA that would cause her to become like him. She's just affected by the same source that affected him. (At least, that's how I would see it.)

[LSD Jellyfish]

Regardless of what the origin is, it also suddenly makes sense why Megagurius is called a dragon in Godzilla Rage Against Time. Megagurius, if it’s actually a Godzilla hybrid could be a dragon.

Can I also just say it’s really weird having that revelation about the monster after assuming I was so familiar with it? I actually can’t ignore how much it looks like the MireGoji, and I see the design influence, but before I just saw it purely as a giant bug.

[Arbok]

Can I also just say it’s really weird having that revelation about the monster after assuming I was so familiar with it? I actually can’t ignore how much it looks like the MireGoji, and I see the design influence, but before I just saw it purely as a giant bug.

I've been there before, it is quite a strange experience. Nothing for me, though, will probably top finding out that King Caesar is actually a golem-like creature versus a flesh and blood monster.

[Stump Feet]

Can I also just say it’s really weird having that revelation about the monster after assuming I was so familiar with it? I actually can’t ignore how much it looks like the MireGoji, and I see the design influence, but before I just saw it purely as a giant bug.

I've been there before, it is quite a strange experience. Nothing for me, though, will probably top finding out that King Caesar is actually a golem-like creature versus a flesh and blood monster.

This may not actually be the case tbh, there's two official x-rays floating around, one depicting bricks and gold and the other bones

[Arbok]

This may not actually be the case tbh, there's two official x-rays floating around, one depicting bricks and gold and the other bones

Is the other official source the 1979 trading card set by Kodansha?

FYI, Kodansha is the same exact company that released one of the books in the 1990's showing King Caesar as a golem.

[Terasawa]

The thing I don't like about these after the fact revelations is that they may not reflect the filmmakers' wishes. To me that's the true canon. I don't care if it's official that 40 years later Toho says the King Ghidorah in Godzilla vs. Gigan is a different creature than the one in the previous three films; if it's not supported by anything in the film or by statements made by creative personnel at the time (which I value less than anything on screen), I'm going to reject that as merely a retcon.

I know there's a book Tomoyuki Tanaka wrote later on about Godzilla and the films and in which he includes some controversial "facts," such as (I believe) the Showa Godzilla has gills. Of course Tanaka was the guiding force for the first 22 Godzilla movies so his opinion matters, but still, his official declarations made years later don't hold the same weight as anything stated or observed in the films themselves. (I know that's not a great example though, since Godzilla's ability to breathe underwater is declared in Godzilla's Revenge.) It's really not that different from George Lucas going back to Star Wars to make a version in which Greedo fires his blaster first, except that in this case the change isn't so pervasive that the original work has been changed.

[Stump Feet]

Kinda like how Showa Godzilla suddenly gained regeneration somewhere in the 90's or 2000's?

I agree, I find retcons pretty annoying, none more so than the Godzilla vs. Gigan one you mentioned above.

[Terasawa]

I agree, I find retcons pretty annoying, none more so than the Godzilla vs. Gigan one you mentioned above.

I just don't see how that adds anything to the film or why it's the slightest bit important.

[eabaker]

I agree, I find retcons pretty annoying, none more so than the Godzilla vs. Gigan one you mentioned above.

I just don't see how that adds anything to the film or why it's the slightest bit important.

Because of POWER LEVELS, my friend. Because of POWER LEVELS.

[Stump Feet]

I agree, I find retcons pretty annoying, none more so than the Godzilla vs. Gigan one you mentioned above.

I just don't see how that adds anything to the film or why it's the slightest bit important.

I feel like it was a mistake on their part. Thinking it didn't make any sense for Ghidorah to show back up in Gigan after being killed in Destroy All Monsters, forgetting that film took place in 1999? I really don't know myself...

[Terasawa]

I agree, I find retcons pretty annoying, none more so than the Godzilla vs. Gigan one you mentioned above.

I just don't see how that adds anything to the film or why it's the slightest bit important.

Because of POWER LEVELS, my friend. Because of POWER LEVELS.

Don't forget muh continüiteez.