King Kong キングコング [MonsterVerse]

The last known surviving member of a species of giant apes. Raised on Skull Island in the South Pacific, Kong grew up among a variety of creatures that included his parents. As their notoriety grew, the Kongs were revered as gods by the Iwi island natives. Despite their power, though, the giant apes faced opposition from a subterranean race of reptile-like creatures called Skullcrawlers. Extremely lethal, the larger members of this species wiped out the other Kongs, including murdering Kong's family. Killed on the East side of the island, the remains of the other Kongs were left exposed as a reminder of the Skullcrawlers' power. Young and alone, the great ape brought it upon himself to defend some of the other creatures on the island, such as the Sker Buffalo.

In 1944, amidst World War II, the island was visited by fighter planes. As aerial dog fights occurred near the landmass, two planes were shot down. One belonged to the American forces, while the other was a Japanese zero fighter plan. As the two pilots attempted to kill each other on foot, Kong intervened. Sparring the two men, the pilots came to live with the island natives. They learned to respect Kong as the islanders had, as the great ape continued to defend the isle.

29 years later, in 1973, the island was visited by a large squadron of helicopters. The copters were part of an expedition led by the company Landsat and the government agency Monarch. The latter was an organization created in 1946 to study M.U.T.O. (massive unidentified terrestrial organisms). Escorting the research group was a military unit called the Sky Devils. Proficient pilots, the unit ventured through the storm system surrounding the island. Traveling further inland, a research group was deployed as the helicopters prepared explosives. Instructed to bomb the island for seismic surveillance, the helicopters shelled the forest.

Unfortunately for the pilots, the explosives were simply a ruse. Monarch suspected the island to be the host for M.U.T.O., and the charges were a way to flush them out. Their hunch was correct, as Kong responded to the destruction brought on Skull Island. Immediately retaliating, the great ape tossed a tree through one of the copters, destroying it. With the threat realized, the UH-1 Iroquois helicopters engaged Kong. However, the beast was able to resist their gunfire, although was damaged by their sharp rotary blades. In the end, over 20 helicopters were destroyed. With the fleet decimated, Kong left the vicinity.

The incident left a small, scattered group of survivors. As they attempted to regroup, one survivor, Jack Chapman of the Sky Devils, found himself near a river. The lone solider was not alone, though, as Kong appeared shortly afterwards. As Chapman attempted to hide, Kong became focused on examining his wounds. The giant ape then proceeded to drink from the river, although appears preoccupied. The apparent distraction was revealed, though, when Kong reached below the waters to engage a submerged Mire Squid. The giant, tentacled beast attempted to constrict Kong, but was overpowered. Killed in the conflict, Kong began to eat the dead squid while he ventured elsewhere on the island.

Meanwhile, other survivors found themselves among the Iwi natives. They also discovered Hank Marlow, one of the World War II pilots who Kong sparred in the 1940's. Marlow revealed that Kong attacked them not only due to the damage being caused, but also to prevent the awakening of a larger Skullcrawler. As the survivors were greeted into the Iwi camp, one of them, photojournalist Mason Weaver, ventured off. In doing so she encountered a nearby Sker Buffalo who was trapped below a fallen UH-1 Iroquois. Weaver struggled to dislodged the large animal, only for Kong to arrive. The giant ape effortlessly removed the helicopter, saving the Sker Buffalo. Kong made eye contact with the young girl before once again embarking for another part of the island.

Eventually, after the group leaves the Iwi village, the remaining survivors reconvene with each other near the river. Once united, colonel Preston Packard of the Sky Devils reveals his vendetta against Kong. Packard also states that he plans to find Chapman, who was still missing. The search for the lost soldier leads the group to the East area of the island, where they find the remains of Kong's parents. Unfortunately, the group is viciously attacked by Skullcrawlers. Suffering more causalities, although not without killing some of the Skullcrawlers, the group discovers that Chapman was already dead. Packard, however, was beyond reason. Despite all they had been through, the colonel had become obsessed with destroying Kong. To achieve this, he secured the seismic explosives. His goal was to use them to lure Kong into a trap. These actions splintered the survivors into a group focused on escaping and another, military group focused on aiding the colonel.

Two members of the non-military group, however, run into Kong. Weaver, in fact gets close enough to touch the beast. The encounter makes them realize that Kong is the benevolent guardian the Iwi natives portrayed him as, and not a mindless beast. The experience caused the two groups to clash, although only after Packard had already lured and incapacitated Kong. Eventually the other soldiers listen to reason, and try to spare Kong. Packard remains vigilant, even as the giant Skullcrawler emerges nearby. In a final act, Packard attempted to detonate the explosives to kill Kong. The colonel was interrupted though as Kong reached out and crushed Packard under his fist.

In a weakened state, Kong was quickly defeated by the giant Skullcrawler. The reptile-like beast was more interested in the survivors than the giant ape, though. As a result, the downed ape is left behind for this other query.

As night turned to day, the mammoth Skullcrawler pursued the humans. The monster managed to corner them, only for Kong to reemerge. As the two giant creatures battled, the giant ape got entangled in chains from a nearby sunken ship. Before the reptile could cause mortal damage, though, the beast was distracted by a flare fired by Weaver. This allowed Kong to break free, who then used the chain and a propeller to go on the attack. Fiercely throwing the object, Kong impaled his foe on the propeller blades. Using the chain to drag the Skullcrawler to him, the giant ape violently ripped at his opponent's jaw. The skirmish, however, knocked Weaver into the river, as Kong leapt to rescue her. Although successful, the giant Skullcrawler once more attacked Kong, focusing on the hand that was trying to protect the young girl. Eventually Kong gave in to the reptile's efforts to get at his hand by ramming it down the Skullcrawler's throat. The great ape then ripped his hand out, taking with it the tongue and vital organs of the reptile creature, killing it in the process.

With his foe vanquished, Kong set Weaver down safely. As the helicopters arrived to rescue the survivors, Kong beat his chest and roared.

Kong continued guarding his kingdom. Conflict proved unavoidable, and whether in the shape of the beast's rivals, the Skullcrawlers, or other carnivorous beasts like the Killer Chameleons, Kong led the charge against the chaotic forces.

In the early 1990's, though, after forming a bond with a Spanish shipwreck survivor that perished from his reckless pursuit of balance, Kong's burning desire for conflict was reduced to embers. No taunts or roaring cries of his previous friend's killer, from the Kraken which lurked just off Skull Island's coast, could restore Kong's lost spirit. So the guardian fell into a depressive state, unable to rekindle his desire or seek vengeance against the undersea menace.

Creatures across Skull Island attempted to correct the imbalance. Some grew more hostile against the human residents or the unlucky survivors of the Kraken's wrath that washed up on the island's shores while others, like the Hawk, gave tribute to fill the void within Kong's heart.

The oppressive malaise affecting Kong remained until a precious necklace was ripped from the ancient temple the King resided within. Kong's rage burned anew against the two meager humans and the dog-like creature they rode upon. He pursued them across Skull Island without wavering, shaking the isle with primordial fury. Only on a glistening beach, when the thieves offered to return his friend's necklace did the King feel his rage begin to dull, yet it was too late...

Unknown to Kong, the humans had lured him to the water's edge to slay the Kraken; a creature that happily took advantage of the opportunity, launching red tentacles to ensnare his rival. The fight Kong avoided, that he desired no part in, had finally arrived whether he wanted it or not.

Muscle flexed. Teeth ripped and tore crimson tentacles. What venom and electrical shocks the Kraken could imbue did little to dampen Kong's rage, forcing the undersea creature to fight above the waves where Kong could use his full strength. Fur covered fists clashed against giant claws, and while the guardian was outsized by the undersea leviathan, even matched in strength, Kong would not yield until he was dragged beneath the ocean's depths.

Kong grew more desperate as he sank beneath the waves. Primordial strength failed against pressure and tentacle and venom. The Kraken's victory over the guardian and the isle he cared for was nearly attained, but a keen eye proved Kong's saving grace as he spotted a nearby submerged vessel and carved deep groves across the leviathan's head, taking two of its four eyes in the process.

Believing himself victorious and having breached the surface, Kong was then lured to dog-like beast, whimpering in the chaotic surf. Unwilling to allow more loss within his domain and thinking of the one he lost, Kong saved the small creature merely to be blindsided by the impaired, but still wrathful Kraken.

While the undersea terror still pursued claiming the island's throne, such chances were lost the moment Kong's rage flared anew, igniting the cauldron of strength within the titan's heart. Unrelenting blows careened into the Kraken, pummeling it into submission before Kong ripped the dreaded beast in two.

Balance had return to Skull Island and within its mighty protector.

Not long after, in 1995, MONARCH sent a covert expedition to Skull Island. Among the group venturing to the isle was Aaron Brooks, son of Houston Brooks from the 1973 excursion to the island. However, their V-22 Osprey was attacked and the survivors become stranded. Their presence attracted a pack of Death Jackals, which killed one of the members. As the animals cornered them in a cave, Kong arrived. Bringing down his giant fist, the Skull Island guardian crushed several of the smaller creatures. Reaching in with his hand, Kong next grabbed others and pulled them from the cave. Finally, the huge ape slammed his other open hand down, ending the attack and saving the humans.

The survivors next were rescued by the Iwi natives. There, one of the survivors, Walter R. Riccio, began to learn about Kong. This included a vision that depicted a huge battle between others of Kong's species and the Skullcrawlers. Another, later vision showed the birth of King Kong. Taking place during a battle with the Skullcrawlers, Riccio saw both of Kong's parents. Kong's father was the first to fall, killed by the Skullcrawlers while Kong's mother was in labor. After giving birth, the huge female ape hid the baby in a cave. Shortly afterwards, she too was killed by the Skullcrawlers, although King Kong was safe.

Unfortunately, Riccio started to lose his mind, becoming obsessed with Kong. This fevered adoration led him to blow up the walls of the Iwi village, just to see if Kong comes to save them. Shortly afterwards, numerous Mother Longlegs swarmed the village. The giant spiders wasted little time in killing island natives, spearing them with their long appendages. As Aaron Brooks and several natives attempted to escape, a giant Mother Longlegs spoted them and gave chase. Thankfully, King Kong arrived, killing the large spider and saving Brooks. The island guardian then did battle with the other Mother Longlegs, slaughtering them. With the last one dispatched, Kong spotted Riccio shouting at him. The huge ape approached the lone man and raised his fist. With a single motion, Kong brought his powerful arm down, smashing Riccio. The island guardian then walked over to Brooks, staring at him. Kong then left, the remnants of the island villagers worshiping the giant as he goes.

• Motion capture for the performance of King Kong in Kong: Skull Island was done by Toby Kebbell, who also plays soldier Jack Chapman in the movie, and Terry Notary.
• The monster's full name is never mentioned during the American version of the movie. Instead, the beast is simply called "Kong", although is referred to in other contexts as a king. The Japanese verison, however, uses the creature's full name as part of Kong: Skull Island's movie title.
• In promoting Kong: Skull Island, Warner Bros. Japan released stats surrounding the monsters. This included Kong's height and weight, while also including a subtitle for the monster: Guardian of Skull Island (髑髏島の守護神 - Sharekobe to no Shugojin).
• The special effects department at one time considered having Kong walk on all fours, giving him primate qualities. Concept art was even rendered around this idea. Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts, however, stepped in saying that the beast needed to stand upright. He stated that: "this character is not a gorilla, this is an evolutionary offshoot between man and gorilla… kind of a neanderthal." This detail is mentioned Creating a King: Summoning a God found on the Kong: Skull Island DVD.
• Model supervisor Lana Lan projects that the CGI model to create Kong for Kong: Skull Island was over half a million polygons, with almost half of those being in the face to increase the resolution there. This account is related in Creating a King: Summoning a God found on the Kong: Skull Island DVD.
• To bring the creature to life, a muscle system was simulated on the Kong model. This was meant to give a more realistic performance for the character. On top of this was skin and also hair, with the CGI model of Kong featuring 19 million hairs. This information is cited in Creating a King: Summoning a God found on the Kong: Skull Island DVD.
• King Kong appears in the 2017 comic series Skull Island: The Birth of Kong, which is in the MonsterVerse continuity. The character appears in issues Skull Island: The Birth of Kong #1, #2, #3 and #4. This series is set in 1995.
• King Kong also appears in the Skull Island (2023) TV series. According to an interview with executive producer Jacob Robinson and director Willis Bulliner, they state the series as taking place between 1993 and 1994.
  
  

Awakening to a world all his own, Kong, the last of his kind to his knowledge and ruler of his domain, resided on Skull Island. However, after his battle with Camazotz caused the island’s natural protective storm to move inland, the land and people he guided was a fraction of its former self. The lush jungles and towering cliffs now were merely an artificial backdrop, and while the company of the last of the Iwi, a girl named Jia, soothed the beast’s soul, Kong’s heart longed for a larger world.

Thus, the bitter resentment of Kong and his Monarch captors was disrupted when a group of scientists, led by the determined Dr. Nathan Lind, desired to venture into the Hollow Earth – a subterranean world where the Titans originated. The scientists believed that Kong held the key to accessing this mysterious realm and with Jia by his side, Kong agreed to take the arduous journey.

Transported on a massive cargo ship, Kong's journey becomes a tumultuous voyage across the open sea. The vast expanse of water, a stark contrast to the dense jungles of Skull Island, challenged Kong's patience as much as his fortitude. Only with Jia’s company did he manage to remain calm. At least until he sensed another Titan…

Dorsal Spines cut through the water like shark fins. Blackened hide that mimicked the ocean’s darkest abyss. An unstoppable force slammed into Kong’s transport group, and the caged protector quickly was plunged into the ocean’s depths, facing off with the Alpha amongst Titans – Godzilla.

Vastly outmatched within the Legendary Alpha’s domain, Kong exited the waves and made his way to an aircraft carrier, luring Godzilla onto the only solid ground nearby. But primal strength met its superior, as Godzilla took Kong’s blows without slowing. When atomic fire lanced the carrier, Kong’s hopes of any type of victory were dashed and only by the skin of his teeth did the protector even live through the brief engagement.

Shortly thereafter, Kong arrived at the Antarctic entrance to the Hollow Earth. At first hesitant, Kong’s desire for a new home gradually overcame his fears as he plunged into the depths of the unknown.

From a hellish cold he exited. Into the vibrant Hollow Earth, Kong emerged.

Hollow Earth proved a mesmerizing spectacle for Kong, revealing a world of awe-inspiring landscapes, ancient Titans, and gravity defying features. While he traversed through the subterranean realm, those ancient Titans proved unable to halt Kong and his friends’ trek through the new realm. So, after vanquishing a pair of War Bats, Kong's primal instincts guided him deep into the heart of the Earth, where he found a temple created by his kind.

Amidst the ruins of past Kongs, Kong found a weapon able to match Godzilla’s atomic might – The Royal Axe. But this momentary joy only lasted a moment as azure energy tore through the sacred space.

Monuments of long dead kin and a temple that gave Kong peace crumbled around him, leaving only a roar from a vicious, legendary beast to fill the void.

Fury stirred within Kong.

After vanquishing a few rebelling humans that wished harm on Jia and her friends, Kong embraced the thrumming rage deep within and ventured to the surface to combat Godzilla. The primal Titan may have lost their first round, but he was determined to win their second. Thus started a relentless showdown amidst the towering skyscrapers of Hong Kong.

The earth trembling roars echoed through the concrete canyons as the two Titans locked eyes, the tension palpable in the air. Godzilla, a force of nature with his devastating Atomic Ray, unleashed a torrent of azure energy towards Kong.

Dodging and weaving, Kong showcased his agility, utilizing the urban landscape to his advantage. The colossal blows between the two Titans shook the very foundations of Hong Kong, while atomic fury reduced buildings to cinders. Kong, with his raw strength and cunning, countered Godzilla's brutality and power, each punch and slam a testament to his determination to avenge what had been so maliciously destroyed.

As the battle raged on and unable to stem the tide of atomic energy, Kong used the Royal Axe to block the torrent of azure fire. Leaping off a skyscraper to enact the final blow, he swung his energized blade down and engulfed both he and his cursed adversary in blinding light.

Godzilla lay in a pile of rubble. Kong had attained vengeance for what had been lost.

But victory, however, was short-lived as Godzilla, resilient and unyielding, rose once again, ready for the next round. Round three began not with thunderous roars, but an eerie silence.

Whatever superiority Kong gained from his successful bout was quickly squashed beneath atomic heels. Against Godzilla’s newfound savagery, Kong’s primal might and rage stood little chance. A debilitating left shoulder dislocation, numerous cuts across his torso, and finally, a city shaking stomp atop his chest took the fight out of Kong. While defiant, he possessed no further strength and into the darkness of death he gradually descended.

But Kong’s connection to humanity proved not only his saving grace, as he was saved by Dr. Nathan Lind, but Godzilla’s as Jia explained that Godzilla was not an enemy. The true threat, the one which made Godzilla order all Titans into hibernation, the one which led Godzilla to constantly battle Kong so the primal Titan could not become a potential ally to the threat, was a mechanical reincarnation of King Ghidorah – Mechagodzilla.

Trusting Jia and recognizing the greater threat, Kong set aside his hostility for Godzilla to face their common foe. Thus, the once-rivals formed an unlikely alliance, their combined strength becoming a formidable force against the mechanical menace. But even united, Godzilla and Kong were still not enough…

Only with Godzilla powering up the Royal Axe with an atomic blast did Kong attain an edge. The blade, once unable to pierce the mecha’s shell, sliced through Mechagodzilla without issue. Limb after limb fell away. Oil stained the battlefield. Then, as Kong tore off the machine’s head, did the true enemy finally fall.

But even with their common enemy defeated, hostility remained between the two Titans. Desiring no further conflict between himself and Godzilla, Kong let his Royal Axe fall to the wayside. He would not bow, but he would not fight the Legendary Titan either.

This nebulous truce Godzilla could accept.

So, after an undefined length of time, Kong ventured back to the Hollow Earth – a grand domain for his residence; a kingdom worthy of his rule.

• Legendary, via their MonsterVerse Weibo account, released an official profile in Chinese for Kong. This listed his height as 102 meters and also stated that he could punch with the equivalent of a 4.2 magnitude earthquake.
• While there are numerous names for Kong's new weapon within and outside of the film, the naming convention selected by Toho Kingdom derives itself from the Godzilla vs. Kong soundtrack. Specifically, the theme entitled "Royal Axe". Another prominent name though is the "Battle Axe". This is seen on the Funko figure release and Prime 1 Studio releases. Playmates Toys uses a slight variant of this with a hyphen, calling it a "Battle-Axe".
• As of yet, there appears to be no official weight for Kong in his adult form. However, thanks to the Godzilla vs. Kong movie novelization, we know his weight is at most 100,000 tons. This is because the cargo ship that carries him is stated to be able to ferry up to 100,000 tons, as mentioned in the novelization.