Kumonga クモンガ [Showa]

Lurking beneath the lands of Sollgel, a huge arachnid lived. Living in the "Valley of Kumonga", the huge poisonous spider only came out from beneath the earth to feed every few months. However, during a scrap involving Minilla and a Kamacuras, a stray fallen rock awoke the mammoth sized killer. Rising from the ground, casting off the layers of thick earth, the massive spider attacked the first being it saw, being Riko and Goro. Running, and climbing the mountainside, the pair managed to escape the titan's wrath. Soon, however, the animal moved to the toward the human's new base, located in a cave below the Earth, and once again tried to feed. Having their backs against the wall, the terrified men managed to avoid the grabbing claw of Kumonga, leaving the spider's hunger to rage still.

It wasn't until Minilla strayed by did the devil have a chance for a meal. Springing from the tree cover, the spider cocooned the hapless young monster in a thick web. As he was about to move in for the kill, a Kamacuras revealed itself, and tried to fly by the scene, but Kumonga would not let it pass, and cocooned the armored insect. Staving the feel for nutrition, the animal injected its deadly venom into the prone insect, killing it instantly. Kumonga then moved on, about to do the same with Minilla, until Godzilla intervened. Throwing a rock, the monster battled the spider back. A long battle ensued, but in the end, Godzilla and Minilla set aflame the black body of Kumonga.

Although Kumonga had perished in its fight with Godzilla and his infant, another would emerge. Taking residence on Monster Island, the giant spider lived among the giant creatures there, including Kamacuras, Gorosaurus and others. However, in 1973 nuclear tests devastated the island. Left in an almost uninhabited state, Kumonga and the other monsters left to find another home.

Years later, the beast was captured and raised on Monster Land. There, Kumonga was among the precipitants that the Kilaakian controlled when they invaded. Humanity, though, was able to sever the link and send the spider into battle with King Ghidorah, alongside a host of Earth's monsters. Triumphing over the golden space dragon, Kumonga was returned to Monster Land where it lived in peace with the other monsters.

• The mammoth spider was designed by Yasuyuki Inoue. In terms of modeling the beast, this was done by Teizo Toshimitsu and Yasuei Yagi.
• During the Showa series, there were two Kumonga. The first appeared in Son of Godzilla (1967), while the second appeared in Destroy All Monsters (1968) and Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972). This is noted in the 2016 book Definitive Edition: The Perfect Godzilla Giant Monster Super Encyclopedia (ISBN: 9784063048476). This fact is also brought up in the Godzilla Dictionary: New Edition (ISBN: 4773087250) although there is a discrepancy between the sources, with the 2016 book claiming it was the first generation Kumonga in All Monsters Attack (1969) while the dictionary credits this to the second generation. Either could be correct, and likely doesn't overtly matter as the events in the 1969 film are from the main character's imagination.
• In the 2000 publication The Giant Picture Encyclopedia of Godzilla: Toho Special Effects Movie World (ISBN: 4873765587), Kumonga's powers are listed as "Strong Thread" (強力な糸 - Kyoryoku na Ito) and "Poison Stinger" (毒針 - Dokubari). In The Official Godzilla Compendium (ISBN: 0679888225) the web attack is called a "Web Snare" while the Godzilla Dictionary: New Edition (ISBN: 4773087250) notes it as a "Sticky Thread" (粘着性の糸 - Nenchakusei no Ito).
• Most sources, such as the Toho Special Effects: All Kaiju Illustrated Encyclopedia (ISBN: 9784096820902), cite both Kumongas as being 45 meters long. However, the Definitive Edition: The Perfect Godzilla Giant Monster Super Encyclopedia (ISBN: 9784063048476) lists both of them as being 50 meters in length. This is assumed to be in error, possibly mixed up with the length of Kamacuras.
• Teisho Arikawa, who actually directed the special effects for Son of Godzilla (1967) despite Eiji Tsuburaya receiving credit, had more than 20 puppeteers working the wires for the creature from a platform mounted over the stage. Mentioned in Japan's Favorite Mon-Star (ISBN: 1550223488).
• Six different props were created to realize the monster Kumonga, which is noted in Age of the Gods (self-published).
• The largest prop for the monster was 5 meters, as noted in the Anniversary Commemoration: Godzilla Complete Works (ISBN 9784061784178).
• The creature's home on Sollgel Island is called the "Valley of Kumonga" (クモンガの谷 - Kumonga no Tani) according to the Godzilla Dictionary: New Edition (ISBN: 4773087250).