Mothra モスラ [MonsterVerse]

Deep within the rainforests of China's Yunnan Province stood an ancient structure known as the Temple of the Moth, which in ancient days was a place of worship for a benevolent creature spoke of in folklore and legend. A beautiful, glowing, angel-like being whose power could shatter the sky. Upon the temple's discovery by the organization MONARCH, it was repurposed into their Outpost 61. Resting inside the temple's main chamber was a large, egg-like sac, which suddenly began stirring from the growing life within. Just as the outpost's technicians began to monitor the activity, the sac burst open. Out emerged an enormous larva-like creature, the very beast the temple was built to pay tribute to: Titanus Mosura - Or as the legends called her, Mothra.

MONARCH immediately attempted to hold the larva within a containment grid, but their computer systems began to fail, causing the walls of energy around the beast to dissipate. The failed attempt at containing her caused the Titan to become uneasy. Her beta-wave bioluminescence, which had been a tranquil blue in color until that moment, changed to an aggressive red. Without the safety of the grid, the containment team panicked, one of them firing their taser gun at the Titan. Though it didn't seriously injure the creature, it nevertheless startled and angered her, causing her to go on the attack. Shifting the chitinous plates on her back, the larva began to snatch the soldiers in her mandibles and immobilize them with her silken spray. Before Mothra's rampage could continue any further, Dr. Emma Russell stepped out into the chamber, bringing along with her a device of her own creation known as the ORCA. Using the ORCA to play the simulated bioacoustics of an Alpha Titan, Emma was able to soothe the larva's fury, returning her to a peaceful state.

Unfortunately, as soon as Mothra had been pacified, the facility was broken into by a group of eco-terrorists, who captured Emma, her daughter Madison, and the ORCA, then killed the remaining technicians. With MONARCH no longer there to contain her, Mothra escaped from the temple and made her way through the rainforest to a nearby waterfall, where she began to construct a cocoon.

• Mothra's MONARCH Outpost is number 61, a reference to the year 1961 which the original Mothra (1961) was released.
• In trying to find ways to make the Mothra Larva emotive since it wasn't capable of making facial expressions, Michael Dougherty revealed in the film's audio commentary that he drew inspiration from the Klendathu Bugs from the 1997 movie Starship Troopers, which mostly used body language to convey their thoughts and emotions.
• Again in the audio commentary, Dougherty said the Larva changing her colors from blue to red was inspired by the Larva twins' eyes doing the same in Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003).
  
  

The war between Godzilla and Monster Zero had come to a sudden and disastrous end. Due to the United States military's Oxygen Destroyer, Godzilla was seemingly dead, and the three-headed monster had declared himself the new Alpha Titan of Earth, raising all other Titans from their dormancy to carry out his bidding. But there was still one Titan that would not bow to the new king so easily. One who was still loyal to the fallen reptile. Her cocoon pulsating with an eerie yet beautiful blue light, Mothra emerged from beneath the Yunnan waterfall, her metamorphosis complete. Spreading her newly formed wings, the Queen of the Monsters let out a cry of defiance.

Making her way to Bermuda, Mothra tracked down the gravely wounded Godzilla, using her shining god rays to clear the clouds around her. She called out to him, letting him know that she was there for him, her cry piercing even the depths of the sea. She received a response, but a faint one, her king too weak and hurt. Realizing it would take far too long for Godzilla to heal on his own, MONARCH took a submarine into the depths, ending up in the ancient hollow Earth tunnels that Titans often used to travel great distances. Finding Godzilla laying barely conscious within a massive temple, Dr. Ishiro Serizawa sacrificed his life to detonate a nuclear warhead, rejuvenating Godzilla's atomic powers and greatly speeding along his recovery.

Revived and supercharged, Godzilla made a beeline for Boston, challenging the evil King Ghidorah once again and initiating the final round of their ancient rivalry, causing great damage to the city in the process. Just as Godzilla seemed to be gaining the advantage, pinning Ghidorah down with his atomic ray, Mothra joined in the fight, shooting down from the sky and ambushing the three-headed monster with her silken spray, sticking two of his heads to a nearby building. Quickly outmatched by the two Titans, Ghidorah called for back up of his own. Rodan emerged from the clouds like a phantom, immediately zeroing in on and attacking Mothra. The giant insect began to defend herself, no longer able to assist Godzilla against his rival, and the two flying monsters dove and spun through the skies, knocking fighter jets and helicopters out of the air.

Just as Ghidorah began to overpower Godzilla, Mothra found herself outmatched by his pterosaur minion. Rodan pinned her against a building and prepared to gouge her with his beak, but a slash from her scythe-like arms was enough to momentarily fend him off. Climbing wearily to the top of the building, Mothra was attacked again, pinned down by Rodan's talons. The Fire Demon tried to snap his beak shut on Mothra's face, but failed. His second attempted failed as well. On his third, Rodan suddenly found himself impaled; Mothra had brought her abdomen forward, stabbing through Rodan's torso with her massive stinger. Though the fiery beast was defeated, Mothra was badly hurt, barely able to move.

Meanwhile, King Ghidorah had constricted Godzilla with his three powerful necks, lifting the mighty reptile and carrying him into the sky. Taking him up into the stratosphere, high above the clouds, Ghidorah let Godzilla drop, igniting upon re-entry before slamming down into the earth below. Landing nearby, Ghidorah watched as Godzilla lay there, weak and defenseless. But he was not alone. Mothra had made her way to him, climbing onto his prone form. Using her bioluminescent glow, her massive wings began to pulse with a vibrant array as a warning for Ghidorah to stay away. Flapping her torn wings, Mothra then took to the air and sped towards the three-headed monster, screeching in fury. But the queen's stand was not meant to last, as the golden beast unleashed his three gravity beams at her, stopping her advance cold and causing her to explode into a brilliant ball of light, reducing her to atoms.

A glowing blue energy, the last remnants of her essence, fell from where Mothra once existed, raining down upon Godzilla. The queen's power absorbed into his skin, giving the King of the Monsters one last chance to reclaim his throne.

• Though Godzilla: King of the Monsters marks Mothra's first physical appearance in the MonsterVerse, the first hint of the creature's existence (in her imago form) comes in the form of a cave painting in the post credit sequence of Kong: Skull Island (2017).
• As revealed in the film's audio commentary, Mothra was given mantis-like arms and a stinger because Michael Dougherty thought she has had so many crazy powers across her filmography, it would only make sense for the character to evolve methods of physically defending herself.
• Though previous attempts had been made to give her the ability as can be seen in storyboards for the unmade Mothra vs. Bagan, this marks the first feature film in which the adult Mothra possesses a silk spray attack similar to the Mothra Larva's.
• Twin sisters Dr. Ilene Chen and Dr. Ling (both portrayed by actress Ziyi Zhang), as well as all their identical female family members shown in photographs, are a reference to Mothra's fairy priestesses such as the Shobijin, the Cosmos and the Elias.
• During the end credits for Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019), Mothra is said to have been played by "Herself."
• During the intro of Godzilla vs. Kong (2021), a cave painting is shown depicting a Skullcrawler, King Kong, Godzilla and what looks like Mothra. The titans are all together, although Godzilla and Kong are in a fighting position.
• In Godzilla vs. Kong (2021), the character Bernie Hayes runs a Titan Truth Podcast. The select of podcasts is briefly seen in the movie, with Episode #244 called "Mothra Pregnancy Theory".