Madison Russell

Madison "Maddie" Russell is the tritagonist of the 2019 film, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and one of the two deuteragonists (alongside Jia) of the 2021 film Godzilla vs. Kong.
She is the daughter of Mark Russell and Emma Williams who has grown up traveling the world with her mother on field assignments following the death of her brother Andrew during Godzilla's battle with the MUTOs in 2014. To start off with, she was living in Monarch Outpost 61 in China's Yunnan Province, where her mother was studying the Titan known as Mothra. Madison maintained a distant relationship with Mark, who resigned from Monarch and separated from Emma in 2014, though she contacted him several times a week. In 2019, she witnessed Mothra's emergence from her egg up-close, only to be abducted by the eco-terrorist Alan Jonah along with Emma. After Emma and Jonah's plan to awaken the Titans around the world resulted in Ghidorah using them as his servants to devastate the world's ecosystems, Madison stole her mother's sonar device, the ORCA. Using Fenway Park's speakers, she managed to halt most of the Titans' rampages, while summoning Godzilla and Mothra to Boston for a final confrontation with Ghidorah and Rodan. In 2024, Madison believes there is a reason for Godzilla's erratic behavior, suspecting a conspiracy formulated by the organization, Apex Cybernetics and proceeds to investigate with assistance from her friend Josh Valentine and former Apex Cybernetics technician Bernie Hayes.
She is portrayed by , who also played Eleven in Stranger Things, young Alice in Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, Enola Holmes in the 2020 film of the same name and Elodie in Damsel. Her younger-self is portrayed by Alexandra Rabe.
==Biography==
===Background===
Madison, who was born in 2007, to Mark Russell and Emma Williams, she had an older brother named Andrew, bigger than her of five years. Spent much of her childhood in Boston and touring the world with her mother on field assignments. Madison learned a lot about Titans from her mother and Monarch Field Tutor, and others noticed she was academically talented like her parents.
After Emma accepted a job opportunity, the family relocated to San Francisco at an unknown time. However, Madison's older brother Andrew died from rubble crushing him during the battle between Godzilla and the MUTOs in 2014. The bereaved family returned to Boston, and Mark and Emma destroyed their prototype of the ORCA, a one-of-a-kind technology that emits sonar pulses only Titans can understand. The loss of Andrew became too much for Madison's parents to bear, and her father began drinking to cope, while her mother devoted herself to rebuilding the ORCA to guarantee Andrew's death was not in vain. Madison frequently found herself in the center of her parents' disagreements and attempted to keep them together, but Mark and Emma eventually divorced. 
===Godzilla: Aftershock===
While Emma is working at Monarch Outpost 14 in the Philippines, Madison surprises her mother after Vivienne Graham tells Mark that seeing Maddie will help soothe Emma's current stress. Dr. Graham interrupts Madison's reunion with her mother by informing Emma about MUTO Prime's recent attack. They then watch a live video feed of Godzilla returning to the ocean after his recent battle with the beast, and Madison informs her mother about Godzilla's apparent injury.
After Godzilla destroys the MUTO Prime, Emma tells Madison that the world is about to undergo massive upheaval; things may be frightening for a while, but sometimes things must deteriorate in order to improve. Emma then swears to always remain by Madison's side and keep her safe. Madison tells Emma that Godzilla was referred to as a hero in the news, which Emma attributes to ancient Phoenician legends. Madison asks what happened to them, and Emma says she doesn't know but admires individuals who have the courage to journey into the unknown alone.
===Between Aftershock and King of the Monsters===
Despite growing estranged from her father over the next five years, Madison, now 12, maintains regular touch with him and spends time with him on occasion. Madison and Emma are currently in Monarch Outpost 61 - The Temple of the Moth in the Yunnan region of China's forest. Maddie spends her leisure time studying the insects in the ecosystem because Emma bans her from having access to captivity. However, as she approaches her adolescence and craves normalcy, Madison spends her evenings engaging in common pastimes like any other teenager.
===Godzilla: King of the Monsters===
Madison is listening to music and watching videos online on her laptop. She receives an email from her father, Mark, who is away in the Colorado wilderness studying wolves. She types a quick reply about missing him and wanting to talk to him about how she's getting worried about her mother. Before she can send it, Madison hears the smoke alarm go off as she was making breakfast for her mother and herself, and burns the bacon. Madison lies to her mom about looking for recipes but her mother isn't convinced so Madison admits to answering her father's emails. She asks if her dad will be okay and Emma says Mark is safe where he is, and reveals she finished rebuilding the ORCA. Then Madison and Emma witness the hatching of Mothra, a prehistoric moth-like Titan. The larva quickly becomes agitated after Monarch personnel begin firing electrical pulses at it to pacify it. Emma rushes into the containment chamber with the ORCA. Madison swipes Dr. Mancini's ID badge and runs into the chamber to protect her mother but is helpless as the massive larva prepares to strike down on them. Emma manages to find the right frequency and calms the larva, who leans downwards and allows Madison to touch her. Soon after, eco-terrorists and their leader, Alan Jonah, raid the facility, executing all Monarch personnel except for Madison and Emma. The mercenaries fail to capture Mothra, who retreats behind a nearby waterfall and seals herself in a cocoon.
With a Monarch Osprey, the eco-terrorists take Madison and Emma to the Monarch outpost in Antarctica, killing all personnel stationed there as they did in China, with Madison visibly shaken. The terrorists then escort Madison and Emma down into the depths of the containment facility, where they intend to awaken a three-headed, dragon-like Titan dubbed Monster Zero. Madison marvels at the sight of Monster Zero, who is frozen under hundreds of feet of ice. She runs her hand across the ice as Monster Zero's massive silhouette towers over her, frozen in the same position as he was in many millennia ago. Jonah has his men drill large holes in the ice and place charges in them order to aid Monster Zero in waking up, but Monarch reinforcements soon arrive, along with Mark Russell. During an intense standoff between Jonah and G-Team, Mark tells Madison and Emma to come towards him. Madison begins to walk toward him slowly, but before she could come to Mark, Emma stops her and calls her back. Although hesitant at first to leave with her father, Madison eventually listens and comes back to Emma before escaping with her and the terrorists after her mother detonates the charges. Reboarding their Osprey, Madison tells her mother they can't leave Mark behind before watching Emma use the ORCA to awaken Monster Zero, who rises from the shattered ice and begins terrorizing her father and the trapped Monarch personnel below. Fearing for her father's life, Madison grabs the ORCA from Emma and sends out sonar pulses to distract Monster Zero, but she is pulled away from it by Emma and Jonah's forces, who restrain Madison so Emma can turn off the ORCA to prevent Monster Zero from killing them. Then Madison watches tearfully as Monster Zero closes in on her father, trapped in a damaged Osprey below, before flying off.
Jonah takes Madison and Emma to a Monarch bunker just outside of Boston, which the eco-terrorists have taken over to use as a hideout. From there, Emma contacts Mark and Monarch via video feed from the control room. Relieved that her father is alive, Madison apologizes to him for what happened before. Then she listens to Emma as she reveals that she and Jonah are working together to "save the world" by freeing the Titans before her parents argue about Emma's reasoning stemming from Andrew's death. Then Jonah orders Emma to wake up another Titan, a massive pteranodon-like creature dubbed Rodan, located in Isla de Mara, Mexico. After hearing what her father said, Madison begs Emma to reconsider and allow the village near Rodan's volcano outpost to be evacuated. Then Jonah interjects and mockingly confronts Madison if Emma sold her on the idea to release the Titans with the promise of humans and monsters living together in peace. Madison still begs her mother to let the islanders find shelter first but the despondent Emma proceeds to use the ORCA to wake Rodan anyway. By simply flying overhead, Rodan creates a massive cyclonic drift stream and wipes out the village and many of its inhabitants, before proceeding to decimate a squadron of jets sent by Monarch.
Soon after, the military fires a prototype missile called an "Oxygen Destroyer" at Monster Zero and Godzilla as they fight in the ocean in Mexico. Godzilla is seemingly killed while Monster Zero survives. He regrows the head Godzilla previously tore off during the fight, perches atop Rodan's volcano, and gives out a roar that awakens the remaining Titans around the world. Horrified by the needless death and destruction, and disenchanted with her mother's beliefs, a tearful Madison coldly calls her a monster. Later, Madison storms down a corridor followed by her mother. She confronts Emma about their plan to gradually release the Titans and restore balance to the world, as her mother told her they were doing it in Andrew's memory. Madison asks Emma if Andrew would approve of what they've done before locking herself in an old radio room.
The Titans continue to ravage the planet under the leadership of Monster Zero, now known as Ghidorah, who had usurped the position of Alpha Titan from Godzilla. Overhearing Emma and Jonah discuss the possibility of using the ORCA to broadcast a signal from the Fenway Park stadium, Madison decides to carry out her mother's plan herself and steals the ORCA while it was unguarded and heads into the city. She reaches the stadium just as the last evacuations are completed, and heads into the broadcast booth. From there, she uses the ORCA to blast sonar pulses through Fenway's speakers, effectively distracting the Titans all over the globe, including Ghidorah. Within minutes, Ghidorah arrives at Fenway, slamming down into the stadium and searching for the source of the sonar pulses. He destroys the speakers but continues to hear the ORCA. Madison tries to disable the ORCA, but Ghidorah spots her and attempts to kill her with his gravity beams. Madison escapes the stadium but comes face-to-face with Ghidorah on the field. She throws the ORCA at him, which he tramples on and damages. With nowhere left to run or hide, Madison accepts her fate as Ghidorah charges up his gravity beams ready to kill her. Suddenly, the three-headed beast is thrown back by a blast of energy. Godzilla arrives from the ocean with an entourage of jets and naval vessels, ready to face Ghidorah again. The two Titans proceed to viciously battle each other while Madison escapes. Meanwhile, Mothra and Rodan also arrive and begin battling each other. Madison runs to her family's old house on Beacon Street and barricades herself in as the very Earth shakes due to the battle between the colossal beasts.
Emma and Mark eventually track down Madison and find her in the bathtub of their old house, buried under some rubble. Upon reviving Madison, the family shares an emotional reunion and watch as Ghidorah lifts Godzilla thousands of feet into the air and drops him. Mothra, who just barely defeated Rodan, attempts to defend Godzilla but is obliterated by Ghidorah. Madison's parents repair the ORCA as Ghidorah begins to drain the remaining energy out of Godzilla and an Osprey arrives with Monarch. Once it was activated, Ghidorah released Godzilla and began making his way in the humans' direction. As Ghidorah drew near the Osprey, Emma suddenly paused and realized that she won't be able to escape with Monarch if the ORCA was onboard. Madison, shocked that her mother isn't leaving with her and Monarch on the Osprey, tried to come back to her, only to be held back by Mark before she could do so, crying out after Emma while the Osprey took off. Emma took the ORCA and enters a vehicle she commandeered from Jonah's forces, causing Ghidorah to pursue her as the Osprey escaped. Onboard, a tearful Madison could only watch in horror and distraught as Ghidorah closes in on her mother and blasts her vehicle with his gravity beams, injuring Emma and destroying the ORCA in the process. Before Ghidorah can finish off a mortally wounded Emma as she succumbs to her injuries, Godzilla enters the scene, glowing orange and melting everything around him. Ghidorah, along with Emma's body, is incinerated by Godzilla, who secures his position as Alpha once again, and Madison watches with little happiness as she flies off with Mark and Monarch in the Osprey.
===Godzilla vs. Kong===
In 2024, Madison has become a fan of Bernie Hayes' podcasts and is suddenly surprised when she hears that Godzilla has attacked innocent people, unaware that he destroyed the Apex base because it tried reviving Ghidorah. She tries to convince Mark that Godzilla knew something they didn't, but Mark only tells her that like people, beasts like Godzilla can change. Later, she and her friend Josh Valentine drive to Bernie's place and convince him to help them uncover why Godzilla went rogue in the first place. They go to the wrecked Apex base to uncover secrets the public may have missed, but accidentally end up in an underground transport vehicle that is shipping Skullcrawler eggs to another Apex base in Hong Kong.
Once they arrive in Hong Kong, the group find themselves in a room doing tests on Mechagodzilla. When a Skullcrawler codenamed "Number 10" is released, Madison, Josh, and Bernie seek refuge in a bunker while Mechagodzilla slices Number 10 in half using its proton scream. Later, security apprehends the three for trying to foil Apex's plans to use Mechagodzilla to destroy the Titans. Unbeknownst to them, Ghidorah's consciousness has taken control of Mechagodzilla, leading to the robot electrocuting Ren Serizawa and killing Apex's CEO Walter Simmons with a swipe of its hand. After Mechagodzilla's death at the hands of both Godzilla & Kong, Madison reunites with Mark and introduces him to Bernie, who asks for Mark's permission to mention him on his podcast. However, this is interrupted with Godzilla roaring at Kong, only for the two Titans to end their many millenniums of conflict and part ways peacefully.
==Personality==
Like Madison's parents, Mark Russell and Emma Williams, she is academically gifted in science, but takes after her outdoorsman father and prefers hands-on experience in the field. She has gained vast knowledge of the Titans from accompanying her mother on assignments when permitted. Madison possesses a natural scientific curiosity, particularly fascinated by insect entomology. Due to her mother denying her access to containment units at outposts, Madison got several security violations and residential infractions whenever she tried to satisfy her curiosity. In the end, all Madison truly wants is ordinary life and to spend her days playing video games, watching YouTube videos, and making and listening to music playlists. Additionally, she has a flippant sense of humor, as when Alan Jonah gave her a false smile in Outpost 32's elevator, she subtly flipped him off while using the finger to "scratch" an itch on her face.
Madison is a child caught between warring parents and feels trapped. Despite her father leaving her and her mother after Andrew's death, Madison still loves Mark and is wary of him. Living with her mother, Madison wants to be a good daughter and support her. However, during their time with Jonah carrying out Emma's plan to restore nature's balance, Madison's loyalty to Emma gets tested and her faith begins to waver. She also possesses a natural scientific curiosity due to her babysitter denying her access to containment units at outposts, Madison got several security violations and residential infractions, whenever she tried to satisfy her curiosity. At the end of the day, all Madison truly wants is a normal life and spend her days playing video games, watching YouTube videos, and listening to music playlists.
Madison is convinced by Emma to take part in a plan to help people and save the world, but soon becomes disillusioned and disillusioned after seeing her mother endanger her father and friends. After listening to Mark confront her mother for believing she now has the right to decide everyone's fate, Madison realizes that Emma was wrong about her father and that her mother gave up on humanity after Andrew died. Overwhelmed with guilt for her complicity in the death and destruction caused, Madison takes it upon herself to forsake her mother's plan and save the world by helping Monarch and her father.
According to the Godzilla vs. Kong - The Official Movie Novelization, Madison suffers PTSD from her ordeals; with Jonah and Ghidorah. She also suffers bullying at school for her mother, Emma's legacy, and her obsession; with Godzilla and the Titans.
==Relationships==
===Godzilla===
Madison first met Godzilla; during his confrontation against the M.U.T.O.s in San Francisco; albeit they did not have any direct interaction with each other. When Madison saw Godzilla for the first time, she was (initially) terrified of him; but overtime, she came to respect the Titan, as her opinion matches that; of Serizawa's; who sees him as a force of nature to restore balance. Madison appears to care about Godzilla, whom she regards as her heroic idol; despite the fact that; Godzilla is unaware of her existence; except that; he first saw and met Mark Russell after Ishiro's death to help him return, and has assisted him in his battles against Ghidorah and Mechagodzilla, the two beings are the same mind-wise. She smiled at her idol as Godzilla appeared to face Ghidorah for the third and final time in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, knowing that; he is safeguarding Earth from those; who desire to destroy it.
In 2024, Madison holds Godzilla in high esteem; for example; when he began to attack human settlements, she (correctly) suspected that; something was provoking him, as Godzilla was never aggression towards humans in general, Madison realizes that; Godzilla does not attack or intimidate; without provocation, so she, her friend, Josh Valentine and former APEX employee, Bernie Hayes set out to figure out what was causing Godzilla's abnormal behavior.
Madison investigation had led to her discovery that; Godzilla was destroying facilities belonging to Apex Cybernetics; because the CEO, Walter Simmons had (secretly) commitment his company to create a weapon to kill Godzilla and his fellow titans; which was in fact illegal, as the United Nations had given orders to leave the Titans alone and not to do anything to provoke them; proving how correct Madison's opinion about Godzilla is.
===Emma Russell===
Madison's mother has taught her everything she knows about the Titans since she was a tiny child. After Emma and Mark divorce, Emma keeps custody of Madison and raises her alone, frequently taking her to work at Monarch. Madison is highly concerned about her mother and her safety, as she becomes anxious and disturbed whenever Emma is in danger. Though she first supports Emma's decision to work with Alan Jonah, she soon becomes appalled by her mother's acts after witnessing the murder and destruction they create. Madison's loyalty to her mother is repeatedly tested during their time with Jonah, as Emma persists in awakening the Titans despite everything falling apart, to the point where the disillusioned Madison disowns her mother. 
Ever since Madison was a small child, her mother has taught her everything she knows about the Titans. After Emma and Mark separate, Emma retains custody and raises Madison alone, often taking her to work at Monarch. Madison cares much for her mother and her safety, as she becomes frantic and upset every time Emma is in danger. Though at first supporting Emma in her choice to work with Alan Jonah, she quickly becomes disgusted by her mother's actions after seeing the death and destruction they cause. Their time with Jonah continually tests Madison's loyalty to her mother as Emma keeps going through with awakening the Titans despite everything falling apart, to the point where the disillusioned Madison disowns her mother. Madison, who had grown up believing Emma pulled herself together after Andrew died, understands Emma's mental illness was caused by her mother's sadness. Despite her mother's betrayal, Madison is distraught when she witnesses Ghidorah pursue and kill Emma.
===Mothra===
???
===Mark Russell===
Madison's father's connection with her has been strained since her parents divorced when she was seven years old. Madison became suspicious of her father when Emma claimed that Mark abandoned them because he no longer loved them and didn't want to be with them. Despite this, Madison still loves him and communicates with him on a regular basis, calling him many times per week. She is still concerned about him and his health, despite the fact that he appears healthy in the email images he gave her. Madison can't help but respect Mark's bravery after seeing him return for her, placing himself in danger and risking his life to rescue others. Madison hugs him when they finally reunite, fully forgetting about any family tensions between them. After witnessing Ghidorah pursue and kill Emma, Mark consoles Madison.
When Godzilla begins rampaging five years later as a result of Mechagodzilla's provocation, Madison tries in vain to persuade her father of a possible lead on the source of Godzilla's rampage. He dismisses everything she says because he wants her to keep out of the situation and concentrate on school, and Madison lashes out at him for losing faith in Godzilla. Despite this, they embrace when they are reunited in Hong Kong after Mechagodzilla is destroyed by Godzilla and Kong. The novelization depicts Madison's relationship as very strained following the events in Boston that landed her in Mark's custody. Mark forces her to attend public school rather than allowing her to continue homeschooling and is unmoved by her protests about being unhappy at school. Madison resents her father's treatment of her as a timid young girl in need of coddling following her tragic encounters with Alan Jonah and Ghidorah. 
===Andrew Russell===
Madison's relationship with her older brother Andrew is primarily unknown; however, judging from photos and an old family video, it's clear the two siblings loved each other. When she was young, Andrew tricked Madison into eating wasabi after telling her it was green frosting. When mentioning him to her mother, Madison becomes emotional, showing that Andrew's death hurt her deeply as it did her parents.
===Alan Jonah===
Madison despises Alan Jonah because of his icy, condescending demeanor; his delight of wielding control over others; and his ruthless methods of "saving" the Earth, such as executing Monarch scientists and unleashing Titans to ravage the planet. When Jonah tries to make her laugh while wiping blood from his face, Madison is unimpressed and nonchalantly flips him off. Madison sympathizes with Jonah after learning of his daughter's death, but believes that his sorrow does not excuse his acts and hatred of humanity. She realizes Jonah lost his soul a long time ago and would kill her if he thought it was necessary or simply for fun.
===Ghidorah===
???
===Ishiro Serizawa===
???
===Vivienne Graham===
Madison adored Vivienne and treated her as though she were an aunt. Given her mother's behavioral shift following Andrew's death, it's possible she saw Vivienne as a maternal alternative without realizing it. Madison valued Vivienne's attentive presence as a babysitter and secondary maternal figure as her actual parents drowned themselves in work and wrath, respectively. When Madison arrives at Outpost 32, she hopes that Vivienne was not among the Monarch personnel slain by Jonah's mercenaries.
===Josh Valentine===
???
===Bernie Hayes===
???
===Mechagodzilla===
???
===Walter Simmons===
???
==Trivia==
*In Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Madison is 12 years old, the same age that; her brother, Andrew was; when he died.
*Madison and Mark share the same initials.
*Madison has similarities to Charlie Watson from Bumblebee and Maisie Lockwood from Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
*In a moment filmed for Godzilla: King of the Monsters but ultimately cut from both the film, Madison accidentally backs into one of Ghidorah's teeth while trying to escape from him in Fenway Park.
*In the trailer, it shows Madison unsuccessfully trying to contact Monarch using a radio inside the bunker. This was ultimately cut for the film.
*It's debated that; Madison actually saved the world; by freeing the titans from Ghidorah's control using the Orca and was the one responsible for summoning Godzilla and Mothra to Boston for a final confrontation; with Ghidorah and Rodan in the first place.
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