Iris

iris was a the cat's name.

**Iris also known as irys** (イリス *Irisu*) is an ancient Gyaos mutation kaiju who appeared in the 1999 *Gamera* film *Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris*.

Iris was Gamera's final foe in the Heisei trilogy, and shares some sort of genetic connection to his arch-enemy Gyaos. A legendary demon referred to as the "Ryuseicho" by residents of Asuka in Nara, Japan, Iris was sealed away long ago inside a small shrine outside of a village. Iris remained inside a stone egg within the shrine for countless generations until it was discovered by a young woman named Ayana Hirasaka, who held an intense hatred of Gamera because she believed he killed her parents. Ayana's hatred caused her to form a bond with Iris, which hatched from its egg and began growing rapidly until it reached the size of Gamera himself. Iris followed Ayana to Kyoto and attempted to kill Gamera for her, then tried to forcibly merge itself with her. Gamera rescued Ayana from the beast, then destroyed Iris by plunging his flaming arm into a wound on its chest.

## History

### *Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris*

Iris began its life as a stone egg, sealed within a small underground temple in the village of Asuka, Nara and guarded over by a family line named Moribe. Local legend said it was the resting place of a demon called Ryuseicho. A stone of unknown origin is said to keep the demon dormant as long as it's not moved.

A young girl named Ayana Hirasaka, left an orphan by the 1995 Gamera and Gyaos battle and blaming Gamera for her parent's deaths, entered the cave on a dare and moved the stone. In the process she and the latest son of the Mirobe line discovered both the egg and a magatama, similar to the one that linked Asagi to Gamera in 1995. The egg later hatched into Iris' **first form** (第1形態 *Dai ichi keitai*).

Ayana gained a link to the creature via the magatama and feels a kinship with it, stating at one point "Gamera killed its family too." Driven by total hatred for Gamera, she raised Iris, naming it after her dead pet cat, in the hope that it would become strong enough to kill Gamera for her. It was shown to have an affectionate nature toward Ayana, though it preyed upon woodland animals and drained their blood for food.

It is not long before Iris, now grown into its **second form** (第2形態 *Dai ni keitai*), attempted to merge with Ayana by sealing her in a cocoon. Moribe discovered her and cut her free. She was then taken to a hospital. While Ayana is gone, Iris grows into a giant monster in the woods as it preyed upon several villagers, including Ayana's adoptive family. Shortly after, the monster grew into its **third form** (第3形態 *Dai san keitai*).

The JSDF quickly deployed and surrounded Iris as it slept, attempting to take it out with machine guns and bazookas. The weaponry only seemed to irritate the creature. Some of the soldiers were killed before Iris took to the sky and headed for Kyoto, where Ayana had been transferred earlier. The JASDF sent two F-15 Eagles in an attempt to shoot Iris down, but it was able to evade them and almost destroyed them after getting in position behind the aircraft to counterattack. Before Iris could do so, the fighter pilots were saved by the sudden arrival of Gamera, who engaged Iris in a mid-air battle. As the JSDF had been given orders to attack Gamera should he appear again following his battle with the Hyper Gyaos in Shibuya, the F-15s shot at Gamera and slowed him down, inadvertently allowing Iris to continue on to Kyoto.

Soon, Iris landed in Kyoto with Gamera in pursuit. Iris battled Gamera through the city with Ayana watching and commanding it to kill him. Iris managed to impale Gamera with its arm blade and leave him down for the count and then attempted again to merge with Ayana. When Moribe intervened, the creature swatted him aside and sucked Ayana into its body against her will. While inside, Ayana realized that she fueled Iris' destruction with her emotions - it was her hatred that led to the death of her adopted parents, and Super Gyaos instead of Gamera actually killed her parents. All seemed lost until Gamera suddenly punched through Iris' chest and ripped Ayana out.

Infuriated, Iris pinned Gamera's hand to a wall with its spear hand and began to absorb Gamera's energy. Its tentacles began to form plasma fireballs, but Gamera quickly used a plasma fireball himself to sever his own hand. Iris fired the absorbed plasma fireballs at Gamera who used his stump to turn the plasma into the Banishing Fist. Gamera then used the fist to slice through Iris' chest, causing Iris to erupt in flames and explode. Gamera then stomped on Iris' lifeless remains, victorious.

## Abilities

### Gene Snatcher

Iris has a bioluminescent area in the center of its chest called the **Gene Snatcher** (ジーン・スナッチャー *Jīn Sunatchā*), which it can use to absorb targets for fusion. He attempted to absorb Ayana Hirasaka into his Gene Snatcher twice, but was stopped by Moribe and Gamera, respectively.

### Tentaclancers

Iris has a total of four tentacles, known as **Tentaclancers** (テンタクランサー *Tentakuransā*). They are each tipped in sharpened arrow-shaped ends which Iris can use as stabbing weapons. The ends of Iris' Tentaclancers can open and fire the same Supersonic Scalpel beam used by Gyaos, or even copies of Gamera's plasma fireballs after Iris has drained his energy. Iris can use his Tentaclancers to deflect attacks such as Gamera's fireballs. Iris can also drain the blood of other organisms through his Tentaclancers.

### Flight

Iris can form membranes between his Tentaclancers that can be used as wings, granting him flight at a speed of up to Mach 9. Despite Iris's large size, he is especially nimble in the air even at lower speeds, and is able to outpace F-15J Eagle fighter jets and perform evasive manoeuvres to avoid incoming missiles.

### Supersonic Scalpel

Iris can fire a **Supersonic Scalpel** (超音波メス *Chōonpa Mesu*) beam from the ends of his Tentaclancers. This beam is superior in power to the one fired by the Gyaos, and can be fired in four directions simultaneously thanks to the function of Iris' Tentaclancers. These Supersonic Scalpel beams were fired at Gamera in the air, piercing not only his flesh but also his shell.

### Anti-Plasma Field

Iris can use a technique called the **Anti-Plasma Field** (アンチ・プラズマ・フィールド *Anchi Purazuma Fīrudo*) to deflect Gamera's plasma fireballs, accomplished by swatting the fireballs away with its Tentaclancers. The fireballs repelled by the Anti-Plasma Field set much of the city of Kyoto ablaze.

### Spear Absorber

Iris has retractable blades located on his arms called **Spear Absorbers** (スピア・アブソーバ *Supia Abusōba*). The blades can pierce Gamera's shell and drain his blood, granting Iris the ability to copy his abilities. Iris can adapt to its environment by incorporating any DNA it has absorbed and can manipulate its own chromosomes in a similar fashion to the Gyaos, allowing it to evolve rapidly into its adult form. Iris was able to fire copies of Gamera's fireballs after absorbing his DNA. Iris attempted to pin Gamera's hand against the wall of the Kyoto Station with his Spear Absorber, though this ultimately ended in his defeat when Gamera severed his own hand and formed the Banishing Fist.

### Overboost Plasma

After absorbing Gamera's blood through its Spear Absorber, Iris gained the ability to fire its own **Overboost Plasma** (オーバーブースト・プラズマ *Ōbābūsuto Purazuma*) fireballs, also known as **Fake Plasma Fireballs** (偽プラズマ火球 *Nise Purazuma Kakyū*), from the ends of its Tentaclancers. This proved to be Iris' downfall when Gamera absorbed the Overboost Plasma into his stump arm, forming the Banishing Fist which he used to destroy Iris.

### Durability

Iris has a hard carapace much like Gamera's own shell, granting it impressive durability. Its only vulnerable point seems to be its chest area around its Gene Snatcher, which Gamera successfully exploited to both free Ayana from Iris' clutches and ultimately destroy it with the Banishing Fist.

### Psychic connection

Iris' Atlantean magatama
Like Gamera, Iris has his own Atlantean magatama through which he forms a psychic bond with Ayana Hirasaka, strengthening him. By physically absorbing Ayana into his Gene Snatcher, Iris attempts to become even more powerful.