Mechagodzilla

**Mechagodzilla** (メカゴジラ *Mekagojira*) is an alien mechacreated by Toho that first appeared in the 1974 *Godzilla* film, *Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla*.

## Name

Mechagodzilla's name comes from the word "mecha," which is derived from "mechanical," and from another monster, Godzilla (ゴジラ '**Gojira'**). In *Terror of Mechagodzilla*, the "2" in its name after it is rebuilt comes from the fact that it is the second Mechagodzilla.

The original Mechagodzilla is sometimes called "Mechagodzilla 1" or "Mechagodzilla I" by fans, coming directly from the fact that it is the first incarnation of Mechagodzilla.

## Appearance

Mechagodzilla is a robot that resembles Godzilla from the 1960s through 1970s.

The original Mechagodzilla in *Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla* has short and stubby finger missiles, a metal piece with three bolts on the hand plate, a less defined and prominent shoulder frill, one orange button each on the chest and above the crotch, a bottom-half pentagon underneath the chest cannon, two circular pieces coming from the chest canon, smooth grooves that runs along the back feet, the knee plates gets smaller as they go towards the back of its legs, a smooth and solid tail blade, the plates on the tail are smooth and run straight across, and red "MG" initials on its arms that stands for "**M**echa **G**odzilla".

The rebuilt Mechagodzilla from *Terror of Mechagodzilla* has longer finger missiles, one big metal piece on its hand plate, a more defined and prominent shoulder frill, one silver button on the chest, one silver button underneath the chest cannon and two silver buttons above the crotch, a triangle underneath the chest cannon, two lightning-like pieces coming up the chest, sharp spurs that stick out of the back of the feet, the knee plates get really small and thin half way and goes around the back, a smooth and solid tail blade with three big bolts in it, the plates on the tail are V-shaped, and blue and orange "MG2" initials on its arms that stands for "**M**echa**G**odzilla **2**", thus giving it the name **Mechagodzilla 2** (メカゴジラ2 *Mekagojira Tsu*).

## Roar

Mechagodzilla's roar is a high-pitched, metallic-sounding version of Godzilla's roar.

## Origins

In *Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla*, Mechagodzilla was constructed by the Black Hole Planet 3 Aliens following close study of the real Godzilla as a tool to conquer the Earth. Initially, Mechagodzilla was covered in a pseudo-skin that almost perfectly disguised it as Godzilla himself. Following the machine's defeat at the hands of Godzilla and King Caesar, it was rebuilt as a more advanced model dubbed Mechagodzilla 2 in the film *Terror of Mechagodzilla*.

In *Godzilla: Rulers of Earth*, Mechagodzillas are a mass-produced army of war machines built by the leader of the Cryog aliens while posing as a Russian businessman. The Mechagodzillas were constructed under the guise of providing a cheaper alternative to the U.S. government's MechaGodzillas that any nation could purchase to defend itself from kaiju attacks. In reality, the Mechagodzillas were built as a supplement to the Cryogs' invasion force of monsters, alongside Gigan and Mecha-King Ghidorah.

## History

### *Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla*

Mechagodzilla first appeared from Mount Fuji disguised as Godzilla and rampaged through the countryside. Anguirus emerged from underground and suddenly attacked it, but was brutally beaten, even having his jaw broken. Mechagodzilla then moved on to Tokyo, where it was intercepted by the real Godzilla. After a brief skirmish, Mechagodzilla shed its disguise and revealed the full extent of its weaponry. Mechagodzilla blasted Godzilla with its finger missiles and fired its laser vision at Godzilla. Godzilla countered with his atomic breath, causing the beams to lock and explode, severely damaging Mechagodzilla and badly wounding Godzilla. Mechagodzilla was called back to the Black Hole Planet 3 Aliens' base in Okinawa to be repaired. The aliens captured a human scientist, Hideto Miyajima, and forced him to repair Mechagodzilla in exchange for his daughter's life. After Mechagodzilla was completed, it was unleashed once again and sent to destroy King Caesar, an ancient guardian monster of Okinawa. Mechagodzilla dominated the battle, but before it could defeat King Caesar, Godzilla appeared once again, seeking a rematch. Godzilla and King Caesar then joined forces against Mechagodzilla, and eventually forced the mechanical monster to attempt to retreat. Godzilla called upon his newfound magnetic powers to pull Mechagodzilla toward him. Godzilla held Mechagodzilla still while King Caesar repeatedly attacked it, then twisted the machine's head off. Mechagodzilla's body then exploded along with the aliens' base, ending the invasion.

### *Terror of Mechagodzilla*

Mechagodzilla was rebuilt by the Black Hole Planet 3 Aliens in *Terror of Mechagodzilla* in another attempt to take over the Earth. Its wreckage was recovered in the waters off Okinawa, and the machine was rebuilt in an underground base in the Japanese countryside. This time, the aliens recruited the help of a deranged Earthling scientist, Shinzo Mafune, for their invasion. Mafune helped the aliens to improve Mechagodzilla, and also offered them the assistance of the monster Titanosaurus, which he controlled. The aliens installed the control device for Mechagodzilla inside of Mafune's cybernetically-modified daughter, Katsura, because Mafune said that Mechagodzilla required living brain tissue to be perfect.

To show off Mechagodzilla's upgraded weaponry, Mechagodzilla was deployed in Tokyo, with Titanosaurus providing backup. Unleashing wave after wave of his eye beams, Mechagodzilla set large areas of the city on fire, and his finger missiles now had the capability to explode with such force as to throw buildings and vehicles into the air. Titanosaurus also wreaked havoc by creating gale-force winds with his tail that demolished structures with little effort. Titanosaurus was suddenly attacked, and fell to the ground. Revealing himself from behind a curtain of smoke, Godzilla arrived to challenge the monsters, but was outmatched. While Titanosaurus battled Godzilla head-on, Mechagodzilla blasted his organic counterpart with various weapons. Titanosaurus kicked Godzilla into a ditch, while Mechagodzilla buried him with his missiles. The humans intervened and distracted Titanosaurus with a sonic wave oscillator, allowing Godzilla to take on Mechagodzilla one-on-one. Godzilla removed Mechagodzilla's head once again, but this time the mechanical monster had a small "brain" placed in its neck, allowing it to continue to operate without its head and fire a powerful concentrated laser. However, Katsura Mafune committed suicide to stop Mechagodzilla, and the machine shut down. Godzilla seized the opportunity and threw Mechagodzilla into a ravine, then destroyed his mechanical doppelganger for good with a blast of his atomic breath. The ravine then collapsed on top of Mechagodzilla's ruins, preventing the aliens from retrieving and rebuilding Mechagodzilla again.

### *Recommend! Godzilland*

Mechagodzilla appears in the addition and subtraction *Recommend! Godzilland* OVAs. In the addition OVA, he sees Godzilla and Anguirus fighting, and decides to make Anguirus his friend instead of Godzilla's. Mechagodzilla approaches Anguirus, who is sleeping on a hammock, and tells him that he wants him to be his new friend. Anguirus refuses, as he doesn't trust Mechagodzilla. Mechagodzilla responds by blasting Anguirus' hammock with his laser vision, then grabs Anguirus and flies to a volcano. Baragon tells Godzilla, Mothra, and Gojirin, who, after learning about addition by obtaining and eating food, travel to the volcano to rescue Anguirus. Once they reach the volcano, Mechagodzilla stops them and teleports them into a game show, where they must answer addition problems. The monsters successfully solve each problem, and rescue Anguirus. Mechagodzilla falls over and cries, but Mothra comforts him and convinces the other kaiju to befriend Mechagodzilla. Mechagodzilla then takes part in a song about addition with the other monsters.

In the subtraction OVA, Mechagodzilla encounters Gojirin at a dock and asks her to come with him. Gojirin refuses, not trusting Mechagodzilla, who responds by grabbing her and flying away. Rodan witnesses Mechagodzilla carry off Gojirin and flies to find Godzilla and Anguirus, who are surfing on a log. Rodan tells them what happened, and the two of them rush to find Mechagodzilla. Eventually they find him stepping on Gojirin's tail to hold her back. Godzilla demands Mechagodzilla let her go, but Mechagodzilla forces Godzilla and Anguirus to solve a series of subtraction problems. After they both successfully complete the problems, Mechagodzilla flies away in despair and Gojirn is reunited with Godzilla. Later, Mothra witnesses Mechagodzilla flying through the air, crying. Mothra asks Mechagodzilla what the problem is, and he responds that he is lonely and just wants friends. Mothra and Mechagodzilla find Godzilla and the other monsters playing jump-rope and asks them to let Mechagodzilla play with them. They agree, and the monsters proceed to take part in various games together.

### *Godzilla Island*

Although the Showa Mechagodzilla itself doesn't appear in the series *Godzilla Island*, an updated version of it called Black Mechagodzilla appears instead. In addition, the version of Fake Godzilla seen in the series shows some of Mechagodzilla's torso underneath its skin when it is unmasked, although whether this Fake Godzilla is actually Mechagodzilla is unknown. It is unlikely that it is the original Mechagodzilla due to how easily it was defeated by Godzilla, although it may be another model of the type, due to the fact that the metal plating shows a hatch which is identical to the one Mechagodzilla opens to fire its chest beam.

## Abilities

### Flight

Finally, Mechagodzilla can fly via rockets in its feet and is able to reach a speed of Mach 5.

### Head rotation

Its head can rotate 360 degrees, allowing the robotic monster to shoot down an opponent that might attempt to approach from behind. Spinning its head at high speed allows Mechagodzilla to raise a forcefield.

### Heat ray

When disguised as Godzilla, Mechagodzilla could fire a heat ray from its mouth, meant to mimic Godzilla's atomic breath. Curiously, after Mechagodzilla shedded its disguise, it never used the heat ray again.

### Missile armament

The Showa Mechagodzilla is also equipped with powerful missiles in its fingers, knees, mouth, and even its toes. These missiles can explode on contact with a target, or they may lodge in the flesh of an enemy like darts. Mechagodzilla's hands can rotate to assist in aiming his finger missiles.

### Neck beam

When Mechagodzilla had its head removed in *Terror of Mechagodzilla* by Godzilla, it could fire a small concentrated beam from a small brain located in its neck.

### Optical laser

Mechagodzilla is capable of firing a rainbow colored optical laser that seems to be equal in power to Godzilla's atomic breath.

### Orange energy beam

Located under a hatch in Mechagodzilla's chest is a weapon that fires a jagged orange energy beam with enough slicing power to cut a mountain in half.

### Physical abilities

Mechagodzilla is no slouch in close combat either, as evidenced in its combat against King Caesar, though it couldn't beat Godzilla in this area. However, after Mechagodzilla was rebuilt, its hand-to-hand combat capabilities appeared to be reduced.

### Space Titanium makeup

The Showa Mechagodzilla has armor constructed out of a mysterious alloy known as "Space Titanium," which actually proved to not be particularly durable, as a brief fight with Godzilla caused enough damage for it to need to be called back for repairs.

## TriviaEdit

* Despite this Mechagodzilla being labeled "Mechagodzilla 2" in *Terror of Mechagodzilla*, the name "Mechagodzilla 2" is commonly given to the Heisei Mechagodzilla, both by some fans and in a considerable amount of recent media in which the various Mechagodzillas are portrayed as separate characters that exist in the same continuity, such as the IDW Comics and the Atari games, because the English title of the movie it appeared in was "*Godzilla vs. **Mechagodzilla 2***" and it was the second distinct incarnation of the character, although it was first and only one to appear in its respective era.
* In *Godzilla: Rulers of Earth*, where there are multiple Showa Mechagodzillas, each one has a different number emblazoned under the "MG" initials on its arms.
* A black version of the Showa Mechagodzilla, called "Black Mechagodzilla," appears in the television series *Godzilla Island*.
* Mechagodzilla's suit is one of the oldest known suits to be in good condition, as it was put on display in the Tokyo Museum of Contemporary Art, where it remains to this day.
* The Showa Mechagodzilla is the only Mechagodzilla that was created or controlled by aliens. The Heisei Mechagodzilla and Kiryu were both human-made weapons.
* Mechagodzilla was the second monster to make both Godzilla and Anguirus bleed, after Gigan in *Godzilla vs. Gigan*.
* The Mechagodzilla from *Godzilla: Unleashed* has a smaller head and an almost non-existent tail compared to its counterpart from the movies.
* This version of Mechagodzilla is the only one that has never teamed up with Godzilla in any medium, and has always been his enemy. However, this Mechagodzilla did befriend Godzilla and his allies at the end of two of the *Recommend! Godzilland* OVAs.
* The Showa Mechagodzilla's appeared multiple times outside of the *Godzilla* series.
	+ In the *Ugly Americans* episode "The Kong of Queens", Kong breaks open the wall of his next door neighbor, Mechagodzilla, who is eating cereal.
	+ Mechagodzilla is seen in one of the online game "Movie Star Planet"'s television commercials, as well as the game itself.

## List of appearances

### Films

* *Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla* (First appearance)
* *Terror of Mechagodzilla*

### Video games

* *Gojira-Kun*
* *Godzilla: Monster of Monsters*
* *Godzilla*(Gameboy)
* *Battle Soccer: Champion of the Field*
* *Godzilla, King of the Monsters*
* *Godzilla*(Arcade)
* *Super Godzilla* (American version only)
* *Godzilla: Battle Legends*
* *Godzilla: Great Monster Battle*
* *Godzilla: Archipelago Shock*
* *Godzilla Movie Studio Tour*
* *Godzilla: Trading Battle*
* *Godzilla Generations*
* *Godzilla Generations: Maximum Impact*
* *Godzilla: Unleashed* (Wii version only)
* *Godzilla Unleashed: Double Smash*
* *Godzilla*(2014 video game)
* *Godzilla: Kaiju Collection*
* *Ace Combat Infinity* (Tokyo Martial Law online mission)

### Comics

* *Godzilla, King of the Monsters*
* *Godzilla: Legend*
* *Godzilla: Legends*
* *Godzilla: Rulers of Earth*