M.O.G.U.E.R.A.

**M.O.G.U.E.R.A.** (ＭＯＧＥＲＡ *Mogera*) is a U.N.-built mecha created by Toho that first appeared in the 1994 *Godzilla* film, *Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla.*

## Name

M.O.G.U.E.R.A.'s Japanese name comes from the original Moguera, and is spelled "ＭＯＧＥＲＡ." ("M.O.G.E.R.A.") The M.O.G.U.E.R.A. acronym stands for "***M**obile **O**peration **G**odzilla **U**niversal **E**xpert **R**obot **A**ero-type*."

## Roar

M.O.G.U.E.R.A. was a unique case in Toho's kaiju library, as it did not have any actual roars, but it did, however, have sounds for its engines and beam attacks. To make up for this fact, in *Godzilla: Save the Earth* and *Godzilla: Unleashed*, M.O.G.U.E.R.A. was given a voice and it could repeat its own name.

Additionally, in *Godzilla Trading Battle*, M.O.G.U.E.R.A. and Moguera were both given the same brief robotic footstep sound.

## History

### *Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla*

M.O.G.U.E.R.A. was constructed from the left over pieces of Mechagodzilla in another attempt to kill Godzilla. It could split up into two different vehicles: Land Moguera and Star Falcon. It was first sent to fight SpaceGodzilla when he was detected flying toward Earth. M.O.G.U.E.R.A was sent flying out of control into space by SpaceGodzilla, but it managed to make it back to Earth. It was sent out again after repairs to engage SpaceGodzilla in Fukuoka, but pilot Akira Yuki, who held a grudge against Godzilla, redirected the mech and attacked Godzilla instead. The other pilots, Koji Shinjo and Kiyoshi Sato, knocked Yuki out and flew to Fukuoka. M.O.G.U.E.R.A. battled SpaceGodzilla alone until Godzilla arrived and joined the battle.

M.O.G.U.E.R.A.'s pilots decided to focus their attacks on SpaceGodzilla, and assist Godzilla in knocking out SpaceGodzilla's power source, the Fukuoka Tower. M.O.G.U.E.R.A. split into the Star Falcon and Land Moguera, and with Godzilla's help managed to destroy the tower. After reforming, M.O.G.U.E.R.A. managed to destroy SpaceGodzilla's shoulder crystals with its spiral grenade missiles.

Godzilla and M.O.G.U.E.R.A. seemed to have the upper hand, but SpaceGodzilla responded by using his tail crystals to stab and throw M.O.G.U.E.R.A. at a building, causing it to become trapped. Shinjo and Sato escaped the downed mech, but Yuki stayed behind and attempted to fly M.O.G.U.E.R.A. back into the battle, only causing it to crash into another building and become catastrophically damaged. Shinjo rescued Yuki from the wreckage before Godzilla used his hyper spiral ray to finish SpaceGodzilla, which also destroyed M.O.G.U.E.R.A. in the process.

### *Godzilla Island*

In this series, M.O.G.U.E.R.A. is one of the G-Guard Commander's mechs, along with Jet Jaguar (and his two variants) and MechaGodzilla. The Showa Moguera also appears, this time named "Proto-Moguera", and is acquired by G-Guard, but stolen by Zaguresu.

## Abilities

M.O.G.U.E.R.A. has an expansive arsenal of weapons, essentially making it a mobile weapons platform. M.O.G.U.E.R.A. is in fact, the mechanical kaiju who is most dependent on ranged weapons, as a means of offense.

### Crusher Drill

A drill bit known as the **Crusher Drill** (クラッシャードリル *Kurasshā Doriru*) is located in the center of its face, which can be used for close range fighting, something which it's predecessor Mechagodzilla lacked. M.O.G.U.E.R.A. uses the Crusher Drill in combination with its roller system to perform a maneuver known as the **Drill Attack** (ドリルアタック *Doriru Atakku*), where M.O.G.U.E.R.A.'s roller system causes it to accelerate forward while the Crusher Drill quickly rotates at high speeds. M.O.G.U.E.R.A. utilized the Drill Attack against SpaceGodzilla, and successfully penetrated its enemy's skin and drew blood. The Crusher Drill is also present on Land Moguera's front end, albeit much bigger, allowing the vehicle to burrow underground.

### EMP bomb

In the video game *Godzilla: Unleashed*, the mole-based machine can launch an EMP bomb that instantly detonates and leaves a blast radius for a short duration; and in the game's predecessor can create a Photonic Storm, in which a huge ring of orange-and-blue-colored energy blasts out of M.O.G.U.E.R.A., hitting everything around it.

### Automatic Tracking Laser Cannon

M.O.G.U.E.R.A. can fire an **Automatic Tracking Laser Cannon** (自動追尾式レーザー砲 *Jidō Tsuibishiki Rēzāhō*) from each of its cone-shaped hands, in the form of blue energy beams. This laser possesses high penetrating power and can track targets, allowing M.O.G.U.E.R.A. to easily target and strike a moving enemy with the laser by moving its arms. M.O.G.U.E.R.A. used this laser in its first battle with SpaceGodzilla in the asteroid belt, as he flew around M.O.G.U.E.R.A., but the cannon was able to lock onto the target regardless and land direct hits. The Automatic Tracking Laser Cannon also serves as Land Moguera's primary weapon.

### MECM

M.O.G.U.E.R.A. was later modified with a new jamming system called the Magnetic & Electronic Counter Measure (MECM). This countermeasure prevents SpaceGodzilla from disabling M.O.G.U.E.R.A.'s control and weapon systems.

#### Synthetic Blue Diamond-Coated Armor

M.O.G.U.E.R.A. is covered in a **Synthetic Blue Diamond-Coated Armor** (合成ブルーダイヤコーティング装甲 *Gōsei Burūdaiya Kōtingu Sōkō*), which can harmlessly reflect Godzilla's atomic breath. The armor is applied in such a way that the parts of M.O.G.U.E.R.A. that would be most vulnerable to Godzilla's atomic breath are the most heavily armored. While it is more resistant than Mechagodzilla's Diamond Coating, M.O.G.U.E.R.A.'s armor lacks the ability to absorb energy from Godzilla's atomic breath like Mechagodzilla's Plasma Grenade. It's armor also allowed it to withstand repeated strikes from SpaceGodzilla's Corona Beam.

### Mobility

It can fly through earth's atmosphere at Mach 1 and through space at Mach 44. It is also capable of moving on land via independent leg action, or with the treads built into its feet and legs. These treads make M.O.G.U.E.R.A. faster than the average kaiju, and he can easily attack while moving at such fast speeds. M.O.G.U.E.R.A. is the combined form of two vehicles: Land Moguera, a tracked armored fighting vehicle able to drill through the earth; and the Star Falcon, a VTOL craft capable of space flight. M.O.G.U.E.R.A. split apart into the two vehicles during the final battle against SpaceGodzilla in order to help Godzilla destroy the space monster's power source in the Fukuoka Tower. Star Falcon distracted SpaceGodzilla while Land Moguera destroyed the tower's foundation.

### Plasma Laser Cannon

In the Heisei series, M.O.G.U.E.R.A. possesses a **Plasma Laser Cannon** (プラズマレーザーキャノン *Purazuma Rēzā Kyanon*) in each of its eyes. The laser takes the form of a rapid stream of yellow energy blasts, which are said to be three times as powerful as Mechagodzilla's Laser Cannons. Because the Plasma Laser Cannon fires a repeating series of individual laser blasts, the weapon can be cooled and recharged repeatedly as it fires, preventing it from overheating and allowing M.O.G.U.E.R.A. to continuously use the attack.

### Plasma Maser Cannon

MOGUERA's most powerful weapon is the **Plasma Maser Cannon** (プラズマメーサーキャノン *Purazuma Mēsā Kyanon*), a powerful Maser Cannon equipped on its chest. The Plasma Maser Cannon can be fired more quickly than Mechagodzilla's Plasma Grenade.

### All Weapon

M.O.G.U.E.R.A. can fire its Plasma Laser Cannons and Plasma Maser Cannon at the same time in an attack called **All Weapon** (オールウェポン *Ōru Uepon*). The combined power of both weapons was capable of knocking Godzilla off his feet, though this however was inadvertently by accident as M.O.G.U.E.R.A.'s actual target was SpaceGodzilla while Godzilla was battling him at close quarters, which as a result, caused Godzilla to unintentionally also get caught in the line of fire.

### Surface-to-Air Laser Cannon

Land Moguera is equipped with a **Surface-to-Air Laser Cannon** mounted on its top antenna, though M.O.G.U.E.R.A. never utilized it in its combined state.

### Maser Vulcan

Star Falcon is fitted with two **Maser Vulcan** cannons on either side of its cockpit. These however, are not utilized by M.O.G.U.E.R.A.

### Spark Shower

In the Atari/Pipeworks trilogy of Godzilla video games, M.O.G.U.E.R.A. could also emit sparks from its chest to disorient opponents.

## Weaknesses

### High Electromagnetic Interference

During its first battle against SpaceGodzilla in the asteroid belt, M.O.G.U.E.R.A. was susceptible to interference from SpaceGodzilla's electromagnetic waves, which rendered it almost nearly inoperable and allowed SpaceGodzilla to easily disable the mech, albeit after M.O.G.U.E.R.A. got a few hits in himself with his Plasma Laser Cannons and Automatic Tracking Laser Cannons. This weakness was removed, however, when M.O.G.U.E.R.A. was upgraded as M.O.G.U.E.R.A. II-SRF with the addition of MECM and the Complex Sensor System.

### Armor

While M.O.G.U.E.R.A.'s Synthetic Blue Diamond-Coated Armor granted it impressive resistance to Godzilla's atomic breath and allowed it to withstand repeated strikes from SpaceGodzilla's Corona Beam, its left arm was eventually blown off from a direct strike from the Corona Beam. M.O.G.U.E.R.A.'s most critical weakness, however, was the design flaw involving the use of its Plasma Maser Cannon. When the port covering this weapon was open, the armor in M.O.G.U.E.R.A.'s midsection was compromised, allowing it to be critically damaged with an attack targeting the Cannon. SpaceGodzilla badly damaged M.O.G.U.E.R.A. by impaling it with his tail spike and throwing it through the air while M.O.G.U.E.R.A.'s Plasma Maser Cannon port was open. M.O.G.U.E.R.A.'s wreckage was subsequently obliterated when Godzilla used his spiral heat ray to finish off SpaceGodzilla.

## Trivia

* M.O.G.U.E.R.A.'s role in *Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla* was originally going to be filled by Mechagodzilla, but in order to balance the fight between Godzilla and SpaceGodzilla, Toho decided to bring back and update the weaker Moguera from *The Mysterians* instead.
* M.O.G.U.E.R.A. is the only Godzilla kaiju that can say its own name, let alone speak, though only in *Godzilla: Save the Earth* and *Godzilla: Unleashed*. Some say that this could be a reference to Pokémon. This could also be partly inspired by the *Ultraman* series kaiju Zetton, who also primarily speaks his name.
* M.O.G.U.E.R.A. could be considered the "grand-child" of Mecha-King Ghidorah, as it was constructed from the wreckage of Mechagodzilla, who was himself constructed from Mecha-King Ghidorah's wreckage.
* M.O.G.U.E.R.A. is a tribute to Showa Moguera from *The Mysterians*, sharing most of the same characteristics.
* M.O.G.U.E.R.A. is the heaviest mecha in the *Godzilla* series, weighing in at 160,000 metric tons, 10,000 metric tons heavier than the Heisei Mechagodzilla.
* M.O.G.U.E.R.A. is Godzilla's only ally in the Heisei timeline.

## List of appearances

### Films

* *Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla* (First appearance)
* *Godzilla Island*

### Video games

* *Godzilla: Giant Monster March*
* *Godzilla: Archipelago Shock*
* *Godzilla: Heart-Pounding Monster Island!!*
* *Godzilla Movie Studio Tour*
* *Godzilla: Trading Battle*
* *Godzilla: Save the Earth*
* *Godzilla: Unleashed*
* *Godzilla Unleashed: Double Smash*
* *Godzilla*(2014 video game) (Kaiju Guide)
* *Godzilla: Kaiju Collection*

### Comics

* *Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla*
* *Godzilla vs. Destoroyah*
* *Godzilla: Rulers of Earth*
* *Godzilla in Hell*