Vastatosaurus rex

***Vastatosaurus rex*** (***"ravager lizard king"***) was an extremely large species of theropod dinosaur that was found on Skull Island.

An evolved descendant of the ancient Tyrannosaurus Rex that lived after the Cretaceous period, this species was the largest terrestrial predator found on Skull Island, reaching a length of 40-50 feet long and over 20 feet tall. The weight of the Vastatosaurus rex probably outclassed its predecessor, the Tyrannosaurus rex. Despite their size, they could break into surprising bursts of speed, often achieving speeds of 25 mph over short distances.

Vastatosaurus rex was fictionally hypothesized to be what the Tyrannosaurus rex could have become if it were allowed to evolve unabated after the past 65 million years. Their advancement could be due to the vast abundance of large prey, the rarely changing environment of the lush Skull Island and warm, humid climate similar to the Cretaceous period. Like their prehistoric relatives, V. rex had little competition for its position as the top predator of its ecosystem.

The Vastatosaurus had developed many unique features over the 65 million year time gap, but they still retained several recognizable similarities to their Cretaceous cousins. Vastatosaurs had large heads that evolved over time to be thicker and bulkier, giving them extra protection, and its overall leather-like hide reduced physical injury from hunting if its choice of prey was smaller than itself. Its gaping mouth was its main tool for hunting, filled with large teeth that were constantly being regrown to replace those lost in conflict. Unlike most theropods, the Vastatosaurus had overlapping peg-like teeth. Their heads were proportionally shorter and more compact than that of their ancestors, intensely reinforced with thick bone. As the primary weapon of the animal, an individual Vastatosaurus head was often distinctive, being covered with scars and callouses from rivals. Abnormal bone growths from old battles with prey, other predators, rivals, or even mates were not uncommon. A narrow, short rib cage and a large gap between the ribs and hips allowed V. rexes surprising flexibility for animals of their size, a necessary adaptation to survive amongst the towering trees and broken terrain of Skull Island.

The Vastatosaurus rex had a limited but notable ability to problem solve. The species displayed enough ingenuity to knock down large objects obstructing its path toward smaller prey that tried to conceal themselves between them; if such prey still held its interest, the dinosaur would also try it.

## Abilities and Weapons

**Strength, Durability, and Stamina:** Their large size contributed to their paramount strength, enabling them to withstand and match King Kong's strength. Their stout build and frame had made them extremely durable, able to shake off King Kong's powerful punches several times as well as his grapples and throws. They were also capable of surviving falls from great heights and were quite capable in traversing vertical landscapes for such large animals. The most fearsome aspect of theirs however was their seemingly limitless stamina, able to achieve a burst of acceleration and maintain speed, covering distance tirelessly and lasting several minutes in a full fledged fight with an adult *Megaprimatus kong*. Quick on their feet, they were shown to at least be able to keep up with Kong. They also seem to be more than capable of keeping up with human beings who are in a reasonable state of fitness such as Ann Darrow and likely the natives on Skull Island had they ever ventured from the Wall. Most notable is that despite their massive bulk these animals were capable of leaping onto prey or foes as shown when a full grown female V. rex leapt onto Kong's back. They are virtually impervious to bullets from pistols, rifles, machine guns, and even shotguns (though these were from the 1930's). In fact, it seems like several rounds of fire only agitated the beasts with no signs of injury, pain, nor any sign of fatigue or withdrawal of its assault. Spears also cannot hurt them at all.

**Weapons:** Their heads were very large in proportion to their overall body, with powerful jaws lined with brutish teeth ready to shred any and all that it targeted. Its head was also incredibly thick and capable of taking multiple blows from a full grown *Megaprimatus kong* and was probably also used as a ram against enemies. As with their Mesozoic ancestors Tyrannosaurus rex, V. rex's jaws were their main form of attack, capable of killing prey with ease. The jaws of the V. rex were shown to be much more robust in comparison to the Tyrannosaurus. They were known to have bone shattering bites just like their predecessor and the bite force of a V. rex could reasonably be hypothesized to even exceed the Tyrant Lizard King's. The tail was also extremely durable, capable of whipping motion that could easily shatter bones or outright kill their target. It's hind legs were also very capable and sturdy, lined with rough but sharp claws. The feet also appeared capable of gripping objects similar to a raptorial bird, as shown when one leapt onto Kong.

**Senses:** The true extent of their sense is debatable at most as their behavior seems to change dramatically from searching their prey to pursuing them. Their sense of smell, while in a less aggressive state seemed to be limited to a certain extent, much akin to their vision as they were shown to have difficulty in locking onto minuscule preys on said instance. Nevertheless, once they have acquired their prey, they would pursue them endlessly with great precision to the tiniest of cracks.

**Intelligence:** Their intelligence seemed to be somewhat limited but not entirely primitive. They were shown to be quite capable of simple deduction via instinct as evident in how one V-Rex was able to understand its duel standpoint with King Kong and the ultimate price of winning that duel. Furthermore they were shown to be very cooperative with their own species under certain instances, capable of hunting together with great synergy. Ultimately however, they were driven by their insatiable hunger and predatory instinct and in normal circumstances this sort of behavior was not usually typical.

## History

While Ann Darrow was being chased by a Foetodon, a juvenile Vastatosaurus rex appeared and killed the Foetodon by crushing it in its jaws. Upon seeing Ann, the V-Rex chased after her. Ann managed to hide on a fallen tree, but a second V-Rex, a bull, appeared and attacked her. Thankfully, Kong arrived and rescued Ann. The bull attacked Kong and was soon joined by the juvenile. Kong took on both V-Rexes, only to find himself attacked by a third one, the matriarch. Kong quickly killed the juvenile by smashing its head with a boulder. Kong then threw the V-rexes off a cliff, but the bull grabbed Kong by the foot with his jaw, causing Kong to lose his grip and fall with Ann. Kong battled the V-Rexes through the mess of vines and tried to reach Ann. Eventually, Ann and the bull fell, dropping to the ground below. Kong then kills the matriarch by bashing her head against a canyon wall which violently snaps her neck. The bull cornered Ann and prepared to kill her, but Kong landed behind her. After a vicious struggle, Kong grabbed the V-Rex's jaws and pried them apart until they snapped, cracking the V-Rex's skull and immediately killing the mighty dinosaur.

## Trivia

* The Vastatosaurus rex will make it's first appearance in *Journey to the Island of the Skull*.