Kong

**King Kong** is a giant ape Titan who first appeared in the 2017 Legendary Pictures film *Kong: Skull Island*.

The last of a race of huge ape-like Titans who reigned over Skull Island, Kong was born in the midst of a battle between his parents and a horde of vicious Skullcrawlers. Kong's mother sealed him safely within a cave before the Skullcrawlers slaughtered her along with Kong's father. The infant Kong witnessed the brutal demise of his parents from the cave and dedicated his life to avenging them by keeping the island's Skullcrawler population in check and defending the other creatures of the island. He was first witnessed by humans other than the island's Iwi tribe when fighter pilots Hank Marlow and Gunpei Ikari crashed on the island following a dogfight over the Pacific in 1944. Nearly 30 years later in 1973, a survey expedition to the previously uncharted island organized by the scientific organization Monarch brought many more people to the island, who unintentionally drew more Skullcrawlers to the surface by dropping seismic charges to map the island. Kong destroyed the helicopter escort carrying the expedition members in a furious rage, causing Colonel Preston Packard to develop a burning hatred for the Titan. Some of the survivors encountered Marlow and the Iwi and learned Kong's true nature as a protector of the island. However, Packard and his surviving men salvaged heavy ordnance from a downed Sea Stallion and sprung a trap for Kong which succeeded in weakening him enough to the point the colossal Skull Devil emerged. Kong killed Packard before the evil creature attacked him, and Packard's men joined up with the other survivors to escape the island. The Skull Devil chose to pursue them, but Kong came to their rescue and slew the beast once and for all. The survivors were successfully extracted from the island, their experience kept a secret to everyone except Monarch.

In 1995, Aaron Brooks, the son of 1973 expedition member and Monarch scientist Houston Brooks, organized a covert return mission to the island out of a belief Kong could not be trusted to keep the volatile ecosystem under control. The mission became a disaster as the island's more malevolent fauna stranded the team and killed many members. Kong rescued them from a pack of attacking Death Jackals, and later from a Sirenjaw. One of the team members, Walter R. Riccio, lost his mind on the island and blasted open a hole in the wall surrounding the Iwi village, meant as a sort of "test" of whether the Iwi were worthy of Kong's protection. Kong quickly sprung into action and saved the Iwi from attacking Mother Longlegs, then killed Riccio once he realized he was the cause of the attack. Brooks, now the last survivor of the expedition, met Kong face-to-face and finally understood his pure intentions and capability to defend the island, and chose to remain behind and help the Iwi rebuild.

29 years later, after Kong drove Camazotz back to the Hollow Earth, Skull Island's climate became unstable due to a perpetual storm, forcing Kong to be contained in a dome-shaped facility that simulated the island's environment, with the sole surviving Iwi named Jia providing him company. After being convinced by Nathan Lind to bring Kong with them on a joint expedition between Monarch and Apex Cybernetics into the Hollow Earth in order to find a power source that could help build a weapon capable of stopping the rampaging Godzilla, Jia and her adoptive mother Ilene Andrews accompanied Kong as he was escorted by sea to an entrance in Antarctica. However, Godzilla arrived and attacked the fleet, battling Kong and nearly drowning him before they were separated by depth charges. Godzilla called off his attack after he no longer deemed Kong a threat and the remaining fleet "played dead" by shutting off their power. Kong was brought to the Antarctica entrance by air and, after some convincing from Jia, headed into the Hollow Earth. After battling a pair of Warbats, Kong made his way to a large throne room where he found an ancient axe that was charged by the same energy that powered the temple. Godzilla drilled a hole into the Hollow Earth with his atomic breath, causing the temple to collapse. After fighting off a swarm of Hellhawks and killing Apex executive Maia Simmons, Kong made his way to Hong Kong where he battled Godzilla. After a protracted battle, Kong was eventually defeated by Godzilla and collapsed to the ground unconscious. After Jia informed Andrews that Kong was dying, Lind landed the remaining HEAV onto Kong's chest and overloaded it, reviving him. Jia convinced Kong to help Godzilla against the newly unleashed Mechagodzilla, and the two Titans managed to destroy the mech with some human assistance. Kong and Godzilla acknowledged each other before Godzilla went back into the ocean and Kong made his permanent home in the Hollow Earth.

## Personality

Kong is the guardian of Skull Island and is responsible for maintaining the natural order and defending the island's wildlife from threats. Monarch classifies Kong’s behavior as that of a "protector," along with fellow Titans Godzilla, Mothra, Behemoth, and Methuselah. While Kong appears to be highly territorial in *Kong: Skull Island*, he does demonstrate some degree of altruism, such as rescuing a trapped Sker Buffalo and saving Mason Weaver from drowning. Kong is not normally aggressive towards humans, and only attacks them when provoked. The native Iwi tribe reveres Kong and views him as their savior, as he and his family allegedly defended them from the Skullcrawlers in the past. Kong demonstrates an interest in Mason Weaver, as he at one point allows her to touch his face, and later admires her in his hand after he rescues her from the Skull Devil. Kong demonstrated visible sadness in *Kingdom Kong* when he sees a Sker Buffalo he rescued has been killed by a flock of Psychovultures. Kong has also shown a great deal of curiosity, as shown in *Godzilla vs. Kong* where he investigates his species' ancestral temple in the Hollow Earth and the battle axe found inside.

*Skull Island: The Birth of Kong* fully reveals Kong's driving motivations for keeping the order of the island. After witnessing his parents' deaths as a mere infant, Kong chose to avenge them and honor their memory by keeping the island's Skullcrawler population under control and actively defending the island's least malicious and most vulnerable life, including the Iwi people. He actively rescues members of Monarch's second off-the-books expedition to the island from Death Jackals and a Sirenjaw, and immediately comes to the aid of the Iwi village once it is besieged by Mother Longlegs allowed into the village by the deranged Walter R. Riccio. Kong recognizes individual humans and understands that they share his level of intelligence, and is shown to distinguish between those he judges as friendly and those who are not. As such he defends or genially regards most humans but kills Preston Packard, Riccio, and Maia Simmons. In *Godzilla vs. Kong*, Kong took the Iwi girl Jia under his wing after the storm around Skull Island reached the island interior. This is further explored in the film's novelization, which shows that Kong saved Jia after her family was killed by a Sirenjaw. When Maia ordered her guards to aim their weapons at the girl, Kong roared angrily at them in her defense. After some convincing from Jia, Kong realized that Godzilla is an ally of his and teams up with him against Mechagodzilla.

Kong puts the defense of Skull Island as his first priority, and his will is so strong he is willing to stand up to Titans of equal status to his own if necessary, as noted in *Godzilla: King of the Monsters - The Official Movie Novelization*. Kong's willpower renders him resistant to the alpha call of King Ghidorah, which awakens most other Titans around the globe and bends them to his will, including the Leafwings and Skullcrawlers on the island. Kong actively chooses to remain on his island and ignore Ghidorah's call to "hunt together" with him, and his attention is immediately grabbed by the Skullcrawlers responding to Ghidorah. Only Godzilla and Mothra also dared to oppose Ghidorah's call.

## Origins

Kong is the last living member of a species of gigantic apes native to Skull Island, a place described by Monarch member William Randa as an "emergence point" for Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms, or MUTOs. According to Hank Marlow, many years ago the indigenous Iwi tribe living on the island was terrorized by gigantic reptilian creatures called Skullcrawlers. Suddenly, Kong's species began fighting back against the Skullcrawlers and protecting the Iwi from them. Kong's species successfully drove the Skullcrawlers underground, but all of them except for Kong himself were killed. With his parents and the rest of his family dead, Kong assumed the duty of acting as the island's guardian and ensured that the Skullcrawlers remained underground.

The official prequel comic to *Kong: Skull Island*, *Skull Island: The Birth of Kong*, provides in-depth flashbacks showing Kong's ancestors and his birth. These glimpses into the past establish that Kong's species had been living on Skull Island for millions of years, and were mortal enemies of the Skullcrawlers. By the time the Iwi people first arrived on the island, all of Kong's species save for his mother and father had been killed. The two mates continued their war with the Skullcrawlers, protecting the Iwi from their wrath as they made Skull Island their home. When Kong's mother went into labor with her son, she and her mate were set upon by a large pack of fully grown Skullcrawlers. Kong's father fought with all of his might to hold off the creatures as his mate gave birth to their son. Kong's mother sealed her newborn son in a cave before the Skullcrawlers overcame his father and got to her as well. The infant Kong watched from inside the cave as his parents were slaughtered by the monsters and died side-by-side. Following the battle, Kong emerged from the cave and knelt before the bodies of his parents, who died with their hands held together. Kong wept for the parents he never knew and devoted his life to continuing their war. By the time he was an adolescent, Kong had successfully driven the Skullcrawlers underground and kept them from reaching maturity, save for one of the creatures who had killed his parents: the Skull Devil. In doing so, Kong actively took on the mission of protecting the island's peaceful and vulnerable inhabitants, including the Iwi, from the many large and violent predators that threatened them.

According to Ilene Andrews in *Godzilla vs. Kong*, Kong's ancestors were said to have been in a war with Godzilla's kind sometime in the ancient past. Kong's species created numerous axes using Godzilla's species' dorsal fins inside the massive throne room in the Hollow Earth as a sign of their triumph. In the film's novelization, Iwi mythology instead states that Kong's species only waged war on Godzilla himself, referred to as "*Zo-zla-halawa*," a monster that "[ate] a star" in the Hollow Earth that turned him wicked. Kong's species were proven to be no match against the beast, resulting in most of them being killed. Godzilla would eventually drive the survivors and the Iwi's ancestors toward the surface of Skull Island. It also briefly implies that the skeletons in the throne room may not belong to *Titanus Gojira* specimens, but rather close relatives.

## History

### MonsterVerse

#### *Kong: Skull Island*

Kong in *Kong: Skull Island*

After crash-landing on Skull Island in 1944, American fighter pilot Hank Marlow and Japanese pilot Gunpei Ikari engaged in a fight to the death. As Ikari gained the upper hand and prepared to fatally stab Marlow with a dagger, Kong appeared over a cliff, leading the two shocked men to end their struggle.

In 1973, the scientific organization Monarch organized an expedition to Skull Island, escorted by the Sky Devils helicopter squadron led by Lt. Colonel Preston Packard. One of the helicopters carrying the expedition members cleared the storm cell surrounding the island and began flying over land, they immediately began dropping seismic charges onto the ground below, allegedly to map the island. The explosions drew out Kong, who responded by throwing a tree through one of the choppers. The remaining choppers formed a perimeter around Kong and opened fire on him. The bullets did little more than irritate Kong, who proceeded to rip the helicopters out of the sky and smash them. After downing all of the choppers, Kong wandered back off into the jungle. Kong eventually reached a river, where he noticed the wounds he had sustained from the choppers' rotor blades. Kong winced in pain briefly before beginning to drink from the lake. Suddenly, Kong realized that a Mire Squid was in the water and grabbed one of the creature's tentacles. The Mire Squid then attacked Kong with all of its tentacles, trying to strangle him to death. Kong was able to crush the creature's head under his foot and kill it, then proceeded to eat several of its tentacles. Kong then grabbed the squid's carcass and dragged it away, presumably back to his lair.

After meeting Marlow, some of the surviving expedition members were brought back to the village of the island's indigenous tribe, the Iwis. There, Marlow explained that Kong was perceived as a god by the islanders, and generally acted as a guardian on the island that kept the most dangerous creatures there under control. He stated that the reason Kong attacked the helicopters was that the seismic charges they dropped had drawn creatures he called Skullcrawlers to the surface. According to Marlow, Skullcrawlers were the most vicious and dangerous animals on the island and were responsible for killing Kong's family. At this time, Kong was being attacked by two Skullcrawlers but was able to easily dispatch the two smaller creatures. One of the expedition members, Mason Weaver, found a Sker Buffalo pinned underneath a downed helicopter and tried to free it, only for Kong to arrive and free the buffalo himself. Kong gave Weaver an indifferent glance and simply wandered off.

After surviving an encounter with a Skullcrawler and several Leafwings, Weaver and James Conrad stood atop a cliff and looked out over the island, only to witness Kong approach them. To their surprise, Kong did not seem violent or aggressive at all and even allowed Weaver to place her hand on his face. Suddenly, explosions appeared over the distance, and Kong immediately raced toward them. Weaver and Conrad knew that Packard and his men were setting a trap for Kong, intending to kill him. The two of them, joined by Marlow, rushed to the scene to try and save Kong. When Kong arrived at the scene of the explosions, he saw Packard and his men in the distance. As Kong crossed a lake to reach them, Packard ignited the napalm he had dumped into the water, causing the entire lake to erupt into flames. Kong swung his arm angrily at the water, causing the flaming napalm to hit some of the soldiers, before collapsing onto the ground. Packard placed leftover seismic charges around Kong, preparing to finish him, but Weaver, Conrad, and Marlow arrived and aimed their guns at him, demanding for him to stop. Packard refused and was prepared to detonate the charges and blow them all sky-high when suddenly a gigantic Skullcrawler, known as the Skull Devil, erupted from the lake. Everyone except Packard fled, while Kong regained consciousness and promptly smashed Packard under his fist. The Skull Devil attacked Kong, and the humans were forced to leave the giant ape to his fate.

The following morning, as the surviving expedition members neared the extraction point on the north side of the island, they were confronted by the giant Skullcrawler. Fortunately, Kong arrived and smashed the monster in the face with a boulder. Kong engaged in battle with the Skull Devil, buying time for the humans to get to safety. The weakened Kong simply was not a match for the Skull Devil and was knocked into an old shipwreck and entangled in its anchor chain. Weaver had managed to reach a vantage point and fired a flare into the Skull Devil's eye, enraging it. Kong finally broke free of the chain and managed to create a makeshift flail when it became entangled with the ship's propeller. Kong swung the flail at the Skull Devil, embedding the propeller into its back. Kong pulled the propeller out and slammed the Skull Devil into the same hill Weaver is standing on, causing her to fall into the water below. He then sliced the creature across its throat, seemingly killing it. Kong then pulled Weaver out of the water and took a second to stare at her in his hand, only for the Skull Devil to get back up and clamp its jaws onto his arm. Kong battled the Skull Devil again, trying to keep Weaver away from its mouth, but the beast used its prehensile tongue to pull Kong's hand, with Weaver held in it, down its throat. Mustering all his strength, Kong pulled his hand free of the Skull Devil's gullet, ripping out the beast's innards and killing it instantly. Kong gently set Weaver down on the ground, while Conrad immediately ran to her to ensure she was okay. As Weaver regained consciousness and embraced Conrad, Kong looked back at the two of them before walking away. Once the survivors were finally rescued from the island, Kong stood triumphantly in his domain, beating his chest and letting out a mighty roar.

#### *Godzilla: King of the Monsters*

A cave painting of a member of Kong's species fighting Godzilla in *Godzilla: King of the Monsters*

Kong was on Skull Island, now the site of Monarch Outpost 33, when King Ghidorah emitted an alpha call which awakened the planet's dormant Titans and bent them to his will. While Kong did not comply with Ghidorah's call, he was shown to be leaving Skull Island on one of Monarch's computer monitors. After Godzilla defeated Ghidorah, humanity began uncovering many secrets from the ancient world regarding the Titans, including a cave painting of what appeared to be a member of Kong's species fighting Godzilla.

#### *Godzilla vs. Kong*

Kong in *Godzilla vs. Kong*

By 2024, a storm generated by King Ghidorah had combined with the storm cell perpetually surrounding Skull Island, causing the island to be consumed by a neverending storm. Monarch constructed Outpost #236, a large dome-like structure with an artificial recreation of Skull Island's original environment, to contain Kong. One morning, Kong woke up as a flock of Leafwings flew overhead. He wandered into a nearby lake and stood under a waterfall, then uprooted a tree. Jia, a young orphaned Iwi girl with whom Kong shared a bond, approached him and showed him her doll of him. Kong leaned forward and inspected it, then reared back and threw the tree into the false sky over the containment unit. Dr. Ilene Andrews, an anthropological linguist who was assigned to watch over Kong, discussed the current situation with Ben, another Monarch member. It was clear that Kong was becoming too large for his surroundings, and that the containment unit wouldn't be able to hold him forever. Ben suggested they look into relocating the Titan, but Andrews believed this would be a death sentence. There could not be two alpha Titans, she said, and the moment Kong left the island, Godzilla would come for him.

Meanwhile, Godzilla unexpectedly attacked an Apex Cybernetics facility in Pensacola, Florida, causing mankind to turn against him. Apex CEO Walter Simmons and Chief Technology Officer Ren Serizawa approached ex-Monarch geologist Nathan Lind and proposed a joint Apex-Monarch expedition to the Hollow Earth in order to find an energy source which would allow Apex to create a weapon capable of standing up to Godzilla. Lind was convinced but further explained that due to all Titans sharing genetic memory which instinctively led them to their evolutionary source, a Titan could lead the way. Lind traveled to Outpost #236 and explained the plan to Andrews, who rejected it again on the basis that Godzilla would come for Kong as soon as he left the island. Lind stated that they needed to find this energy source in order to stop Godzilla and that in the process they could find Kong a new home. Andrews was finally convinced but accepted on the condition that she was in charge of Kong. Kong was sedated and placed on a ship, which was escorted by a naval fleet en route to Antarctica. One night, Kong became restless and began tugging at the chains restraining him. Jia came onto the deck and held out her finger to Kong, who responded by touching it with his finger. Andrews rushed onto the deck and asked Jia what she was doing, and Jia responded by signing to her that Kong was sad and angry. Andrews signed that Kong didn't understand that they were trying to help him, but Jia signed back that Kong didn't believe that. Andrews asked how she knew, and Jia signed that Kong told her. To Andrews' amazement, Kong proceeded to sign the word "home."

The next day, Andrews and Lind discussed what happened the night before. Andrews explained that she had spent years trying to establish communication with Kong, teaching him the alphabet and basic commands. Though Kong showed signs of recognition, he had never openly communicated with her. Lind asked if it was possible for Jia to give commands to Kong, but Andrews rejected the idea, saying Jia was just a child. When the storm wiped out most of the Iwi people, Jia's parents were killed, and she and Kong both took up the responsibility to protect her. Jia, meanwhile, felt something approaching the ship and ran to warn Andrews. Lind asked what was going on, and Andrews responded that Godzilla was coming. Battleships and fighter jets opened fire on Godzilla but did nothing to slow his approach. As Godzilla submerged near his ship, Kong roared into the sea below, only for Godzilla to burst up from underwater and capsize the ship. As the ship filled with water, Lind released Kong's chains, allowing him to fight back. He held back Godzilla as he snapped at him with his jaws, then freed himself as the ship righted itself. Kong stood on the ship and watched as Godzilla circled around the fleet. He then jumped on a destroyer then onto an aircraft carrier. As Godzilla approached, Kong grabbed a jet and threw it at him. Godzilla climbed aboard the carrier and was promptly greeted by a punch from Kong. Godzilla retaliated by slashing at Kong's face with his claws, knocking him down. Godzilla charged his atomic breath, but a fighter jet managed to interrupt him before he could fire it. Kong punched Godzilla, then got back to his feet and shoved him off the carrier. Godzilla fired his atomic breath at the carrier from underwater, with Kong leaping off just in time to avoid the blast. Godzilla grabbed Kong in the water and tried to pull him down, but Kong kicked himself free and tried to surface. Godzilla wrapped his tail around Kong and began pulling him down again. Andrews told the commander that they had to disorient Godzilla somehow before he drowned Kong, and suggested depth charges. The ships fired depth charges into the sea, which exploded. After a few moments, Kong pulled himself back onto the ship, coughing up water before falling onto his back. Lind told the commander to shut down all of the fleet's power in order to make Godzilla think he had won. The commander obliged, and Godzilla soon surfaced amidst the burning remnants of several ships. Kong scowled at Godzilla, who finally departed the area. Andrews told Lind that Godzilla would return the second they started moving again, so Lind suggested airlifting Kong instead.

Kong was transported in a net carried by numerous helicopters and Ospreys, then deposited in Antarctica. Kong inspected the snow surrounding him, then looked to see Jia and the others standing on a nearby ledge. Jia signed to Kong that his home was through the entrance to the Hollow Earth behind him, but Kong did not go through. Lind told Andrews to tell Kong there could be others like him down there, so Andrews asked Jia to sign this to Kong. Jia signed to Kong that his family could be down there, and Kong immediately charged through. Everyone else boarded Apex's Hollow Earth Aerial Vehicles and followed Kong. Kong swung himself along the pipes on the ceiling of the tunnel before losing his grip and falling through a crater. Kong and the HEAVs passed through a vortex that eventually spits them out into the Hollow Earth. Kong ran across the terrain with the HEAVs in pursuit. Suddenly, one HEAV was destroyed by a Warbat. Before the creature could attack another HEAV, Kong grabbed it by its tail and slammed it on the ground, killing it. A second Warbat flew toward Kong, who swung the other's corpse into it. The Warbat recovered and roared at Kong, then proceeded to constrict its body around him. It pulled its wing over Kong's face in an attempt to suffocate him, but a HEAV interrupted it by firing missiles at it. Kong freed himself and began pummeling the Warbat into the dirt before tearing off its head and drinking the contents of its skull. Kong continued moving across the Hollow Earth before reaching a cliff. Kong jumped off the cliff and floated through the air onto another surface. Kong eventually reached a gigantic temple, with the imprint of his species' hand on the door. Kong placed his hand over the imprint and pushed the door open, opening it into a huge chamber. Kong roared loudly, but his roar echoed through the temple unanswered. Kong began walking through the temple and picked up an axe he found lodged in the skull of a fallen Titan, beating his chest triumphantly as he wielded it. He then sat on a giant throne as the expedition members disembarked from the HEAVs. Apex's Maia Simmons asked where the energy source was, while the blade of Kong's axe began to glow blue. Kong found an indentation in the ground in the shape of the axe, and placed the axe into it. The ground around him began glowing blue; they had found the energy source. Apex deployed a drone to harvest the material and scan it, sending the data to Apex HQ in Hong Kong. The Monarch members objected to Apex mining the energy source, so Maia had her guards aim their weapons at them, causing Kong to roar angrily at the guards. Suddenly, the temple began to shake, causing the Hellhawks roosting on the ceiling to become active and attack. Maia and her guards boarded a HEAV and tried to escape, while a Hellhawk cornered the Monarch members. Just then, Godzilla's atomic breath burst into the temple, opening up a tunnel directly to Hong Kong. As her HEAV tried to escape, Maia ordered it to fire on Kong, who grabbed it in his hand and crushed it. Kong then grabbed his axe and leaped through the tunnel and climbed his way into Hong Kong.

Kong surfaced in Hong Kong to confront Godzilla. Both Titans exchanged roars before beginning to fight. Kong swung his axe at Godzilla, but it became lodged in a building. Kong then tried to fight Godzilla hand-to-hand. Godzilla tried to fire his atomic breath, but Kong stopped him. Godzilla freed himself from Kong's grip, only for Kong to bring down both of his fists onto Godzilla's head. Kong then jumped and kicked Godzilla to the ground, after which Godzilla tried to fire his atomic breath again. Thinking quickly, Kong grabbed his axe and shoved it into Godzilla's mouth, stopping him from firing it. Godzilla fired his atomic breath again, but Kong blocked it with the blade of his axe. Godzilla then tackled Kong, who stabbed his axe into Godzilla's leg. Godzilla retaliated by pushing Kong into the water, then tore the axe out of his leg with his mouth. Godzilla fired his atomic breath, forcing Kong to run through the city to avoid it. One blast did eventually hit Kong in the back, burning him and knocking him down. Kong got back up, only for Godzilla to fire his atomic breath again. Kong once more avoided the blast and climbed onto a skyscraper, which Godzilla knocked over with his atomic breath. The surviving HEAV, with Lind, Andrews, and Jia in tow, flew through the tunnel from the Hollow Earth and narrowly avoided crashing into Kong and then Godzilla's atomic breath. Kong tears off a radio dish from a surrounding building to utilize as a makeshift shield against the beam. Closing the distance, Kong grabbed his axe and jumped off the skyscraper, with Godzilla firing his atomic breath. Kong used the axe to block the blast and absorb its energy, then brought it down on Godzilla, creating a massive shockwave that blew both Titans back. The axe lost its charge as Lind remarked that it appeared Kong won the second round.

Both Titans got back to their feet, with Godzilla dropping onto all fours and hunting for Kong, angered following the impact of his axe. Kong climbed a building and threw a crane to distract Godzilla, then jumped off the building and pushed Godzilla headfirst through another building. The Titans exchanged blows again before Godzilla pulled Kong off his back and threw into a building, dislocating his shoulder. In a fit of primal rage, Godzilla dropped onto all fours again and aggressively pursued Kong, who kicked at his face as Godzilla snapped his jaws at his feet. Godzilla then jumped onto Kong, clawing into his chest repeatedly before stomping on it. Kong punched at Godzilla's leg, who roared in pain before bringing his foot down on Kong's chest again. Kong weakly tried to pull Godzilla's foot off of him but to no avail. Godzilla then roared in Kong's face, but Kong answered with a roar of his own. Godzilla finally took his foot off of Kong and began to walk away. Kong weakly got back to his feet and tried to pursue him, only to fall backward and pass out.

Meanwhile, Apex's ultimate weapon, Mechagodzilla, had gone out of control after being infused with the energy source from the Hollow Earth, prompting the consciousness of Ghidorah to possess the mecha. It killed its creators and freed itself from under Victoria Peak with its proton scream. Godzilla tried to battle Mechagodzilla alone but was severely outmatched by its physical strength, agility, and powerful weaponry. The HEAV landed near the fallen Kong as Godzilla and his mechanical duplicate fought. Jia placed her hand on the ground and reported that she could feel Kong's heart slowing down. Andrews said there was nothing they could do, as restarting his heart would require a huge electrical charge. Lind remembered that Maia told him earlier that the HEAVs possessed enough power to "light up Las Vegas for a week," and decided to use the HEAV to revive Kong. Lind flew the HEAV onto Kong's chest, then set it to self-destruct. He quickly escaped the craft and ran to safety just as the HEAV exploded. The electrical charge released by the explosion instantly revived Kong. Jia got Kong's attention and signed to him that Godzilla was not the enemy. Kong roared angrily, but Jia pointed to Mechagodzilla and signed that that was the enemy. Kong finally accepted this and got back to his feet. He then rammed his shoulder into a building, resetting his arm. As Mechagodzilla pried apart Godzilla's jaws and prepared to fire its proton scream down his throat, Kong leaped onto Mechagodzilla's back and forced it to fire the beam into the sky. Mechagodzilla threw Kong off of it, but Godzilla recovered and grabbed it by the arm. Kong grabbed the other arm, and both Titans proceeded to pull Mechagodzilla through a building. The mechanical Titan got back up and tried to punch the Titans, who interrupted its punches. Finally, Mechagodzilla overpowered Kong and Godzilla and knocked both aside. Kong saw his axe and ran to get it as the mecha focused its wrath on Godzilla. Kong reentered the battle and swung his axe into Mechagodzilla repeatedly. Mechagodzilla pinned Kong against a building and began spinning the blades on its tail and trying to shove them into Kong's face. Kong held back the spinning blades with all of his might, but couldn't hold on for long. When Josh Valentine, Madison Russell, and Bernie Hayes failed to stop Mechagodzilla from its control room, Bernie suggested they have one last drink before they died. This gave Josh an idea, as he grabbed Bernie's flask and poured its contents all over Mechagodzilla's control monitor. This caused Mechagodzilla to briefly stall, allowing Godzilla to fire his atomic breath at Kong's axe and charge it. Kong immediately hacked off Mechagodzilla's tail with the axe, then cut off both of its arms and one of its legs. Mechagodzilla fell to the ground but defiantly charged one last proton scream. Kong did not hesitate to bring the axe down on the mecha's neck, then proceeded to grab its head and tear it off. Kong held Mechagodzilla's head into the air and roared triumphantly before slumping down from exhaustion.

Godzilla roared and began approaching Kong, who weakly got back to his feet and picked up his axe again. The two Titans stared each other down before Kong finally dropped his axe. Godzilla roared in acknowledgment and turned to return to the sea. Kong and the gathered humans watched as Godzilla dove below the waves.

Sometime later, Andrews, Lind, and Jia watched from a monitoring station inside the Hollow Earth as Kong passed by on his morning walk. Kong signed "home" to Jia, who smiled back at him. Kong then swung from vines onto a cliff, then pounded his chest and roared triumphantly.

## Abilities

### Strength

Kong possesses immense physical strength, allowing him to go toe-to-toe with all of the most dangerous creatures on Skull Island. Kong is able to lift and carry extremely heavy objects, such as UH-1 Iroquois helicopters and large boulders, with relative ease. He even throws a large tree through the air with such accuracy to skewer a chopper. Kong is strong enough to knock a UH-1 Iroquois out of the air simply by smashing it with his fists. Kong also demonstrates his strength when he breaks free of an anchor chain that is restraining him. Kong is able to physically overpower most of his enemies, such as the Mire Squid and smaller Skullcrawlers. While the Skull Devil proved to be a match for Kong, he was able to rely on his impressive strength to rip out the beast's innards and kill it.

In *Godzilla vs. Kong*, Kong is nearly on par with Godzilla in terms of physical strength. With a little help from the humans and their HEAVs, he was able to overpower two Warbats without much trouble. Kong is able to hold his own against Godzilla in their battles in the ocean and in Hong Kong, effortlessly moving around the larger Titan with mere punches, shoves, and even hurled the 99,634 ton Titan a considerable distance. He also easily floored Godzilla with a dropkick. During the final fight with Mechagodzilla, he was able to rip the robot titan's head off, with spinal cord included, after dismantling it with his axe. Outside of combat, Kong has easily chucked a large tree at the roof of his enclosure on Skull Island at least twice.

### Agility

Kong is incredibly agile, especially for a creature of his size. Kong is capable of leaping to great heights, shown when he knocks a UH-1 Iroquois out of the sky, and across great distances, shown when he takes the Skull Devil by surprise by leaping from a cliff and striking it with a boulder. Kong makes use of his agility while in battle, allowing him to anticipate enemy attacks and counter them. This is demonstrated when Kong is ambushed by two Skullcrawlers and manages to grab and restrain them as they attempt to pounce on him. Kong's agility allows him to scale the cliffs of Skull Island so he can travel across the terrain with ease or reach his mountain lair.

Throughout *Godzilla vs. Kong*, Kong can leap to great heights and over great distances. In his first fight with Godzilla, he was able to jump from the cargo hauler onto a nearby destroyer and then an aircraft carrier in only two bounds. After the fleet was decimated by Godzilla and Kong was transported to Antarctica, he swung on the pipes inside of the entrance to the Hollow Earth with considerable speed. In their second fight in Hong Kong, Kong showcased his agility by climbing and swinging around buildings with ease despite his large size. With his agility he was able to avoid Godzilla's atomic breath for a time, only being hit once in both of their fights.

Once he enters the Hollow Earth, Kong travels much of the considerable distance to the temple that houses his axe by both leaping off of mountains and running on all fours, something he also showed once he woke up in Antarctica.

### Intelligence

As an ape, Kong is relatively intelligent compared to the other creatures on Skull Island. Kong makes use of environmental objects as weapons, such as boulders and trees. Kong also fashions a makeshift flail from an anchor chain and a ship's propeller, which he uses to gain the upper hand in his battle against the Skull Devil. Kong's intelligence allows him to distinguish between friends and enemies, as he clearly recognizes Preston Packard and his men as enemies but does not attempt to harm any other humans he comes across, even going out of his way to rescue Mason Weaver from drowning. Kong's intelligence allows him to anticipate enemy attacks, such as when he realizes the Mire Squid is lurking near him while he is drinking from a lake.

In *Godzilla vs. Kong*, he demonstrates the ability to communicate using a form of sign language. Kong proves himself a tactical fighter in all of his fights against Godzilla. In his first fight he recognizes Godzilla's superiority in the water and moves to an aircraft carrier to get Godzilla to fight on equal footing. In their second fight he recognizes Godzilla's advantage with his atomic breath and keeps preventing him from using it effectively by closing the distance and re-directing his head away from him. When the distance has been widened, giving Godzilla a chance to use the atomic breath, Kong is able to use the surrounding buildings to his advantage, even using a radio dish as a makeshift shield against the beam when he attempts to close the distance and use his axe. He is able to trick Godzilla into turning around when he throws a crane to distract him before pouncing on him from behind. After being overwhelmed by Mechagodzilla, despite fighting alongside Godzilla, Kong recognizes the need of using the axe against the mechanical Titan.

### Durability

Kong boasts impressive durability, which allows him to withstand a great deal of punishment without suffering severe injuries. Kong easily shrugs off machine gun rounds fired by the UH-1 Iroquois and survives being set ablaze in a lake filled with napalm. Even after Kong is badly burned by napalm and attacked by the Skull Devil, he resumes his battle with the creature only hours later with no visible lasting injuries.

In *Godzilla vs. Kong*, Kong's durability is put on full display. In his second fight with Godzilla, he has his left arm dislocated and his chest scratched repeatedly and crushed by Godzilla's full weight, yet he is still able to roar back into Godzilla's face in defiance. After being revived by a HEAV, he is able to immediately get back into the fight with Godzilla against Mechagodzilla but not before relocating his shoulder.

### Battle axe

In *Godzilla vs. Kong*, Kong discovers an 207.4-foot battle axe, its blade made from what appears to be a *Titanus Gojira* dorsal plate, that can absorb energy from the Hollow Earth, as well as Godzilla's atomic breath. In their final battle, the fully-charged axe is powerful enough to knock both him and Godzilla back, and even before it is charged it is shown to be able to slash into Godzilla's thick hide, causing him to audibly roar out in pain. Godzilla voluntarily charges the axe again when he and Kong battle Mechagodzilla, allowing the ape Titan to quickly dismantle the machine. Kong can swing the axe at a top speed of 62 miles per hour. In *PUBG Mobile*, it's also able to absorb Mechagodzilla's proton scream.

### Weaknesses

As an adolescent, Kong is vulnerable to being burned, as he is badly weakened after being caught in a burning lake filled with napalm. His skin can also be pierced by the spinning propeller blades of the helicopters he attacks, leaving gash wounds that he visibly finds painful. The Skull Devil is a physical match for Kong and uses its superior mobility and speed to gain the upper hand several times during their battle, with Kong requiring intervention from his human allies to get back in the fight.

As an adult, Kong is badly outmatched in the water during his first battle with Godzilla, only avoiding being drowned thanks to human interference. While he holds his own in their Hong Kong battle, Kong is badly burned when hit by a blast of Godzilla's atomic breath. Kong is also rendered helpless and nearly killed once Godzilla unleashes his full fury against him, tearing into his flesh with his claws and stomping on his chest. Kong was also outmatched by Mechagodzilla's physical strength and abilities, even with Godzilla's help, and could have been killed had the mecha not been stalled momentarily. In *Kingdom Kong*, Kong is shown to have difficulties fighting flying opponents, notably Camazotz, and some help from humans was needed for Kong to defeat him.