Godzilla: King of the Monsters - The Official Movie Novelization

***Godzilla: King of the Monsters - The Official Movie Novelization*** is a novel based on Legendary Pictures' *Godzilla: King of the Monsters*, written by Greg Keyes. Paperback and Kindle editions were published by Titan Books on May 29, 2019. Blackstone Publishing released an audiobook narrated by Michael Braun on May 31.

## Description

*Godzilla: King of the Monsters follows the heroic efforts of the cryptozoological agency Monarch as its members face off against a battery of god-sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah. When these ancient superspecies, thought to be mere myths, rise again, they all vie for supremacy, leaving humanity's very existence hanging in the balance.*

## Differences from the film

* The novel begins with a prologue told from Godzilla's point of view as he patrols his territory. It notes that Godzilla has come to recognize his surroundings based on sounds, and has memorized the very contours of the continents around him. Godzilla recalls the sounds that he has always heard around him in the deep, perceiving whales as the "great swimmers." He also recognizes that the seas have become louder since the dawn of man, with the seas now filled with synthetic man-made swimmers that leave oil in their wake, and hinder the whales' ability to communicate. The sequence ends as Godzilla hears something that should not be in his territory.
* Explicit references are made to the events of the official MonsterVerse tie-in graphic novels Godzilla: Awakening and Godzilla: Aftershock. As Ishiro Serizawa, Vivienne Graham, and Sam Coleman speak before the Senate committee, Emma Russell recalls being before a similar United Nations committee in 2014 after the failure of her initial plan to stop MUTO Prime. The novelization goes on to give a brief overview of Godzilla's battles with MUTO Prime, stating that they occurred shortly after he defeated the first two MUTOs and caused much fewer casualties. Serizawa has recollection of the history of Monarch, including his father's experiences in the organization as it hunted both Godzilla and Shinomura.
* While only the female MUTO's severed head is visible inside Castle Bravo in the film, the novelization states that the carcasses of the male MUTO and MUTO Prime are present and being dissected as well.
* There is a brief scene where Alan Jonah and Asher share a drink at Outpost 32 and recall how Emma foiled one of his previous plans during the events of Godzilla: Aftershock.
* G-Team frequently refers to Jonah and his mercenaries as "anarchists."
* Many Titans who are not in the film outside of their names being on computer screens make appearances. They include Leviathan from Loch Ness, Mokele-Mbembe from Sudan, and Typhon. Mokele-Mbembe is described as having a long mammoth-like trunk and an incredibly large tail that obscures his body, as well as a glowing green horn. Behemoth has a slightly expanded role; a researcher at his outpost helps to free him before Monarch can preemptively kill him, considering him "the most interesting Titan." She is killed during Behemoth's escape.
* Two Titans not mentioned in the film at all also appear: Margygr is one of the dead Titans studied at Castle Bravo, while Kraken (later called Na Kika in Godzilla Dominion and the Godzilla vs. Kong novelization) escapes an unnamed Monarch outpost in the Indian Ocean by tricking the containment field into thinking it was dead. It has a triangular shell and developed brain function in each of its tentacles.
* Ilene Chen states that Mothra's name comes from Mosura, which is the name of a goddess revered on a small Indonesian island and means "giver of life."
* There is a sequence set on Skull Island told from Kong's point of view. Kong is patrolling his territory, and recalls how another Titan once ventured very close to the island but ultimately it had no interest in fighting him. Kong overhears King Ghidorah's call which awakens the other Titans, and interprets it as a call to "hunt together." Kong rejects Ghidorah's call, having no desire to bother the outside world and being more concerned with matters on Skull Island. Kong thinks about the various creatures of the island, including the humans he protects and the Skullcrawlers which still haunt his dreams. As the ground begins to shake, Kong realizes that Ghidorah's call has begun to bring Skullcrawlers back to the surface, and he prepares to face them. Godzilla: King of the Monsters director Michael Dougherty cited this scene to explain Kong's relationship to the other Titans, suggesting he considers it canonical to the film.
* It is mentioned that Serizawa has a son named Ren.
* The Argo loses contact with Admiral Stenz's submarine during a battle with Ghidorah and Rodan in Washington D.C., and it is suggested that the submarine may have been destroyed. This scene was filmed for the movie itself but left unused.
* In the film, the only indications of Ghidorah's healing factor are his regeneration of his severed left head in Mexico and his wings healing in Boston. However, in the novelization, it is stated that Ghidorah is continuously healing from the injuries he sustains during his final battle with Godzilla in Boston.
* It is explicitly stated that Leafwings which have escaped containment on Skull Island appear in Boston after Ghidorah is defeated along with the Titans that have arrived too late to assist him. Leafwings can only be seen briefly flying behind Behemoth and Godzilla during this scene in the film itself.

## Appearances

### Monsters

* Godzilla
* Mothra
* Rodan
* King Ghidorah
* MUTO
	+ Queen MUTO
	+ Eight-legged female MUTO (severed head)
	+ Winged male MUTO (carcass; video footage)
* Behemoth
* Methuselah
* Scylla
* Mokele-Mbembe
* Leviathan
* Kraken
* Typhon
* King Kong
* Skullcrawler
* Leafwing
* MUTO Prime (carcass)
* Margygr (carcass)
* Shinomura (mentioned)
* Dagon (mentioned)

### Weapons, vehicles, races, and organizations

* Monarch
	+ G-Team
* Anarchists
* USS *Argo*
* Oxygen Destroyer
* Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II
* *Ticonderoga*-class cruiser (*Philadelphia*)
* Aircraft carriers
* Destroyers
* Nuclear submarines