Godzilla (1954)

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 Alignment | True Neutral

**Godzilla** is a daikaiju that appears as the titular main antagonist of the 1954 science fiction kaiju horror film, *Godzilla*. This Godzilla was later succeeded by a second Godzilla during the events of the 1955 film, *Godzilla Raids Again* and the rest of the Showa series. This incarnation of Godzilla was also referenced in, and appeared within the Millennium series of *Godzilla* films.

## Background

The original Godzilla. The one that started it all.

Godzilla is a gigantic prehistoric amphibious reptile that was disturbed and mutated when an American hydrogen bomb test conducted in the Pacific Ocean destroyed his habitat and drew him to the surface. Enraged, Godzilla would destroy any ship that got in his way and eventually caused major destruction to the city of Tokyo. With Japan defenseless, Daisuke Serizawa eventually but reluctantly used his invention, the Oxygen Destroyer, to kill Godzilla, while taking his own life to ensure the weapon could never be used again.

Typically, in the various continuities of the Godzilla franchise, a second Godzilla appeared sometime after this Godzilla's death. Despite only being the focus of one film, the 1954 Godzilla has been referenced to some degree in several subsequent entries in the series, the most notable being the 2001 film, *Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All Out Attack*, where vengeful souls from World War II brought back and possessed the original Godzilla and the 2002 film, *Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla* where his bones were used to create a bio-robot called Kiryu to fight and defend Japan from Godzilla.

## Powers and Abilities

* **Amphibiousness:** Though technically a reptile and not an amphibian, Godzilla has an amphibious lifestyle. He spends half of his life in water and the other on land. He is as adept a fighter underwater as he is on land. Capable of marching on the seafloor or swimming by undulating his tail like a crocodile, Godzilla is displayed as being able to breathe underwater, or occasionally hibernating in the ocean depths between movies.
* **Atomic Breath:** Godzilla's most well known trait, the Atomic Breath, was introduced in this film. Also called the Incandescent Light or Radioactivity Extrusion, this ability has typically been shown to set entire city blocks ablaze and easily obliterate most military weaponry. Within the events of the 1954 film, his atomic breath was presented as a white, mist-like blast.
* **Fireballs:** In the video game *Godzilla: Unleashed*, the 1954 Godzilla can spit fireballs from his mouth as an alternative to the Atomic Breath.
* **Durability:** Godzilla displayed an immunity to conventional weaponry, being virtually impervious to everything the JSDF threw at him. Dr. Yamane states that the very fact Godzilla survived exposure to a hydrogen bomb explosion is a testament to his durability.

## Feats

### Strength

* Broke through several electrical power lines with ease.
* Halted a train just by putting his foot down before grabbing it and chewing it up.
* Crumbled a steel tower and made it fall just by biting it.
* Flipped over a bridge, causing some tidal waves.
* Collapsed buildings just by walking into them.
* In Godzilla: Unleashed, can kick enemy monsters into the air.

### Speed

* Nearly struck down several F86F Saber Jets, which can fly at Mach 0.89, while in mid-flight.

### Durability

* Claimed to have survived being attacked by nuclear tests.
* Even though battleships were sent to kill him, it later shows he's still alive.
* Is unharmed by conventional weaponry.
* Tanked 50 kiloVolts of electricity with no damage whatsoever.
* Swam in a section of the ocean he was boiling with his Atomic Breath unharmed.
* Can take attacks from enemy monsters in Godzilla: Unleashed.

### Skill

* Slept deep underwater for millions of years feeding on deep sea organisms.
* Was enhanced by an American hydrogen bomb test.
* His radiation can poison or contaminate things such as water and even people.
* Can breathe underwater.
* Devastated Tokyo.
* In non-canonical sources, the 1954 Godzilla can take on kaiju like King Ghidorah, SpaceGodzilla, Destoroyah, Mechagodzilla, and others.
* In GMK, was resurrected and possessed by vengeful souls of World War II.
* In Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, his bones were used to create Kiryu as a means to battle a new Godzilla.
* One of the most iconic movie monsters of all time.

## Weaknesses

* Slow on land.
* Was eventually killed by the Oxygen Destroyer.

## Fun Facts

* This is the only known Godzilla to have been brown since all future incarnations of the Godzilla and its suits were charcoal black, and much later, green.
* The ShodaiGoji suit was 6.5 feet tall and weighed 200 pounds.
* The first and, by extent, second Showa Godzillas' weights of 20,000 metric tons are said to be equal to that of 5,000 elephants.
* In the 2002 film *Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla*, the ShodaiGoji design is replicated in part through CGI. Shinichi Wakasa's Monsters, Inc. also created a prop for some of the new footage of the original Godzilla.
* The ShodaiGoji heavily influenced later Godzilla designs, most noticeably the 84Goji, SokogekiGoji, the 2016 design utilized in *Shin Godzilla*, and the updated MonsterVerse Godzilla utilized in *Godzilla: King of the Monsters.*
* In the film *Godzilla vs. Megaguirus*, the ShodaiGoji design was digitally replaced by the MireGoji in stock footage from the original film.
* This Godzilla, the Heisei Godzilla and Godzilla Filius are the only Godzillas that are confirmed to be deceased.