SpaceGodzilla largely resembles his earthly counterpart, but with several key differences. In addition to having greatly increased musculature, a more bestial face with tusks, a longer tail, and a piercing, high pitched roar (a slowed down and higher-pitched version of Gigan's roar), SpaceGodzilla bears several features that are a result of the merger of Godzilla's genes with a crystalline organism in outer space. Instead of Godzilla's dorsal spines, SpaceGodzilla has rows of white crystals running down his tail and up his back. He also has a yellow-gold crystal 'crest' on the top of his head, three large crystals at the tip of his tail, and two massive crystals erupting from his shoulders, which serve to draw energy from the environment around him. SpaceGodzilla is predominantly navy blue in colour with a dark reddish-purple underbelly.
Development
Early concept art of SpaceGodzilla
The character was designed as a homage to the monster's hinted progenitor Biollante by incorporating tusks and a hissing roar reminiscent of the latter monster.[1] Creature designer Shinji Nishikawa had initially envisioned SpaceGodzilla as a much more Western dragon-like creature with large fin-like wings on the back.[2] Other early designs for the proposed "Astrogodzilla" included it being an albino Godzilla with expansive wings, two tails, and the ability to fire an ice ray. Another design for SpaceGodzilla had the character be a quadruped or a much more Biollante-like monster commanding a horde of cosmic dragonflies.[3] The final design bore greater resemblance to Godzilla's final form from the video game Super Godzilla, itself also designed by Nishikawa.[2] Special effects artist Koichi Kawakita decided to incorporate crystals onto the SpaceGodzilla design, and added a prominent horn on the creature's head in order to hint at its power and imply it had radar abilities.[4]
In its debut film, SpaceGodzilla's origins are left ambiguous, but it is theorized that it was born through Godzilla's cells (transported into space either by Mothra or Biollante's spores) being exposed to the radiation of a black hole. SpaceGodzilla heads for Earth and traps Little Godzilla in a crystalline prison, before travelling to Fukuoka and forming a crystal fortress which drains the city of power, channels it through Fukuoka Tower and transfers it to SpaceGodzilla. It is ultimately stopped through the combined efforts of Godzilla and M.O.G.U.E.R.A.[5]
Biography
Heisei era (1994)
In its debut film Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla, SpaceGodzilla was created when G-cells cast into space fell into a black hole and reemerged from a white hole, starting to assimilate crystalline organisms while rapidly evolving, the final result being SpaceGodzilla. How the G-cells were cast into space is unknown, but there are two reasons stated in the film. Mothra may have brought G-cells into space after her battle with Battra in Godzilla vs. Mothra. Another suggestion is that when Biollante's spores flew into space, some of her G-cells were responsible for the creation of SpaceGodzilla. After being born, SpaceGodzilla was sighted flying through space in its flying form as it destroyed a NASA space station. The Japan Self-Defense Force's mecha M.O.G.U.E.R.A (Mobile Operations G-Force Universal Expert Robot: Aero-type) was deployed to attack it, but was ultimately defeated. It later set its sights on Baas Island, home of Godzilla and Little Godzilla. It captured Little Godzilla using its telekinetic crystals, forming a crystal prison around Little. It left Baas Island and set up its crystal fortress in Fukuoka, but M.O.G.U.E.R.A. tried to stop him. SpaceGodzilla overpowered M.O.G.U.E.R.A. until it teamed up with Godzilla and split into different mecha, Land M.O.G.U.E.R.A. and the Star Falcon. Land M.O.G.U.E.R.A went for the foundation of his fortress as Godzilla razed the Fukuoka Tower, knowing it was the source of his cosmic clone's power. Godzilla and M.O.G.U.E.R.A. fought SpaceGodzilla, with M.O.G.U.E.R.A. blasting SpaceGodzilla's shoulder crystals, critically weakening it. In pain and anger, SpaceGodzilla destroyed M.O.G.U.E.R.A., but not before Akira Yuki drives M.O.G.U.E.R.A. to knocked SpaceGodzilla down. Godzilla uses his red spiral heat ray several times at his foe, destroys SpaceGodzilla in the process. However in the end, the JSDF claims that if they keep polluting space, another SpaceGodzilla may appear someday.
Other
In Godzilla Island episodes 1-5, Xilien Zagreth attacked Godzilla Island. When Torema attacked her ship, she released SpaceGodzilla to attack. Godzilla roars at his clone. SpaceGodzilla reaches the Command Center and attacks, shooting the Command Center with his ray. Godzilla then arrives and grapples with SpaceGodzilla, neither being able to overpower the other. Torema then tells Godzilla to destroy SpaceGodzilla's shoulder crystals. Godzilla obeys and fires his atomic ray, blowing up the crystals. Godzilla and Torema's ship fire their rays, and the combined efforts destroy SpaceGodzilla.
After attempting to and failing to possess Godzilla as a ghost, SpaceGodzilla returned to Godzilla Island in a new more powerful physical form called Super Special SpaceGodzilla High Grade Type 2. However, he was defeated in this form again by Godzilla after the Monster King destroyed his left shoulder crystal, and forced to retreat back to outer space.
Reception
While the film received mixed reactions, SpaceGodzilla was generally well received. DVD Cult said, "The monster SpaceGodzilla is excellently designed, and is certainly far more menacing than anything Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich ever dreamed up."[6]Toho Kingdom praised his theme music, and said "SpaceGodzilla has a nice, hectic, theme that suits him and works well when used throughout the movie,"[7] while Complex listed the character as number 11 on its "The 15 Most Badass Kaiju Monsters of All Time" list, calling him "probably the most powerful thing Godzilla has ever faced".[8] However, the character's design was criticized by Godzilla historian Steve Ryfle, who stated that, although evil-looking, it was too evocative of the haphazardly designed monsters of the generally low-quality Godzilla films of the 1970s like Hedorah and Gigan.[9]
^Kalat, David (2010). A Critical History and Filmography of Toho's Godzilla Series (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co. pp. 202–09. ISBN978-0-7864-47-49-7.
