You hear the screams,
the crash of falling rubble,
the roar of rage.
Something is tearing the city apart.
You look up a see the form of
a massive gorilla as it scales a skyscraper.
It's out for blood,
and you're right in the path of destruction.
King Kong was created by war hero
and adventurer Merian C. Cooper,
who took inspiration from baboons
and komodo dragons
he'd seen on his travels to Indonesia.
Cooper based the character on gorillas
because of their distinct personalities,
and the mythical and exotic aura
they held for American audiences
at the time.
King Kong has appeared in numerous
films over the years,
destroying a variety of destinations
around the world.
His size varies widely
each time he appears,
from 7.5 m (25 ft)
to a whopping 100 m (330 ft).
Either way, that's one big ape.
And if he showed up in your city,
you'd need to act fast.
When most of us think of King Kong,
we picture him scaling
the Empire State Building.
The famous landmark opened in 1931,
just a couple of years before the release
of the original film,
so producers decided to feature it heavily
in the climax.
Since then,
it's been an iconic part of Kong lore.
So if you find yourself in it
or any other skyscraper in Manhattan
during a Kong attack,
move as far away as you can
from the outer walls.
Any building Kong uses as a jungle gym
will have shattered glass
and debris everywhere.
You could also get snatched by Kong
and end up a hostage,
or in the line of fire from police
or the military.
Since Kong will likely
be focused on climbing
and not on wanton destruction,
the structural intergrity of the building
would not be threatened.
Stick to interior rooms and stairwells,
and exit the building
as quickly as possible.
Avoid getting into any cars,
buses or helicopters for that matter.
Kong has a tendency to go
after vehicles as targets,
or even use them as weapons.
This is especially true of the planes that
dive-bombed him at
the Empire State Building.
So in the event of an attack,
go on foot
and try to leave the area unnoticed.
A fully grown gorilla can theoretically
bench press about 1,810 kg (4,000 lbs).
When you crunch the numbers
and apply them to Kong's uber-size,
he could lift 7.5 million kg (16.5 million lb).
Heavy.
But Kong's immense stature would
seriously hinder his mobility.
To be able to withstand
the forces of gravity,
his bones and muscles would have
to be impossibly strong.
Otherwise,
King Kong wouldn’t be able to take a step
into the city without easily fracturing
his thighs and other parts of his legs.
In a real-world scenario,
Kong wouldn't be doing much stomping.
And he'd have to move slowly
and carefully.
So on the plus side,
he'd be easier to run away from.
But you would 't want to be nearby
when he falls.
In every version of Kong's story,
he only ever becomes violent
in self-defense.
If you do end up face-to-face
with the great ape,
stand down.
Like with any gorilla,
avoid eye contact and remain still.
He won't make a hostile move toward you
without a good reason.
Chances are he'll quickly lose interest
and leave you alone.
To end Kong's reign of wreckage,
learn his weaknesses.
Kong is always shown as vulnerable
to physical attacks,
especially gunfire.
Also, given his massive size
and metabolism,
he would likely tire out quickly.
So you could simply wait him out.
Anthropologists have observed gorillas
showing attraction toward humans.
So if you want to make Kong vulnerable,
get on his really good side.
Better yet,
try to get him to fall in love with you.
King Kong is a dangerous animal
that could cause untold devastation.
Fortunately,
he's not aggressive by nature.
He's also fictional.
But he isn't the only massive movie beast
to avoid.
This huge monster has been
terrorizing humanity
for more than 65 years.
Luckily for you, we know its weaknesses.
Find out more here.