In the autumn of 1954, following ever-increasing reports of missing ships and mysterious lights
spotted beneath the waves of the Pacific, came incontrovertible proof that something terrible
had awoken. For millennia it had remained dormant, one of the last survivors of a
time when the Earth was still young and monstrous creatures fed on the radiation of a newborn world.
But atomic testing had distrubed its long slumber,
and all mankind would forever more live in fear of the name; Godzilla.
Gigantic and nearly indestructible, Godzilla was the first recorded example
of a new kind of creature that would come to be designated “kaiju”. At over 50 meters tall
and weighing roughly 20,000 metric tons, it was by far the largest living organism discovered up to
that point. It defied most attempts at traditional classification, vaguely resembling an intermediary
reptile, a transitional creature equally suited to surviving on land or deep underwater.
Its most distinctive physical features were its upright posture and long tail,
marked by three rows of serrated plates along its back that extended from the peak of its brow
to the end of its tail. It’s skin was also highly unusual, resembling not the scales typically found
on reptiles, but rather some kind of crocodilian armor. These interlocking bony plates seemed to
feature the types of scarring typically associated with radiation burns, but whether this was the
creature’s natural form or the result of direct contact with atomic blasts remains disputed.
Regardless, Godzilla had some kind of direct connection with atomic energy,
using it as a source of nourishment. The creature itself was highly radioactive,
emmenating such energy that even its footprints remained dangerously contaminated.
But its most visible and dangerous link to atomic power was the immense blasts of atomic energy
that Godzilla could emit seemingly at will. This was heralded by the plates on its back glowing
with some kind of ethereal light, and then a blast of energy was fired from the creature’s mouth.
While outwardly resembling the fire breathed by dragons in ancient myth,
Godzilla’s so called “atomic breath” was far more powerful and deadly,
focusing the destructive effects of nuclear weapons into a beam of raw power.
Beyond its ancient nature, Godzilla’s origins and history remain mostly unknown.
The natives of Odo Island, located on the distant southern edge of the Japanese Archipelago likely
had some type of contact with it, or others like it, for creatures of similar scale and
ability appeared in their legends and oral histories. It was from these islanders that
the creature gained its name “Gojira” later adapted worldwide as “Godzilla”.
Photographs taken of Godzilla on Odo Island by reporters and scientists confirmed the
creature's existence and led to a wave of panic across the Japanese islands. The
presence of Strontium-90 in the aftermath of the creature's appearance also directly linked
Godzilla to the use of atomic weapons, creating lasting consequences across world affairs.
Despite it’s tremendous scientific implications,
the danger it posed to human civilization was too great, and after meetings in Tokyo,
the Japanese Self Defense Forces were sent to intercept Godzilla before it could make landfall.
While it was initially believed that the mass use of depth charges had killed Godzilla,
it emerged seemingly unharmed in Tokyo Bay.
Its first major attack left the city of Shinagawa nearly completely destroyed. A hastily constructed
defensive line centered around gigantic electric towers also proved ineffective. The Japanese Army
and Air Force were similarly unsuccessful, with every weapon producing no visible effect.
For hours into the night Godzilla rampaged across Tokyo,
setting the city alight with his atomic breath and crushing buildings with its immense size.
Enormous firestorms consumed the Japanese capital, and tens of thousands were subjected to deadly
amounts of radiation. The devastation unleashed was unlike almost anything in human history.
Horrified by the carnage, Dr. Daisuke Serizawa, a noted scientist, disclosed
to the Japanese government his discovery of a new type of weapon, the Oxygen Destroyer.
Eclipsing even atomic bombs in its destructive potential, Serizawa had
vowed to find some noble purpose for the device, rather than let it be used to destroy mankind.
Dr. Serizawa deployed the weapon personally, donning a diving suit to locate Godzilla
and activate the oxygen destroyer underwater. To prevent the weapon from ever being used again,
he destroyed his notes before he left, and severed the line connecting his diving suit
to the waiting ships on the surface. Godzilla and Serizawa died together.
While the death of Godzilla sparked joy and celebration across Japan and the entire world,
it also heralded the beginning of a new era.
Mankind was no longer the dominant species on the planet, but might at any time be
swept away by other creatures like Godzilla, arising from the depths of an ancient world.
What had been called the Nuclear Age, would now be known as the Age of Monsters.