The good people behind theGodzillafranchise can make a monster out of anything, but they have their favorites. There’s something slightly off about mammals or birds in the kaiju space. Kong is comfortably grandfathered in, but most have to make do with reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates. Giant bugs are often the easiest candidates. Most people are scared of bugs, and an extreme close-up can make even the relatively cute ones appear grotesque. Megaguirus is one of several massive bug kaiju, but she comes with an entire species of subjects.
TheGodzillafranchise was at the forefront ofthe cinematic universe conceptlong before anyone used that term. Before Marvel brought comic book continuity to the big screen, Toho created kaiju that could cross over into other future films. It was far more slapdash than Marvel’s modern effort, but it still allowed for surprising moments. Creatures like Rodan and Mothra are inextricable from Godzilla today, but they initially joined the canon in their own solo outing.
Megaguirus, Megagilas, and Giant Meganulon
First Appearance Date
June 17, 2025
Megaguirus is the queen of a species of prehistoric insects called the Meganulon. The Meganulon originated in the 1956 Ishiro Honda filmRodan,which also introduced Rodan. They occupy a bizarre role in that film. The project mostly focuses on the titular pteranodon, but the initial threat comes in the form of massive dragonfly nymphs. In a flashback, fans learn that Rodan hatched from an egg in an underground mine and consumed many of the Meganulon, potentially saving countless lives. The desire to resurrect the Meganulon after 35 years actually came from director Masaaki Tezuka’s fondness for James Cameron’sAliens. Tezuka intended to pit Godzilla against a swarm of insectoid threats that would work together to summon a queen,not unlike the Xenomorphsin that classic sci-fi action horror film.
Megaguirus is the queen of the Meganulon. Production staff used both a puppet-like model and a full-body suit to represent her on-screen. The actor in the suit is Minoru Watanabe, who also appeared inmanySuper SentaiorKamen Riderprojects. Canonically speaking, Megaguirus is the largest and most powerful member of the Meganulon species. She, like her subjects, emerged onto modern-day Earth through a preposterous black hole weapon, which unintentionally opened a portal to an alternate reality. Megaguirus gained her unique form after a swarm of her subjects latched onto Godzilla and drained a bit of his energy. They then poured it into Megaguirus’s cocoon, allowing her to emerge into her new life as a mighty winged queen. One comic book origin story fromGodzilla: Rage Across Timesuggested that Megaguirus was the source or main carrier of the Bubonic plague, but that doesn’t really fit the movies.
What is Megaguirus capable of?
Megaguirus is built with several frightening insect traits. She can fly at speeds faster than Mach 4, far beyond the human eye’s ability to track. Her wings come with sharpened edges. At her highest speeds, she can slice cleanly through skyscrapers and steel structures without slowing down. A flyby attack could be lethal, but she’s also a danger in close combat. She has a pair of claws that can pierce Godzilla’s armored hide. Her deadliest weapon is the stinger on the end of her tail, which allows her to stab through targets. Thatstinger can also drain the energyof her foes, allowing her to take even more strength from Godzilla. Once she takes that nuclear power, Megaguirus can launch a fireball with considerable destructive power. Some of the games increase that gift, allowing her to drain any enemy’s beam attack and fire it back.
What happened to Megaguirus?
Megaguirus was a short-lived Godzilla monster. She arose from her subjects after feeding from the King of the Monsters and attempted to gain the rest of his power.Megaguirus had advantages over Godzilla, primarily her incredible flying speed, but her body was comparatively frail. She could evade Godzilla’s atomic breath, but a direct confrontation quickly spelled her end. Megaguirus landed a couple of successful attacks and became overconfident. Her goal in the fight was not to kill Godzilla but to drain him of his energy. This caused her to prioritize a straightforward assault with her stinger outstretched. The mighty Godzilla caught her appendage and crushed it in his jaws, ridding her of her greatest weapon. With that, Godzilla destroyed Megaguirus in a blast of atomic breath, leaving her a burning carcass. She only appeared on-screen once more through archivalfootage inGodzilla: Final Wars. She pops up in the comics on occasion, including the aforementionedRage Across Timeseries from 2016.
Megaguirus is a very minor Godzilla antagonist, but she could have been much more. The idea of Godzilla facing a swarm of smaller creatures is a fascinating one, especially withAliensas a source of inspiration. Megaguiruscould have been so much more. There’s a point about the weakness of monarchies in her story somewhere. Maybe the Meganulon should have unionized instead.
