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is a fictional character from various films in the Godzilla series, introduced in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974).
Shōwa series
The first Mechagodzilla was created as a weapon of destruction by a race of ape-like aliens, sometimes known as Simeons or the Black Hole aliens(See: Alien races from the Godzilla films).
It first appeared in a pseudo-flesh outer covering, masquerading as the real Godzilla during attacks against Japan in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla. Curiously, while the Simeons gave Mechagodzilla a flamethrower in his mouth to mimic Godzilla's atomic beam, they didn't bother replicating Godzilla's unique roar. Godzilla's friend Anguirus wasn't fooled by the imposter. Their battle went badly for Anguirus, but tipped humanity off to the charade.
Soon the true Godzilla appeared and exposed his rival's metallic form completely. Interestingly, after losing its disguise, Mechagodzilla's fingers lost all mobility. (No explanation for this was ever given.) The battle resulted in a tie, however, and in the end it took the combined might of Godzilla and Seesar to remove Mechagodzilla's head from its shoulders, ending the threat.
The Simeons rebuilt their dreadnought for another try in Terror of Mechagodzilla one year later. Having learned the value of teamwork firsthand, the Simeons called in an old debt to pair Mechagodzilla with the aquatic dinosaur Titanosaurus. (Any reasoning as to why they did not bother to recruit Titanosaurus in the first film is never mentioned.)
This time, there were some modifications to it, including moving Mechagodzilla's brain down into its neck so it could function unimpaired with its head completely removed. Godzilla's perseverence combined with the timely self-sacrifice of Mechagodzilla's operator brought the machine down for good. The King of the Monsters buried Mechagodzilla's shattered form deep underground to prevent another repair job, and since this was the final film of the original Godzilla series, he was successful.
The original Mechagodzilla is the only one to be referred to by numerics within the movies themselves. When it is rebuilt in its second appearance, the "MG" emblazoned on its arm has a "2" added to it. It is still always referred to as simply "Mechagodzilla"; none of the versions are actually given numbers by the characters in the movie, since none of them share the same continuity.
Video game appearances
The Shōwa Mechagodzilla appears in the video games Monster of Monsters for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Godzilla for the Game Boy, Super Godzilla for the Super Nintendo, Godzilla for TTI Duo, Godzilla Generations for the Sega Dreamcast and Maximum Impact for the Sega Dreamcast.Since the VS MechaGodzilla's film had not appeared in America yet, the localization team of game designers for Super Godzilla changed the character to the more-familiar Shōwa MechaGodzilla for the American version. Destroy All Monsters for the Super Nintendo was a cancelled game that would have featured the Shōwa Mechagodzilla.
VS series
The VS Mechagodzilla was created by the United Nations Godzilla Countermeasures Center using Futurian technology scavenged from the remains of Mecha-King Ghidorah in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II.
When Godzilla attacked the city of Kyoto, Mechagodzilla was deployed against him. The mechanical kaiju acquitted itself well, but was eventually defeated due to a voltage backsurge during their electrocution of Godzilla. One of Mechagodzilla's back-up pilots, Kazuma Aoki, suggested merging Mechagodzilla to a previous anti-Godzilla weapon. Namely, the airship Garuda, originally deemed a design failure and shelved in preference to Mechagodzilla.
Kazuma, in fact the chief designer and main pilot of Garuda to start with, found some personal redemption as his idea is approved. The combined form of the two mechs, dubbed Super Mechagodzilla, is unleashed against the King of the Monsters and Fire Rodan. In the heat of battle, Kazuma personally detaches Garuda and flys against Fire Rodan while the other Mechagodzilla crew continue against Godzilla. Kazuma is defeated, but manages to reattach the Garuda to Mechagodzilla to form Super Mechagodzilla. Super Mechagodzilla proceeds to destroy Godzilla's own reptilian secondary brain and moves in for the kill. Fire Rodan reappears, but is killed by a blast from Super Mechagodzilla. Upon dying, Fire Rodan's body dissolves, releasing the radioactive energy within its body and healing Godzilla's injuries. When Godzilla rises, its level of radioactivity is so high that Super Mechagodzilla's NT-20 plating, which allowed it to return Godzilla's atomic breath, begins to melt. As a result, Super Mechagodzilla is rendered defenseless against the revived monster. Godzilla, temporarily supercharged with radiation, destroys the mech with a blood-red version of his atom beam. Super Mechagodzilla's crew escape uninjured.
Video Game Appearances
The VS Mechagodzilla appeared in the video games Super Godzilla for the Super Nintendo, Domination for Game Boy Advance, Save the Earth for Microsoft Xbox and Sony PlayStation 2 and Destroy All Monsters Melee for Xbox, Nintendo GameCube and PlayStation 2.VS Mechagodzilla was removed from the English version of Super Godzilla in favor for the more-known Shōwa Mechagodzilla.
Millennium series
The Millennium Mechagodzilla first featured in Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, nicknamed Kiryu, was also a purely terrestrial creature.
Although the original Godzilla had been killed in 1954 by the Oxygen Destroyer, Japan still found itself under attack from other monsters such as Mothra over the decades. When a second Godzilla appeared in 1999, this was the last straw. The Anti-Megalosaurus Force (AMF) division of the Japan Xenomorph Self Defense Force (JXSDF) proposed a shocking plan. What better way to defeat Godzilla than this: dredge up the skeleton of the first Godzilla from Tokyo Bay and use it as a skeleton/framework for constructing a Mechagodzilla?
Cloned DNA from the bones was also inserted into the quasi-organic control computers, intended to take over subconscious motor control functions for the crew. By 2003, the metal monster was ready. Mechagodzilla was unleashed, but the cyborg's latent memories were reawakened by Godzilla's own roars. Mechagodzilla broke free of its pilot, Akane Yashiro, and proceeded to trash the city (manual overrides being ignored) without Godzilla's help for a couple of hours until its fuel ran out.
The Japanese public was not amused. Hastily recalled, Mechagodzilla received quite a few weapon upgrades in addition to new computer control software routines. When Godzilla attacked again a few days later, both branches of the JSDF tried stopping him without the steel dragon's help, but it was useless. With Akane at the ROV controls again, Mechagodzilla was sent out.
The second battle went well until Mechagodzilla's receiver was damaged. Akane wanted to enter Mechagodzilla and affect repairs personally but she was ordered not to but still went any way. She then piloted the cyborg directly from its skull, carrying Godzilla out into the bay once more. Akane tried to destroy Godzilla with Mechagodzilla's ultimate weapon, the "Absolute Zero Cannon", but the fight ended in a draw. Godzilla went back to the sea (though not before suffering a horribly shredded chest) and Mechagodzilla went back to the body shop after suffering a destroyed right arm, damaged Absolute Zero system, and empty powercells.
Tokyo S.O.S., taking place one year later, saw Akane sent to America for further flight training. Taking her place in case Godzilla appeared was Akiba, but Mechagodzilla engineer Yoshito Chujo is the human focus of the film.
Mothra's twin fairies, the shobijin, appear to warn Japan. They claim that building Mechagodzilla using the real bones was a violation of the natural order of things, sure to keep attracting the current Godzilla. The twins also claimed that Mothra would gladly take Mechagodzilla's place in protecting Japan if they agreed to dismantle the mechanical beast. Since Mechagodzilla had been built partially to defend against a second attack from Mothra herself, the Japanese declined at first.
But when Godzilla did appear and Mothra voluntarily engaged him, Prime Minister Hayato Igarishi was shamed into aiding her. Mechagodzilla flew into battle again. Despite this, the current adult Mothra was killed and Mechagodzilla's transmitter damaged once again. Just like Akane before him, Yoshito entered Mechagodzilla for repairs, but remained inside the mech during the battle after Godzilla's beam had accidentally struck one of the hatch doors jamming it.
Teaming up with the newly-hatched twin Mothra larvae, Mechagodzilla was able to use his drill (right arm) and injured Godzilla's chest even more. While Godzilla screamed in pain. Mechagodzilla fired his Three Hyper laser at Godzilla, making Godzilla roar to show Mechagodzilla his flash back to Yoshito. Godzilla was then wrapped up by the twin Mothra larvae web. Unable to fight, Godzilla dropped to the ground, making Mechagodzilla win the battle. Mechagodzilla broke free of Akiba control. Instead of killing Godzilla, it merely subdued him, carrying Godzilla out to sea. After releasing Yoshito to safety, Mechagodzilla plunged into the depths with its captive and was never seen again. This marked the first time that Mechagodzilla was able to defeat Godzilla decisively by the end of a Godzilla film without Godzilla coming back to destroy him.
Mechagodzilla was intended to return in the next film, Final Wars. But with so many monsters being revived for the film, each with new looks, the budget costs were enormous. So too was time needed to squeeze all these kaiju into one film. Toho Studios finally nixed Mechagodzilla completely from the movie.
Video Game Appearances
The Millennium Machagodzilla appeared in the video game Save the Earth for Xbox and PlayStation 2.Kiryu was available in Japan's version of Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee on the Nintendo GameCube. Since that film would take a few years to reach U.S. shores, Kiryu was dropped from the American version of the game. He did appear in the American Xbox version of the game as alongside VS Mechagodzilla.
"Mechagodzilla"