In Rodan, two Rodans were unearthed and awakened by mining operations in Kitamatsu along with a swarm of prehistoric insects called Meganulons. After devouring several people and reducing Sasebo to ruins, the Rodans are apparently killed in a volcanic eruption triggered by a bombardment of their nest in Mount Aso.

Rodan's primary weapons are its speed and agility; it can create hurricane-force winds in its wake by flying at supersonic speeds at low altitude. It also uses its beak and talons effectively in battle, and its wings, despite their delicate appearance, are quite durable. Rodan can lift creatures several times its weight, for instance, Godzilla. It also displayed a limited breath weapon in the 1956 movie, but this concept was not seen again until Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, in which a mystical song sung by psychic children endowed Rodan with its own oral uranium heat beam; this incarnation is named Fire Rodan.

Rodan (presumably one of the two creatures in Rodan) went on to crossover into the Godzilla series, appearing in Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster in 1964 to help Godzilla and Mothra defeat King Ghidorah. Rodan appeared with Godzilla again in Invasion of Astro-Monster, where both were mind-controlled by Xilians to destroy Earth's cities and later fought King Ghidorah again when the mind control was broken.

Rodan was again used by aliens to wreak havoc on Earth, this time by the Kilaaks. Again the mind control was broken and the monsters fought King Ghidorah. Rodan would only appear again in the Shōwa series in stock footage used for Terror of Mechagodzilla.

Rodan in the VS series first appeared in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, where it sought to protect Baby Godzilla, whose egg was in the same nest as Rodan. Rodan played a vital role in the film's climax, sacrificing its own life to revive Godzilla by transferring its life-energy to him.

In the 2004 film, Final Wars, Rodan is used as a weapon of destruction by the Xilians via mind control. He appeared alongside an all-star cast of classic monsters, as they wreaked havoc on the major cities of the world and were sent to fight Godzilla. Rodan, Anguirus and King Caesar were the only monsters Godzilla did not kill; Toho's way of paying homage to the times in the past all three had fought by his side.

Rodan is often featured in 'The Simpsons', often comically.

External link

• Rodan's Roost, a fan site

Kaiju | Fictional dinosaurs

ラドン (架空の怪獣) | 拉頓 (特攝怪獸)