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{{Short description|Fictional monster from a 1973 film}}{{Sources|date=December 2024}}{{Infobox character
| name = Megalon
| series = [[Godzilla (franchise)|Godzilla]]
| image = Megalon kaiju.png
| caption = Megalon as featured in ''[[Godzilla vs. Megalon]]'' (1973).
| first = ''[[Godzilla vs. Megalon]]'' (1973)
| last = ''Godzilla vs. Megalon'' (2023)
| creator = {{Plainlist|
*[[Jun Fukuda]]
*[[Shinichi Sekizawa]]
}}
| portrayer = Hideto Odachi
| species = Giant [[beetle]]-like deity
}}
{{Nihongo|'''Megalon'''|メガロ|Megaro}} is a giant monster, or [[kaiju]], who first appeared in [[Toho]]'s 1973 film ''[[Godzilla vs. Megalon]]'' as the titular main antagonist. It is also his only film appearance to date.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Barr |first1=Jason |title=The Kaiju Film: A Critical Study of Cinema's Biggest Monsters |date=2016 |publisher=McFarland & Co |isbn=9781476623955 |page=40}}</ref>

==Overview==

=== Design ===
Megalon is a bipedal, humanoid, burrowing [[insect]]-like entity resembling a [[beetle]], standing 55 meters (180 feet) tall and weighing 40,000 metric tons (44,092 short tons).<ref>{{Harvp|Lees|Cerasini|1998|p=136}}</ref> The creature is worshiped as the god of the subterranean nation of Seatopia. While Megalon possesses limited intelligence (he must be led to his destination by the protagonists' robot, [[Jet Jaguar]]), he makes up for it with his strength.

Megalon has two drill-like front appendages, which it uses both for burrowing and as weapons, and it possesses a set of wings usually covered by a [[Elytron|beetle-like shell]]. Unlike most kaiju under fire from humans who prevail with brute force, Megalon uses retreat and ambush tactics to defeat human forces in his first encounter.

Megalon also has a horn (similar to a [[rhinoceros beetle]]) from which it can fire [[lightning]]-like bolts of electricity, and it is capable of spitting [[napalm]] bombs from its mouth, which are officially called Geothermal Napalm Bullets.<ref name="TSEAMEncyclopedia">{{cite book|title=[[Toho Special Effects All Monster Encyclopedia]]|date=23 July 2014|publisher=[[Shogakukan]]|page=67|isbn=978-4-096-82090-2}}</ref>

He can also travel at immense speeds, being able to fly through the air and drill through the ground at speeds of up to [[Mach number|Mach]] 3, while he can swim at Mach 4. Megalon is also able to leap through the air for ten kilometres at a time.<ref name="TSEAMEncyclopedia"></ref>

== Character's biography ==

=== Showa era (1973) ===
In ''[[Godzilla vs. Megalon]]'', Megalon is worshiped as a deity by the people of the [[underground living|subterranean kingdom]] known as Seatopia. The Seatopians unleash Megalon on the surface world as revenge for the damage caused to Seatopia through reckless [[nuclear testing]]. During his assault on the surface world, Megalon comes into conflict with [[Godzilla]] and [[Jet Jaguar]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=McCoy |first=Joshua Kristian |date=2024-05-14 |title=Godzilla: Who Is Megalon? |url=https://gamerant.com/godzilla-megalon/ |access-date=2024-12-29 |website=Game Rant |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Harvp|Skipper|2022|p=112}}</ref>

=== Reiwa era (2017-2023) ===
Megalon returns in ''Godzilla: Monster Apocalypse'', a prequel novel to ''[[Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters]]''. Megalon appeared on the [[West Africa|West coast of Africa]] in 2012 and crossed the continent, destroying countless nations, and disappeared into the [[Indian Ocean]]. There were 20 million casualties, including the wounded. Shortly after Megalon's attack across [[Africa]], millions of refugees fled to [[Europe]] and the [[Middle East]] due to [[civil war]]s across the continent, this also lead to a dispute between refugees and locals in [[Egypt]] that lead to a second civil war. Megalon returned 10 years later and attacked [[South Africa]], forcing humanity to abandon the continent.

In ''Godzilla: Project Mechagodzilla'', a prequel novel to ''[[Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle]]'', 7 years later, Megalon moves to [[Asia]]. It annihilates [[India]] and [[Pakistan]], both of whom just recovered from a [[Nuclear warfare|nuclear war]] against each other. After destroying the [[Philippines]], Megalon attacked [[Okinawa Island|Okinawa]], but was intercepted by [[King Caesar]], a guardian deity of the island, and both monsters died in the resulting battle.

Megalon made his return in the short film ''Godzilla vs. Megalon'', released to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the character. He is summoned to fight Godzilla, after his victory over [[Gigan]] in the previous short, ''Godzilla vs. Gigan Rex''.

==Appearances==

===Films===
* ''[[Godzilla vs. Megalon]]'' (1973)

===Web content===
* ''Godzilla vs. Megalon'' (2023)

===Television===
* ''[[Godzilla Island]]'' (1997–1998)

===Video games===

* ''Godzilla'' (1993) - Arcade
* ''[[Godzilla Trading Battle]]'' ([[PlayStation]], 1998)
* ''[[Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee]]'' ([[GameCube]], [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]], 2002–2003)
* ''[[Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee|Godzilla: Domination!]]'' ([[Game Boy Advance|GBA]], 2002)
* ''[[Godzilla: Save the Earth]]'' (Xbox, [[PlayStation 2|PS2]], 2004)
* ''[[Godzilla: Unleashed]]'' ([[Wii]], 2007)
* ''[[Godzilla Unleashed: Double Smash]]'' ([[Nintendo DS]], 2007)
* ''[[Godzilla: Unleashed#PlayStation 2 version|Godzilla: Unleashed]]'' (PS2, 2007)
* ''Godzilla Defense Force'' (2019)
* ''Godzilla Battle Line'' (2021)

===Literature===
* ''[[Godzilla (Marc Cerasini series)|Godzilla at World’s End]]'' (1998)
* ''[[Godzilla (comics)#IDW Publishing|Godzilla: The Half-Century War]]'' (comic, 2012–2013)
* ''[[Godzilla (comics)#IDW Publishing|Godzilla: Rulers of Earth]]'' (comic, 2013–2015)
* ''[[Godzilla: Monster Apocalypse]]'' (2017)
* ''[[Godzilla: Project Mechagodzilla]]'' (2018)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book |last=Lees |first=J.D. |title=The Official Godzilla Compendium |last2=Cerasini |first2=Marc |date=1998-03-24 |publisher=[[Random House]]}}
* {{cite book |last=Skipper |first=Graham |title=Godzilla: The Official Guide to the King of the Monsters |publisher=[[Welbeck Publishing]] |year=2022 |isbn=9781802790009 |pages=219 |language=en, ja}}

{{Godzilla}}

[[Category:Fictional beetles]]
[[Category:Fictional insects]]
[[Category:Fictional gods]]
[[Category:Film characters introduced in 1973]]
[[Category:Godzilla characters]]
[[Category:Kaiju]]
[[Category:Fictional monsters]]
[[Category:Science fiction film characters]]
[[Category:Toho monsters]]
[[Category:Fire-breathing monsters]]
[[Category:Animal supervillains]]
[[Category:Fantasy film characters]]