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Description
Rodan: King of the Skies
Other Titles: The One Born of Fire, The Fire Demon, Winged Fury, A-Bomb with Wings

Intro: Of the three main groups of flying vertebrates the general public is acquainted with, the pterosaurs are perhaps the most awe-inspiring. These close relatives of the dinosaurs ruled the sky for over 140 million years until they (supposedly) met their fate with the K-Pg Extinction Event. Recent research has shown that pterosaurs had become more capable fliers throughout their run as the rulers of the sky, and had occupied many niches by the end of the Cretaceous. In light of this evidence, one must wonder how much more accomplished these creatures could have been in aerial locomotion if they had survived to modern-day. Of course, the days wondering of pterosaurs that might have been have come to an end, due to the fact that we now know pterosaurs did survive the K-Pg extinction, even all the way to the present day, and no other Anthropocene pterosaur can best encapsulate the supreme mastery of the skies this group has achieved then the one that takes up residence in the isles of Greece. The demon god of the heavens, the king of the skies: Rodan.

History: A few years before the "death" of Godzilla, locals on an isolated island in the South Aegean Volcanic Arc started hearing noises from what they called "The Howling Island of Aegean." Due to Monarch operatives focusing their efforts on Godzilla, not much attention was shown to the Howling Island of Aegean. However, a small team of researchers was sent to investigate the mysterious phenomenon, including the founding father of Monarch, Dr. William Russell. When they arrived, they found what seemed to be tunnels that led deep within the island. A few minutes later, Dr. Russell and his team encountered a man-sized insect that came charging out of a vent. However, the insect seemed to ignore the team completely and scurried off as far as possible from the vent, almost as if was scared. Soon, howling from the vents followed. The team, who's interest was now peaked, decided to return to the island with more supplies and a bigger crew.

After a large enough team was assembled and the proper tools packed, Dr. Russell and his team returned to the isle. They put on special suits to protect them from the heat, geared up and entered the tunnels. As they penetrated deeper into the island's core, they encountered more of the strange insects they had seen, though they seemed to pay little attention to the team, often being preoccupied with cleaning themselves and feasting on smaller organisms. After about half an hour, the team uncovered a startling view: a hollow Earth pocket, but it was far different than the ones they'd seen on previous expeditions. Besides the insects they had encountered, the pocket seemed devoid of life. The crew descended to the floor of the chamber, hoping to find the source of the howls. However, they ran into danger when a car-sized spider seemingly encrusted in lava burst out of the floor and attacked the team. It managed to grab a hold of Dr. Russell and would have killed him if not for the interference of a giant, winged being which seemingly came out of nowhere. The winged figure tore into the spider's body and proceeded to swallow it whole. Then it turned around to face the team. Guns were pointed at the animal, but Dr. Russell urged them not to shoot in the case they might provoke it. The creature simply stared at the team before it proceeded to walk in the other direction. The entire team managed to safely make it out of the chamber, but with the discovery of this new titan, they needed to go back.

Over the next few weeks, a Monarch containment site was built around the island. More expeditions were sent to seek out the winged beast which was dubbed "Rodan" after ancient texts describing such a figure. The titan itself seemed to be of no major threat to the crews entering the pocket and seemed to look upon the Monarch personnel with a sense of curiosity. Monarch also had a fascination for this creature. Rodan was indeed responsible for the howling noises that gave the island its name, calling out every night with the same, haunting sound. After several attempts to understand why the creature was howling, it was hypothesized that Rodan was calling out for company, perhaps from another one of his kind. In light of this, Monarch made sure to track any incoming sound waves that might be coming from another titan. For the first decade or so, there was no sign of another Pyrodiablous radon receiving Rodan's calls...

Until one day, on February 20th, 1970, a call from what seemed to be another P. radon was detected coming from over the Arctic. But every-time the signal was recorded, it got closer and closer to the isle. It was moving. Monarch operatives were both excited and worried. On one hand, Rodan's calls had been answered. On the other, if news got out that a titanic, living pterosaur is flying over Europe, it could potentially lead to mass hysteria and panic, and the government intervening with the matter just like what they did with Godzilla. The sound signal was pinpointed to around 35 km in the sky: Monarch hoped it stayed up there.

A few days passed and it seemed Monarch's prayers were answered. The signal stayed high enough in the atmosphere that civilians didn't notice. The creature was about to make landfall, with Monarch operatives being especially cautious as to not intervene with the matter. The signal's source soon made its debut and landed on the island. It looked very similar to Rodan, the only noticeable difference was the slightly shorter horns. In a matter of minutes, Rodan came bursting out of the ground through one of the bigger tunnels and came face to face with the newcomer. The creature, somewhat hesitantly, approached Rodan and started gently cooing. Then, the two started brushing against each other before finally retreating into the island's inner sanctum.

Over the past couple of years, the newcomer, which was codenamed "Radon", and Rodan started warming up to one another. It started with Rodan sharing his meals with Radon, leading to play-fighting, rubbing, and howling duets. Eventually, the day came where the two started building what looked like a nest in the spire that sat squarely in the center of the chamber. Monarch personnel started conversing as to whether Rodan and Radon really were expecting or were simply practicing nest-making to prep them for the big day. Sure enough, the former ended up to be true: Radon laid a clutch of 6 eggs in the center spire. Rodan seemed "proud" when personnel saw him, perhaps because he knew he was going to be a father, and who could blame him. For him and Radon, life was looking up...

Until the peace was shattered on June 7th, 1978. Without warning, an armored reptilian-like beast with two horns jutting from its head broke into the chamber and started making a beeline for the spire containing Rodan and Radon's eggs. The couple immediately came to their offspring's defense and started attacking the beast. The beast seemed unscathed by their clawing and biting though, and simply kept crawling up the spire. Rodan and Radon then proceeded to blast their foe with the shockwaves created by their wings. This knocked the beast back onto the ground. As the couple came in for another attack though, their foe waited for the right moment to strike. When they came close enough, the beast used its massive tail to swat Rodan out of the sky. It then pounced on him, trying to keep him from taking to the sky. Radon swooped in to aid her mate, and it worked: Rodan managed to take to the sky again. Radon, seeing her mate out of harm's way, attempted to flee as well, but before she could get out of harm's way, the beast grabbed onto her leg and pulled her to the ground. The struggle between the two monsters was intense, and it seemed Radon was going to break free, but then tragedy struck: an audible "snap" was heard. Radon's body went limp in seconds, the beast's teeth firmly embedded into her now broken neck. Within moments of the event, Rodan attacked. He bombarded the beast with a flurry of claws, pseudo-teeth, and thunderclaps. The beast, thinking this meal is too much hassle, retreated through the hole it came through. Rodan continued to attack until the creature was no longer in sight. He then rushed towards his motionless mate. He nuzzled her face and started to gently coo, in the hopes of any sort of response. But there was none. For the rest of the year, Rodan howled like never before. If one was to ask what the Monarch personnel thought his howls meant, they would all agree that it sounded like Rodan was crying out to the heavens to end his suffering.

In the present day, Rodan continues to provide for his unhatched eggs, but his mood has seemingly changed from the first time he was found. He has become less energetic, his howling has stopped, and he no longer seems to see the personnel with the curiosity he had in the past. Personnel continues to monitor Rodan and his eggs' health as well as the stability of the pocket itself. Rodan himself seems to be in seemingly good physical health, but one can only wonder what his mental state is like. 40 years later, he still mourns the loss of his mate, who still lays in the same place she died back in 1978, and whose petrified skeleton Rodan sleeps next to every night...

Description: Rodan himself is an impressive specimen of his family. An additional 66 million years of evolution combined with gene transference from other titans have made his species master of the skies. Rodan is second to none when it comes to aerial combat, and can pull off maneuvers seemingly impossible for an animal of that size (then again, everything about titans is seemingly impossible). His powerful quad-launch system, along with his massive wing muscles means he can take off in a matter of seconds. Based on Radon's journey to the Howling Island, the species is capable of reaching speeds of Mach 3 in short bursts, though they tend to cruise at a speed just under Mach 1. The species also has an extremely efficient respiratory system, as indicated by the 35 km cruising altitude of Radon's journey.

Rodan's weaponry and defenses are also quite outstanding. The entire animal is coated in a thick covering of obsidian-laced scales that have trace amounts of the substance titanothite. This forms heat and force-resistant coat of armor that protects the animal from attacking titans and molten rock which it commonly encounters in its natural environment. The hind limbs are tipped with massive talons that can puncture the hide of larger prey items/foes, after which its pseudo-teeth and recurved beak start tearing chunks of flesh off its intended target. Its wings can also be used as a physical weapon as they have large spurs that can be used to jab at enemies. Rodan also has a few unique abilities up his sleeve. When facing a larger foe, he will bring his wings together with enough force to create a sonic thunderclap that can push larger titans back. He is also capable of creating short bursts of high-powered energy blasts that can cut right through stone and metal, though he very rarely uses this ability.

While Rodan is massive, he is listed as a Beta Class Titan although studies show that Rodan is still growing. When he was first discovered, he was only around 25 meters tall and is 70 meters as of today. Even though this sounds like a huge change in size, it pales in comparison to what's to come. Studies on Rodan's metabolic growth and discovered fossils belonging to his species suggest the species goes through a massive growth spurt that lasts for a few years, in which their metabolic needs skyrocket and their body size balloons dramatically. Rodan is nearing the age for when the growth spurt is supposed to happen, and no one truly knows how big an adult of his species is. Only time will tell...

Behavior: Rodan is perhaps one of the most emotionally complex titans we have yet discovered. Observations of him show he had an innate curiosity when he was smaller, and kept this trait even as he grew until the death of his mate. Rodan's reaction to his mate's death is perhaps the strongest evidence that some of these giant creatures are extremely emotionally complex. For the first few months since the event, Rodan wouldn't allow anyone into the chamber, almost threatening to eat some personnel. In the next few years following the event, Rodan would continue to interact with the body of his dead mate, gently cooing and nuzzling it, even sleeping next to it. As a result, Monarch operatives were forced to look after the eggs whenever Rodan slept next to his mate. 40 years later, he continues these behaviors, though he has shown a little more attention towards his eggs than before, meaning less stress on Monarch operatives. Still, Rodan's mental health fluctuates constantly. One moment, it seems he's fine, the next he unexpectedly attacks the wall and some of the personnel attending the chamber. Monarch personnel continues to monitor Rodan's health in the hope his mental state might improve, but after looking at his daily records and health, it is a very real possibility that it may never do so. Thus, the once-proud King of the Skies lies in his catacomb, seemingly awaiting the day when he can finally join his fallen queen.
--------

Rodan is owned by Toho.

Well, that got depressing real fast...

Credit to for the scientific name.

Enjoy!

EDIT: Corrected category number.

Description
Rodan: King of the Skies
Other Titles: The One Born of Fire, The Fire Demon, Winged Fury, A-Bomb with Wings

Intro: Of the three main groups of flying vertebrates the general public is acquainted with, the pterosaurs are perhaps the most awe-inspiring. These close relatives of the dinosaurs ruled the sky for over 140 million years until they (supposedly) met their fate with the K-Pg Extinction Event. Recent research has shown that pterosaurs had become more capable fliers throughout their run as the rulers of the sky, and had occupied many niches by the end of the Cretaceous. In light of this evidence, one must wonder how much more accomplished these creatures could have been in aerial locomotion if they had survived to modern-day. Of course, the days wondering of pterosaurs that might have been have come to an end, due to the fact that we now know pterosaurs did survive the K-Pg extinction, even all the way to the present day, and no other Anthropocene pterosaur can best encapsulate the supreme mastery of the skies this group has achieved then the one that takes up residence in the isles of Greece. The demon god of the heavens, the king of the skies: Rodan.

History: A few years before the "death" of Godzilla, locals on an isolated island in the South Aegean Volcanic Arc started hearing noises from what they called "The Howling Island of Aegean." Due to Monarch operatives focusing their efforts on Godzilla, not much attention was shown to the Howling Island of Aegean. However, a small team of researchers was sent to investigate the mysterious phenomenon, including the founding father of Monarch, Dr. William Russell. When they arrived, they found what seemed to be tunnels that led deep within the island. A few minutes later, Dr. Russell and his team encountered a man-sized insect that came charging out of a vent. However, the insect seemed to ignore the team completely and scurried off as far as possible from the vent, almost as if was scared. Soon, howling from the vents followed. The team, who's interest was now peaked, decided to return to the island with more supplies and a bigger crew.

After a large enough team was assembled and the proper tools packed, Dr. Russell and his team returned to the isle. They put on special suits to protect them from the heat, geared up and entered the tunnels. As they penetrated deeper into the island's core, they encountered more of the strange insects they had seen, though they seemed to pay little attention to the team, often being preoccupied with cleaning themselves and feasting on smaller organisms. After about half an hour, the team uncovered a startling view: a hollow Earth pocket, but it was far different than the ones they'd seen on previous expeditions. Besides the insects they had encountered, the pocket seemed devoid of life. The crew descended to the floor of the chamber, hoping to find the source of the howls. However, they ran into danger when a car-sized spider seemingly encrusted in lava burst out of the floor and attacked the team. It managed to grab a hold of Dr. Russell and would have killed him if not for the interference of a giant, winged being which seemingly came out of nowhere. The winged figure tore into the spider's body and proceeded to swallow it whole. Then it turned around to face the team. Guns were pointed at the animal, but Dr. Russell urged them not to shoot in the case they might provoke it. The creature simply stared at the team before it proceeded to walk in the other direction. The entire team managed to safely make it out of the chamber, but with the discovery of this new titan, they needed to go back.

Over the next few weeks, a Monarch containment site was built around the island. More expeditions were sent to seek out the winged beast which was dubbed "Rodan" after ancient texts describing such a figure. The titan itself seemed to be of no major threat to the crews entering the pocket and seemed to look upon the Monarch personnel with a sense of curiosity. Monarch also had a fascination for this creature. Rodan was indeed responsible for the howling noises that gave the island its name, calling out every night with the same, haunting sound. After several attempts to understand why the creature was howling, it was hypothesized that Rodan was calling out for company, perhaps from another one of his kind. In light of this, Monarch made sure to track any incoming sound waves that might be coming from another titan. For the first decade or so, there was no sign of another Pyrodiablous radon receiving Rodan's calls...

Until one day, on February 20th, 1970, a call from what seemed to be another P. radon was detected coming from over the Arctic. But every-time the signal was recorded, it got closer and closer to the isle. It was moving. Monarch operatives were both excited and worried. On one hand, Rodan's calls had been answered. On the other, if news got out that a titanic, living pterosaur is flying over Europe, it could potentially lead to mass hysteria and panic, and the government intervening with the matter just like what they did with Godzilla. The sound signal was pinpointed to around 35 km in the sky: Monarch hoped it stayed up there.

A few days passed and it seemed Monarch's prayers were answered. The signal stayed high enough in the atmosphere that civilians didn't notice. The creature was about to make landfall, with Monarch operatives being especially cautious as to not intervene with the matter. The signal's source soon made its debut and landed on the island. It looked very similar to Rodan, the only noticeable difference was the slightly shorter horns. In a matter of minutes, Rodan came bursting out of the ground through one of the bigger tunnels and came face to face with the newcomer. The creature, somewhat hesitantly, approached Rodan and started gently cooing. Then, the two started brushing against each other before finally retreating into the island's inner sanctum.

Over the past couple of years, the newcomer, which was codenamed "Radon", and Rodan started warming up to one another. It started with Rodan sharing his meals with Radon, leading to play-fighting, rubbing, and howling duets. Eventually, the day came where the two started building what looked like a nest in the spire that sat squarely in the center of the chamber. Monarch personnel started conversing as to whether Rodan and Radon really were expecting or were simply practicing nest-making to prep them for the big day. Sure enough, the former ended up to be true: Radon laid a clutch of 6 eggs in the center spire. Rodan seemed "proud" when personnel saw him, perhaps because he knew he was going to be a father, and who could blame him. For him and Radon, life was looking up...

Until the peace was shattered on June 7th, 1978. Without warning, an armored reptilian-like beast with two horns jutting from its head broke into the chamber and started making a beeline for the spire containing Rodan and Radon's eggs. The couple immediately came to their offspring's defense and started attacking the beast. The beast seemed unscathed by their clawing and biting though, and simply kept crawling up the spire. Rodan and Radon then proceeded to blast their foe with the shockwaves created by their wings. This knocked the beast back onto the ground. As the couple came in for another attack though, their foe waited for the right moment to strike. When they came close enough, the beast used its massive tail to swat Rodan out of the sky. It then pounced on him, trying to keep him from taking to the sky. Radon swooped in to aid her mate, and it worked: Rodan managed to take to the sky again. Radon, seeing her mate out of harm's way, attempted to flee as well, but before she could get out of harm's way, the beast grabbed onto her leg and pulled her to the ground. The struggle between the two monsters was intense, and it seemed Radon was going to break free, but then tragedy struck: an audible "snap" was heard. Radon's body went limp in seconds, the beast's teeth firmly embedded into her now broken neck. Within moments of the event, Rodan attacked. He bombarded the beast with a flurry of claws, pseudo-teeth, and thunderclaps. The beast, thinking this meal is too much hassle, retreated through the hole it came through. Rodan continued to attack until the creature was no longer in sight. He then rushed towards his motionless mate. He nuzzled her face and started to gently coo, in the hopes of any sort of response. But there was none. For the rest of the year, Rodan howled like never before. If one was to ask what the Monarch personnel thought his howls meant, they would all agree that it sounded like Rodan was crying out to the heavens to end his suffering.

In the present day, Rodan continues to provide for his unhatched eggs, but his mood has seemingly changed from the first time he was found. He has become less energetic, his howling has stopped, and he no longer seems to see the personnel with the curiosity he had in the past. Personnel continues to monitor Rodan and his eggs' health as well as the stability of the pocket itself. Rodan himself seems to be in seemingly good physical health, but one can only wonder what his mental state is like. 40 years later, he still mourns the loss of his mate, who still lays in the same place she died back in 1978, and whose petrified skeleton Rodan sleeps next to every night...

Description: Rodan himself is an impressive specimen of his family. An additional 66 million years of evolution combined with gene transference from other titans have made his species master of the skies. Rodan is second to none when it comes to aerial combat, and can pull off maneuvers seemingly impossible for an animal of that size (then again, everything about titans is seemingly impossible). His powerful quad-launch system, along with his massive wing muscles means he can take off in a matter of seconds. Based on Radon's journey to the Howling Island, the species is capable of reaching speeds of Mach 3 in short bursts, though they tend to cruise at a speed just under Mach 1. The species also has an extremely efficient respiratory system, as indicated by the 35 km cruising altitude of Radon's journey.

Rodan's weaponry and defenses are also quite outstanding. The entire animal is coated in a thick covering of obsidian-laced scales that have trace amounts of the substance titanothite. This forms heat and force-resistant coat of armor that protects the animal from attacking titans and molten rock which it commonly encounters in its natural environment. The hind limbs are tipped with massive talons that can puncture the hide of larger prey items/foes, after which its pseudo-teeth and recurved beak start tearing chunks of flesh off its intended target. Its wings can also be used as a physical weapon as they have large spurs that can be used to jab at enemies. Rodan also has a few unique abilities up his sleeve. When facing a larger foe, he will bring his wings together with enough force to create a sonic thunderclap that can push larger titans back. He is also capable of creating short bursts of high-powered energy blasts that can cut right through stone and metal, though he very rarely uses this ability.

While Rodan is massive, he is listed as a Beta Class Titan although studies show that Rodan is still growing. When he was first discovered, he was only around 25 meters tall and is 70 meters as of today. Even though this sounds like a huge change in size, it pales in comparison to what's to come. Studies on Rodan's metabolic growth and discovered fossils belonging to his species suggest the species goes through a massive growth spurt that lasts for a few years, in which their metabolic needs skyrocket and their body size balloons dramatically. Rodan is nearing the age for when the growth spurt is supposed to happen, and no one truly knows how big an adult of his species is. Only time will tell...

Behavior: Rodan is perhaps one of the most emotionally complex titans we have yet discovered. Observations of him show he had an innate curiosity when he was smaller, and kept this trait even as he grew until the death of his mate. Rodan's reaction to his mate's death is perhaps the strongest evidence that some of these giant creatures are extremely emotionally complex. For the first few months since the event, Rodan wouldn't allow anyone into the chamber, almost threatening to eat some personnel. In the next few years following the event, Rodan would continue to interact with the body of his dead mate, gently cooing and nuzzling it, even sleeping next to it. As a result, Monarch operatives were forced to look after the eggs whenever Rodan slept next to his mate. 40 years later, he continues these behaviors, though he has shown a little more attention towards his eggs than before, meaning less stress on Monarch operatives. Still, Rodan's mental health fluctuates constantly. One moment, it seems he's fine, the next he unexpectedly attacks the wall and some of the personnel attending the chamber. Monarch personnel continues to monitor Rodan's health in the hope his mental state might improve, but after looking at his daily records and health, it is a very real possibility that it may never do so. Thus, the once-proud King of the Skies lies in his catacomb, seemingly awaiting the day when he can finally join his fallen queen.
--------

Rodan is owned by Toho.

Well, that got depressing real fast...

Credit to for the scientific name.

Enjoy!

EDIT: Corrected category number.