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Description

Zilla

Intro: By the later quarter of the 20th century, after FATHOM’s official discovery of Skull Island, the covert worldwide search for hidden monsters was in full swing. Several incidents involving isolated run-ins with these mysterious creatures barely managed to be covered up at a time when secrecy was still believed to be the best modus operandi. One such incident that caused substantial panic in the organization due to a confusing misidentification would eventually lead to the discovery of the reptilian kaiju known as “Zilla”.

Story: In 1998, a Japanese fishing vessel was sunk just north of French Polynesia. Due to the claw-like markings on the vessel after its recovery and the anecdote of the sole survivor, FATHOM rather hastily jumped to the worst-case-scenario in the idea that there might be another member of Godzilla’s species on the loose.

Fortunately, before paranoia could spread too deep, a new series of reports leading to the discovery of a large trackway crossing the Panamanian Isthmus put to rest the notion of a secondary Gojira specimen. This was still small consolation, given how quickly and covertly this new creature seemed able to travel. Based on the trackway’s projection, it was feared that should the creature surface along the east coast of the United States FATHOM’s secrecy would come to an end, but this did not occur. The last course projection saw the creature disappear within the Arctic, where it would remain for over twenty years.

It would be long after kaiju became known to the world, during the emergence of the living continent of Mu, that the mysterious beast would reemerge. During its migration, the creature made landfall in New York City, possibly drawn there by the local nuclear power plants and the large fish markets. So sudden was its arrival that initial reports confusingly referred to it as Godzilla. This somewhat puzzling misidentification was resolved soon enough, and the creature was officially dubbed Zilla. He would be among several kaiju attracted to Mu for its promise of good nesting grounds.

Upon his arrival, Zilla soon came into contact with the female varanid kaiju, Komodithrax. Though it was first suspected the two would oppose each other, they seemed to display curiosity and eventually even a level of affection for each other. Together, they would fend off both human intrusions and even Godzilla away from their selected territory. They would remain undisturbed together on the living island until the arrival of King Ghidorah. The three-headed monster would mark the end of the pair, as Komodithrax was killed during his pass-over of Mu. Zilla would move to confront Ghidorah along with many other kaiju on Skull Island, and though he put up a brave struggle, he too would unfortunately loose his life before the end of the battle.

Abilities: Zilla was a creature evolved for speed and evasiveness. Clocked at reaching over 100 mph in under 5 seconds, he was referred to as the cheetah among large kaiju. His highly interconnected synaptic reflex system allowed for rapid reflexes and sensory perception. This, combined with his relatively lithe frame and well-developed leaping capabilities, made him a difficult target, making up for his lack of extensive armor or durability.

Supplementing these physical adaptations, Zilla was able to modify his own bioelectrical and thermal energy fields to an impressive degree. This made him notoriously difficult to track during his years of partially-suspended isolation, as his own body temperature and bioacoustics perfectly matched that of the surrounding environment. This likely evolved as a means of avoiding detection by other, larger kaiju’s senses. He was also observed to be a proficient burrower, as many large, previously unseen undersea tunnels were found and explored in areas he previously frequented. The ability to switch so easily between terrestrial, aquatic, and subterranean movement marked him as a highly adaptable, yet naturally cryptic super species.

Zilla’s general aversion to conflict did not mean he was without sufficient means of attack and defense. In addition to standard teeth and claws, he was able to generate his own form of atomic energy, which was concentrated in a huge burst of green flames from his mouth. He was also able to produce a highly amplified roar even for his size, which could be enough to stun smaller targets or as a means of intimidation (a hypothesis supported by his roar’s similarity to Godzilla’s).

Character: As mentioned, Zilla was a kaiju not generally given to conflict. His first instinct was to flee rather than fight, and he was quite good at it, managing to avoid several naval and air force strikes during his migration. Such cryptic behavior was reminiscent of common prey animals, and it is suspected that at one point when the species had been more numerous, Zilla’s kind had been extensively hunted by other kaiju. Though he displayed no overt aggression towards humans previously, he became wary of them after a missile attack at the Brooklyn Bridge left him badly scarred.

His relationship with Komodithrax was of particular interest to FATHOM behaviorists. Some suspected that, due to their similar abilities to gradually modify their biologizes to suite different environments, they might have simply thought each other of the same species. However, it’s also possible that they might have bonded out of the stress of isolation (Komodithrax having just been separated from her sibling Varan, and Zilla being the only observed member of his species). Regardless of the reason, the two formed a strong pair that defended a specific area of Mu from other nesting kaiju, leading some to believe they may have formed a mutual nest of sorts. Blood tests indicated an unusual chromosomic pattern that may indicate a form of asexual reproductive ability, leading to planned expeditions to Mu to determine the extent of any possible nests…

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Zilla is copyrighted by Tristar and Toho.

Description

Zilla

Intro: By the later quarter of the 20th century, after FATHOM’s official discovery of Skull Island, the covert worldwide search for hidden monsters was in full swing. Several incidents involving isolated run-ins with these mysterious creatures barely managed to be covered up at a time when secrecy was still believed to be the best modus operandi. One such incident that caused substantial panic in the organization due to a confusing misidentification would eventually lead to the discovery of the reptilian kaiju known as “Zilla”.

Story: In 1998, a Japanese fishing vessel was sunk just north of French Polynesia. Due to the claw-like markings on the vessel after its recovery and the anecdote of the sole survivor, FATHOM rather hastily jumped to the worst-case-scenario in the idea that there might be another member of Godzilla’s species on the loose.

Fortunately, before paranoia could spread too deep, a new series of reports leading to the discovery of a large trackway crossing the Panamanian Isthmus put to rest the notion of a secondary Gojira specimen. This was still small consolation, given how quickly and covertly this new creature seemed able to travel. Based on the trackway’s projection, it was feared that should the creature surface along the east coast of the United States FATHOM’s secrecy would come to an end, but this did not occur. The last course projection saw the creature disappear within the Arctic, where it would remain for over twenty years.

It would be long after kaiju became known to the world, during the emergence of the living continent of Mu, that the mysterious beast would reemerge. During its migration, the creature made landfall in New York City, possibly drawn there by the local nuclear power plants and the large fish markets. So sudden was its arrival that initial reports confusingly referred to it as Godzilla. This somewhat puzzling misidentification was resolved soon enough, and the creature was officially dubbed Zilla. He would be among several kaiju attracted to Mu for its promise of good nesting grounds.

Upon his arrival, Zilla soon came into contact with the female varanid kaiju, Komodithrax. Though it was first suspected the two would oppose each other, they seemed to display curiosity and eventually even a level of affection for each other. Together, they would fend off both human intrusions and even Godzilla away from their selected territory. They would remain undisturbed together on the living island until the arrival of King Ghidorah. The three-headed monster would mark the end of the pair, as Komodithrax was killed during his pass-over of Mu. Zilla would move to confront Ghidorah along with many other kaiju on Skull Island, and though he put up a brave struggle, he too would unfortunately loose his life before the end of the battle.

Abilities: Zilla was a creature evolved for speed and evasiveness. Clocked at reaching over 100 mph in under 5 seconds, he was referred to as the cheetah among large kaiju. His highly interconnected synaptic reflex system allowed for rapid reflexes and sensory perception. This, combined with his relatively lithe frame and well-developed leaping capabilities, made him a difficult target, making up for his lack of extensive armor or durability.

Supplementing these physical adaptations, Zilla was able to modify his own bioelectrical and thermal energy fields to an impressive degree. This made him notoriously difficult to track during his years of partially-suspended isolation, as his own body temperature and bioacoustics perfectly matched that of the surrounding environment. This likely evolved as a means of avoiding detection by other, larger kaiju’s senses. He was also observed to be a proficient burrower, as many large, previously unseen undersea tunnels were found and explored in areas he previously frequented. The ability to switch so easily between terrestrial, aquatic, and subterranean movement marked him as a highly adaptable, yet naturally cryptic super species.

Zilla’s general aversion to conflict did not mean he was without sufficient means of attack and defense. In addition to standard teeth and claws, he was able to generate his own form of atomic energy, which was concentrated in a huge burst of green flames from his mouth. He was also able to produce a highly amplified roar even for his size, which could be enough to stun smaller targets or as a means of intimidation (a hypothesis supported by his roar’s similarity to Godzilla’s).

Character: As mentioned, Zilla was a kaiju not generally given to conflict. His first instinct was to flee rather than fight, and he was quite good at it, managing to avoid several naval and air force strikes during his migration. Such cryptic behavior was reminiscent of common prey animals, and it is suspected that at one point when the species had been more numerous, Zilla’s kind had been extensively hunted by other kaiju. Though he displayed no overt aggression towards humans previously, he became wary of them after a missile attack at the Brooklyn Bridge left him badly scarred.

His relationship with Komodithrax was of particular interest to FATHOM behaviorists. Some suspected that, due to their similar abilities to gradually modify their biologizes to suite different environments, they might have simply thought each other of the same species. However, it’s also possible that they might have bonded out of the stress of isolation (Komodithrax having just been separated from her sibling Varan, and Zilla being the only observed member of his species). Regardless of the reason, the two formed a strong pair that defended a specific area of Mu from other nesting kaiju, leading some to believe they may have formed a mutual nest of sorts. Blood tests indicated an unusual chromosomic pattern that may indicate a form of asexual reproductive ability, leading to planned expeditions to Mu to determine the extent of any possible nests…

--------------------------------------------------------
Zilla is copyrighted by Tristar and Toho.