Kingu Gidora
AKA
Monster Zero
Ghidorah's first appearance was in 1964's Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster. A woman from space (what planet depends on which version you're watching: Mars in the U.S. version, Venus in the Japanese) warns the Earth that the creature who destroyed her world, King Ghidorah, has ventured to Earth Her prophecy rings true as an asteroid crashes in the mountains and the three-headed space demon hatches out of it. Ghidorah rampages though the cities and Japan asks the only monster they can turn to for help, the baby Mothra. But because Mothra is still in his larval stage, he has no chance agains such a powerful monster. Mothra turns for help in the direction of the agressive Godzilla and Rodan, who initially refuse to fight the monster, but watching the little larva challenge the beast against such overwhelming odds, they decide to fight against it. They fight the world destroyer and prevail against it, sending Ghidorah back to the skies he came from.
In the immediate 1965 follow up, Godzilla vs. Monster Zero, King Ghidorah attacks a previously unknown planet hiding behind Jupiter called Planet X. The Xillians, the race of the planet, ask Earth for assistance against the monster, and hope they can "borrow" Godzilla and Rodan to chase him off. The Earth eventually agrees and the two monsters are taken to Planet X, where they do battle with the dragon. Easily defeated by the two creatures who conquered him previously, Ghidorah flies back into space. But the Xillians have other plans for the monsters they now have on their planet. Using a form of mind control, the Xillians invade Earth, and unleash Godzilla, Rodan, and King Ghidorah (who was under their power all along) on the cities. Eventually, the people of Earth discover the weakness of the Xillians and free the minds of the beasts. The monsters gain their senses and fight each another yet again. The brawl leads to the bottom of a lake where the only monster to surface is Ghidorah, who flies back to the skies.
But Ghidorah would have to fight the two monsters (and many more) yet again in1968's Destroy All Monsters. In the year 1999, King Ghidorah is called by an alien race known as the Kilaaks to destroy Earth's monsters so they may take over the world. But the monster is overwhelmed by Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, Anguirus, Gorosaurus, Minilla, Kumonga, Baragon, and Varan. Ghidorah eventually collapses from the one-sided beat down, and is killed.
Though made in 1972, after Destroy All Monsters, continuity wise the events of Godzilla vs. Gigan are said to have happened before Ghidorah's final stand in that film. Because of that, Ghidorah is alive and well, and called yet again by a race of aliens who want to take over the world. The cockroach beings from the Space Hunter Nebula M (yes, you read that right) call Ghidorah down to Earth with the tag team partner of Gigan. The two space monsters trash Tokyo before being challenged by Godzilla and Anguirus. A long, decisive battle ensues, but ultimatly the beasts are defeated and fly back into outer space. This was Ghidorah's final appearance in the Showa Godzilla series.
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