Entry #5

Subject Classification:

Aliases & Subtitles:

Radon

Fire Rodan

Lord of the Skies

The One Born of Fire

The Flying Battleship

Quetzalcoatl

Thunderbird

Statistics:

Height: ~100 meters (~328 feet)

Wingspan: ~310 meters (~1,017 feet)

Mass: ~33,900 metric tons (~37,400 short tons)

Destruction Scale: Category 4.0

BIO:

By December 2016, reports of a missing persons incident from Mount Redoubt (located in the Aleutian Range along southwestern Alaska) had been flooding the University of Alaska-Anchorage (UAA) for weeks. UAA claimed that a rescue team had already gone ahead, though even they mysteriously went missing mere hours after departure. Complaints piled up as the Anchorage community became restless, with no one knowing exactly what was going on. As a second rescue team, to be escorted by military personnel, was being assembled, geologists tracked abnormal seismic activity at Redoubt, showing signs of an unprecedented eruption. It wasn’t long until the side of Redoubt exploded, with a plume of fiery smoke raiding the skies and pouring magma and burning hot rock into Cook Inlet. An immediate evacuation order was issued, forcing well over 300,000 people (out of 400,000) to vacate the Cook Inlet area. Video footage from residents evacuating Kenai began to go viral in what seemed to be a gargantuan pterosaur and large reptilian insectoids emerging from the gulf.

Within the day, Shaman psychics all across Alaska had visions, proclaiming the rebirth and return of the legendary Thunderbird and the “lord of the skies.” In the newly formed cryptozoological branch, kaijuology (derived from the Japanese word “kaiju,” meaning strange beast), such a terrifying creature was eventually given the common name RODAN

1

by one Professor Kyuichiro Kashiwagi. Rodan’s origins were thought to have rooted such legends as the Quetzalcoatl and the phoenix, although the exact specifics of such a marvel remained elusive. From what the Shamans implied, Rodan was a destructive being that was in a state of conflict with “the great water panther” or “the horned serpent” and claimed dominion over the skies. In ages past, he would burn the land to pave way for new life and cleanse the land of human sin.

From what was evident by the time he emerged, Rodan was estimated to have been only 30 meters in body length; this was telling that the creature was still growing. It was made even more apparent when the youngling consumed every human and animal in the vicinity, including the large insectoids (which were later dubbed MEGANULON, once thought to have been part of or derived from the extinct genus

). Unlike the past kaiju, there was a chance of being able to dispatch this threat before it could get worse. However, a dispute broke out among the UN council concerning the matter. Some believed there was a chance to make an imprint before Rodan could fully mature, and perhaps try to communicate with it. But experience had a different hand in the matter when dealing with these monsters, as such a high-risk operation would only lead to unnecessary casualties. Opting in favor of extermination, the Elmendorf Air Force Base was given permission to engage the target and terminate it before any more destruction could be wrought.

A 16-count squadron of F-15C and F-15E fighter jets was deployed to intercept their target. In a spectacular show of aerial combat, the squadron pursued the immature Rodan over Cook Inlet. They bombarded the massive pterosaur with Sparrow missiles, diverting the creature from its original course from Anchorage to Resurrection Bay, near Seward. Though Rodan was surprisingly fast and versatile, the jets were successful in landing several mortal blows against the creature, crashing into the cold waters of the bay and left to bleed out. While victory was achieved, the cost was far too great; most of the squadron had been wiped out, leaving only three aircraft leftover from the ordeal. With no discernible activity, Rodan was declared dead. Although there was a significant outbreak of MEALS activists in California, and much to the dismay of some members of the kaijuology community, the rest of the world breathed a sigh of relief. The fight was far from over, but at the very least, it was a problem that was dealt with before it got worse.

Within the week, the government agency [REDACTED] were granted permission to take the body away before its blood could contaminate the water. Yet as they did, it seemed as if the target had swam off. Urgency took hold and the Navy was forced to scout out for the fallen avian, but to no avail…

On the verge of the New Year, abnormal climate behavior was being filed from Seward. Resurrection Bay was littered with dead fish and sealife, and everyone living in proximity of the bay suffered from symptoms of chronic uranium poisoning (including kidney and liver failure, pulmonary fibrosis, nervous system breakdown, among others). It didn’t take long for the death toll to start piling up, leaving hundreds dead and many more sick. And the source of this poison became all the more evident, especially after a search and rescue transport helicopter discovered something truly horrific near the southernmost point of the Caines Head State Recreation Area.

Rodan had been beached along the coast, and it was later discovered that he had been releasing uranium particles into the bay and sullying the water. Even stranger was the behavior of the nearby wildlife. Aquatic and terrestrial animals alike, notably fish and birds, gathered around the corpse and threw themselves into the fallen titan to be absorbed. With every second that passed, the fatal wounds closed and regenerated. According to the pilots, it was an unbelievable sight to behold. Whether Rodan had truly died or not during the battle was up for debate; but in this moment, it became crystal clear that humanity had underestimated its adversary.

Revived and restored to full health, Rodan took for the skies and flew off into the greater Pacific Ocean. Impossible to intercept, the world could only wait to see what the resurrected monster would do next. In a matter of mere hours, the supersonic titan was found bypassing Seattle and diving straight into Mount Rainier. With this knowledge, the USAF and Army began plans for a coordinated assault should Rodan awaken. While it was put on the table of blocking the mouth of the volcano, it was feared doing so would trigger a forced eruption that may cause even more devastation than Rodan. Now dormant within the heart of the volcano, all they could do was prepare for the worst.

An approximate month would come to pass, during which evacuation measures for Seattle’s hefty 3.9 million populace was already being undertaken. Pro-kaiju protestors swarmed around the operations facility, more often than not leading to violent outbreaks and arrests. All the while, an archeological team

2

was tasked at exploring Mount Redoubt for any secrets that could be unveiled. Authorities were on top of Rodan’s activities at all times, with constant surveillance and patrols with fire teams on standby. Seismologists assisted with drones that scouted the mouth of Rainier for visual analysis. Readings indicated rapid growth throughout Rodan’s dormancy; what had once been a 30 meter adolescent had developed substantially to approximately 100 meters, well over tripling since his awakening.

Bursting from the fiery pit, an evolved Rodan cast his shadow over the volcano’s peak. It was at that moment when the USAF launched a coordinated assault in order to lure Rodan away from Seattle… It didn’t work. Rodan had developed new abilities, chief among them an oral ray dubbed the Uranium Heat Beam, quickly dispatching anything the US threw at it. The enormous pterosaur found itself ravaging the skylines of Seattle, tearing the metropolis apart and purifying the land from mankind’s encroachment. Rodan’s decimation would later repurpose the term “Red Scare” as an associative term for Rodan’s capacity for destruction.

Even worse, a nearby chamber collapsed in on itself during Rodan’s awakening… Exactly what laid within was something no one wanted an answer to.

1 The proposed name “RADON” was a literal translation from Kashiwagi’s documents, but American experts localized it to Rodan to avoid any confusion with the atomic element, Radon.

2 Art Gilmore, the leader of the archeological team, would later be credited for the discovery of the fossils of an adult Rodan. According to Gilmore, the mother Rodan (presumed to be female because of anatomical differences) died with the egg that would give rise to the current Rodan. While it was decided not to transport the skeleton, pieces were appropriated and bargain a high price on the black market for their unusual indigo color and properties.

Adaptations / Characteristics:

Rodan has the capacity to exceed speeds of Mach 1.5 during casual flight. Observations have noted that Rodan can reach up to Mach 5 with the use of his natural exhaust ports on his body. Kaijuologists postulate that Rodan could attain re-entry levels of speeds (Mach 25+) if he were to stoop similar to a peregrine falcon. It’s documented that Rodan is capable of performing the dive, but there has been no record exceeding Mach 7 (mostly because of a lack of elevation to go at full speed).

His feather-shaped wings help dilate the air, despite the fact that the feathers are actually scales. Wind is primarily used as a coolant to keep Rodan’s body from overheating and serves as a secondary energy source via oxygen conversion and nuclear fission.

Achieved in his fully evolved state, Rodan can whip out a concentrated, narrow streak of uranium energy. This violet-colored ray ionizes the air between the upper and lower beak, often indicated by a colorful showcase along the primary crests adorned on his head and the intensity of his body.

Using the skeleton as a point of reference, it’s highly likely that Rodan has a cranial and abdominal brain located inside his body. Although some claim Rodan has an extra brain within the base of the tails, this is often dismissed in the kaijuological and scientific communities.

Small magma or lava fragments break off either his wings or tail-like membranes and ignite into explosions upon impact. It was originally disregarded as happenstance, but close behavioral studies suggest Rodan may be conscious of the igneous rocks after a volcanic dip, often used as deterrence for pursuing predators.

One of the more bizarre aspects to Rodan’s physiology is his interaction with life energy. Sourced from

(approx. translation) by fictional documentary reporter Yuri Tachibana of BS Digital Q, it can be inferred that Rodan (and perhaps all kaiju) have an extraordinary ability to manipulate life matter and open their spiritual pores to absorb life essence from other animals or from the Earth’s crust. This still has doubts as a viable explanation within the realm of science, but those of the occult stand by it. Curiously enough, Rodan has been the only known kaiju thus far to demonstrate this ability.

A last-resort technique, Rodan overloads his body with tremendous heat out of his exhaust ports, coating his body in a lightshow of colored flames that scorches everything around him. According to Gilmore, this may have been what killed Rodan’s mother; and any kaiju that can force a Rodan to use this suicide attack must truly be a monster to be reckoned with.

KaijuX’s Notes:

Wow, the first Legacy entry for 2019!

I apologize for any delays, been dealing with a lot of stuff that’s been keeping us occupied. Because of this, Legacy entries may become sparing in terms of release. But once all that’s said and done, we both hope to go full steam ahead and have at it. This is something we both want to tell, and we’ll see this through to the end.

Funny enough, we always had Rodan in mind for this entry; turns out by pure coincidence that we have KOTM coming out later this month! Whatever the case, hope y’all anticipate our next entry!

SeaGunsLives’ Notes:

Credits:

The following is a collaborative effort between

and

and is not affiliated with Toho Co. Ltd. Godzilla and all related characters and designs are trademarks and property of Toho Co. Ltd. These are works of fan art / fan fiction and not for commercial use. This is a non-profit project to express our love for the franchise. Any commercial uses of these artworks are strictly prohibited.

Honorable mentions to

,

,

,

,

, and

for the tips, suggestions, and proofreading--extra ideas and input are always appreciated!

Also be sure to visit

, where you can help support his long-term career as an artist!

Rodan has probably been the most fun to redesign out of the bunch that we have so far. I drew so many different silhouettes of his wingspan that I might have to share them some day. While we were obviously heavily inspired by Dougherty's vision of the character from King of the Monsters, we channeled some design elements from Final Wars Rodan as well as Fire Rodan (clearly) and of course the OG. When working out how his secondary wings could work, I looked to the Banshees from Avatar for inspiration. The exhaust ports on his chest are also a nod to Matt's Neo Fire Rodan. Oh, and I gave him "teeth" on his tongue like a goose because why not? Personally speaking, I feel that this is my favorite piece to date. I'm really satisfied with this one.