Monsterland and Monster Island
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[edit] Monsterland
Monsterland was introduced in the 1968 film Destroy All Monsters. The United Nations had decided to gather all the Earth's daikaiju (giant monsters) and corral them into a single location, then keep them there. The Ogasawara Islands were chosen for the project and by 1999, Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, Anguirus, Gorosaurus, Kumonga, Minilla, Baragon, Manda, and Varan were all residents of Monsterland. Various security devices were installed on the island to make sure the daikaiju wouldn't escape. Among the various devices were machines that sprayed different types of mist that Godzilla and Mothra shied away from, as well as a magnetic wall that prevented Rodan from flying away.
All was well until the Kilaaks invaded, taking control of Monsterland and letting loose the monsters upon the world. After the Kilaaks were foiled, the monsters returned to Monsterland and have been living there since.
In the Japanese version of Destroy All Monsters, its mentioned that Monsterland was set up "around twenty years ago". That would put it at around 1979, since the film is set in the year 1999.
In a early draft for Destroy All Monsters, called All Monster Attack Directive[1],Ebirah and Magma (Gorath) were residents of Monsterland, rather then Anguirus, Minilla, and Gorosaurus.
[edit] Monster Island
Monster Island first showed up in 1969's All Monsters Attack, in the dreams of a young boy named Ichiro. He dreamt of befriending Minilla and watching him and Godzilla battle other monsters. In Ichiro's dream, the daikaiju living on Monster Island included Godzilla, Minilla, Gabara, Kamacuras (4 of them), Kumonga, Ebirah, Anguirus, Gorosaurus, Manda, the Giant Condor from Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster, Maneater (A plant man that grabs Ichiro in the jungle [2]), and Rodan (mentioned but unseen). This is, however, just a boy's daydream; the island is likely his own creation, the residents simply his favorite daikaiju.
Monster Island is revealed to be an actual island in Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972). Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, Anguirus, Minilla, Gorosaurus, Kumonga, Manda, and Kamacuras all live there, though the island lacks the security devices that Monsterland possessed, and Godzilla and Anguirus are able to leave at will. Monster Island appeared again in Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973), one of many locations suffering the effects of nuclear testing. This is seen to disturb Godzilla, Rodan, and Anguirus; as they try to escape the explosions, Anguirus falls into a crevasse in the ground. Godzilla was summoned from Monster Island in a few of the episodes of the Television series Zone Fighter, to assist the giant superhero. Specifically the first episode that Godzilla appeared in. These Zone Fighter episodes are considered by Toho to be canon. In Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974), after Godzilla loses his initial fight against Mechagodzilla, we see him resting and recuperating on a beach during a thunderstorm. This locale may also be Monster Island.
The island may in fact be Sogell Island from Son of Godzilla. At the end of that film, the reporter Goro remarks that, with Godzilla, Minilla, the Kamacuras, and Kumonga all living there, it is an "island of monsters"; it may be that eventually other kaiju came to live there as well.
[edit] Monster Island in Godzilla: The Series
Another version of Monster Island existed in Godzilla: The Series, the continuation of the 1998 film Godzilla. It is given the codename: SITE OMEGA. This island was originally the base of operations for the Tachyon aliens, as proposed by Major Hicks. This island eventually became home to Crustaceous Rex, King Cobra, the Giant Bat, Skeetera (who ran amok absorbing all the other monster's abilities), and Shrewster. Godzilla II also visited the island occasionally, though because he travelled with H.E.A.T. he never became a permanent resident. Large, cage-like apparatuses were installed on the island to keep the daikaiju isolated from each other, and they remain on Monster Island to this day, though they have suffered a few casualties. In addition, the base was infiltrated by an organization of ecoterrorist who tried to free the monsters.
In an alternate timeline, Monster Island fell under siege by the invincible Dragma creatures, and every daikaiju there (including Godzilla, who fought to protect a large number of humans and given a hero's commemoration via a statue) was slaughtered by their might.
[edit] Monster Island in other Godzilla media
- In Scott Ciencin's Godzilla junior novels, Monster Island first existed as a government research facility created to study Anguirus and Rodan. Eventually, through the psychic influence of a pair of children, Godzilla and a troop of other monsters (including Varan, Kamacuras, Kumonga, and several over-sized animals) travel to the island and make it their new home.
[edit] Popular culture
Several references to "Monster Island" are likely based on this element from the Godzilla series.
- The Simpsons: In the episode "Lisa On Ice", Lisa imagines being sentenced to Monster Island for failing Physical Education. The judge informs her that the term "Monster Island" is just a name, but Lisa discovers that the island is in fact the home of several daikaiju. Fleeing from the giant creatures (which are Mothra, Rodan, and Gamera), Lisa is informed by one of her fellow inmates that what the judge meant was that, Monster Island is in fact a peninsula.
- The Monsta Island Czars are a hip-hop group from New York City, most of whose individual names are parodies of daikaiju names.
- In Warren Ellis' s Planetary series, there is Island Zero, home to many Kaiju, including what is apparently King Ghidorah, Godzilla and Mothra, all dead. A green, flying kaiju similar to Rodan has, however, survived.
- In Marvel Comics, Monster Island (or Monster Isle, in some comics) is the home of the Mole Man, and the various monsters that inhabit it are the descendants of the Deviants
- In DC Comics, Dinosaur Island was often called Mystery Island or Monster Island during the its inital appearances in the pages of Star Spangled War Stories.
- On Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Xander Harris likens living near the Hellmouth to living on Monster Island.
[edit] "Monster Island Attracts a Real Life Monster"
On September 27, 2005, the first filmed evidence of a live "Architeuthis" (Giant Squid) in the wild was shot off near Ogasawara Islands. Ironically, Ogasawara Islands was used in much of the Godzilla mythos being the legitimate "Monster Island."
| Toho Tokusatsu | |
|---|---|
| Kaiju / Mecha: | Anguirus · Baragon · Battra · Biollante · Dagahra · Death Ghidorah · Destoroyah · Dogora · Ebirah · Frankenstein · Gabara · Ganimes · Gezora · Giant Condor · Gigan · Godzilla · Godzilla Junior · Godzillasaurus · Gorosaurus · Hedorah · Jet Jaguar · Kamacuras · Kameba · King Caesar · King Ghidorah · King Kong · Kumonga · Leo · Magma · Manda · Mechagodzilla · Mechani-Kong · Megalon · Megaguirus · Minilla · Moguera · Monster X · Mothra · Oodako · Orga · Rodan · SpaceGodzilla · Titanosaurus · Varan · Zilla |
| Technology: | Oxygen Destroyer · Markalite · Gotengo · Super X |
| Other: | Fictional locations · Alien races · Monsterland and Monster Island |
