Kamacuras

Kamacuras (Japanese: カマキラス, Hepburn: Kamakirasu) is a kaiju film monster which first appeared in Toho's 1967 film Son of Godzilla.[1] The name alludes to "kamakiri", the Japanese word for mantis. In its first appearance, the creature was called Gimantis in the U.S. version.

Kamacuras
Godzilla film series character
Kamacuras as featured in Son of Godzilla (1967).
First appearanceSon of Godzilla (1967)
Last appearanceGodzilla: Planet of the Monsters (2017)
Created byJun Fukuda
In-universe information
AliasGimantis
SpeciesMutated Mantis
Formsmutated human-sized form
giant mutated form

Overview

Showa

In Son of Godzilla, a species of man-sized mantis resembling an even larger version of the Japanese giant mantis lived on Sollgel Island. Later, a radioactive accident that occurred due to a weather experiment mutated the insects into even larger proportions. Now the size of buildings, they became known as Kamacuras. Three Kamacuras found a giant egg and cracked it open to find a baby Godzilla. Before they could eat the infant, Godzilla arrived on the scene and attacked. Godzilla killed two of the Kamacuras with the third one killed by the giant spider Kumonga. However, a fourth Kamacuras was seen living on Monster Island in Godzilla vs. Gigan.

The Showa Kamacuras were 2 meters (6.5 feet) long prior to their mutation and were 50 meters (164 feet) tall and weighed 2,800 metric tons (3,086 short tons) after their mutation.[2]

Millennium

In Godzilla: Final Wars, Kamacuras made an appearance as one of the many controlled monsters of a race of superior extraterrestrial beings known as the Xiliens. It attacks Paris, France and causes damage to one of the EDF's battleships until it is teleported away by an enormous UFO to make it seem as if the Xiliens eliminated every monster. Eventually, it is discovered that the Xiliens were controlling the monsters, who are returned to finish their rampages. Kamacuras battles Godzilla when it makes landfall in Tokyo. Godzilla's resurfacing from the ocean causes a massive tidal wave that forces Kamacuras to flee and camouflage itself in a large forest. Godzilla is able to flush Kamacuras out with its atomic breath and Kamacuras flies at Godzilla at Mach speed, but Godzilla grabs it and impales it on an electrical pylon. The novelization shows Godzilla crushing Kamacura's head with its tail.

The Final Wars Kamacuras is 40 meters (131 feet) tall, 90 meters (295 feet) long, and weighs 20,000 metric tons (22,046 short tons).[3]

Reiwa

In Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters, Kamacuras only appeared briefly in the opening of a news report as being the first monster to appear at the end of the 20th Century. It attacked Manhattan and destroyed the World Trade Centers.

Kamacuras appearance is explained in the Godzilla: Monster Apocalypse, a prequel novel to the movie. Kamacuras first appeared on May 4th, 1999 and emerged from the Upper New York Bay. For the following 72 hours, Kamacuras caused heavy damage from New York to New Hampshire, where it was killed by using bunker busters, and caused 2.3 million casualties. At the same time, a smaller Kamacuras attacked train passangers in East River and later killed after it was lured to cut a old pipe, steaming it to death.

Powers

In addition to its slashing forearm blades and ability to fly, Kamacuras was shown in Final Wars as being able to blend in with its surroundings through a form of cuttlefish-like color changing ability.

Appearances

Films

Television

Video games

Literature

References
  1. Bogue, Mike (2017). Apocalypse Then: American and Japanese Atomic Cinema, 1951-1967. McFarland & Co. p. 109. ISBN 9781476668413.
  2. The Official Godzilla Compendium. Profiles of the Monsters; page 130.
  3. Toho Special Effects All Monster Encyclopedia. Godzilla: Final Wars; page 117.
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