 | |
| Kingukongu | |
| Aliases: | King Kong |
| Continuity: | Godzilla film series King Kong film series |
| Notability: | Main character |
| Type: | Giant monster |
| Gender: | Male |
| Race: | Gorilla |
| Location: | Mondo Island |
| Status: | Alive |
| First: | King Kong vs. Godzilla |
| Final: | King Kong Escapes |
| Actor: | Shôichi Hirose Haruo Nakajima |
Kingukongu is a fictional giant gorilla featured in Japanese films of the daikaiju ("giant monster") genre. He is part of the Godzilla film series and made his first appearance in King Kong vs. Godzilla in 1962. He also appeared in the 1967 movie King Kong Escapes.
Biography[]
Gorosaurus gets ready to rassle with Kong.
Kingukongu, also known as King Kong, or simply just Kong, was a sixty-foot gorilla that lived on Farou Island (or Mondo Island depending upon who you ask). Kong was just hanging out on Farou Island minding his own affairs when a group of greedy industrialists came ashore looking to acquire a stash of Soma berries, which were native to the island, and which they intended on harvesting for their medicinal properties. Upon discovering Kong, the industrialists got it in their head to make him the mascot for their product.
Kong drank a copious amount of the berry juice, which put him to sleep. The representatives of Pacific Pharmaceuticals ape-napped him and brought him back to Japan. It was only a matter of time before Kong had to swap blows with Japan's own resident monster - Godzilla. The two engaged in two battles with one another, the last of which saw Kong getting zapped by lightning, which gave him an electro-punch that helped even the odds a bit in this fight. Their battle carried them out to sea where they were eventually separated from one another. Kong emerged and began walking back to his native island. [1]
Kong does a victory dance.
Several years later, a U.N. chartered submarine vessel called The Explorer came to Mondo Island where the crew members discovered Kingukongu. Lieutenant Susan Watson found herself the target of Kong's affection, and he defended her honor by fighting and defeating a large dinosaur known as Gorosaurus. He also pitched a boulder across the ocean, striking the head of a sea serpent that had threatened the Explorer.
A criminal mastermind known as Doctor Who had created his own robotic version of Kong called Mechanikongu. The robot was based on designs that Who had stolen from Commander Carl Nelson. Doctor Who wanted Mechanikong's strength to mine for the rare Element X in the North Pole, but when the robot proved that it was not up to the challenge, Doctor Who decided to go after the real deal. Using knockout gas, he abducted Kong and brought him back to his facility in the North Pole. ' Doctor Who tried employing an electronic device affixed to Kong's ears that would force him obey his commands (and understand human speech as well apparently). He had Kong digging for the Element X, but through these efforts, the transmission control device was damaged, and Kong went ape-shit. Invariably, Doctor Who had to reactivate Mechanikong and send him after the real Kong.
King Kong and Mechanikong had their final battle in Tokyo, Japan as they both scaled the sides of Tokyo Tower. Mechanikong maintained the high ground over Kong, but Kong did enough structural damage to the tower that Mechanikong lost its footings. It plunged to the ground below where it broke into a dozen peaces. Afterward, Kong took the sea and destroyed a Japanese warship. Doctor Who was on the ship and was killed when a large piece of furniture crushed him against the bulkhead. Having proved himself victorious by vanquishing all of his enemies, Kong waded out to sea to return to his island. [2]
Notes & Trivia[]
- The character of Kingukongu was created by director Ishirô Honda and screenwriter Shin'ichi Sekizawa based on concepts developed by Merian C. Cooper and Ruth Rose.
- It is possible that the Kingukongu seen in King Kong vs. Godzilla may be a different creature entirely from the one seen in King Kong Escapes. They both hail from islands with different names, and the first Kingukongu seems to be significantly larger than the one from King Kong Escapes.
- Kingukongu's height was established by Commander Carl Nelson.
- Actor Shôichi Hirose portrayed Kingukongu in King Kong vs. Godzilla. Actor Haruo Nakajima played him in King Kong Escapes.
Abilities[]
- Superhuman durability: Kong takes a licking and keeps on ticking. He can withstand blows from heavy weaponry as well as other monsters of his relative size without suffering any major damage.
- Superhuman stamina: He can operate at optimal physical capacity for extended periods of time before tiring, which is useful in case you need him to pound through a frozen cavern to unearth some Element X.
- Superhuman strength: Kong has atypical giant monster strength. He applies this mostly through bashing damage demonstrated by punching his enemies and by hurling large objects such as boulders.
External Links[]
References[]
- ↑ King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962). Directed by Ishirô Honda.
- ↑ King Kong Escapes (1967). Directed by Ishirô Honda.