MechaMothra
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MechaMothra (メカモスラ Mekamosura) is a mechanical kaiju originally conceptualized for an unmade 1993 sequel to Godzilla vs. Mothra, in which a deceased Mothra would have been revived as a cyborg. A character by this name made its first official appearance in "Many Mothras", a four-panel comic strip exclusive to the 1999 paperback release of the 1996 gag manga Outrageous Flying Mothra!, in which it was a form taken by Mothra Leo. Another MechaMothra went on to appear in issue #3 of the 2025 IDW Publishing comic series Mothra: Queen of the Monsters.
Name
MechaMothra's name is a simple combination of "mecha" (a shortening of "mechanical") and "Mothra." Had the character's film been made, it is unknown how Toho would have chosen to romanize its name. The interview with Kenpachiro Satsuma in which MechaMothra was mentioned, conducted by David Milner and translated by Yoshihiko Shibata, opts to style the name as one camel-cased word, akin to "SpaceGodzilla".[1] This is notably different from both "Mechagodzilla" and "Mecha-King Ghidorah". Decades later, Mothra: Queen of the Monsters would officially cement its name as being one word. However, because the comic's dialogue is written entirely in upper case, it is unclear how it is intended to be capitalized. Series artist Matt Frank has nonetheless used the camel-cased variation in a post on X.[2]
Development
Koichi Kawakita, special effects director for all of the Godzilla films from Godzilla vs. Biollante to Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, originally wanted Mothra to be killed at the end of Godzilla vs. Mothra and be converted into a cyborg in a direct sequel that never came to fruition.[1] A similar development took place in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, with King Ghidorah becoming Mecha-King Ghidorah. It is unknown if MechaMothra would have fought Godzilla or served as an ally.
Design
In the original conception of the character, MechaMothra would have been a cyborg Mothra, though Kenpachiro Satsuma described it as "looking more like a dragonfly than like Mothra".[1]
In Mothra: Queen of the Monsters, MechaMothra much more closely resembles its organic counterpart. It has metallic armor plating covering its body, pink eyes with white grids, and pink wings with white circuitry.
Origins
In Mothra: Queen of the Monsters, MechaMothra hails from a different timeline than Emi and Mira, in which it defended their hometown from a horde of Ghidorahs in place of Mothra defending against Antra. It is not explained how the mech came to be or whether any part of it is organic. Series artist Matt Frank declined to comment on the latter, teasing in a response on X, "Maybe if we get a sequel series we can answer that question!"[3]
History
- Outrageous Flying Mothra! paperback (1999) ["Many Mothras"]
- Mothra: Queen of the Monsters #3 (2025)
Outrageous Flying Mothra!
In the Mothra 4-koma Special "Many Mothras" exclusive to the paperback release, Mothra Leo shifts between several of his alternate forms, including an unfamiliar one named MechaMothra. Moll and Lora admonish the author for making up his own Mothra forms.
Mothra Leo as MechaMothra in an Outrageous Flying Mothra! strip
Mothra: Queen of the Monsters
Mothra: Queen of the Monsters #3
Emi, Mira, and Mothra Gemini accidentally traveled to an alternate future timeline where they witnessed MechaMothra doing battle against a horde of Ghidorahs in the midst of a ruined city, having already knocked out one single-headed Ghidorah and currently contending against Keizer Ghidorah and Desghidorah. As Emi and Mira met up with spirits of the Shobijin and the dying Handmaidens of Antra, MechaMothra battled on, firing missiles at King Ghidorah and Desghidorah. Despite its valiant efforts, the cybernetic moth was pinned down by Keizer Ghidorah, leading the other two draconic kaiju to eventually overwhelm the mechanized guardian, and obliterate it via concentrated beams from all three.
Abilities
As the MechaMothra from Outrageous Flying Mothra! does not demonstrate any abilities, the following applies exclusively to the Mothra: Queen of the Monsters version.
Antennae beams
MechaMothra is able to fire a pair of pink energy beams from its cannon-like antennae, similar to its organic counterpart. They were strong enough to cause Desghidorah to rear back in pain, while also pushing him into a building.
Arm turrets
MechaMothra is able to fire red energy blasts from limb-mounted turrets. It used them to blast King Ghidorah's faces in order to push him back.
Missiles
MechaMothra can fire a barrage of eight missiles from its back. It deployed them against Desghidorah and King Ghidorah, causing both of them to roar in pain.
Weaknesses
Though MechaMothra's weaponry was more than capable of harming one of the single-headed Ghidorahs, the combined might of Keizer Ghidorah, Desghidorah, and King Ghidorah overwhelmed the machine and downed it. It was pinned to the ground by one of Keizer Ghidorah's legs, before having its left arm restrained by Desghidorah and the right arm by Keizer. MechaMothra was then annihilated after the three Ghidorahs unleashed their respective beam attacks all at once.
Gallery
Mothra: Queen of the Monsters
MechaMothra flying towards Desghidorah
MechaMothra battling Keizer Ghidorah and Desghidorah
MechaMothra pinned by Keizer Ghidorah
MechaMothra attacking King Ghidorah
MechaMothra's demise
Trivia
- Another mechanical Mothra appears in the IDW Publishing/BOOM! Studios comic series Godzilla vs. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers II in the form of the Pink Mothra Kaiju Zord, piloted by the Pink Mothra Kaiju Ranger.
References
This is a list of references for MechaMothra. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]
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