Mothra (disambiguation)

Mothra (Moth-ra (モスラ, 'Mosura') is a kaiju (monster) that has appeared in several Toho tokusatsu films since her introduction in Mothra (1961). Generally regarded as female by audiences, she is a giant lepidopteran with characteristics both of butterflies and of moths. The name "Mothra" is the suffixion of "-ra" (a common last syllable in kaiju names) to "moth"; since the Japanese language does not have dental fricatives, it is approximated "Mosura" in Japanese. In the American dubbing and various posters of Mothra vs. Godzilla, Mothra is also referred to as "The Thing. " She is among Toho's most popular characters, primarily among female fans, and she has appeared in every Godzilla film era. Mothra is usually accompanied by two tiny priestesses or fairies (often called Shobijin—Japanese for "small beauties") who also speak for her.

Description
Since her first film, Mothra has been depicted in various stages of the lepidopteran life cycle: Mothra's mammoth egg is decoratively colored in blue and yellow waves. The egg hatches into her larva, a massive brown, segmented caterpillar (resembling a silkworm) with glowing blue—sometimes red—eyes. In rare circumstances, twins may emerge from the egg. The caterpillar eventually spins a silken cocoon around itself (the pupa stage), and from this cocoon the imago (adult) Mothra emerges, a gigantic moth-like creature with brightly-colored wings. Mothra's life cycle—particularly the tendency of an imago's death to coincide with its larvae hatching—echoes that of the Phoenix, resembling resurrection and suggesting divinity. Despite having wrought destruction worthy of any Toho daikaiju, she is almost always portrayed as a kind and benevolent creature, causing destruction only when acting as protector to her worshippers on Infant Island or to her egg, or as collateral damage while protecting Earth from a greater threat.

Mothra has proven a formidable adversary in combat: in larval form she may use her silken spray to wrap and immobilize an opponent, and has a knack for biting and clinging to foes' tails. In imago form her powers vary widely from film to film, including very animalistic scratching and dragging, incorporating several bolt and beam weapons in the Heisei era, and often concluding with a poisonous yellow powder (or "scales")—her last defense.

Mothra is one of the most powerful psychics in the Toho universe. She has had the ability to use this power benevolently, to communicate with humans, or defensively, to destroy her enemies. As suggested earlier, Mothra is assumed to be divine and draws many parallels to the Phoenix, which makes her one of the more powerful kaiju of the Toho universe.

Mothra has become one of Godzilla's most challenging opponents, having achieved the greatest success rate in battle[1]: She has once overcome Godzilla in imago form, and twice Godzilla has fought her to her death only later to be bested by her newborn larvae. It should be mentioned that Mothra has never beaten Godzilla alone (in her Imago Form). The only victory by an insect(s) over Godzilla were the Mothra twin-larvae in Mothra vs Godzilla in the Showa Era, Imago Mothra and Imago Battra in Godzilla Vs Mothra, in the Heisei series and the twin-larvae and Kiryu (MechaGodzilla III) in the Millenium (aka Shinseiga) Series.

In the Heisei Era (1984-1995), Mothra gained her own series of films dubbed in America as the "Rebirth of Mothra" series. These movies were not called "Rebirth of" in Japan, but just simply Mothra 1, 2 or 3 with a byline title, such as Adventure Under the Sea or Advent of Grand King Ghidorah. These series are not connected to the Showa, Heisei or Millenium Eras and are standalone films. The movies start off as the elder and last of her line puts the last of her energy into a new egg. From this egg hatches Mothra Leo. Mothra Leo is supposedly male, as opposed to the supposedly pure female Mothras before (though the English dubbing is inconsistent, going back and forth between "she/her" to "he/him", even "it", and therefore its gender is left ambigious). It also has "ever-increasing energy" which allows it to absorb energy from other sources to become stronger. The 10,000 year-old tree in Rebirth of Mothra allowed Mothra Leo to change into its imago form as "Mothra Leo", thought to be the most powerful Mothra of all time. Mothra Leo gains several completely new forms throughout the trilogy, such as Rainbow Mothra (who poseses the same body design as the normal Leo, but with bright, colorful wings), Aqua Mothra ( who has a more streamlined, fish-like body), Armor Mothra ( who's entire body is sheathed in metal), and Eternal Mothra (who's huge wings, giant blue eyes, and more classical Mothra body make it one of the most beautiful Mothras Toho has yet created).

In this series Mothra battled three opponents: Desghidorah, a fauna-destroying horned beast with three heads; Dagahra, a toxic dragon-like sea creature; and finally Grand King Ghidorah, in both Cretaceous King Ghidorah and modern forms. The series also introduced a Primative Mothra that existed in the cretaceous period along side the dinosaurs. In Rebirth of Mothra III, after Leo defeats Cretaceous Ghidorah and crashes, burned and ripped to shreads, onto the ground, three such Primative Mothra larve emerge from the jungle and begin to cover Leo in their silk to protect and preserve him. This begins the process that transforms Leo into his most powerful form: Armor Mothra. (Note: the Primative Mothra only appeared in it's larval form, and it is unknown what the imago stage of the creature looks like.)

In Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001), Mothra is portrayed with purple eyes, although her eyes are normally blue.

1'st Generation
On a distant land, called Infant Island, a race of natives dwell, praying day and night to a mighty god. Bathing her mythical spirit with praise and utmost devotion to her greatness. It was not until the encroachment of man, did the natives know of death, suffering, and evil. Ransacking the island, a group of pilfering thieves, stole a pair small six-inch high ladies, the Shobijin priestess that lived on the grounds. The islanders tried to fight back, but against guns they held no power. With tear soaked eyes, and blood dripping lips, the head priest crawled to the temple. His voice echoed in mournful cries, as at last the giant egg, which had been housed inside, broke. Lifting into the cavern of the darkness, Mothra was born. Feeling the Shobijin's cries, the huge caterpillar made it way towards Tokyo. Destroying homes, ships, and countless millions in property, Mothra crawled. Days passed before finally she reached the heart of Tokyo. There, Mothra met with the military's full might. Tanks and rockets were shelled against the huge insect with unrelenting fury. Sensing that her current form was too slow, the caterpillar climbed Tokyo Tower. However, her mass was far too much for the structure, and the metal sentry collapsed. Taking care of the advantage, Mothra began to spin her silk. The milky white strains fallen about her form, and forming a huge while cocoon within hours. What the people of the world had viewed with her Larva form, was nothing compared to what lied in waiting of the egg.

Dawn rises on the new day, and Tokyo beholds the view of the temporally halted monster, Mothra. Concealed in her cocoon, the Japanese public fears what devilish tricks the beast might show. But the military is already well and ready to take advantage of the immoveable creature. Bringing in two Heat Ray Guns from the Rolisican government, they plan to hit the creature while it was helpless. Hours tick by, before finally the atomic cannons were fired. Blazes a thousand times more powerful than any star, stream from their metallic like barrels, and burned into the cocoon. Causing the flammable material to turn into a flaming inferno. Man's technology transformed the once soft womb, into a charred husk. Japan breathed a sigh of relief, until the truth revealed itself. Muffled cried lifted from the prison, followed by cracking. Pieces of the shell fell away, showing to the world a new evolved Mothra. Resembling an adult moth, the creature spread its wings and took off. The hurricane force winds from her flapping, sent cars and people flying. Screeching on last time, the winged insect flew to New Kirk City. A place that held her fairies. Human conflict arises before the twins are taken from their captors and giving back to their protector. Saying goodbye, Mothra and the sister girls left, flying back to their island in peace. With the rampaging Godzilla decimating half the countryside of Japan, a small band of reporters journeyed to Infant Island in hope that the Shobijin will hear their pleas. Their calls almost went unheard though, because of the interference of the island natives. They were extremely reluctant to let them see their beloved goddess after humanity's lack of cooperation in returning Mothra's egg, which had washed ashore on Japan. However, the gigantic deity summoned for them, and through the communications of the Shobijin, an agreement was brought. Mothra, though weak in her current state, would journey to Japan to face Godzilla. Unfortunately, if she did leave, and was triumphant, she would not have the strength to return. So, lifting from her cavern shrine, the monstrous insect carried the prayers and wishes of the world on her wings.A few days passed before the angelic monster reached the mainland and forced a war with the roaring nuclear menace. The adult Mothra fought, and dragged the reptile from her uncaged egg. Her children would not fall prey before this murderer. Few witnessed the selfless struggle that Mothra gave Godzilla that day. The deity used every weapon in her arsenal, but still could not prevail. Only after having her wings burned did the goddess retreated, flying back to the demolished Happy Enterprises and coming to rest on her egg in a final bid of strength. Mothra, the benevolent deity, was now dead. It was up to her flesh and blood kin to finish what she started.

2nd Generation
With the death of the adult Mothra, mankind looks towards the gigantic egg in hope, which had washed upon the shores of Japan. Greedy corporations, such as Happy Enterprises, had kept the egg in a huge fiberglass cage. Only the intervention of the gigantic moth saved the unborn child from the creature Godzilla. Now, the dead mass of Mothra laid still on the egg. The Shobijin twins prayed to their sleeping god. Begging for redemption against the evil of Godzilla. It wasn't long before their wishes were heard. Birthing from the egg, two grub like larva crawled forth to challenge the nuclear menace. The newborns swam to the creature, and combined their power to over come the King of the Monsters. Rage frothed from Godzilla, though he could do little to release it, as he was entombed in the bindings of the caterpillar's web. Then, he toppled into the sea, sealing the avenged wrath of the babies for their murdered mother.

Though they did triumph on the battlefield, one of the larva perished. The remaining one, however, was given peace, and was worshipped day and night by her people. It was not until another year did humankind again plead for her help. It seemed that an awakened tyrant, a golden king of terror, was devastating the lands. The cosmic entity was dubbed King Ghidorah, and humanity begged for a savior. However, Mothra could not defeat the demon alone. She would have to convince the newly awakened Rodan and Godzilla to join her side and defend the Earth. Unfortunately, the ancient animals were waging their own war between themselves, and would not hear her begs. So, even knowing that death would greet her, Mothra crawled on alone and fought King Ghidorah. The plan was completely insane and suicidal, but her courage managed to stir something. Godzilla and Rodan were moved by the youth's bravery, and decided to put aside their differences. Soon they joined her side, and forced the cackling horror back to the cold, dark, recesses of space.

3rd Generation


Years pass as the champion Mothra, now in its life cycle, bears a child of her own. Much smaller than its ancestors, this larval Mothra finds itself inhabiting Monster Island an artificially maintained island for the world's kaiju. However, the arrival of an alien force known as the Kilaakian throws the utopia out of balance, as they take control of the island's inhabitants. Mothra, now a mercenary of the alien race, is first sent to destroy Beijing as part of a global assault. Later, as the Kilaak's war enters its second phase, Mothra joins Godzilla, Rodan, and Manda in the annihilation of Tokyo. Thankfully, the Kilaak's deplorable technology is eventually duplicated on Earth, and, with the destruction of the Kilaak's Moon base, the monsters now enter the control of humanity. The hostile alien race makes one final bid for success, as they send their ultimate weapon, King Ghidorah, to defeat Earth's monsters. Joining the counteroffensive, Mothra and the rest of Earth's defenders easily fight back the space demon, killing the beast once and for all. With Ghidorah no more, and the Kilaakian laid to rest, Mothra once again returns to Monster Land to live out the rest of her days in peace.

Heisei History
Infant Island, a tropical oasis in the Indonesian Archipelago, was bombarded with massive waves following an asteroid collision in the early 1990's. The torrential climactic shift in the area revealed an enormous egg buried in the side of a hill. An expedition was soon sent to the island to investigate the climactic changes, and it so happened that this small trio discovered the egg during their search of the tiny isle. Even more bizarre, a pair of twin fairies called the Cosmos appeared near the egg. They revealed that over 12 millennia ago, an advanced civilization created a device that could control the weather. The Earth created Battra in order to counter this action, and the guardian Mothra did battle with the creature. Battra was laid to rest in the north seas while the climate controller was destroyed. The land flooded, and Mothra and the Cosmos survived in the mountains. The Cosmos also revealed that Mothra and Battra had reawakened, due to the new dangers facing the planet. Kenji Andoh, a member of the expedition and an employee of the Marutoma Corporation, suggested that the egg should be transported back to Japan in order for it to be properly preserved. The Cosmos put their trust in Andoh, and the egg set sail toward the mainland.

As the ship traveled the long journey to Japan, a powerful pillar of bright blue energy ripped through the surf. Godzilla emergered and approached the colorful orb. In order to keep their vessel safe from Godzilla, Takuya Fujita cut the tethers to the ropes to the egg's transport. Afterward, the egg began to crack and glow. The turquoise eyes of an adorable caterpillar emerged from the broken shell. The larva rushed into the sea to avoid Godzilla's heat ray, and found her way behind the monster. She bit the trunk-like tail, but Godzilla tossed the moth aside. Mothra began to spray her silk at the beast, but she was thrown back yet again by his thermonuclear ray. The persistent insect leaped at the creature, but the massive monster again repelled the diminutive worm. It appeared as though Mothra was in dire straits, if not for the jagged hump that suddenly appeared in the distance. It was the Battra larva, and though it used its horn to maliciously toss Mothra aside, it grappled with Godzilla, unknowingly giving Mothra a chance to escape. As Battra and Godzilla pulled each other under the sea and eventually into a lava flow beneath the Earth's crust, Mothra prepared to return home to safety.

Without the giant egg he had promised to procure, Kenji Andoh kidnapped the Cosmos and handed them to his boss instead. The twin fairies called to Mothra for help, and the mammoth moth inched its way through the endless miles of sea toward Tokyo. As Mothra plowed through the military's defensive procedures, Takuya Fujita absconded with the fairies and attempted to sell them for profit. His ex-wife Masako Tezuka, a member of the expedition to Infant Island, and his daughter pleaded with him to release the fairies... for Mothra was destroying Tokyo in her attempts to rescue her beloved twin fairies. The Cosmos were released, and they ordered Mothra to halt her advance. The obedient Monster turned around and began her long trek home, but she was suddenly fired upon by the military. The military ceased fire when they learned that there were people in the vicinity, but Mothra looked very ill following the assault. She trudged over to the Diet Building, where she raised her head into the sky and shot her silk into the air. The silk gently formed into a soft, protective cocoon. Mothra was about to metamorphosize. Wrapped in a blanket of silk, Mothra transformed inside her cocoon. She had come to Japan to rescue her beloved Cosmos, and began her retreat when she learned of their safety. The military, however, fired on the larva. When a cease-fire was issued, Mothra looked very lethargic. She slowly made her way to the Capitol, and wrapped herself in a protective cocoon.

Meanwhile, the pressure of the magma flow beneath Mt. Fuji began to reach a critical level. Suddenly, Godzilla emerged from the volcano! It was believed that the menace had died in an erupting lava flow beneath the sea, but it turned out that he merely swam through the molten rock to his present location. The saurian shadow, pulsing with anger, began his descent toward Yokohama.

As Godzilla was emerging from his fiery tomb, the furry shell of Mothra's cocoon began to stretch and tear. Two beautiful, cerulean pools pierced through the night, as a pair of plush wings began to unfold. Mothra began to fly into the night, for it was her duty to destroy her dark counterpart: Battra.

It was thought that Battra had died earlier in a lava flow in the ocean depths, but the reddish glow on the surface of the sea burned a flame of doubt on this assumption. Battra rose from the surf and immediately transformed into its imago form in a blaze of energy. It sought to destroy its mortal enemy Mothra, and flew toward the mainland.

At Yokohama Cosmo World, the park goers gazed into the sky as Mothra and Battra clashed above the city. Battra pursued Mothra with his deadly eye beams, and in the process, the indifferent insect caused the collapse of the Yokohama Bay Bridge. Mothra crashed into the ground, and her archenemy's eye beams continued to fire. Before Battra could continue the onslaught, though, he was suddenly distracted by another monster; Godzilla had arrived on the scene. Battra, recognizing the threat that this new entity posed, proceeded to fire his eye beams at the nuclear menace. In the process, the dark moth destroyed the Yokohama Landmark Tower, sending the once proud structure crashing onto his furious foe. Battra flew to the ruins where Godzilla lay, but the devious creature beneath the rubble released his nuclear pulse. Godzilla regained his balance and tossed Battra into the distance. A nuclear ray quickly followed the physical assault, and Godzilla's foe was rendered incapacitated.

Mothra, understanding the futility of the current battle strategy, shot Godzilla with her antenna beams and descended to meet Battra. They communicated and agreed to cooperate. Mothra began to revive Battra, but Godzilla interrupted the process. The determined moth left Battra to fight her true foe. She reflected his attacks with her glimmering scales, but the terrible titan's nuclear pulse sent the majestic moth crashing underneath the Cosmo Clock 21 Ferris wheel in the theme park. Godzilla fired a blast at the Ferris wheel, and it began to tilt and fall toward the immobile creature. Battra caught the amusement ride just in time, and sent it crashing into Godzilla instead. Regaining her composure, Mothra created a bright shield of energy around Godzilla as her ally fired his eye beams at the monster. Godzilla continued to fight on, and in the process destroyed the Yokohama Grand Intercontinental Hotel. The reptile's reign of terror was finally over, however, when the monster was sent crashing into the ground. Mothra and Battra communicated once more, and they made a pact. The former latched onto Godzilla's tail as the latter grabbed onto Godzilla's head and neck. They slowly lifted the detestable behemoth into the air, and they carried him out to sea. However, Godzilla sank his teeth into Battra's neck and used his thermonuclear ray on the creature's wound, which was flowing most repulsively with yellowish blood. Eventually, Battra's eyes lost their glow; the creature had died. Mothra is unable to go any further is forced to released Godzilla's tail, sending her ferocious foe and her late ally into the depths of the sea. The majestic moth sealed the area with a special energy, and departed for the mainland.

It so happened that the year 1999 was going to bring an asteroid plummeting to the planet. Battra was going to be the one to destroy the massive meteor before it collided with Earth, but since he had died in the battle with Godzilla, Mothra would have to halt its approach in his stead. After all, the two monsters had made a solemn pact. After saying their goodbyes to humankind, the Cosmos departed. They joined Mothra and flew into space, for they were about to save the Earth yet again...

Millennium Series History
Mothra was brought back in three of the Millennium series films, Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S., and Godzilla Final Wars.In GMK Mothra was one of the three Guardian Monsters that defended Japan from a Possessed Godzilla.

GMK
The restless souls of those who died in the Pacific War accumulated into Godzilla, a detestable demon that attacked Tokyo in 1954. In 2001, as hellish horror was returning, the spirit of Hiyotoshi Isayama began to release the Guardian Monsters of Japan's ancient past.

A small group of eleven young cyclists arrived at Lake Ikeda in Kagashima. Though their intentions seemed harmless at first, their demeanor began to quickly turn sour. The deviants ransacked a local store. Even worse, when a barking dog irked the troublesome teens, they heartlessly prepared to do away with the poor pooch. Amidst the chaos of the break in, an odd antiquity was overturned. The humanoid statuette fell on its side, and the reveling vandals prepared to hand the artifact the same fate as the animal they had shoved so carelessly into a cramped receptacle. As this insanity continued, a mysterious old man watched the situation from the edge of a dark forest.

The laughter and revelry continued to echo into the night as a boat departed from the shore, bent on a malicious mission. The vessel was suddenly overturned, and the helpless humans were quickly tugged into the deep, one by one. The mortified onlookers stood speechless as what appeared to be an enormous boulder broke through the surface of the once placid lake. Mere moments passed before the terrible truth was realized: the enormous object was a monster! A piercing roar bellowed from the creeping creature as it barrelled its way closer and closer to the shore. The shrieking silhouette struck panic into the hearts of the onlookers. Mothra, as the ancient Guardian Monster was called, killed each and every one of them by entrapping them in her silky cocoon. The lucky pup managed to escape this terrible fate. Like a blanket, the abominable arthropod enshrouded herself in her own silk, for she needed to metamorphosize in order to confront the approaching danger.

The people on the shore of Lake Ikeda gazed with curiosity at the enormous cocoon that sat motionless in the calm waters. The Guardian Monster Baragon had been ruthlessly slaughtered by Godzilla in the Owaku Valley in Hakone, and the despicable beast was now inching its way closer and closer to Tokyo. The sun set over Lake Ikeda, and Baragon's replacement quickly grew inside the shell of her protective pupa. An expressionless face suddenly tore its way through the protective coating, and two purple gems stared deep into the night. Mothra, the second Guardian Monster, climbed atop her broken cocoon, and her membranous wings began to materialize into a beautiful rainbow of vibrant colors. Her wings moved with a smooth motion as she prepared to take off. Into the sky she soared, prepared to confront her saurian foe, Godzilla.

As the final Guardian Monster, Ghidorah, appeared near Mt. Fuji, Mothra arrived in Yokohama. Mothra landed atop the Yokohama Landmark Tower, the nation's highest skyscraper. She peered down on the dimly lit metropolis, seeking the creature she was awoken to exterminate. Godzilla and Mothra exchanged chilling roars. The mammoth moth started to glide gracefully from the pinnacle of the building. She swam on the breeze, gently and elegantly boasting her prowess in the sky. Grace soon gave way to raw power as the mystifying monster fired her projectile stingers into Godzilla. The organic daggers exploded on contact, but they managed to cause only minimal damage. The monster king countered this stinger barrage with his heat ray, and Mothra swiftly picked up speed to escape the speeding stream of searing-hot plasma. In the process of escaping the nuclear hellfire, Mothra led the beam straight into the Landmark Tower. In a flash, the once proud symbol of human ingenuity became a towering inferno. In the chaos, Mothra managed to silently descend behind Godzilla and latch tightly onto the skull of the nuclear menace. When Ghidorah appeared on the scene, Mothra humbly retreated to allow the third Guardian Monster to enter the fray. The intelligent insect managed to again align herself silently behind Godzilla while he was preoccupied with Ghidorah, but alas, the blunt blow of Godzilla's tail sent the moth flying into a furious tumble. She regained her balance and soared again into the sky. Ghidorah was suddenly knocked unconscious by the superior, surging strength of his sadistic enemy. As Godzilla attempted to fire a final radioactive ray at Ghidorah, Mothra came to her fellow Guardian's defense and took the full force of the powerful beam. With both Mothra and Ghidorah seemingly defeated, the military fired on the lumbering leviathan. Unfortunately, the self-defense force did not last long against the horrendous heat ray. Upwards of ninety percent of the counteroffensive was destroyed by Godzilla's wrath, and it seemed as though nothing could be done to gain an advantage over this cyclopean creature.

Her wings ablaze, Mothra rose from the ruins of the city. Her expressionless face gazed deep into the twisted soul of the radioactive reptile. She approached Godzilla from behind, but Godzilla was prepared. He turned and fired the full force of his thermonuclear breath, dematerializing the once majestic moth. Mothra's energy swirled and started to descend upon Ghidorah. His eyes opened, and the final Guardian Monster returned in full furious force as King Ghidorah!

Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.
The Shobijin warn the Japanese government that Godzilla continues returning to Japan because they used the original Godzilla's bones in Kiryu 's design. They beg Japan to return the original Godzilla's bones to the bottom of the sea and promise that Mothra would take Kiryu's place in defending Japan against Godzilla, and if Japan doesnot, then Mothra would declare war on humanity. When Godzilla attacks Japan, Mothra arrives before Kiryu to fight Godzilla. However, Godzilla overpowers Mothra and Kiryu arrives to fight Godzilla but is also defeated and must undergo repairs. Meanwhile, on Infant Island, two twin Mothra larvae hatch from Mothra's egg, and rush to help their mother. The twin larvae hold Godzilla off as Kiryu is being repaired. Godzilla attempts to use his atomic breath against the larvae but Mothra sacrifices herself to save her children. Just in time, the humans repair Kiryu, who stabs Godzilla's chest with a drill. Godzilla roars in pain, and the larvae begin to bind him up in web. However, Godzilla's roar re-awakens Kiryu's soul. The cyborg grabs hold of the web-binded Godzilla and secures themselves with cables. Kiryu then uses his boosters and carries Godzilla and himself out to sea.

Godzilla Final Wars
An ancient guardian, Mothra saved the Earth in times past from the monster Gigan. The two monsters battled thousands of years ago over the fate of Earth, and Mothra ended up being victorious over her cybernetic foe. Several millennia passed, and the mummified remains of the cyborg kaiju ended up displayed in an EDF stronghold for further investigation. While confined, the creature is studied by a team of scientists. Among them is Paleontologist Hachiro Jinguji, who makes the startling discovery that the creature, despite hosting advance technology, is in fact 12,000 years old. A sudden voice chimes in to confirm this, as the interior of the EDF lab appears to melt away into a cave. Before the group, that includes Jinguji and Biologist Miyuki Otonashi, two tiny fairies, known as Shobijin, are spotted lying on a small pedestal. The Shobijin explain that Gigan did arrive on Earth thousands of years ago and was fought into submission by Mothra. The fairies then reassure the group that Mothra will retain its role as the Earth's guardian, before the cave dissipates to reveal the interior of the EDF lab again.

Later, after the Xiliens have initiated a series of attacks, Mothra answers the Earth's plea for help and arrives in Tokyo ready to fight. Once there, Mothra attacks the Xilien's latest kaiju, Monster X, who was battling Godzilla. However, the Xilien leader, spotting Mothra's descent into Tokyo, dispatches a repaired Gigan to do battle with its ancient foe. The two kaiju fight fiercely, slamming their bodies into one another in mid-air, until Gigan gains the upper hand by cutting Mothra's wing with his new chainsaw hands. With Mothra apparently in defeat, Gigan turns his attention to Godzilla, and begins slashing at the monster with his new hands, as Monster X holds the nuclear leviathan in place. The pair's advantage is short lived, however, as Mothra comes flying back into the battle, striking down both Monster X and Gigan simultaneously with her wings. Gigan directs his efforts back at Mothra, utilizing more of his upgraded arsenal as he unleashes two, razor like, discs at the winged monster. Gigan's attack proves futile, however, as Mothra effortlessly dodges the two discs. Gigan continues the assault, though, and lets loose with a discharge of his shotgun like laser beam, which ignites his ancient foe into a smoldering fireball. Gigan, pleased with his success, turns his back to the downed moth. However, the cybernetic kaiju made a fatal miscalculation as the two razor discs, malfunctioning due to Mothra's scales, boomeranged back at the kaiju, decapitating Gigan. Then, out of the smoke and flames, a burning Mothra ascended at her foe in her dying breath, colliding with the robotic kaiju and causing an explosion that destroyed the cyborg. Amazingly, though, she survived (as seen in the credits) and flew home to Infant Island.

Powers/Abilities
As a larva, Mothra's sprays her opponents with a stream of silk as a ranged attack (to entrap or disorient an enemy). She also uses her mandibles for a close combat bite. (Mothra has a habit of biting opponents' tails, although it is rarely effective and, predictably, is usually self-defeating. It's usually used as a desperate attempt at stopping a creature much larger than it's self.) As an adult, her wings can (and generally do) create gales which tear apart buildings and send other kaiju flying. Her great bulk of a body is commonly used to her advantage in battle to slam into opponents (both in larva and adult form), and her surprising levels of strength can help her to drag and even lift monsters like Godzilla. Her final strategy is to emit "scales", a yellow poisonous powder that can hopefully asphyxiate an enemy.However she only uses that attack when she knows she is going to die, this is thought, because the extreme loss of scales will cause her to lose her flight.

The Heisei version of Mothra had some differences. She could now fire a beam of energy from her antennae, and fire arcs of lightning from her wings, or keep it in her body to release to another through touch. The powder now had a different effect; It would act as a 3-D mirror to trap energy blasts, making them rebound over whatever was inside the cloud of powder over and over again. This proved very effective in turning Godzilla's own atomic breath against him. The powder could also be used as an instrument in team-based strategies, as it was shown that Battra had deliberately fired his prism beams into the powder cloud (while Godzilla was surrounded by it) so that his beams would rebound inside the cloud for a short time before finally striking Godzilla, negating any chance of the prism beams not hitting their target. Ironically, Godzilla's Nuclear Pulse wasn't reflected by her mirror and she was thrown back, possibly because her mirror can't reflect energy attacks if it is able to pass around her mirror.

In the Mothra Trilogy, Mothra (also known as Mothra Leo)displayed a wide use of energy-projection abilities; ranging from triple prismatic beams from her forehead, to energized tackles, to her sun strike buster, a very potent attack that comes from the sky like a sacred lightning bolt. Leo Mothra, her offspring and successor, shared her energy powers and also possessed the ability to gain alternate forms as a means of adapting to his opponent's fighting styles.

In GMK Mothra was able to shoot poison darts from her abdomen but she lacked both her hurricane force winds and her poison powder. In both Tokyo SOS and Final Wars, Mothra's powder was able to redirect both energy and physical projectiles back to their original senders, but some individuals believe that the powder of the Final Wars incarnation of Mothra instead has the ability to cause a short-circuit in electronics.

Mothra's Fairies (Shobijin, Cosmos, and Elias)
Mothra is usually accompanied by two tiny priestesses or fairies (often called shobijin—Japanese for "small beauties") who also speak for her. For Mothra's first three film appearances these twin fairies were played by the Peanuts. In Mothra they demonstrate telepathic ability, within speaking range with people and over great distances with Mothra. They explain that while they call to Mothra in prayer and song, they and Mothra are also connected on some deeper level beyond their control, and it is this connection that impels Mothra to find them no matter where they are. These qualities are part of the continuity of all subsequent Mothra appearances. In Mothra vs. Godzilla the Shobijin also demonstrate teleportation, when trying to escape from Kumayama and Torahata. In Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster the girls translate not only Mothra's chirps but an entire conversation among three daikaiju. Decades later, in Godzilla: Tokyo SOS, two other shobijin (portrayed by Masami Nagasawa and Chihiro Ôtsuka) demonstrate telekenesis as well.

In the Godzilla films of the 1990s Mothra's priestesses (played by Keiko Imamura and Sayaka Osawa) identify themselves as Earth's Cosmos, who claim to have been created by the very life force of Earth, along with Mothra and Battra—a "Black Mothra" (as described in Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth) or Battle Mothra (as described in the Super Godzilla video game manual). The Cosmos speak not only for Battra and Mothra, but for the living Earth as well. The Cosmos say that Battra was first created by the Earth to balance the ecosystem, which was disrupted by the climate-altering device of an advanced civilization, 12,000 years ago. However, Battra proved to be a little too enthusiastic about its task, and not only destroyed the things of man, but of the natural order as well. The first Mothra was then created to restore the true balance, and stop Battra's rampage. The Cosmos revere both Mothra and Battra as two different divine forces of nature. They act concerned when Battra is injured, and are pleased when Mothra finds a nonviolent method of stopping Battra, "making friends", as they say in the film. They know when Battra has awoken, and what his tasks and motivations are, but Battra does not appear motivated to seek them out, unlike Mothra, who seems compelled to protect them, and talks to them directly.

In the Rebirth of Mothra trilogy, made in the late 1990s, Mothra's priestesses were the Elias; the Elias differ from earlier incarnations in that they are not mindlinked twins but individual persons, Moll (or Moru or Mona) and Lora. They are also seen to have an older sister, a dark Elias called Belvera. In addition to accompanying Mothra, the Elias would also ride smaller offspring called Fairy Mothras. Mothra would reprise the role of ancient guardian, though with only a passing homage to the Cosmos, (who were the twins from Gamera 3: Awakening of Irys ) in Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack. Popularity Toho had intended to follow Godzilla vs. Biollante with a revival of Mothra in her own spin-off film, Mothra vs. Bagan, for 1990 release. However, following the unimpressive box office performance of Biollante, Toho discarded the project in favor of another Godzilla film, Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991). A 1992 survey revealed that Mothra was Toho's most popular daikaiju among women, an observation which inspired Toho to again revise its plans, abandoning a proposed sequel to King Ghidorah in favor of a Godzilla–Mothra feature. Following the end of the Heisei Godzilla series, Toho produced a trilogy of Mothra films, known in the U.S. as Rebirth of Mothra (1996–1998). Mothra thus became the first Toho daikaiju to lead its own film(s) after its incorporation into the Godzilla franchise. Mothra is also one of the most famous Godzilla monsters

Video Games
Mothra appeared as a summonable monster in Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee. A Mothra-shaped icon, when picked up, calls in a "Mothra Air Strike", where she flies around the arena firing her antennae beams at all monsters besides the one who got the item. She does little damage with each attack, but it builds up. Mothra can be chased off if hit with a beam weapon, but this is difficult to do. However, Mothra is playable in the game's Game Boy Advance counterpart, Godzilla: Domination.

Mothra became playable in the sequel, Godzilla: Save the Earth. Players start as Larval Mothra, who is slow and has high defense and moderate attack. Larval Mothra can use her Silk Shot to immobilize foes, and can spear with her tail and roll around the arena to attack. Pressing R2 and L2 at the same time causes her to metamorph into Adult Mothra. Trading speed for defense and attack for weapons, Mothra relies on long-range assaults and good strategy. She can reflect most beam weapons away from her, and stun opponents when getting up or with a greenish mist. Mothra is unique in that she does not enter Rage Mode, instead she treats the Rage power-up as a Health and Energy Recover.

Mothra is also playable in Godzilla: Unleashed, and played similarly to Save the Earth, but to morph into adult form, the player must press A, B, C, and Z at the same time instead of R2 and L2.

Mothra's bio in Godzilla: Unleashed
Height:20 meters Weight:28,000 tons

"Mothra is a guardian of the earth. Mothra begins life as a giant larva, with a barbed tail and a web-spinning snout. Once danger threatens, however, Mothra cocoons herself and transforms into her flying adult form. As an adult, Mothra creates powerful gusts of wind from her wings, and creates clouds from her scales to reflect energy attacks. Although her wings appear frail, Mothra is a very capable melee opponent-using her superior mobility to strike her opponents quickly and then retreat. Mothra is devoted to rooting out the crystal corruption, and abhors monsters who absorb their energies for personal advancement."

Mothra is one of two playable characters in the 1988 Nintendo game Godzilla Monster of Monsters (the other playable character being Godzilla.) In this game Mothra fights by firing red fireballs/energy blasts from her head, and by flapping her wings and releasing her pollen/scales on enemies below.

Mothra in Other Media

 * In episode 40 of the Kimagure Orange Road anime TV series, the cast are making an amateur movie referencing certain elements from Mothra. They use the Kasuga family cat to play the part of a giant monster heading towards Tokyo with a final confrontation at Tokyo Tower and the Kasuga Twins playing the part of lost princesses that the monster is seeking. The twins even sing to the monster in order to calm it down and they ride on the monster back to their island paradise.
 * In the Love Hina anime, Motoko has a dream where Mutsumi Otohime appears as two tiny versions of herself who sing to summon a giant version of Tama-chan in a similar fashion to how Mothra is summoned by her fairies.


 * Mothra has a brief appearance in an episode of The Simpsons where Godzilla is attacking the plane the family is on along with Mothra, Gamera and Rodan.
 * A song by We Are Scientists, released on their 2002 LP Safety, Fun, and Learning (in that Order) is titled "Mothra Versus We Are Scientists".
 * A creature aesthetically similar to Mothra has a brief appearance in Episode 48 of Sonic X. On a mysterious island that both Sonic and friends and Dr. Eggman have come to investigate, Decoe and Bocoe disturb a giant moth that strongly resembles Mothra, although this beast is a savage toothy version with large red spheres at the ends of its antennae and is much smaller than Mothra.
 * The Pokémon anime makes a direct reference to Mothra through Caterpie. In an episode a giant Caterpie attacks a city similar to Tokyo and it evolves into Metapod while on a tower similar to Tokyo Tower.
 * Mothra is the name of a track on the 'Nosferatu' album (1979) by The Stranglers' lead-singer and guitarist Hugh Cornwell and Captain Beefheart percussionist Robert Williams.
 * The ToeJammers wrote a song about Mothra, in which Godzilla sings Mothra a letter he wrote that begs for her forgiveness.
 * During the events entailed in Silent Hill 1, the lead protagonist, Harry Mason encounters a large larva that he must fight. Later on, it is shown to have evolved into a very Mothra-like giant moth, who seeks revenge.
 * A common enemy in the Legend of Zelda series is a giant poisonous moth known as Mothula, an apparent play on Mothra's name.
 * In the Pokemon series, appearing in the Anime in one episode and in two movies, Giratina has a Mothra-like cry.
 * In the Kirby (series), a parody is seen in the anime. A monster named Mosugaba and the small twin girls were known as the Twin Nuts.
 * Pokemon Black and White features a Pokemon called Ulgamoth seems to be basedon Mothra due to the fact that it uses its scales to attack. An interesting note is that this Pokemon is a fire/bug type which may be a reference to Mothra bursting in flames in Godzilla Final Wars.

Filmography

 * Mothra (1961)
 * Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964) 1 loss 1 win
 * Ghidrah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964) 1 win
 * Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster (1966)
 * Destroy All Monsters (1968) 1 win
 * Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992) 2 wins
 * Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994)
 * Rebirth of Mothra (1996) 2 losses 1 win
 * Rebirth of Mothra II (1997) 1 loss 1 win
 * Rebirth of Mothra III (1998) 1 loss 2 wins
 * Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001) 1 loss
 * Godzilla: Tokyo SOS (2003) 1 loss 1 win
 * Godzilla: Final Wars (2004) 1 win

Trivia

 * Mothra is one of the few monsters that appeared in all three eras of Toho's Kaiju Eiga.
 * Mothra is one of the few forms of insect life form that appeared in the entire series.
 * Ever since her first appearence, Mothra's high-pitched chirp has been nothing more then the roar of the monster Anguirus, although spead up beyond recognition.