Rodan (MonsterVerse)

"Local legends call him Rodan, the Fire Demon."

- Ilene Chen (Godzilla: King of the Monsters)

Rodan ラドン (Radon) of the MonsterVerse, also dubbed Titanus Rodan, is a prehistoric flying reptile  created by Legendary Pictures that appears in the 2019 film, Godzilla: King of the Monsters as the secondary antagonist.

Name
Rodan's original name, 'Radon', is based on 'Pteranodon'. The spelling of Radon in Japanese also corresponds to the name of Ladon, a dragon-like monster represented in Greek Mythology.

Appearance
This incarnation of Rodan has a larger wingspan compared to any of his interpretations, with a fiery glow coating the bottom edge. His physique and general appearance bear a strong resemblance to a bird of prey, with dark-red skin, a v-split crest with the ends curling inward. He lacks teeth, much like the Showa and Millenium incarnations, though his beak has a serrated look to it, giving the illusion of teeth. He retains the spade-shaped tail from his 1956, Showa, and 2004 incarnations. His eyes are yellow and rather cat-like. He still retains spikes on his chest, though, compared to other incarnations, they are smaller and less defined.

Portrayal
Rodan is portrayed through a mix of motion capture from Jason Liles and CGI.

Roar
Rodan's roar is more akin to a screech or a scream, and is quite different from the roars of his previous incarnations. Rodan also makes low, guttural clicks and growls that sound oddly similar to the MUTOs, albeit deeper in tone.

Personality
Rodan possesses an aggressive nature. He is seen destroying jets and other aircraft that fly near him, but whether this is done out of defense or pure malice is debatable.

It is revealed that like most of the other Titans, Rodan's allegiance is to the Alpha, regardless of the latter's intentions. When Ghidorah overpowers Rodan and seemingly had Godzilla killed, Rodan acknowledges Ghidorah as the new Alpha Titan and follows him no matter what. Rodan aids Ghidorah in his battle against Godzilla by fighting Mothra, only to be incapacitated when Mothra stabs him with her stinger. Upon seeing Godzilla destroying Ghidorah, Rodan acknowledges the former as the new Alpha Titan by being the first to bow down to him.

Origins
"Within a Monarch containment facility atop the active Isla de Mara volcano, a mysterious Titan lies in pyrostasis within the restless magma. The legends speak of it as the "Fire Demon" or "The One Born of Fire", but a simpler name echoes through the ancient temples of volcanically active regions: "Rodan". A volcanic internal combustion system of magma flows throughout a body covered in rock-like scales that act as geothermal armor. While much larger in size, Rodan has a skeletal structure similar to that of a Pteranodon - one of the earliest vertebrates known to have developed the power of flight. Just as Kong is the king of the primates, Rodan may have once been the king of the skies. Because of the extreme temperatures within this particular containment facility, current lab equipment can't function properly. As a result, thermal heat signatures on the creature are impossible to collect, and Monarch detection crews conducted cardiograms via aerial satellite for life sign detection and verification. Much like the volcano that incubates it, Rodan is alive but dormant. Rodan's wings are wrapped around its body in stasis, but our cryptos estimate a wingspan big enough to create a sonic thunderclap capable of leveling entire cities as it flies overhead. RF-Capture scans reveal that Rodan's skin is not made of rock, but does have an outer dermis of sharp volcanic sediment collected from centuries of dormancy. Sci-ops theorizes the vulcanized appearance of its skin may be an evolutionary trait developed as a form of camouflage against mountain or large rock formations. Truly, a Titan forged in fire."

- Cryptid Profile The MonsterVerse Rodan is a member of a prehistoric superspecies known as Titanus Rodan who have existed for over millions of years, co-evolving alongside other giant monsters like Godzilla and the Titans. The species evolved volcanic and rock-like characteristics to lie dormant and hidden against mountains and rock formations, in the process developing pyrokinetic abilities. One member of the species, as shown in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, is found by Monarch hibernating within a volcano on Isla de Mara, Mexico.

Kong: Skull Island
In 1971, Houston Brooks and San Lin briefed James Conrad and Mason Weaver on multiple other monsters who once ruled the world alongside Kong. This included Rodan, along with Godzilla, Mothra, and Ghidorah, who were shown to the two via classified Monarch cave paintings.

1991
Under the guise of "environmental research", a Monarch team established a quarantine zone around the dormant volcano on Isla de Mara. Over the years, the zone grew from a small scientific outpost into a full containment facility around the mouth of the volcano, which is then dubbed Monarch Outpost 56.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters
In Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Rodan is lying dormant in a Monarch facility located in a volcano until Emma Russell and the rest of Alan Jonah's eco-terrorist group deactivate the containment grid and use the ORCA to awaken him, causing the volcano to erupt. Monarch fighter jets attack Rodan in an attempt to lure him to Monster Zero. Rodan gives chase and levels a nearby city with the sonic waves caused by the flapping of his wings. Rodan destroys the majority of the squadron, save for the USS Argo, which leads him to Monster Zero. The two Titans briefly battle in the middle of the storm created by Monster Zero, with the three-headed dragon gaining the upper hand and sending Rodan plummeting into the sea. Rodan escapes the area before the Oxygen Destroyer is detonated, and is seen bowing to Monster Zero (now dubbed Ghidorah by Monarch) while it is perched atop the Isla de Mara volcano, acknowledging the new Titan as the Alpha.

Rodan accompanies Ghidorah as it builds a roost in Washington DC, where he engages with Monarch in another aerial dogfight. When Madison Russell activates the ORCA in Boston, attracting the attention of Ghidorah, Rodan follows the Alpha Titan.

In Boston, Rodan engages Mothra in battle, where she is pinned to a building. As Rodan attempts to kill Mothra, she stabs him through the left shoulder, incapacitating him for the duration of the battle between Godzilla and Ghidorah. After Godzilla kills Ghidorah, Rodan and the other Titans acknowledge Godzilla as their new Alpha by bowing down to him.

News clippings during the credits reveal that Rodan has flown to and made a nest in a volcano north of Fiji, and his presence has attracted thousands of spectators.

Bio-volcanic Nature
Rodan possesses an internal volcanic combustion system, causing him to radiate heat, the temperature of which can reach up to. He can also expel lava from the orifices located on the outer edges of his wings and he used this ability to scorch Mothra's wings, weakening her ability to fly. The novelization reveals that Rodan is able to make volcanoes erupt by simply flying over them.

Cyclonic Drift Streams
When flying at top speed, Rodan's massive wings are powerful enough to create a sonic thunderclap that can level entire cities as he flies overhead.

Durability
Due to his geothermal armor and size, Rodan is able to completely shrug off bullets from rifles and hibernate inside a dormant volcano for millennia. He can even withstand the full force of Ghidorah's gravity beams. Even after Mothra used her stinger to stab him in his sternum, Rodan was merely incapacitated and managed to recover after a short period of time.

Flight
Despite being much larger in size, Rodan has a skeletal structure similar to that of a Pteranodon and thus is capable of fast, long-distance flight.

Speed and Agility
Rodan is fast enough to keep up with military fighter jets, the Argo, and to intercept Mothra from attacking Ghidorah.

Strength and Combat
Rodan uses his beak, talons, and wings as his primary weapons. He can easily crush fighter jets with his beak and talons before performing a 360° spin mid-flight, using his wings to destroy surrounding fighter jets. Rodan is also strong enough to grapple in the sky with other flying Titans such as Ghidorah and Mothra.

Mothra's Stinger
Although Rodan's geothermal armor makes him invulnerable to most forms of attacks, Mothra's stinger is able to pierce through it and makes him writhe in agonizing pain.

Trivia

 * Rodan is somewhat smaller than the original Rodan in the Showa era films, however it is possible that Rodan's height could be a matter of posture whether or not to be forward‐bent.
 * This Rodan is the first of its incarnations with a wider wingspan than that of Mothra within the same continuity.
 * As seen on the Monarch Sciences website, Monarch Outpost 56, where Rodan is contained homages 1956, the year when Rodan was released.

List of appearances

 * Kong: Skull Island
 * Godzilla: King of the Monsters