User:Project Predacon/Rodan (1956)

The 1956 Rodans ラドン (Radon) are giant pteranodon created by Toho that first appeared in the 1956 Toho film, Rodan.

Name
The Japanese name of Rodan, "Radon," is a contraction of "pteranodon" and may also have been chosen to suggest radiation. In the United States, the monster's name was changed to and trademarked as "Rodan."

ShodaiRado
The suit featured a large but slim body, enormous wings, and a large jagged-head. This Rodan's face was different from any of the later suits as it had a menacing, angry expression on its face.

Also, its beak was broader, more jagged and actually bared teeth inside its mouth. On top of its head, the suit had jagged horns. This suit also had large eyebrows which covered its eyes. It is unknown if this Rodan had pupils, but some models of the design sport distinctive pupils making it a possibility.

Roar
Rodan's roar was reused for many of the, such as the Heisei King Ghidorah and Battra.

Personality
In the original Rodan, the two Rodans are depicted as horrific and dangerous creatures who, despite their destructive nature, care deeply for each other and are unwilling to live without one another.

Origins
In the Showa era, Rodan is a Pteranodon that lived deep underground and was mutated from exposure to radiation and grew to gigantic size.

Rodan
In 1956's Rodan, there were two Rodans, a male and a female, both implied to be mates. They were awakened by mining operations in Kitamatsu along with a swarm of prehistoric insects called Meganulons. One of the creatures hatched from an egg located inside an underground cavern and proceeded to devour several Meganulons before flying out of the cavern.

Rodan performed an elusive airborne prowl across various Pacific countries such as China, the Philippines and Okinawa before finally revealing itself after it emerged from the foot of Mount Aso. As word spread of the monster's existence, no time was wasted, as the Japanese air force pursued the threat, leading directly to the city of Fukuoka. Following a fierce aerial dogfight, a fighter jet crashed into Rodan's wing, injuring the beast and neutralizing its ability to fly at supersonic speeds, although this does not stop Rodan from laying waste to the city.

Soon enough, a second Rodan appears to escort the other to safety, ending the rampage. As the two monsters prepare to hibernate by returning to their nest in Mount Aso, Japan's defense force performs a last-ditch effort to defeat the Rodans by bombarding the active volcano, triggering an eruption. As the two monsters attempt to escape, one is incapacitated by the lava and falls, burning to death. The second Rodan flew down to its dying companion, incinerating itself, leaving both Rodans to burn away in the molten rock.

Flight speed
Rodan's most noticeable trait is his flying speed, which has allowed him to effortlessly outmaneuver and outrun supersonic jets. Aside from his impressive speed and agility, Rodan possesses a variety of special abilities. He is capable of creating destructive shockwaves when flying, which he has used to demolish major cities such as Tokyo and Moscow. In addition, Rodan can cause powerful winds while on the ground by simply flapping his wings.

Uranium heat beam
Rodan could emit a blast of wind from his mouth in his first appearance, but this ability has never been used again.

Godzilla (2014 video game)
"A monster hatched from the spontaneously-mutated egg of a Pteranodon that lay dormant at the foot of Mt. Aso. First debuting in the film "Rodan" (1956), Rodan was branded as one of Toho's major three giant monsters along with Godzilla and Mothra, but it only made its second appearance in "Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster" 8 years later (1964)."

- Rodan Kaiju Guide bio

Rodan appears exclusively in the PlayStation 4 version of the 2014 Godzilla video game as a playable monster. He is based on his 1956 appearance from Rodan. Rodan has the ability to fly around the map far faster than the other flying monsters in the game, and can produce powerful sonic booms by clapping his wings together.

Godzilla: Kaiju Collection
Rodan appeared in his many incarnations within the 2015 game, ''Godzilla: Kaiju Collection.

In other languages

 * Russian: Родан
 * Chinese: 拉顿(Lā Dùn)

Films

 * Rodan

Video games

 * Godzilla: Kaiju Collection
 * Godzilla (2014 video game)