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, the 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 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.

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 Rodan follows the most powerful Titan, which is shown when he submits to Ghidorah after the latter overpowers him. Rodan aids Ghidorah in his battle against Godzilla by fighting Mothra. When Godzilla destroys Ghidorah, Rodan acknowledges the former as the new alpha by bowing down to him.

Director Michael Dougherty describes Rodan as a "winged A-bomb", stating "he's a bit of a rogue, you never quite know where his loyalties lie."

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

This rendition of 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.

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 Ghidorah while it is perched atop the Isla de Mara volcano, recognizing it 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 chest, incapacitating him for the duration of the battle between Godzilla and Ghidorah. After Godzilla kills Ghidorah and is acknowledged by the other Titans as the alpha among them, Rodan approaches the king of the monsters and bows before him.

News clippings during the credits reveal that Rodan returned to Isla de Mara and is roosting again in his volcano.

Bio-volcanic Nature
Rodan possesses an internal volcanic combustion system, causing him to radiate heat, the temperature of which can reach up to.

Cyclonic Drift Streams
At top speeds, 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 body and Mothra's attacks. Even after Mothra pierced her stinger through his body, 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 that allows to keep up with military fighter jets.

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, as well as push other Titans such as Ghidorah and Mothra down from the sky. Rodan can 360° spin mid-flight, using his wings to destroy surrounding fighter jets.

Trivia

 * Rodan is somewhat smaller than the original Rodan in Showa era, 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