With IDW creating the comic series Godzilla: Rage Across Time - which showed Godzilla attacking at different points in history as opposed to the modern day such as Feudal Japan, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome (around the time that Hannibal was crossing the Alps) and Prehistoric Times - while another of the comics showed Mothra fighting against Megaguirus in England around the time that the Black Death plague was ravaging the country.
IDW also had the comic series Godzilla: The Half-Century War - which showed Godzilla surviving the events in 1954 and later attacking Vietnam during the war in 1967, Ghana in 1975 and Bombay in 1987.
There was also the Dark Horse King of the Monsters comic series that briefly had Godzilla timetraveling due to the machinations of Doctor Mason - appearing in Pompeii before Vesuvius erupted, Elizabethan England (during the war against the Spanish Armada) and later Victorian England; he was also responsible for causing the San Fransisco earthquake and the sinking of the Titanic.
Outside of Godzilla, Gorgo also has had a time-travelling misadventure as part of a plan to try and get rid of him - which resulted in him and a scientist winding up in the time of the Dinosaurs, the second Ice Age, a 19th century conflict in Europe and finally the Spanish-American War before getting back to their own time.
It got me thinking, what would happen if monsters did indeed emerge at different times in history and how would it affect history?
So, if you were in charge of making a monster film - be it Godzilla, Gamera or another monster (feel free to give them some powers if you feel the situation would be better) - and you set it in a certain time period and location other than the modern day, how do you think their presence and actions/reactions would affect history?
Here's an example from me:
01 - Monster: Gorgo (I'm basing him off his comic incarnation, who traveled around the world and was curious/friendly towards humanity unless provoked - in which case he would hunt down and defeat/destroy his aggressors. Also for this one, I'd give him an energy beam as he's remarkably durable in the comics but that's about it in regards to his powers).
02 - Time period and/or Location: 1940 (World War 2)
03 - History change: I'd have Gorgo swim up the Thames when he sees the various German bombers and fighters heading towards London during the events of the Blitz - following them out of curiosity due to his young age.
Upon surfacing from the Thames upon reaching London as the city is bombed, however, he's attacked by the Germans - which angers the young monster and he engages the aircraft with his energy beam. Following the aircraft as they retreat, he eventually makes it to Europe - attacking the military forces sent to stop him as defeating Gorgo becomes top priority for the Axis.
As Gorgo makes his way across Europe with the Germans throwing all they can at him, Britain and their allies use Gorgo's advance to their advantage - taking on the remnants of the Axis forces left behind to secure the positions and recapture territory. This process continues and leads to Italy's ousting of Mussolini and peace with the Allied forces against Germany much earlier - with Italy joining the Allies in following Gorgo's rampage across Europe.
Gorgo's revenge against the Axis eventually leads him and the allies to Berlin - with Hitler killed in the battle that follows and the War in Europe coming to an end years earlier.
With his foes defeated, Gorgo now turns around and heads back to the ocean - leaving the Allies to deal with Japan alone - which will still take years although in this case may be won without the use of the atomic bombs (not sure on that one).
So, what ideas do you guys have?
There's no right or wrong answers here, just your own opinion. That said, try to have some level of detail with your answers instead of a single sentence response - get your thinking meat cooking.