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Death Jackals (デスジャッカル,   Desu Jakkaru?) also known as Spinae Mortem, are reptilian kaiju that first appeared in the MonsterVerse comic, Skull Island: The Birth of Kong.

Name[]

Death Jackals are presumably named due to their aggressive behavior and their role as smaller yet deadly, agile predators in Skull Island's ecosystem, similar to Jackals.

Their scientific name, Spinae Mortem, translates to "Spine Death" in Latin.

Design[]

Appearance[]

Death Jackals resemble large theropods with vague mammalian traits. The creatures have long avian-like hindlimbs that end in three clawed digits, and a partly exoskeletal spine that produces hair-like spines that grow from the back of the skull and down the length of the monster's back, forming a thick mane. They have long-snouted, reptilian faces and a maw filled with bone-crushing teeth. Though primarily bipedal, their long clawed forelimbs allow the creatures to take on a quadrupedal posture. Death Jackal blood is described as "milky white".

Some Death Jackals can be seen with missing limbs and healed scars, a result of the creatures often feeding off of each other or even themselves.

Roar[]

The Death Jackals' roars are written as "ROUK".

Personality[]

Death Jackals are ravenous predatory monsters that are described as hyperenergetic by Monarch. Like the Skullcrawler, Death Jackals are constantly starving and must continuously feed. Their hunger is so intense that the creatures will more often feed off of each other and even themselves, leading to Monarch calling them "Self-predators" and believing them to be more of a threat to each other than to humanity.

Death Jackals live in packs numbering in the dozens, and will cooperate to take down prey when it is available.

Origins[]

With the agility of a leopard and the bite power of a great white shark, the Death Jackal is one of the most hyperenergetic creatures on the island.
The creature's spine is partly exoskeletal, sharpening into a mane of spike fibers that are as sharp as razor wires. Existing in a constant state of rabid ferocity, it will devour its own kind, and even itself if a kill is hard to come by, leading us to believe that the Death Jackal's appetites can only be sated by consuming its own species. Its atypical milky white blood is rich in calcium deposits, but given its vicious instinct to harm anything it encounters, it is hard to imagine that anything other than hatred pumps through their veins.
Self-predators that feed on their own kind, the Death Jackal is more of a threat to itself than it is to humanity.
― Monarch Creature Profile

History[]

Skull Island: The Birth of Kong[]

Almost immediately after a team of five Monarch operatives crash-land on Skull Island, a pack of Death Jackals attacks them, killing and dismembering Helen Karsten as the others retreat into a cave. The Death Jackals follow them, but before they can finish off the rest of the team, Kong's fist comes crashing down just outside the cave. When Kong reaches into the cave, several Death Jackals are crushed in his hand. The rest run out of the cave, only to be crushed beneath Kong's foot.

After Kong kills the Sirenjaw that attacked Aaron's team, a pack of Death Jackals and a flock of Psychovultures arrive to feed on the carcass.

A pack of Death Jackals later come in to attack Aaron's team again, but Riccio managed to gun them all down.

Godzilla: Aftershock[]

A taxidermied Death Jackal specimen is displayed in Monarch Outpost 14 in the Southern Philippines, which has been code named "Hollow Dark".

Kingdom Kong[]

A Death Jackal attempts to kill Audrey Burns and her team before it is shot and killed.

Godzilla x Kong: The Hunted[]

Death Jackals are among the creatures hunted by Raymond Martin in the Hollow Earth before he is confronted by Kong.

Abilities[]

Back spines[]

Death Jackals have a mane from head to tail of spines described as being "sharp as razor wires".

Durability[]

Death Jackals can survive even after having limbs torn off. Several well-placed gunshots are required to fully kill one.

Speed and agility[]

Death Jackals are described as hyper-energetic with the agility of a leopard, implying they have great speed coupled with their agility.

Strength and combat[]

The Death Jackal's jaws are powerful as a great white shark, and can easily mutilate and tear humans apart as seen with Helen Karsten. They can also use their clawed forelimbs to slash and grip prey.

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • The Death Jackals resemble the Deathrunners from the illustrated novel, Kong: King of Skull Island.
    • Death Jackals are also similar to the Jagras from the Capcom game, "Monster Hunter World", in terms of both look and behavior.
    • Being reptilian, dog-like creatures with spiky manes, pack-behavior, and ravenous, gluttonous appetites, the Death Jackals are also very similar to the Taotie from Legendary Pictures' 2017 film "The Great Wall". However, the Death Jackals look more like dinosaurs.
  • Many of the Death Jackals in the comic are shown missing limbs, and it's implied by the Monarch creature file for the Jackals, that they may have consumed their own limbs in fits of starvation.

List of appearances[]

Comics[]

Video games[]


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