Manda (Atragon)

Template:Tabber2Showa Template:Infobox Monster Manda (マンダ,   Manda^?) is a sea dragon kaiju created by Toho that first appeared in the 1963 film Atragon

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Name

Manda's name could be a combination of the Japanese words "man" (万^?) and "daija" (大蛇^?), which when combined mean "ten thousand serpent."

Appearance

Manda resembles an Eastern dragon, as he has four legs, multiple horns on the head all the way down to the tail, and two barbs coming from the face. In Atragon, Manda's roar was deeper and his eyes had slit pupils.

Roar

Manda's roars in the Showa series were primarily made from human rasps and grunts from tigers or lions. These sounds would later be reused for Godzilla's grunts and growls. In Destroy All Monsters, Manda's roars were sped up and raised in pitch. In Godzilla: Final Wars, Manda was given a variety of roars from different animals, typically lions. The roars were mixed with snarls from a leopard, tigers and other inorganic sounds..

Origins

In the Showa series, Manda was the guardian of Mu, an underwater kingdom. How Manda became its protector and how long he had been protecting it is unknown.

Manda's origins in Godzilla: Final Wars are unknown.

History

Showa Series

Atragon

Manda in Atragon

Manda was a dragon that lived in the sea and was the guardian of Mu, an underwater kingdom.

When the Gotengo attacked, Manda fought it and wrapped his body around the ship and trying to crush it. But Gotengo charged electricity and unleashed it on Manda, badly shocking him. Manda unwrapped himself and tried to swim away. Gotengo chased after, and fired the Absolute Zero Cannon, which froze Manda.

Destroy All Monsters

Manda in Destroy All Monsters

Manda was taken to live on Monsterland in Destroy All Monsters. In 1999, the Kilaaks came to Earth and took control of Manda and the other monsters of the island, and made them attack major cities around the world.

Manda attacked London, eventually ending up in Tokyo where he crushed a monorail line. Then, the people of the world freed them from the mind control, and the monsters were sent to fight King Ghidorah. Manda did not fight in the battle, and watched from the sidelines with Varan and Baragon. After King Ghidorah was defeated, Manda and the other kaiju returned to Monsterland.

All Monsters Attack

Manda also made a very brief appearance in All Monsters Attack, but only in a brief glimpse of recycled stock footage.

Millennium Series

Godzilla: Final Wars

Manda in Godzilla: Final Wars

In the Millennium series, Manda attacks Normandy, when the Gotengo comes to stop it and attacks Manda in the English Channel . At first, Manda was able to constrict himself around the Gotengo and pull the warship further and further into the depths of the water, severely damaging it. However, the crew spotted an underwater volcano and charged into it, with Manda stuck on their ship. Unable to withstand the heat, Manda was forced to uncoiled himself and swam away. The Gotengo managed to get out of the volcano, but Manda charged at the ship. The Gotengo turned around 180 degrees and fired the maser cannon to freeze the weakened Manda, and then rammed into him with its powerful drill, breaking him into pieces and killing him in the process.

Abilities

Constriction

Manda does not have any special weapons, but he can wrap his body around an enemy and crush them similar to how a snake constricts his prey.

Waterborne nature

Although he is slow on land, Manda can also swim very fast and can breathe while submerged in water.

Ultra Sonic Power

Manda from Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters continuity was able to emit/shoot powerful ultra sonic shock waves from its developed sonar organ.

Fireballs

In the video game Godzilla: Monster of Monsters, Manda has the ability to spit fireballs.

Video games

Godzilla: Monster of Monsters

Manda appeared within the video game Godzilla: Monster of Monsters.

Manda in Godzilla: Monster of Monsters

Godzilla (2014 video game)

A dragon-like monster worshiped 12,000 years ago as a guardian deity of the underwater Kingdom of Mu. It coils its long body around its enemies and then constricts, crushing them. It first debuted in the film "Atragon" (1962). Its second appearance was in the film "Destroy All Monsters" (1968), where it was a protected species of Monsterland. However, lacking any horns or barbs, it instead grew prickles on its back in lieu of a mane. Controlled by the Kilaaks, it landed in Tokyo Bay and laid waste to the monorail and surrounding environs.

Manda appeared a third time in the film "Godzilla: Final Wars" (2004) as a deep sea monster, battling against the Gotengo in the deep waters off the cost of Normandy. The strangling attack it performs with its body is called the "Binding Breaker".

The original model for Manda had fins all the way down its side from neck to its tail. These were notably absent from its second form.

― Manda Kaiju Guide bio

Comics

Godzilla: Rulers of Earth

Manda appears in Godzilla: Rulers of Earth issue #3 along with Gezora. Manda appeared and destroys an aircraft carrier. Manda was later revealed to be a "water monster", along with Titanosaurus and Gezora. After a brief fight with Godzilla, the trio of aquatic monsters retreated. Later, the trio, now joined by a revived Destoroyah, fought Godzilla underwater. During the fight, the military used a new sonar blaster to confuse Gezora, Manda and Titanosaurus, making them flee, leaving Destoroyah to deal with Godzilla and the military. After the Devonians were defeated, Manda was seen living in the oceans near the Monster Islands. Lucy Casprell stated that Zilla was unable to get onto the island because of the monsters keeping him in the ocean and off land, Manda possibly being the cause of it. When the Trilopods invaded the Monster Islands and captured the monsters, Manda was not seen, although a Trilopod with Manda's characteristics was seen during the final battle in Los Angeles.

Godzilla: Cataclysm

Manda is briefly shown in issue 1, fighting Anguirus by wrapping himself around the monster.

Manda constricts Anguirus

In other languages

• Russian: Манда 
• Chinese: 曼达 (Màndá)

Trivia

• Manda, along with Gorosaurus and Varan, are some of the few kaiju that appeared in Godzilla films which aren't related to Godzilla, had appeared alongside him, and never fought him at all.
  • However, there was a deleted scene in Destroy All Monsters that would have had Manda fighting Godzilla.
  • Manda finally does battle with Godzilla in Godzilla: Rulers of Earth.
• In the manga version of Destroy All Monsters, Manda takes part in the final battle with King Ghidorah, wrapping around his wing.
• A giant snake in Naruto has the same name as Manda as well as bearing some similarities.

Manda and Moguera's cameos in the second Urusei Yatsura feature film.

• Manda shares his name with the Manda Formation in Tanzania, Africa.

List of appearances

Films

• Atragon (First appearance)
• Destroy All Monsters
• All Monsters Attack (Stock Footage)
• Terror of Mechagodzilla (Stock Footage)
• Godzilla: Final Wars

Video games

• Godzilla: Monster of Monsters
• Godzilla, King of the Monsters (Gameboy)
• Godzilla (Arcade) (Cameo)
• Godzilla: Heart-Pounding Monster Island!!
• Godzilla Movie Studio Tour
• Godzilla: Trading Battle
• Godzilla Generations
• Godzilla Unleashed: Double Smash
• Godzilla (2014 video game) (Kaiju Guide)

Comics

• Godzilla: Rulers of Earth
• Godzilla: Cataclysm

References

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