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Spoiler SPOILER WARNING: This section may contain major plot and/or ending details. Proceed at your own discretion.
Beyond logic lies truth.
― Motto found on Monarch identification card circa 1972
Our Mission: Discovery and Defense in a Time of Monsters.
― Monarch's mission statement circa 2018[1]

Monarch (君主,   Kunshu?) is a major scientific organization created by Legendary Pictures that plays a substantial role in the MonsterVerse.

History[]

Formation[]

Monarch was founded in secrecy in around the late 1940s[2] to 1954[3] as a Japanese-American quasi-governmental coalition in order to hunt and study massive unidentified terrestrial organisms (MUTOs). 21st century Monarch figurehead Ishiro Serizawa's father Eiji is described as a "founding father" of the organization.[1]

Monarch was initially staffed primarily by William Randa, Keiko Miura and Lee Shaw, whom had first become aware of the existence of Titans in 1952 when they encountered with the Ion Dragon in the Philippines. One of Monarch's earliest discoveries was a gigantic footprint left by Godzilla, which the aforementioned trio brought to the attention of General Puckett, requesting uranium with the intention of luring Godzilla out of hiding to determine if he was an active threat. These actions led to the Castle Bravo atomic detonation in Bikini Atoll which was intended to kill Godzilla, despite Keiko and Randa's objections.

In the aftermath, Lee proposed to Puckett that Monarch be given extra funding and resources to expand their staff and construct worldwide outposts to monitor for any more Titans, at which point Puckett granted Monarch an unlimited budget. Lee, Randa, and Keiko also, still dissatisfied with the hasty military response to Godzilla's existence, agreed to keep any further Titan-related discoveries that they felt the military didn't need to know about to themselves, setting up a precedent which the organization would follow for decades afterwards in Monarch-government relations.

Mid to late 1950s[]

Military supervision of Monarch was given to Lieutenant Hatch in 1955, after General Puckett became dissatisfied with Shaw. Hatch sought to defund Monarch as he prioritized Soviet sleeper agents over the organization. Lee convinced Keiko and Bill to create a map of confirmed Titan sightings to prove that Monarch was worth it. Through the maps creation, Bill came up with the Hollow Earth theory that changed everything. Lee presented the entire package to Puckett in a last-ditch effort to save Monarch. Puckett wasn't convinced, which forced Lee to reveal they hadn't killed Godzilla at Bikini Atoll. This revelation cemented Monarch's importance. Lee leveraged his knowledge in exchange for Keiko and William to remain in charge of Monarch.[4]

Four years later in 1959, Keiko, Bill, and Lee traveled to an exploded nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan to prove their Hollow Earth theory. They found embryonic Endoswarmers beneath the bedrock of the plant, more specifically, nearest to where the nuclear reactor exploded. Keiko went to collect genetic samples when she was overwhelmed by freshly hatched Endoswarmers. Lee tried desperately to save her with help from Billy, but the Endoswarmers overwhelmed the rope and dragged Keiko through the portal.[5]

Mission: Skull Island[]

In 1973, Monarch collaborated with Landsat to conduct an expedition to an island in the South Pacific called Skull Island after it was discovered via satellite, with William Randa, Houston Brooks, and San Lin representing the organization. Around this time, the organization was nearly bankrupt. Randa also recruited a military squadron headed by Preston Packard as a military escort under the pretext of geological research. During the expedition, Monarch encountered Kong and the various fauna of Skull Island, as well as the Iwi natives and a marooned U.S. Air Force pilot named Hank Marlow, who told them about a rivalry between Kong's species and the deadly Skullcrawlers. At the end of the expedition only a few were lucky to survive following various encounters with some of the island's deadly fauna.

After returning from Skull Island, Brooks and Lin debriefed survivors, James Conrad and Mason Weaver, before presenting them with a slideshow, showing four ominous cave paintings, with each depicting a giant creature.

Awakening in 2014[]

In 1999, Ishiro Serizawa and his assistant Vivienne Graham were sent by Monarch to the Philippines to investigate the cave-in of a mine. There, they discovered the skeleton of another member of Godzilla's species that died long ago and two parasitic spores, one of which had hatched.

The creature that hatched from the spore arrived at the nuclear power plant in Janjira, where it attached itself to the reactor to feed. Monarch quickly quarantined the city to study the creature, codenamed MUTO. In 2014, the MUTO burst free from its cocoon and destroyed Monarch's facilities and flew away. Serizawa and Graham then assisted the U.S. military in tracking and studying the MUTO and Godzilla once he emerged to hunt it.

Jinshin-Mushi[]

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Bill Randa's files[]

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The Mass Awakening[]

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Hollow Earth expedition[]

TBA

Mysterious distress signal[]

TBA


Timeline[]

Beginning on June 21, 2017, social media pages for Skull Island began to post weekly videos detailing Monarch's timeline of events from the years 1915 to 2016. While certain timeline events have been named, the full descriptions of said events have not been revealed as of yet.

1915 - Splitting the Atom[]

Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity ultimately leads to the splitting of the atom and the dawn of the Atomic Age. This epoch-defining stage in human evolution will act as a beacon that awakens ancient superspecies sustained by nuclear energy.[6]

1943 - The U.S.S. Lawton Incident[]

In 1943, William Randa was serving on the U.S.S. Lawton when the ship came under attack by an Ion Dragon. The destruction it brought sunk the ship and left Randa the sole survivor. Haunted by the memory of that day, Randa came to believe that such creatures have no conscience and determined to destroy them, went on to become one of Monarch's foremost operatives, searching for the truth behind the ancient creatures that exist beneath the surface of the world.

1946 - Monarch Founded[]

In the aftermath and cover-up of the U.S.S. Lawton Incident, President Truman unofficially establishes "Monarch Unit", a small, off-book research team established to engage in the systematic study of "massive unidentified terrestrial organisms". Privately, many of Truman's allies question the validity of the group's theories and work to keep their existence a secret.

1952 - The Great Smog of London[]

Baffling meteorologists and defying atmospheric physicists, this unexplained phenomenon saw London's streets overwhelmed by huge clouds of air-polluting smoke. Monarch theorizes that the beating wings of a giant creature could have created an anticyclone that unleashed airborne pollutants across the city.

1954 - Monarch Goes Global[]

1959 - Siberian Mystery[]

At the height of the Cold War, aerial photography taken from a Russian spy plane reveals a huge containment facility established around an ice cap in Siberia. The Monarch symbol can be seen emblazoned across the canopy of the structure.

1973 - Mission: Skull[]

Monarch surreptitiously partners with Landsat and the 1st Aviation Brigade, 3rd Assault Helicopter company to mount an expedition to the mythical "Skull Island" in an uncharted corner of the South Pacific. Encountering the god-like superspecies known as Kong, they soon discover that mankind does not belong here.[7]

1991 - Isla de Mara[]

A covert Monarch team establishes a quarantine zone around the island's dormant volcano, under the guise of "environmental research". Over the coming years, what began as a small scientific outpost will expand to become a full containment facility around the mouth of the volcano.[8]

1995 - Return to Skull Island[]

Monarch security officer Aaron Brooks defies his father, Houston Brooks, and leads an off-the-books mission to Skull Island, to not only determine what has become of Kong since the 1973 expedition, but also for assurance that Kong is on their side.

1999 - Janjira Meltdown[]

After hatching from a spore in Dagon's fossilized skeleton in the Philippines, the male MUTO traveled to the nearest nuclear site, the Janjira Nuclear Power Plant, thus killing Sandra Brody, and a few other staff members who were with her. The Janjira Power Plant collapsed, having the city around it evacuated and quarantined for safety purposes. Dr. Serizawa and his assistant, Dr. Graham, returned to the site fifteen years later to place an outpost, so they can study the MUTO's cocoon.

2005 - A Mysterious Mercenary[]

Former British Army Colonel and MI-6 agent Alan Jonah is locked up in Pakistani prison after an encounter with Monarch agents. Alan and his band of mercenary accomplices were caught trying to breach the walls of a subterranean M.U.T.O. dig-site.

2009 - Temple of the Moth[]

Mythographic studies of Chinese temples lead Monarch to the high-altitude jungles of the Yunnan province. Dr. Emma Russell and her team follow a mysterious bio-acoustic signature to a previously undiscovered megalithic temple, within which lies a gigantic cocoon. A quickening heartbeat is detected inside.

2012 - Message in a Bottle[]

Days before retirement, Monarch veteran Houston Brooks receives an encrypted recorder bearing a message from his son. His unauthorized mission to Skull Island has resulted in the death of the whole crew (except himself) and revealed dramatic new information about Kong's origins, his role on the island and how Skull Island had evolved since his dad's "visit".

2014 - The Battle of San Francisco[]

The existence of giant superspecies is revealed to the world as Godzilla clashes with two MUTOs in the center of San Francisco, unleashing devastation upon the urban center. The world watches as Godzilla defends our world and restores balance to the natural order. The time has come for Monarch to step out of the shadows.

2016 - Monster Zero[]

When Monarch discovers an extraordinary superspecies sealed beneath the Antarctic ice sheet, Dr. Vivienne Graham leads the effort to build a covert containment and research facility around the dormant creature. Her classified field notes contain a mysterious footnote: "The devil has three heads".[9]

Notable members[]

Notable paraphernalia[]

While much of Monarch's paraphernalia is relatively unknown, it is known that Aaron Brooks used a special recorder that featured military-grade bubble memory (which kept the files intact) and password protection.

It is shown to be capable of being plugged into a computer through a cable similar in size to an audio cable (for unlocking the password), and like most military paraphernalia, the recorder also features a serial number related to the owner in question. The audio speaker is located on the back of the recorder, and it appears to feature dual microphones on top. It is also capable of producing a mayday signal.

The password can be selected by the owners as well, in the case of Aaron's, the password is "Gjallarhorn" (due to his father, Houston, reading him Norse mythology as a child, and it became a shared password between father and son).

Monarch also uses Kevlar "float bags" (most notably, Aaron used one to send his recorder out to sea akin to a "message in a bottle") while the purpose of said bags is not spoken by the workers, writing on the bag shows that the primary purpose is to contain (and aid in the disposal of) extremely hazardous materials.

As stated by Aaron Brooks, Monarch has its field manual. Additionally, as seen in Godzilla, they have hazmat suits and Geiger counters for highly-irradiated environments.

Military[]

During the 1990's, the "Monarch Field Manual" stated that "If you must resort to weaponry, in all likelihood, you've already made a mistake." which implies that Monarch personnel were initially encouraged to approach and resolve situations with a cautious and non-lethal solution. Indeed, during the organization's early years, Monarch relied entirely on the armed forces of major nations to assist in its operations, primarily the U.S. Military.

As of the events King of the Monsters in the year 2019, Monarch is seen to have been heavily militarized with several different service branches akin to a conventional military. Its Air Force was comprised of numerous Bell Boeing V-22 Ospreys, Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter jets, and most notably the organization's mobile headquarters, the USS Argo. Pilot Audrey Burns was part of a squadron of experimental fighter jets designed to combat Titans. In terms of ground forces, a special forces group dubbed "G-Team" was created for battles involving the Titans, with many of its members being pulled from the ranks of the United States Military.

By 2024, Monarch is seen to command a modest naval fleet comprised of numerous cruisers, destroyers, at least one aircraft carrier, one modified cargo freighter, and at least one battleship. Because battleships have been phased out of most of the world's modern-day naval forces by the end of the 20th century, this implies that Monarch purchases decommissioned warships.

Headquarters[]

As revealed in King of the Monsters, Monarch has outposts around the globe that were constructed to study Titans that were located there.

  • Outpost 1 - Hollow Earth: Outpost One serves a observation post on Kong’s habitat in the Hollow Earth, it is also where the prototype of “Project Powerhouse” is being stored, the outpost was destroyed by a Ape-like titan.
  • Outpost 4 - California
  • Outpost 14 - Mindanao, the Philippines (Male and Female MUTO hatch site)
  • Outpost 15 - Janjira, Japan (Male MUTO)
  • Outpost 32 - Antarctica (Ghidorah)
  • Outpost 33 - Skull Island (Kong)[10][11]
  • Outpost 47 - Utah
  • Outpost 49 - Loch Ness, Scotland (Leviathan)[10]
  • Outpost 53 - Stone Mountain, Georgia (Tiamat)[10]
  • Outpost 54 - Castle Bravo, Bermuda (Godzilla)
  • Outpost 55 - Sedona, Arizona (Scylla)
  • Outpost 56 - Isla de Mara, Mexico (Rodan)
  • Outpost 57 - Machu Picchu, Peru (Quetzalcoatl)[10]
  • Outpost 58 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Behemoth)[10][11]
  • Outpost 61 - Yunnan Rainforest, China (Mothra)
  • Outpost 65 - Cairo, Egypt (Sekhmet)[10]
  • Outpost 66 - Manpupuner Rock Formations, Russia (Amhuluk)[10]
  • Outpost 67 - Munich, Germany (Methuselah)
  • Outpost 68 - Volubilis, Morocco (Baphomet)[10]
  • Outpost 75 - Jebel Barkal, Sudan (Mokele-Mbembe)[10][11]
  • Outpost 77 - Devils Tower, Wyoming (Abbadon)
  • Outpost 88 - Fairbanks, Alaska
  • Outpost 91 - Mount Fuji, Japan (Yamata no Orochi)[10]
  • Outpost 92 - Angkor Wat, Cambodia (Typhon)[10]
  • Outpost 99 - Uluru/Ayers Rock, Australia (Bunyip)[10]
  • Outpost 236 - Skull Island (Kong Dome): Monarch Outpost #236 is a large dome-like structure with an artificial recreation of the island's original environment. It is constructed to contain Kong after a storm generated by Ghidorah had combined with the storm cell perpetually surrounding Skull Island, causing the island to be consumed by a neverending superstorm.
  • Kong Monitoring Station (Hollow Earth): This facility was constructed when Kong moved in the Hollow Earth as his new home.
  • Hollow Earth Access Point (Barbados): This facility was constructed near a portal to the Hollow Earth that appeared in the Caribbean island of Barbados.
  • Unnamed Headquarters in Arlington, Virginia
  • Unnamed Indian Ocean Outpost (Na Kika)
  • Unnamed Command Post in Alaska

Potential Titan locations shown in King of The Monsters.[]

A map in the movie showing possible compromised locations of both known and unknown Titans can be seen. There is a point that looks close to Hoboken, New Jersey, where Queen MUTO was hibernating and later awoke. One of the only confirmations of Titanus Na Kika’s outpost outside the novelization also seems to be shown.

D1C7D28D-E44E-43FD-A471-6521973750C0

The map of the compromised outposts.

  • A dig site in Bosnia.
  • A dig site in Pakistan.
  • Hoboken, New Jersey. Confirmed location. (Queen MUTO)
  • Unnamed Mexican Outpost.
  • Unnamed Columbian Outpost
  • Unnamed Israeli Outpost
  • Roswell, New Mexico (mentioned in Godzilla vs. Kong by Bernie Hayes).

Bunkers[]

Monarch Bunker Map

Map of bunker locations.

In King of the Monsters, it's revealed that Monarch established bunkers around the world to shelter humanity if Titans should pose a serious threat to the planet.

  • Bunker 08 - Detroit, Michigan
  • Bunker 09 - Boston, Massachusetts
  • Bunker 10 - Washington, D.C.
  • Unnamed Hong Kong Bunker - Hong Kong, China

Non-canon[]

Godzilla: Awakening[]

Monarch was founded in secrecy in 1946[12] as a joint coalition between several governments in order to hunt and study massive unidentified terrestrial organisms (MUTOs). The first such creature Monarch studied was Shinomura, a deadly hive-minded radioactive creature composed of many smaller composite lifeforms.

One of Monarch's operatives, Eiji Serizawa, also was intrigued by eyewitness accounts of a "giant lizard that walked like a man" that seemed to be chasing Shinomura throughout the islands. Serizawa called this creature "Gojira", after Pacific Island legends describing him. In 1954, Monarch cooperated with the United States military to lure Godzilla and Shinomura to Bikini Atoll, where both were thought to be killed by the Castle Bravo nuclear bomb "test". Shinomura was confirmed to be destroyed by the bomb's blast. Godzilla, however, managed to survive.

Decades later, in 1981, Eiji told his son Ishiro about his experiences and belief that Godzilla was still alive somewhere. After Ishiro's father died, he was approached by Shaw, a representative of Monarch and his father's colleague, who offered him the opportunity to join the organization and continue his father's work. Ishiro Serizawa readily agreed and became a member of Monarch.

It is revealed that Monarch has possessed a museum with several MUTO exhibitions since 1940.

Trivia[]

  • According to Godzilla: Awakening, Monarch was the first mixed Japanese-American government unit created since World War II.
  • In Godzilla, Vivienne Graham tells Ford Brody that Monarch was founded in 1954, but Godzilla: Awakening, Kong: Skull Island and the official Monarch timeline contradicts this saying Monarch was founded in 1946.
    • It is entirely possible that since President Truman "unofficially" established Monarch, they were never considered an "official" group (on the level of groups such as the CIA or the FBI) and as a result, they were never given proper funding for their projects (as they were nearly bankrupt around the time of "Mission: Skull"), and that Monarch was "officially" founded in 1954 as a true group (as the timeline states they "went global" in 1954).
  • In Skull Island: The Birth of Kong, it is heavily implied that Monarch is ahead of everyone else technologically, as Aaron's recorder looks exactly like a Zoom H4n (albeit with minor differences), a digital recorder released in 2009, but Aaron had it in his possession during his off-the-books expedition to Skull Island circa 1995.
  • Monarch Sciences revealed that Monarch has three clearance levels: Green, Amber, and Crimson.

List of appearances[]

Films[]

Television[]

Comics[]

Novels[]

Video games[]

References[]

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