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The 1973 classic "Godzilla vs Megalon" pits the god of an underwater civilization, Seatopia, and their alien pal Gigan against a robot named Jet Jaguar. Tired of having underwater nuclear tests run in their neighborhood, the Seatopians hatch a plan to reduce Tokyo to a pile of rubble. They steal a robot (Jet Jaguar), unleash Megalon and bring in Gigan for added muscle. Tokyo's future looks bleak, until the giant reptile that once stood as Tokyo's doom returns from Monster Island to save the city in an epic tag-team battle.
Reportedly, Godzilla didn't come late to the battle with Megalon and Gigan only: he came late to the production altogether. The original storyline was to feature the robot in the role of hero, but when doubts arose about Jet Jaguar's ability to thrill an audience, Godzilla was brought in to save the day. Featured in nearly thirty films plus TV shows, video games and more, Godzilla started his career as a cautionary figure, warning 20th century viewers about the devastating potential of nuclear technology. Modeled after a combo platter of dinosaur features, he emerged as a more heroic figure in 1965 or so, coinciding with his increasing popularity with kids.
Godzilla is the first and perhaps the most enduring kaiju, Japanese for "strange beast", a staple of the entertainment genre known as tokusatsu. Tokusatsu combines live action with special effects and speculative fiction elements such as superheroes or extraordinary creatures. Other examples of kaiju include Mothra, King Kong and, of course, Megalon.
