Regeneration Ability Topic

[Lain Of The Wired]

So, Godzilla is always known to have regeneration abilities, but Showa too?
Was this an ability that Godzilla always had, or first introduced in the Heisei era?

[LiquidG]

This is really hard to say, one would think, but I don't think it was ever stated that he had regenerative abilities. I think it was just he was very durable, if Godzilla Vs Hedorah is in continuity with the other 70s films it would be safe to say he does possess this ability considering his eye and hand was burnt really badly and latter on both appeared to be fine.

[JAGzilla]

It's been a long time since I've seen either movie, but weren't there scenes in GvsG and GvsMG where he was badly injured and weak, but then was able to instantly recover? I think there was a flash of light involved.

[Monster Zero]

There was lightning on GvsMG74.

[Gojira1963]

I really don't think this was addressed until after the Showa series.

[edgaguirus]

If I remember correctly, it was G vs Biollante where Godzilla's regenerative abilities were first mentioned. Before this, Godzilla was just shown as being very hard to kill.

[pikmintaro]

Wasn't the explanation in the Varan movie basically that they were literally made of rubber or something like that, and that's why nothing could hurt them?

[Goji]

^ wut. These monsters are portrayed as real flesh-and-blood creatures. How could "made of rubber" be an in-universe explanation for their durability?

It's been a long time since I've seen either movie, but weren't there scenes in GvsG and GvsMG where he was badly injured and weak, but then was able to instantly recover? I think there was a flash of light involved.

Are you referring to Godzilla 'activating' his magnetism abilities in VS. MECHAGODZILLA? Because I don't think that would have anything to do with his regenerative abilities. There also aren't any 'flashes' in any of the other Showa films to indicate that's what's happening on screen.

I think early on, he was just considered to be extremely durable. With the Heisei and Millennium series, they decided to explain his resilience with regenerative abilities.

[JAGzilla]

The way I remembered it, he'd be on the verge of losing the battle, then his whole body flashed or glowed for a few seconds, and he'd come out of it fully recovered and go back on offense. Like I said, though, it's been probably eight years since I've seen either movie. I guess it must've been the magnetism thing I was thinking of.

[Goji]

^ I think it's safe to say that it is, yeah.

[20th Century Boy]

Wait, why are people saying regeneration was introduced in the Heisei series? I thought it was first introduced in Godzilla 2000.

[edgaguirus]

It's not directly stated in G vs Biollante, but hinted at by Dr. Shirigami. If you want direct statement of it, then you're right.

[Irys X]

It wasn't specifically mentioned before the Heisei series, but G's regen was present in the Showa series. Take, for instance, Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla ('74). Mechagodzilla opened up Godzilla's throat with a few missiles and sent blood spurting everywhere. Godzilla was down for the count, but then he got up a few minutes, maybe seconds later, and new skin had grown in the area where before there had been only holes and fountains of blood. The skin was clearly regrown under the old skin, so it shows impressive regenerative power. Another example is in Godzilla vs Gigan. G gets his shoulder sliced open by Gigan's buzzsaw and blood spurts, but a few moments later, the scar cut is healed and no blood spurts.

[Dillyziller]

I always thought Godzilla had regeneration in vs Hedorah.

[ILL GREEN]

I really don't think this was addressed until after the Showa series.

Exactly, it was always there, just never focused on.

Godzilla always seems to lose a battle but then he miraculously gets up and ends it like in Terror of MechaGodzilla, Tyrannosarus and Mecha had Godzilla in a dug grave but then he pops up and atomic breath them both.

[Lain Of The Wired]

Seems more like continuity problems rather than regen if you ask me....

[Irys X]

Seems more like continuity problems rather than regen if you ask me....

That's very likely true, but given the later explanation that Godzilla does in fact have regen, it's not much of a stretch to just use that explanation for errors in the Showa series. That way, when watching scenes where errors like that are displayed, you can say, "Oh, there's Godzilla regeneration," Instead of, "Well they screwed that up."

[Goji]

Seems more like continuity problems rather than regen if you ask me....

That's very likely true, but given the later explanation that Godzilla does in fact have regen, it's not much of a stretch to just use that explanation for errors in the Showa series. That way, when watching scenes where errors like that are displayed, you can say, "Oh, there's Godzilla regeneration," Instead of, "Well they screwed that up."

What "errors" are we talking about, specifically?

By the end of HEDORAH, we can clearly see the damage that Hedorah's sulfuric acid has caused to Godzilla. In MECHAGODZILLA, Godzilla still has blood all over him up until he's thrown into the ocean following the destruction of MechG.

Godzilla didn't bleed prior to 1972, so if it was a "continuity issue", what exactly was breaking continuity in the earlier films? Are we suggesting that Godzilla should have shown more 'battle damage' after his scuffs with Kong, Ghidorah, and others during the '60s?

When he was still alive, Eiji Tsuburaya was against having any of the monsters bleed. I'm not sure if that's common knowledge among fans or not, but it does shed some light on why things weren't as violent early on. There were a few exceptions, of course, like Jirass's frill being torn off by Ultraman, or Godzilla stomping Ghidorah's necks into the ground in DAM, but I'm assuming he meant he didn't want these monsters to be gushing blood; ala MechaG turning Godzilla into a radioactive blood sprinkler.

[Legion1979]

When he was still alive, Eiji Tsuburaya was against having any of the monsters bleed. I'm not sure if that's common knowledge among fans or not, but it does shed some light on why things weren't as violent early on. There were a few exceptions, of course, like Jirass's frill being torn off by Ultraman, or Godzilla stomping Ghidorah's necks into the ground in DAM, but I'm assuming he meant he didn't want these monsters to be gushing blood; ala MechaG turning Godzilla into a radioactive blood sprinkler.

That didn't stop Ultraseven from violently decapitating Eleking, or slicing open Gyeron's throat.