Chapter 1
The Age of Men and Monsters
Fifty million years ago, before the rise of human civilization, the dinosaurs were the first to rule the Earth, with their reign unchallenged for many generations. Then, one day, the dinosaurs were wiped out and their dominance over the Earth was brought to an end, paving the way for humanity to rise.
However, a handful of reptiles survived, and went into hiding. All around the survivors, the human race and the animal kingdom evolved and thrived as the world changed. In the early centuries of mankind's dominance, the city of Atlantis arose and its people achieved progress in the field of science.
The people of Atlantis experimented with science and biology, leading to the creation of giant turtle-like creatures. One of these creatures forged from the science of Atlantis became known as Gamera, after the legendary giant turtle who thrived in the reign of the dinosaurs. And then, just like the mighty reptiles of prehistoric times, Atlantis vanished along with Gamera.
For many years, with the relics of Earth's ancient past vanishing into history, many of it became only legends, and very few forgot about the dinosaurs and the ancient legend of Atlantis and its experiments.
But then, one day...
Nine years after the end of World War II, American nuclear tests in the Pacific Ocean awoke something never seen before. A surviving dinosaur, which had been sleeping in the pacific for centuries, was exposed to the radiation from the nuclear blast and arose from the depths. The surviving creature's name...
Godzilla, also known by the Japanese name of Gojira.
Enraged and seeking revenge against mankind, the monster lay waste to the city of Tokyo, leaving chaos, doom and destruction in his path. Nothing could stop this creature forged from nuclear testing and centuries of sleeping, not even the Japanese military. After destroying Tokyo, Godzilla returned to the ocean, leaving millions injured or dead.
"Will the world be destroyed by a million-year-old monster?"
-Japanese reporter during Godzilla's attack
Just when it looked like all hope was lost. It was discovered there was a way to defeat Gojira.
A lone scientist named Dr. Serizawa had invented the Oxygen Destroyer, a weapon capable of dissolving matter in water and eliminating nearby marine life in the area. Despite being worse than nuclear weapons, there were no options left, the monster had to be stopped.
Dr. Serizawa was approached by good friends, who asked him for the use of the Oxygen Destroyer, the weapon would only be used once. Heading down to Tokyo Bay where the Kaiju lay sleeping, Dr. Serizawa activated the Oxygen Destroyer, and the device proved effective as the ancient monster was destroyed.
To ensure the weapon was never used again, Dr. Serizawa cut his oxygen supply, sacrificing his own existence during Gojira's execution. In one day, two individuals, who shared much in common due to being victims of nuclear weapons, met their ends together. Over the years, Japan recovered and the world moved on, despite warnings of potential future dangers.
"If we continue nuclear testing, then another Godzilla will appear out there, somewhere in the world." –Dr. Yamane, shortly after Godzilla's death
In June 1969, nearly 15 years after Godzilla's death, a Soviet bomber carrying a nuclear bomb crashed in the Arctic, and the resulting explosion ripped away at the nearest glacier, freeing an ancient behemoth forgotten by time. Gamera, having slumbered in the Arctic after the land of Atlantis vanished beneath the sea, awakened to a changed world and headed for Japan in search of food.
Gamera attacked a nuclear power plant in Iwo Jima, and, after eating the radioactive energy from the ruins, the leviathan headed for Tokyo itself and proved to be invincible against man-made weaponry just like Godzilla before him. However, the tide soon changed.
A rogue member of Gamera's species, awakened by nuclear testing, known as Garyaos, began attacking Japanese shores, attracting the fire-breathing turtle's attention. Gamera engaged Garyaos in battle, and drove him into the sea before bringing about the rogue creature's destruction. Within a day, Gamera, once seen as a threat, became a hero in the eyes of the public.
Over time, the memory of Godzilla began to fade, even as the scars of the attack in 1954 remained. With the focus upon the Atlantean legend known as Gamera, details of Godzilla's infamous attack became sparce. A handful continued to remember the horrific events of 1954, and eventually, concerns arose that, one day, the monster would return…
Beneath the Pacific Ocean, a school of red fish swam past a large rock formation, and a gray dolphin squeaked before racing to catch up with another dolphin. Whales moaned, and seaweed swayed with the evening current. A turtle swam out of the small cave that it called home, and glided over the sea floor, looking for food to eat.
The turtle wove its way around a couple tangles of seaweed, and followed a pair of goldfish. Food awaited, and the reptile was hungry. It opened its jaw, and bit into one of the fish. The others raced off, leaving the turtle to eat the newly-caught fish.
Just as the creature was done feasting, it noticed a large shadow that blotted out it's own. The turtle looked up, seeing a massive object floating by. It wasn't a whale, nor was it a rock. The turtle swam up to look closely, and several fish streaked past the aquatic reptile with hints of fear in their eyes.
What was it about the object that scared them, and why did they have to be afraid?
The turtle continued to ascend, and swam further, before crashing against the tip of a jagged rock. For a moment, it was confused, more than disoriented. And then the turtle blinked, and saw it hadn't hit a rock. It was a scaly hand with claws, which belonged to a massive creature that sported a bulky body, bumpy skin, white-black jagged fins, and a snout with fangs and orange eyes.
Frightened by what it saw, the turtle turned to swim away, but was stopped by the hand. The claws closed around it, and a small crack resonated through the area before what was left of the turtle floated away. Its life was over.
In the ocean, there was always a bigger creature, one that was ready to feed on the smaller creatures when it got the chance.
The behemoth snorted, with bubbles floating out of its nostrils, and the scaly leviathan opened its mouth. A roar shook the sea floor, and schools of fish were fleeing as the fins upon the creature's back flashed a bright, eerie shade of blue...
A crescent moon rose above the lush countryside, illuminating the peaks of a rocky mountainside, far from the prying eyes of human civilization. An owl hooted in the distance, and wolves howled with their heads raised to the sky. Deep within a cave, the rocks vibrated to the sound of sleeping breaths.
Rats scurried into the shadows, and a mouse perked up, observing the large turtle-like creature that lay upon the ground. Turtles slept with their bodies in their shells, but this one slept without retreating inward.
The cave it called home was the shell, and nobody came here much. The mouse headed off, and the creature was alone.
Just then, the snoring settled, and the creature's head moved. The gargantuan ancient turtle opened its eyes, and stared around the cave. It growled softly, and the legendary behemoth went back to its slumber. The universe was at peace, just as the fire-breathing reptile wanted it, along with the people of the lost land it called home…
Godzilla vs Gamera: Kaiju Showdown of The Century