May, 1956
Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean
"Commander Wilkinson, we've got something on sonar."
On board the USS Nautilus, a fresh, clean-shaven young man recently recruited into the American Navy is granted the prestigious position of sonar operator on the world's very first nuclear powered submarine. His job; simply to report any and all suspicious signatures to his superior officer, Commander Wilkinson, the captain of this atomic ship.
"What ya got son?" The Commander says waltzing over to the sonar screen, "Ruskies?"
"It can't be sir...it's huge." He throws his hands up, "I think our system is malfunctioning, I mean, look at that." He points to the screen, which indicates a sonar profile of over 160 meters.
"Well I'll be damned." The Commander smiles. "You found the sonuvabitch." He slaps the kid on the back.
A low but audible groan moves through the submarine, vibrating in air. Wilkinson smiles, and then takes a few long strides to a nearby radio.
"You reading me down there?" He calls into the radio, "Take us up to full power." Then turning around he begins to bark commands at his seamen, "Jackson, full throttle. Roberts, plot a course for Bikini. Freeman, bring us up nice and slow, we don't wanna hit the seabed when we reach the shallows. And James! Keep your eyes on that sonar signature, lemme know if he does anything funny."
"I don't understand sir," the kid replies, "What are we fighting?"
"This is your first rodeo right son? Well, did you seriously think all those waivers and secrecy papers you signed were so you could hunt Reds?" The Commander laughs and shakes his head, "We ain't huntin' shit down here boy...we're bait."
"Bait? For what?"
"For the Devil." He winks, then turns away, "Smith, get a message out to Monarch, tell 'em the fish is on the line."
The Nautilus rumbles and pushes through the water at twenty-three knots, behind them, a beast unlike anything the world has ever seen. On Bikini atoll, about ten miles away, a 3.8 megaton nuclear bomb waits.
Fifteen minutes into the chase and the Nautilus is approaching the surface.
"Sir, what exactly are we doing?" James asks.
"Okay, I'll give you a quick rundown son." The Commander replies, "This beastie is chasing us down right now, don't know why besides that he might fancy the taste of nuclear reactor. We got one job and one job only, we lure him right up to the shallows around Bikini. He runs aground and has to stop, we scrape by and get the hell outta there before our pals on the surface detonate their atom bomb and send that sea monster back to hell where he belongs. Understood?"
"Y-Yessir."
"Good, keep watching that sonar, we'll be there soon."
Minutes later and the Nautilus, now surfaced, speeds by Bikini atoll, her belly just feet from the sand. She presses onward and passes a small platform, holding the atomic bomb.
Water rushes over the small island as the creature approaches. On the island an alarm sounds, warning of the impending blast.
The monster hits the sand, stopping it's pursuit of the sub.
"Dive!" Commander Wilkinson shouts as the USS Nautilus clears the shallows. A alarm rings through the ship as she plummets into the depths.
The King of Monsters regains his balance, and begins to stand on the small atoll just before a blinding flash of white light surrounds him. A mushroom clouds rises hundreds of feet into the air, and when it clears, there is no sign of the enormous creature.
September, 1998
Manhattan, New York
Monarch was founded in the 1950s to study a creature code-named "Gojira" or "Godzilla," a beast that would later go on to be classified as a MUTO. MUTO's technical definition is that of a "Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism" however the term was later adapted to a more specific meaning, that of an abnormally large creature whose diet consists of mainly radioactive energy rather than a solid food source. Godzilla disappeared in 1956, but he was only the first of the many great trials humanity would soon face.
The MUTOs, were not the only enormous creatures to live on the earth. In 1998, the first Non-MUTO monster was discovered. Monarch created a new classification for this type of organism, it was simply called a "Kaiju," and this earliest Kaiju was given the code-name "Zilla" for its striking similarities to the MUTO Godzilla.
DNA testing of Zilla revealed striking similarities to that of the marine iguana and thus it is believed that the hydrogen bombs used to attack Godzilla in the 1950s may have mutated a member of that species. The creature was likely born from a naturally sized egg but DNA errors from the radiation could explain Zilla's large size. The fact that the creature had failed to appear for almost half a century was probably also a result of natural birth size, where the creature spent most of those fifty years feeding and growing deep in the Pacific.
Monarch first began tracking Zilla when it was discovered moving from the Pacific Ocean toward Central America in 1998. The creature made its way across Panama before swimming up the east coast and eventually making landfall in Manhattan, New York. Despite the highly populated area that Zilla had made landfall in, it made no attempt to feed on them, and in fact the monster seemed to avoid attacking so Monarch determined it must have come to New York for another reason. Scientists at Monarch tried to persuade the government to allow them access to the beast, to study it, but were denied. The military took over and it was decided the beast should be killed. There were some protests against the killing of Zilla, as attacking him seemed to be the only thing triggering his destructive behavior but they were ignored.
It was soon discovered that the reason Zilla had traveled to New York was to lay a clutch of eggs. The area's large fishing industry and plentiful native fish population proved a great place to hatch young, who could eat as many fish as they wanted when they were born. The military was determined to destroy the eggs and Monarch did not oppose this, the number of eggs was overwhelming and could easily threaten the large city once hatched.
The nest was destroyed and eventually Zilla was killed as well. Monarch scientists were quick to move into New York before the corpse could be disposed of so that they could learn as much as they could about this new monster. Initially, scientists believed there to be some sort of correlation between Zilla and the earlier discovered Godzilla. Events however seemed to be a complete coincidence. Studies revealed that Zilla was not a MUTO and thus did not have to feed on nuclear energy like Godzilla. Zilla was not a MUTO, Zilla was merely an animal and so the classification of Kaiju was created to specify this.
A storm of controversy came after the killing of Zilla, many argued that since he and his eggs were the only ones of his species known he should have been treated as endangered species and protected. Despite this claim, most claimed that since Zilla was a man-made creation he held none of the rights that a natural species did and so his killing was justified. What those people, including most of the government, don't know however, is that the species, no matter its rights, is not extinct. The destruction of the eggs was incomplete, one survived. The hatchling, named Zilla Junior, initially was discovered by Doctor Niko Tatopoulos, who worked to help destroy Zilla. Tatopoulos, knowing the military would kill Junior if they knew about him, came to Monarch for help. Monarch hired him immediately and took Zilla Jr. to an undisclosed location in order to raise the creature and study it without risk to any human population. Junior remains there to this day, though his birth size is, according to the theories, much larger than his parent's, his growth is still rather slow and has not yet fully matured.
August, 1999
Universal Western Mining, Philippines
Doctor Ishiro Serizawa is called in the wake of the discovery of the massive fossilized remains of a creature later identified to be one of the Gojira species. Within the remains two spores of previously unknown species of MUTO are discovered, parasites. Beasts that preyed upon and laid their eggs within other MUTOs which would hatch and slowly devour their host from the inside. 73 Million years ago, based on carbon dating test results, this particular Gojira specimen perished and the spores within it, with no living MUTO host to consume went into a long dormancy.
Universal Western Mining soon uncovered the tomb of these beasts and contact with the air began a chemical reaction which freed one of the hatchling parasites. In a short time the beast burrowed its way to Janjira, Japan, the site of a powerful nuclear reactor. It broke into the plant, destroying vital components and triggering a meltdown, the entire city had to be evacuated.
The second spore in the Philippines was removed, brought back to the United States and vivisected. All testing indicated that these MUTOs would seek out and consume radiation in order to grow after hatching, which is exactly what the first infant had done. In order to prevent another disaster the second spore was killed and disposed of in the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository in Nevada.
Meanwhile, Monarch took over at Janjira. The first baby MUTO had burrowed into the remains of the reactor and began to feast on the radiation leaking. As a matter of safety, the MUTO was allowed to live as killing it would allow the radiation from the reactor to leech into the air and water, contaminating an area for hundreds of miles. The disaster was covered up, Monarch built a quarantine zone around the city where they could study the MUTO away from the eyes of the public.
May, 2009
Manhattan, New York
Monarch case designate "Cloverfield" has resulted in the destruction of the city of Manhattan, New York.
The MUTO called "Clover" was apparently buried in earth's crust deep beneath the Atlantic Ocean, but seismic activity along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge awakened the creature. When it was discovered, Monarch tracked the beast closely, assuming that, much like the 1999 incident in Janjira, Japan, the MUTO would seek out a source of nuclear energy to feed off of. This however, was not the case, and it was later determined that Clover's resting place in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge was rich in uranium deposits, which it had fed from, and was awakened prematurely due to the seismic activity in the ridge. Predicted landfall of the creature was mapped to somewhere on the Northeastern coast of America and it eventually came ashore in New York City.
When Clover surfaced the military was prepared, New York's National Guard was first to try to protect the island and fail but even with the help of multiple more branches of the United States military any attempt to repel the MUTO failed.
It was at this time that Doctor Serizawa, a lead research member at Monarch, briefed American military leaders on their foe, the Monarch program, and the existence of not one, but four MUTOs around the world.
Clover was the fourth MUTO discovered but it was the first to directly threaten a highly populated area. The military wanted options, but an active MUTO had never been dealt with before so it was unclear what path to take. After no success in defeating Clover with conventional weapons, Manhattan was deemed an expendable area if it meant saving the rest of the country and protecting the people, and so the HAMMER-DOWN protocol was put into action. HAMMER-DOWN's plan was to drop the largest non-nuclear bomb the United States had ever developed, a Massive Ordnance Air Blast, or MOAB, on the city.
The city was leveled but when teams were sent in to locate and dispose of the body no carcass was found anywhere on, or around, the island.
Officially, Clover is dead, the island of Manhattan quarantined as the decaying body is a major biohazard. However, the truth is that Monarch was able to track the MUTO as it made its way back out to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, far too deep for any weaponized submarine to follow. After sustaining serious injury in New York, Clover fled to its original home where it sits to this day.
May, 2009
Undisclosed Location
The attack of the new MUTO; Clover, on New York, seemed to have an affect on Zilla Junior's mood. Though he has been completely docile for the six years at Monarch, the recent attack on New York saw Junior become so irritated that he needed to be put under heavy sedation. When he awoke, Clover had left New York and Zilla's temperament returned to normal. It is unknown how he could have sensed the creature in Manhattan, as the Monarch facility he is kept at is a great distance away, nor is it currently known why the attack had such a profound affect on him.
July, 2014
San Francisco, California
After years in containment, the MUTO in Janjira finished feeding. It broke free from the Monarch facility located there and began a journey across the Pacific. To continue feeding on radiation the MUTO attacked a Russian Akula submarine, carrying it to the nearby Hawaiian islands and feeding on the nuclear reactor within.
For the first time in 58 years, Godzilla reappears and after a brief battle, sends the parasite fleeing to the east. It was discovered that this MUTO was searching for a mate.
The radiation within Yucca Mountain had healed the supposedly destroyed second parasite spore and it had been feeding and growing there ever since it was locked up. This one, however, was female, and returned the mating cries of the male.
The male MUTO was given the alias of HokMUTO and the female FeMUTO. The FeMUTO trekked across the western United States while the HokMUTO fly across the Pacific, with Godzilla following. With EMP attacks, military efforts at destroying MUTOs were completely ineffective and a new plan was devised.
The U.S. Navy planned to lure all three monsters out to the Pacific ocean with an atomic bomb and then detonate it, hopefully vapourizing them. This plan went awry however when the HokMUTO stole the activated bomb and brought it to the city of San Francisco. There the two parasites made a nest and laid a clutch of eggs.
Godzilla arrived and began to fight the two new MUTOs. It appeared as though they had a very unique predator/prey relationship. Newly hatched parasites would infect Gojira and feed on them until they metamorphosized into Hok/FeMUTOs. However, Gojira would prey upon the fully grown Hok/FeMUTOs. In this situation, Godzilla sought to prey upon these two beasts in order to prevent their eggs from hatching and posing a danger to it.
A brave Navy soldier, Ford Brody, succeeded in both destroying the nest along with all the eggs as well as recovering the live atomic bomb and taking it out to sea where it would not destroy the city.
Meanwhile, Godzilla fought against the HokMUTO, killing it with a blow from his tail. When the FeMUTO attempted to recover the bomb Brody had stolen from her, Godzilla snuck up from behind her and delivered a killing blow by breathing a strange blue fire attack, like that of a dragon, down her throat.
The following morning, Godzilla returned to sea.
January, 2016
Staten Island, New York
The second case of multiple large creatures battling between each other, the first being the battles between Godzilla and the MUTO couple in 2014.
In 1999, Zilla, a monster classified as a Kaiju, appeared in New York City to lay a clutch of eggs, it was killed but one egg survived, and the hatchling, Zilla Junior, was raised and studied by Monarch.
In 2004, Clover, classified as a MUTO, came ashore in New York as well, presumably seeking a source of radiation to feed on, it was likely headed for the Indian Point Energy Center, a nuclear power plant only 24 miles north of Manhattan. Clover retreated back to ocean after having a Massive Ordnance Air Blast dropped on it, causing severe injury to the creature, and leveling the city.
December of 2015 saw the release of Zilla from containment within a Monarch facility due to the the location to no longer be able to hold the Kaiju's fully mature size. Hopes were that the beast would wander the oceans with no major human contact. After 2004 Clover had remained completely inactive at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean until January of 2016.
On this date Clover returned to Manhattan, presumably to once again attempt to feed at Indian Point, this time however there was no panic or evacuation, because the island has been devoid of human life since her last visit. Clover was not alone however, not even ten minutes after she made landfall, Zilla Jr. appeared as well. The military was mobilized, ready to defend the areas around Manhattan that were not destroyed, but their efforts would prove unnecessary.
Junior approached Clover without hesitation or fear, despite Clover being significantly larger. For a moment, the two creatures simply stared at the other, sizing their opponent up, then the silence was broken. Zilla Jr. roared and dashed with incredible speed towards his foe, mouth open. The MUTO flung one of its long limbs towards the Kaiju but Zilla grabbed the arm in his mouth and pulled.
Clover was too heavy to pull though, despite his strong muscular body, Junior did not budge Clover an inch from where she stood. She seized the opportunity and yanked her arm back towards her body, the force caused her enemy's teeth to tear through the flesh even further, but she continued to pull until Zilla was close enough and then she struck. With her other long, front limb Clover smashed down on the skull of Junior forcing him to the ground, but his grip held and he twisted his head.
Clover's arm made a terrible crack as the bone splintered. Zilla released the mangled arm, now limply hanging on the tattered and bloody muscle, and he backed up, ready for another attack.
Clover screamed at Junior, and he returned her yell with his own deafening cry. For a moment it seemed the MUTO would charge but she instead turned her back and ran. She plowed through the ruins of the city and dove into the water of the Hudson River and began to swim south, back to the ocean, but Zilla was in hot pursuit.
As Clover swam, a glance behind showed that there was no escape, she altered her originally set course from the sea, to the nearby island, and still populated New York City borough of Staten Island. When she stepped up onto land she turned and readied herself.
Zilla Junior burst from the water with the speed of great white shark breaching. He flew through the air, and before Clover could move he clamped down on her shoulder. This time he did not hold on however, instead ripping flesh from the MUTO and then releasing her.
Clover swung at Zilla with her only good arm but Junior's speed on land was just as competent as in the sea and he dodged her easily. Seizing his opportunity, the Kaiju dashed under the long arm of the MUTO and moved to her back. She started to turn but it proved too late, Junior jumped onto her back, clawing at her torso and neck and biting down on her head. Clover fell to the ground and Zilla stood, mouth covered with blood, and roared. Clover tried to move but Junior had her pinned, she cried out as he bent down, closed his jaws around her neck and twisted, her roar was cut short and she went limp.
The fight had been contained to the shores of Staten Island, so minimal damage was done, and, as if out of consideration for the human inhabitants of the island, Zilla dragged the corpse into the water and across the river, to the abandoned island of Manhattan. When he did, he reached down, and bit a chunk of flesh from Clover's arm and swallowed but immediately gagged and vomited up the flesh. (It is believed that the highly irradiated flesh of a MUTO cannot be consumed by Kaiju, just like any other normal animal.) Junior looked puzzled, cocking his head to one side and staring down at his kill, it almost would have been cute if his mouth wasn't filled with ragged bits of Clover's muscle and skin. He bent down and nudged the corpse with his snout, and sniffed it, as another bellowing roar reverberated from the sea.
Godzilla stepped from the ocean and onto Manhattan island directly in front of Clover's carcass. (Apparently the smell of an active MUTO had attracted him long before Clover actually made it to shore and he had swam all the way from the Pacific to prey upon it.) For a moment Zilla Junior stood, and roared at the King of the Monsters, guarding his prey, then he took a moment to consider, looked down at the meal and slowly moved away, not satisfied with irradiated flesh anyway. As Zilla Junior slipped back into the water and moved out to sea, Gojira feasted on the deceased body of the MUTO, Clover.
It took Godzilla only a week to eat the entire MUTO corpse, leaving nothing but the skeleton, and when he finished he left, and began the long swim back to his home in the Pacific Ocean. As soon as Godzilla left, Zilla Junior reappeared in Manhattan and over the next few days turned the rubble of the abandoned city into a nest of his own. It was feared he would lay eggs like his parent did in 1998 but he never did, and future testing would show that he was in fact sterile and unable to reproduce. Despite this, having such a large monster so near to a large population scared the military, and they wanted to kill it, thankfully Monarch was able to convince government officials that Junior had done no harm and had actually saved the people of the tri-state area from a disaster similar to the MUTO-caused Janjira, Japan incident in 1999, and that this Kaiju was in fact rather docile towards humans, having been raised by them since he was a newborn.
Thus, Zilla Junior made his new home in the abanonded borough of New York City. The island is still off-limits to the public for safety reasons but the outlying boroughs of New York City have seen a large boost in tourism to view the giant Kaiju from across the water.
It is apparent that Junior's arrival in New York, and behavior on that day, were no coincidence. As the place of his birth, Junior instinctively returned there to defend what he saw as his territory from a large threat, but what reawakened Clover is unknown. The first appearance of Clover in 2004 was theorized to be due to seismic activity along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge but no such activity was detected before her reappearance. Monarch scientists are still trying to work out more information at this time.