Kumonga
| Toho character | |
|---|---|
| Kumonga | |
| Species | Giant spider |
| Alias | Spiega |
| Height | 45-55 metres |
| Weight | 8,000-30,000 tons |
| Major enemies | King Ghidorah |
| Major Allies | Mothra Manda Baragon Varan Rodan Anguirus Gorosaurus Godzilla |
| Controlled by | Kilaaks Xiliens |
| First appearance | Son of Godzilla |
| Created by | Jun Fukuda |
Kumonga (クモンガ) is an arachnid kaiju appearing in the Toho produced Godzilla series. He is the main antagonist of the 1967 film Son of Godzilla, however would help save the world a year later (although the film takes place in 1999) in Destroy All Monsters. He is also known as Spiega, a name given to him for English language audiences.
Abilities
Kumonga can shoot a thick webbing and a stinger from his mandibles. Kumonga has prehensile pedipalps that can be used to grab small prey. The Showa version was able to survive multiple hits from Godzilla's atomic ray. The Millennium Kumonga's web was able to expand on contact with air from a single thread into a net for incapacitating foes.
Origins
Showa
In the Showa series, Kumonga was a giant spider who lived on Sogell Island. He first appeared when he trapped Minilla and a Kamacuras. Godzilla, Minilla's father, soon arrived and defeated the monster spider killing it by burning it to a crisp with his and Manilla's atomic breath.
Later, possibly a new Kumonga unlike the other one, was placed on Monsterland, where he lived with many other monsters. In 1999, aliens known as the Kilaaks, captured the kaiju and released them on the earth's major cities. In the end, Kumonga took part in the final battle against King Ghidorah, disabling the space monster's ability to fly with his webbing. Kumonga and the other kaiju returned to Monsterland to live out the rest of their days in peace.
Millennium
Kumonga was featured in the 2004 film, Godzilla: Final Wars, not that different in appearance, as one of the many mind-controlled monsters of the Xiliens. When Godzilla is freed from Area G, Kumonga is released in New Guinea to battle him. At first, Kumonga was able to trap Godzilla in thick webbing, but Godzilla manages to gain the upper hand when he grabs a webbing strand and swings Kumonga around in circles before letting go. Kumonga soars into the air and isn't seen again.
Movie appearances
- Son of Godzilla (1967)
- Destroy All Monsters (1968)
- All Monsters Attack (1969, stock footage)
- Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972, stock footage)
- Godzilla: Final Wars (2004)
Video games
See also
- Scytodidae for a real world example of a spider which can spit web similar to Kumonga.
