Rodan (1956)

Rodan; Radon; First Generation Rodan

50 meters (164 feet)

82 meters (270 feet)

15,000 metric tons (16,535 short tons)

• Can fly at speeds up to Mach 1.5
• Extreme physical strength and durability; totally immune and impervious to damage from conventional weapons
• Can generate shockwaves and powerful gusts of wind just by flying over an area
• Gaseous, smoke like "wind breath" similar to the original Anguirus' ultrasonic roar
• Amphibiousness

• The two Rodans are both seemingly killed after their attack on Japan by burning to death after being submerged in molten lava flows during an eruption at Mount Aso

The original two Rodans are depicted as horrific and dangerous creatures who, despite their destructive nature, care deeply for each other and are unwilling to live without the other.

Rodan is a Pteranodon that survived in an egg underneath Mount Aso for 200 million years. Radiation from nuclear testing seeped into the cavern containing Rodan's egg, and in combination with rising global temperatures and accumulated volcanic gases caused it to hatch once it was unearthed. The hatchling grew quickly by feeding on Meganulon in the cavern before flying out. A second Rodan also appeared around the same time, and mated with the other.

While assisting the J.S.D.F. in exterminating Meganulon in a mining town in Kyushu, Shigeru Kawamura was sent falling into a cavern underneath Mount Aso by a sudden avalanche. When Shigeru regained consciousness, he found himself in front of a colossal egg, and surrounded by countless Meganulon. Suddenly, the egg began to crack, and from it emerged the hatchling Rodan. The creature broke the rest of its eggshell with its wings and roared loudly before grabbing the Meganulon in its beak and eating them. Horrified by the sight, Shigeru went into shock, and was rescued sometime later by a group of villagers. Shigeru was left in a catatonic state, and the authorities could not gain any information from him regarding what he saw. In the meantime, Rodan began an aerial prowl across the Pacific Ocean, being sighted above China, the Philippines and Hong Kong. Eyewitnesses couldn't make out what they saw, labeling it simply a U.F.O. The J.A.S.D.F. tried to take down the U.F.O. when it was sighted over Japan, but Rodan used its supersonic flight to evade its attackers and destroy them.

As Rodan's rampage continued, it attacked a young couple near Mount Aso, though its victims did take a partial photograph of the beast before they were killed. When Shigeru emerged from his catatonic state and told his story to the authorities, Dr. Kashiwagi cross-referenced his story with the photograph and a piece of eggshell found near Mt. Aso, and determined that the U.F.O. was actually a giant Pteranodon.

Rodan emerged from the crater of Mt. Aso shortly afterward, and began flying to the city of Fukuoka. The J.A.S.D.F. engaged the beast in a dogfight, during which a F-86 Sabre crashed into the beast's wing, injuring it and causing it to lose its supersonic flight. Rodan touched down in Fukuoka, blowing away buildings and vehicles by flapping its wings. The J.S.D.F. deployed all its forces to attack Rodan, but they were blown away by the powerful winds. A second Rodan soon appeared over the city, and assisted its mate in fighting off the J.S.D.F. before escorting it back to their nest inside Mount Aso.

As the two Rodans entered hibernation inside the mountain, the J.S.D.F. formed a last-ditch plan to destroy them: they would bombard the volcano with missiles, triggering an eruption and hopefully incinerating both monsters. Several Honest John Missile Launchers were stationed around Mount Aso, and opened fire on the slopes of the volcano. The missiles triggered a small earthquake, which brought forth lava from the volcano and caused it to erupt. The two Rodans broke out of the mountain and began to fly away, but the intense heat caused one Rodan to fall into the lava below, where it began to burn alive. Unwilling to live without its companion, the other Rodan flew down into the lava flow next to its mate, where the two Rodans appeared to die together.

Rodan resembles a giant pterosaur that stands upright on two legs. Rodan possesses a spiky chest, two horns on the back of his head and a pointed beak on his face. In its first appearance, its skin is a mahogany color, with two blue-black stripes and a dull yellow or gold ridge running down its back, while in subsequent appearances, it is brown.