Issue(s): Godzilla #12, Godzilla #13, Godzilla #14
Cover Date: Jul-Sep 78
Title: "The Beta-Beast!" / "Triax" / "The super-beasts"
Credits:
Doug Moench - Writer
Herb Trimpe - Penciler
Fred Kida / Dan Green - Inker
Jim Shooter / Bob Hall - Editor

Review/plot:
Let's face it: Godzilla needs to be fighting other daikaiju. In a Marvel Godzilla comic, he can certainly also fight super-heroes (or even villains, something that sadly doesn't happen in this series). But endless issues of him fighting the army, even if that includes advanced SHIELD weaponry, is not nearly as satisfying as him going up against other giant monsters. It's a shame that Marvel didn't get the licenses to Godzilla's regular movie foes - i'd love to see King Ghidorah, Mothra, Gigan, etc. here - but we have had a few attempts at substitutions, first with Dr. Demonicus' monsters and then with Yetrigar. But it's really these three "Mega Monsters From Beyond" issues that make the best attempt at capturing the feel of the campier Godzilla movies (which are my favorite).

The set-up involves aliens (another important component in Godzilla films!). In fact there are two races of aliens, the Megans and the Betas...

...that are at war and have been fighting by poaching giant monsters from the prehistoric periods of various fledgling planets and sending them to fight each other. The Betas have decides that their poaching is having too great an impact on the planets they are stealing from, but they can't get the Megans to agree and de-escalate the war. So the Betas suck Godzilla up to the moon...

...and, as a test, have them fight their champion kaiju, the Beta-Beast.

When he proves able to do that with ease...

...the Betas contact Godzilla and communicate with him as best they can.

They then send him back to Earth, where the Megans have already sent their three latest monsters.

Robert Takiguchi, in Red Ronin, is already on the scene.

So what follows is exactly what we want: crazy monster battles.

SHIELD is also on the scene...

...and Dum Dum Dugan orders the army to stand down since Robert, in Red Ronin, is in the line of fire.

Red Ronin eventually gets decapitated (don't worry, Robert is fine!). But it's the last we'll see of an operational Red Ronin in the Godzilla series (his wreckage is seen next issue. He'll be repaired in time for an Avengers appearance.).

So Godzilla continues the battle alone...

...and rescues Dum Dum in the process.

Godzilla eventually wins, defeating all the Mega-Monsters.

When the battle's over, SHIELD lets Godzilla walk away...

...and the two alien races decide to make peace.

The Mega-Monsters are perhaps more comic book-y than Toho-y, but it's a fun set of issues. I think the monsters are weirdly cool looking, and it's odd to me that it's the generic bigfoot Yetrigar, and not any of these guys, that appears again.

Quality Rating: C+

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: This issue begins soon after the end of last issue, in the aftermath of the Yetrigar battle. Jimmy Woo gets a call from Nick Fury this issue informing him that SHIELD has detected the aliens on the moon, so he gets a behind the scenes appearance.

References:

• Dum Dum says this is the second time that Godzilla has saved him. No footnote, but i think the first time was in Godzilla #5.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

It's interesting to me that marvel never really seemed to sit down and think which properties would work well in the MU and which would be better in their own universes. Series like gi joe just kind of evolved into other universes. Transformers started out in the MU then realised it would be better in its own universe.

I say this because Godzilla would clearly work better outside the MU. Otherwise, every issue should be the avengers and FF trying to stop godzilla.

When #13 came out, I showed it to a cousin of mine and tried to explain the Mega-Monsters' names for him, but he insisted "No, it says so on the cover! That one's name is Mayhem!"