Kong’s Axe Absorb Godzilla’s Atomic Breath:
Directed by Adam Wingard, the fourth installment in the MonsterVerse will pit the King of the Monsters against the King of Skull Island. Though both monsters have been pop culture icons for more than half of a century, this will only be their second big-screen meeting. The first happened in Toho’s 1962 crossover, King Kong vs. Godzilla, which had an ending that leaned in Kong’s favor. Like the original fight, Kong will get a size boost to pose a physical challenge to Godzilla.
One of the most epic moments in the first trailer for Godzilla vs. Kong is when Kong takes a huge leap with an ax in his hands, that is able to do something special. As Kong uses the ax in his battle against Godzilla, and it is noticeably seen that the ax is able to absorb Godzilla’s atomic breath. Until Kong is once again armed with the ax made from Godzilla’s dorsal plate. The Godzilla vs. Kong trailer ends with a shot reminiscent of an amusing scene in 1962’s King Kong Versus Godzilla, in which Kong shoved a tree down Godzilla’s throat – but this time it looks as though he’ll be using Godzilla’s dorsal plate, and it appears to be far more brutal.
There’s obviously a hint of something going on in the background, provoking Godzilla and a major suggestion of some history between the two, and it looks like it all ends here, one way or the other. Some have suggested that this is not a fair fight, but as noticed, Kong has had a size upgrade since Kong: Skull Island. And now, the great ape is coming with a weapon like no other. The axe appears to be able to deflect, absorb and reuse Godzilla’s own atomic breath against him, seemingly confirming the theory that it will be made from one of Gojira’s own dorsal fins. That can be the only way the axe can achieve the moment shown in the trailer where Kong effectively charges the weapon like the MCU’s Thor powering up Mjolnir with lightning.
The decision to have Kong use a weapon perfectly tailored to defeating Godzilla – whether he crafts it or retrieves it from the site of the Titan War – is an ingenious one as it offers narrative depth beyond just an extended monstrous fistfight. And, crucially, using the dorsal fin to explain how any material could withstand atomic breath is a clever way to ensure the power is in no way blunted. In terms of logic, the weapon uses similar thinking to the MCU’s Infinity Stones, which Avengers: Infinity Stone suggested could only be destroyed by their own energy signature. That memorably led to the heartbreaking moment when Scarlet Witch was forced to kill Vision to destroy the Mind Stone in his forehead.
While there may be some fear that Kong using Godzilla’s atomic breath against him simply equals them in battle, there is precedent in monster movie history to confirm he’s far from invulnerable and can be harmed if his own atomic breath is reflected back at him. Mothra has been able to reflect it, Heisei Mechagodzilla has demonstrated the ability to absorb it and fire it back with greater intensity, and the remote-controlled vehicle the Super X2 from 1989’s Godzilla vs. Biollante manages it too. And Godzilla vs Kong will add another example as Kong makes the fight fair by using his enemy’s biology against him. Whether it’s enough to let him win remains to be seen.
It will definitely be one hell of a ride to see if Kong’s weapon can deflect the atomic breath from Godzilla and use it against the king of monsters. The interesting point is here, if the breath would have the same effect on Godzilla or if he is previous to it. Be it any way, the fight is going to be epic, and what the theories are suggesting that, that the fight will be interrupted by something else and that, is something that you must look forward to.
The credits of Godzilla: King of the Monsters strongly suggests Skull Island will be central to the story. That’s where the Titans are headed, its Hollow Earth entrance will be the starting point for Monarch’s investigation into the origin of the Titans, Monarch already has an outpost there, and perhaps most importantly, it’s where Kong is based in the MonsterVerse. With the film coming unexpectedly sooner, that means marketing is going to have to commence soon.
Previously set for May 21, 2021, the kaiju showdown will now hit theaters and HBO Max on March 26, 2021. That means the grand showdown is just around the corner for us now.
