Set Description:
Godzilla debuted in 1954, becoming a colossal hit for Toho productions in Japan. The following year, the film was released in America under an altered title, "Godzilla: King of the Monsters." Marvel Comics acquired the rights to this film icon in 1977, beginning a two-year run (under the same title), written by Doug Moench and illustrated by Herb Trimpe. In the first issue, Godzilla bursts out of an iceberg, a story line very similar to the 1963 film, "King Kong vs. Godzilla." The bane of Godzilla’s existence was S.H.I.E.L.D. – taking on a role that “G-Force” performed in Godzilla films of the eighties. Godzilla met several other established Marvel characters during the series run, including the Champions, Kirby’s Devil Dinosaur, Fantastic Four and the Avengers. Marvel lost the rights to the character and the series ended production (rather abruptly) in 1979, with issue 24.
I vividly recall Toho's Godzilla films and similar Japanese monster folklore (kaiju), regularly airing on weekend broadcast television during the late-1970s and early-1980s; this introduction to a very specialized genre of Japanese entertainment remains a major driving force for my current, collective interest in Marvel’s “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” graded books. The Godzilla (1977) set will remain my first Bronze Age target for completion. Additionally, with story lines that entertainingly illustrate the Fantastic Four and the Avengers failing to defeat the creature, Godzilla, in my opinion, remains a truly formidable and iconic character of the Marvel Universe.
Jewels of the Set:
Godzilla (1977) #20 Signature CGC 9.8 WP: story includes an appearance by the Fantastic Four (Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Girl, Human Torch and Thing). Book (03/79) is triple-signed by Fantastic Four creator, Stan Lee, and both this issue's cover artists, Herb Trimpe and Bob McLeod.
Godzilla (1977) #23 Signature CGC 9.8 WP: story includes an appearance by the Avengers (Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Yellowjacket, Wasp, Scarlet Witch and Vision). Book (06/79) is signed by Avengers co-creator, Stan Lee, and this issue's artist Herb Trimpe.
Set Short Range Target:
Godzilla (1977) #24 Signature CGC 9.8 WP. Would like this set's last issue signed by Stan Lee; book showcases a cameo role by the ASM.
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| Slot: |
Godzilla 1 |
| Item: |
Godzilla 1 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1060640005
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Owner Comments
Book (08/77) includes appearances by S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Nick Fury, "Dum Dum" Dugan, and Jimmy Woo (aka, the "Godzilla Squad"); however, cover art sadly, failed to capture Godzilla's signature ability/weapon - the bluish, atomic ray breath.
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| Slot: |
Godzilla 3 |
| Item: |
Godzilla 3 |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1157344004
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Owner Comments
Book (10/77) includes appearances by the Champions (Angel, Iceman, Black Widow, and Hercules), Tony Stark, and the Godzilla Squad’s "Dum Dum" Dugan and Gabe Jones.
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| Slot: |
Godzilla 4 |
| Item: |
Godzilla 4 Signature |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1262422037
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Owner Comments
Book (11/77) signed by cover artist Herb Trimpe on 09/06/2014.
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| Slot: |
Godzilla 5 |
| Item: |
Godzilla 5 |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1117687003
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Owner Comments
Book (12/77) Doctor Douglas Birely (Demonicus) uses the Lifestone's power to create powerful, monstrous entities that battle Godzilla. The Lifestone is a small, yellow piece of meteor rock discovered by Demonicus. He found the sample inside a dormant volcano in the Aleutian Islands.
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| Slot: |
Godzilla 6 |
| Item: |
Godzilla 6 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0226724023
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Owner Comments
Book (01/78) includes the 1st cameo appearance by Red Ronin.
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| Slot: |
Godzilla 7 |
| Item: |
Godzilla 7 Modern |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1076812011
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Owner Comments
Book (02/78) includes the 1st full appearance of Red Ronin.Red Ronin was developed with the assistance of Stark International by Japanese engineers and scientists Tamara Hashioka and Yuriko Takiguchi. It was intended to be used by S.H.I.E.L.D. against the monster Godzilla. Before it could be utilized for this purpose, the robot was stolen by Takiguchi's twelve year old grandson Rob. Originally referred to as SJ3RX, the robot was named Red Ronin by the youngster.After an initial attempt to control the robot failed, Rob succeeded in piloting Red Ronin into battle with Godzilla, in an attempt to drive the beast off. Rob wished to prevent the radioactive creature from being harmed and his attempts to ward the monster off were designed to actually preserve his life. He succeeded in doing so and it was discovered that Ronin had been imprinted with Rob's brain patterns, making the robot useless without him to pilot it.
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| Slot: |
Godzilla 9 |
| Item: |
Godzilla 9 Signature |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1262422045
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Owner Comments
Book (04/78) signed by cover artist Herb Trimpe on 09/06/2014.
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| Slot: |
Godzilla 11 |
| Item: |
Godzilla 11 |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1157344007
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Owner Comments
Book (06/78) includes an appearance by Yetrigar and Red Ronin. Several years ago, a team of scientists conducted atomic tests in the deserts of Arizona. On the surface, the tests met with optimal success, but the seismic vibrations cracked open a fault line, creating a trench that stretched northward into a glacial cavern in Canada. Inside the frozen ice was the slumbering form of a creature of myth: a sub-human man-ape that the Japanese referred to as a Yetrigar. Nuclear radiation from the Arizona desert traveled through the geological pipeline, awakening the creature. This Yetrigar instinctively began traveling southward, following the trail of radiation to its origin point. Over the course of three months, the radiation had a profound physiological effect on the plodding creature. With each passing day, he grew bigger and bigger until finally his immense size dwarfed even the surrounding trees. Yetrigar's journey terminated at the Grand Canyon where he encountered a S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier in pursuit of the mutated dinosaur known as Godzilla. Acting out of some primal fury, Yetrigar hurled a boulder at the ship, downing the Behemoth class Helicarrier. All personnel aboard the Helicarrier survived the crash and young Robert Takiguchi, recognizing the threat that the Yetrigar represented, took it upon himself to pilot the Red Ronin armor in the hopes of stopping him.Within moments of this incident, Godzilla appeared on the scene and engaged in battle with Yetrigar. The two grappled with one another atop one of the numerous buttes in the canyon and Yetrigar proved to be invulnerable to most of Godzilla's attacks, including his powerful atomic breath. The two beasts collided with one another, toppling down into the canyon below. Red Ronin attempted to separate the two, acting mostly out of defense of Godzilla. Yetrigar tackled Red Ronin, but the giant robot armor kept him at bay with his electro-sword. He even succeeded in executing the "sleeper hold" on Yetrigar, but the beast broke the grip and continued fighting against Red Ronin and Godzilla. Takiguchi realized that the Yetrigar was too powerful to stop through conventional means, so he fired his rockets at the cliff's edge that caused a rock slide, burying Yetrigar beneath a ton of dirt, rocks and debris. Yetrigar remained buried in the Grand Canyon for several years. S.H.I.E.L.D. kept a file on him, but never made any efforts to recover the creature.
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| Slot: |
Godzilla 14 |
| Item: |
Godzilla 14 Modern |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0931429015
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Owner Comments
Winnipeg Pedigree.
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| Slot: |
Godzilla 18 |
| Item: |
Godzilla 18 |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1261126005
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Owner Comments
Story by Doug Moench. Art by Herb Trimpe and Dan Green.
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| Slot: |
Godzilla 19 |
| Item: |
Godzilla 19 |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1176272002
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Owner Comments
Story by Doug Moench. Art by Herb Trimpe and Dan Green.
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| Slot: |
Godzilla 20 |
| Item: |
Godzilla 20 Signature |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1113279010
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Owner Comments
Book (03/79) includes an appearance by the Fantastic Four (Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Girl, Human Torch and Thing) and is triple-signed by Fantastic Four creator, Stan Lee, and both this issue's cover artists, Herb Trimpe and Bob McLeod. Synopsis: With Godzilla roaming the streets of New York City, and at risk of growing back to full size, the Godzilla Squad - which includes S.H.I.E.L.D.'s NYC-born Gabriel "Gabe" Jones (first appearance in Marvel's 1963, Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1) - continues to track Godzilla until they can successfully contain it without any further collateral damage. While at the Fantastic Four's HQ (the Baxter building) the FF hear local media reports of the creature's rampage. Richard Reed (Mr. Fantastic) decides that this is a case for the team to investigate. The Godzilla Squad (Gabriel Jones, Jimmy Woo and Timothy "Dum Dum" Dugan) successfully lure the monster into the New York History Museum, and with the assistance of the Fantastic Four, Godzilla is knocked into a giant shark tank.
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| Slot: |
Godzilla 22 |
| Item: |
Godzilla 22 |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1241813006
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Owner Comments
Book (05/79) includes appearances by ZDevil Dinosaur and Moon Boy. Book signed by Doug Moench on 05/31/2014.
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| Slot: |
Godzilla 23 |
| Item: |
Godzilla 23 Signature |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1113279009
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Owner Comments
Book (06/79) includes an appearance by the Avengers (Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Yellowjacket, Wasp, Scarlet Witch and Vision) and is signed by Avengers co-creator, Stan Lee, and this issue's artist Herb Trimpe. Synopsis: With the Godzilla Squad and Fantastic Four unable to stop Godzilla's rampage through New York City, the Human Torch enlists the aid of Earth's mightiest heroes; the Avengers manage to temporarily, keep the goliath at bay - pushing him back into the New York harbor.
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| Slot: |
Godzilla 24 |
| Item: |
Godzilla 24 Modern |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1021289010
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Owner Comments
Book (07/79) This is the final appearance of Godzilla under the name "Godzilla". Following this issue, Marvel Comics relinquished the rights to use the Godzilla name. Spiderman Appearance.
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