Who Is Space Godzilla, What Are His Powers & Why Does He Hate Godzilla?

During Godzilla's Showa era incarnation of the 1960s and 1970s, the kaiju king faces his fair share of space adversaries, from the three-headed terror King Ghidorah to blade-wielding Gigan to the robotic menace Mechagodzilla. But few of Godzilla's many friends and foes match the immense power of his only intergalactic enemy from the Hesei era of the 1990s: SpaceGodzilla. 

Only appearing in 1994's "Godzilla vs. SpaceGodilla," the penultimate installment of the Hesei series, the titular villain may not have the same iconography as some of Godzilla's other rivals, but it's safe to say that the kaiju's insane power levels place him among the most challenging enemies that the King of the Monsters has faced. As its name implies, SpaceGodzilla is Godzilla's cosmos-originating doppelganger, sporting a similar look to the latter but far bulkier and fitted with an array of crystals throughout its body.

SpaceGodzilla's extensive tool belt of abilities and unhinged sense of malice give Godzilla a run for his money. He's such a challenge that Godzilla can't defeat the creature alone, eventually requiring the aid of the human-built giant robot, MOGUERA. But what makes SpaceGodzilla one of the toughest opponents in the franchise's history?

SpaceGodzilla originates from the outer depths of the galaxy. While his origins aren't entirely known, it is generally believed that Godzilla's cells found their way into space and got sucked into a black hole. After coming out of a white hole, crystalline organisms and exploding stars cause the cells to mutate and eventually form the monster. 

As for how Godzilla's cells got into space, it is believed that they were either taken up by the plant-Godzilla hybrid Biollante when her cells rose to the sky following her defeat in 1989's "Godzilla vs. Biollante" or that Mothra carried them into orbit when she flew into space at the end of 1992's "Godzilla vs. Mothra: The Battle for Earth." While SpaceGodzilla has jagged teeth on the outside of his mouth (similar to Biollante), timeline-wise, it would make more sense for Mothra to be the harborer, considering that Godzilla is wiped out from history before the events of 1991's "Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah," using time travel before being resurrected in modern times. What can be said for sure is that whatever went into making SpaceGodzilla worked a bit too well.

As the Japanese Self-Defense Force can attest, taking down Godzilla is no easy feat. Now imagine that power, but mutated through a black hole. To call SpaceGodzilla a powerful opponent would be an understatement, as the kaiju's abilities are vast and very effective.

Similar to his Earth-bound counterpart's atomic breath, SpaceGodzilla can shoot a beam from his mouth, known as the corona beam, that can also be emitted from his massive shoulder crystals. SpaceGodzilla can levitate opponents such as Little Godzilla and even Godzilla himself using a telekinetic ability called the Gravity Tornado. He can also create a special force field blockade known as the Photon Reactive Shield to deflect Godzilla's ray attack. As another barrier for enemies, the kaiju can summon crystal daggers from the ground to surround himself and raise and launch them at his targets. SpaceGodzilla has two forms — ground-based combat and crystal-encased flying — the latter of which lets him use a Photon Hurricane power that disables machinery. 

Despite these abilities, SpaceGodzilla is not without his Achilles heel. Many of his ranged fighting tactics rely on distance between himself and his opponent. While he has a fair amount of durability and even manages to use the spikes at the end of his tail to impale and fling MOGUERA across the city, SpaceGodzilla's bulky build and short arms put him at a disadvantage during close combat battles. Additionally, the monster is severely weakened once his shoulder crystals are destroyed or his power source is cut off, as is the case when Godzilla destroys the Fukoka Tower. 

Perhaps what sets SpaceGodzilla apart from the bevy of other intergalactic Godzilla opponents is not his fantastic collection of powers but his cold-blooded nature. In most instances, Godzilla's enemies are controlled by another entity and not acting on their own will. However, SpaceGodzilla is not bound by any exterior forces, intending to take over Earth and kill Godzilla on his own rage-filled accord. 

This is evident in their first interaction. Whereas most space monsters would directly start attacking the city and be encountered by Godzilla, SpaceGodzilla first lands on Birth Island, where he harasses Little Godzilla to provoke the Big G. The tactic proves effective, as SpaceGodzilla manages to weaken Godzilla and traps Little Godzilla in a crystal prison, where the youngster remains until SpaceGodzilla is defeated. It's a clever move on the villain's part, knowing that the only way to conquer the planet is to first dispatch Godzilla. 

After landing in Fukuoka and using the Fukuoka Tower as an energy source, SpaceGodzilla again confronts Godzilla and MOGUERA. The intense battle is won after the two destroy the tower, and Godzilla uses his red spiral beam to destroy SpaceGodzilla once and for all.