Since the next couple of entries into the Kaiju Portraits will be re-colored and improved older ones, I though that this update should not only feature brand new additions...but evil supernatural demons of beyond human-known Hell at that!


**************


Kaiju Portrait #34: Azal the Last Daemon

Season Eight of the classic "Doctor Who" was all about the arrival and evil machinations of the Master; a renegade Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey, who seeks domination on Earth. And usually with the less-then-reliable help of other alien invaders and ancient monsters. And for us kaiju fans, three of these said allies were giant in size.

First we had the briefly seen, octopoid-shape of an incoming Nestine Consciousness, in the horribly hyperactive "Terror of the Autons. Then came the deceitful Axons in "The Claws of Axos", who despite appearing as a variety of creatures (including a slug-like spaceship), were really all parts of a single being. And last, but not least, we have this handsome, satyr-like fellow - Azal, the Last Daemon!

Azal appeared in the season finale serial "The Daemons", and true to his title, is the last survivor of the title species; an ancient race of aliens who were technologically advance, highly amoral, and were the earliest inspiration for demons and devils, in mankind's myths and legends.

They were also somehow responsible for the creation, and ultimate destruction of Atlantis...though with the contradictory continuity of "Doctor Who", it's hard to know if this is really true. Crap, even the history of Pompeii doesn't make a lick of sense when you add Captain Jack AND the Primords...but that a whole other rant for another time.

Although the fate of his home-world is vague, Azal himself came to Earth a little over one-hundred years ago in Wiltshire, England, near the village of Devil's End. Daemons are masters at altering their own size, and was able to shrink his massive ship to microscopic levels, from which he went into suspended animation. In modern times, an archeological dig, funded by the fools of BBC-Three television (I'm not joking), awakens Azal. And the Master, who has taken up residence as the town's vicar, is more then ready to use this for his own advantage.

With the help of a deadly gargoyle-robot named Bok, as well as the town's more gullible citizens, the Master wishes to strike a deal with Azal; to gain the demon's ancient knowledge for even greater conquest beyond the Earth. Things are complicated further by the fact that Azal sees the progress of the human race (of whom his people had much influence upon) as nothing more then a failed experiment. And one that needs to be ended soon.

Thankfully, the Third incarnation of the good-guy Time Lord, the Doctor (Jon Partwee), and his current employers at the paramilitary organization of UNIT, are on the case. Along with added assist from Devil End's self-proclaimed 'white witch', Miss Hawthorne (played by the oddly attractive Damaris Hayman...what, for an older lady, she is...SHUT UP).

Although we know Azal can alter his height from invisibly small to Godzilla-worthy, we never really get a good look at him until the end of episode four and some of five. Though his presence is more then felt throughout the story, along with gigantic foot prints littering the country side. Azal was portrayed (in questionable effects make-up) by actor Stephen Thorne, who booming and bombastic voice, and related acting (some call it camp) was also behind two other famous DW villains; Omega, a tragic, but otherwise mad Time Lord super-genius, and the male form of the rock-based tyrant Eldrad.

[link])
[link]

Strangely enough, Azal would not be the last giant demon to plague the 'Who-niverse', as in recent times we had the Beast, from the two-part adventure "The Impossible Planet" / "The Satan Pit", and his pig-faced 'son' Abbadon from "Torchwood". Thankfully, the connection between the three characters is intentional by the show's current production staff, despite the shoddy continuity (yet again). So I think it's safe to assume that giant demons are a major race scattered throughout the cosmos, and it may not be the last time our hero the Doctor will have to face such a Lovecraftian threat.

Extra Links:

[link]
[link]
[link]


**************


Kaiju Portrait #35: GMK Godzilla

Despite popular opinion, the so-called Millennium era (1998-2004) of the Godzilla franchise is my favorite era, second to the classic films of the Showa era of course (1954-1975). The main reason is the lack of continuity and thus, ample opportunities to experiment with Godzilla and related story elements...for better and for worse.

"Godzilla, Mothra And King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack" (or "GMK" for short) is both the most praised of these films, though one that took a very unorthodox approach by adding supernatural elements, as well as featuring the most evil incarnation of Godzilla ever seen. Even the original 1954 film had some strange sympathy for the murderous beast, where as this version of Godzilla, although still a dinosaur mutated by atomic bomb tests, is now driven by the vengeful spirits of human victims of the Pacific War (Japanese and otherwise), to make the people of modern Japan not forget what happened, in a very devastating manner.

I agree, it's a little much for Godzilla's back-story, but Japan has a peculiar tradition of human ghosts being dangerous to all people, regardless who they were in life. Which would explain the many innocent victims of those "Ring" and "Grudge" films, not to mention the fact that mythical monsters of Yokai legend are mostly consider good-guys, compared to the aforementioned spooks.

(Give your kids protective, demonic-looking Red Oni dolls, so that the ghost of your once beloved grandma won't kill them for vaguely dumb, and very scary reasons)

The only real hope Japan has against this evil ghost-empowered Godzilla are the Guardian Monsters of Yamato; three ancient monsters who, although also dangerous to humans, are by no means as evil as Godzilla, and hence will protect the Japanese land. These monsters are Baragon (originally from "Frankenstein Conquers the World"), Mothra, and King Ghidorah (previously Godzilla's alien archenemies, but now an Earthly good guy in this film).

In the end, the Guardian Monsters are brutally killed off, one-by-one, by Godzilla, but their remaining spirits help keep the monster as bay (because they're not human ghosts), long enough for heroic Admiral Taizo Tachibana to lunch a special missile to open a large wound in the villain's neck. And fittingly, the hateful Godzilla, in an attempt to kill more people, ends up destroying himself from within, as his own nuclear-breath bursts out from the hole, instead of the safety of his mouth.

I won't give a away the twist ending for those who haven't seen the film, but I will say that Godzilla's psychical training under Toho's giant mutant version of Frankenstein's Monster, really paid off!

Anyway, GMK Godzilla has been a long-time request by fans of the Kaiju Portraits, and I apologize for the long wait if you're among such. I took some liberties with the coloring of the character, as he's a much brighter shade of gray then the traditional charcoal black of most other Godzilla suits. But I felt since this is a ghost-powered-dino-demon, he should look the part.

Interestingly, GMK Godzilla shares way-too-much in common with Ghost Godzilla; a character that was meant for a 1995 film, in which the new Heisei era Godzilla (1984-1995) would battled his more villainous 1954 counterpart. But after a series of films in which Godzilla battled a slew of weird clones (Mechagodzilla, Space Godzilla, and Biollante), Ghost Godzilla was dropped in favor for a brand new opponent dubbed Destroyah. Even more bizarre, the Ghost Godzilla elements would pop up yet again, though under a more heroic light, with the Mechagodzilla variation named Kiryu, the leading protagonist in the following 2002-2003 sequels.

Extra Links:

[link]
[link]
[link]