GODZILLA SQUAD

Membership: Angel Squad/Operation: Mosquito, Timothy "Dum Dum" Dugan, Tamara Hashioka (see comments), Dr.Gladstone Hawkins, Hugh Howards, Gabe Jones, Robert "Rob" Takiguchi, Dr. Yuriko Takiguchi, James "Jimmy" Woo

Purpose: To study Godzilla, prevent injury to him or others, and to capture him if possible

Affiliations: Funded and partially controlled by SHIELD (Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law-enforcement Division);
    technology constructed by Stark International;
    creators of Red Ronin;
    allies of Dr. Henry Pym, Reed Richards, the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and Spider-Man;
    both allies and enemies of Godzilla upon occasion

Enemies: Dr. Demonicus and his monsters (Batragon, Centipor, Ghilaron, Lepirax), the Mega Monsters, and Yetrigar; Antagonists of the Champions of Los Angeles

Base of Operations: The Behemoth IV Helicarrier (mobile across USA);
    formerly SHIELD helicarrier/mini-carrier (mobile across Northwest USA; see comments)

First Appearance: (Seen) Godzilla#1 (August, 1977);
    (identified) Godzilla#2 (September, 1977)

History: (Godzilla#1-24) - When the gigantic creature known as Godzilla resurfaced off the coast of Alaska in the modern era, the organization SHIELD (Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law-enforcement Division) was called in to stop it.  The head of SHIELD, Nick Fury, called in Dr. Yuriko Takiguchi, who had had previous experience with Godzilla and had ideas on how to control him.  Takiguchi brought his colleague, Tamara Hashioka, and his grandson, Rob, with him.  Dum Dum Dugan, another high-ranking officer in SHIELD, was placed in charge of preventing Godzilla from devastating the USA as he had Tokyo.  The group organized to stop him was nicknamed "The Godzilla Squad."

    The group followed Godzilla across his many exploits in the USA.  Their first attempt to stop Godzilla in Alaska was a dismal failure.  They failed again in Seattle, and then in San Francisco, they ended up fighting the Champions of Los Angeles, who were also trying to stop Godzilla.  As they foiled each other, Godzilla walked away relatively unscathed.  They followed Godzilla back to Alaska and helped him to defeat Dr. Demonicus and his monstrous creations.  After this battle, even Dugan began to question the true nature of Godzilla.

    In an effort to stop Godzilla, SHIELD contracted with Stark International to construct some gigantic weapons, based on the designs of Hashioka and Takiguchi.  The first of these was the Behemoth IV Helicarrier which became their new base.  Using a gas assault, the Squad captured Godzilla in the Behemoth and flew him back to a SHIELD base.  However, upon waking, Godzilla easily broke out of his new prison.

    The Squad next planned to unleash the giant robot Red Ronin against Godzilla, but this was sabotaged when Rob locked the controls into his brain patterns in an effort to stop them from hurting Godzilla.  Rob used Red Ronin in an effort to drive Godzilla away from a nuclear missile base in San Diego.  This was successful, but he also crippled the Behemoth Helicarrier when it assaulted Godzilla.  Rob and Red Ronin joined Godzilla on a few adventures, until the robot was decapitated by one of the Mega-Monsters.  Dugan and Jones assisted Godzilla in defeating the Mega- Monsters.

    Lacking both the Behemoth and Red Ronin, Godzilla got away from the Squad for a time.  When they caught up with him, they used Pym Particles to shrink Godzilla down to twelve inches tall.  However, Godzilla got free from them in New York and they lost him in the city.  As Godzilla grew larger, they eventually tracked him down. They employed the aid of Reed Richards to use his Time Machine to attempt to send Godzilla to the past (he actually ended up in the extra-dimensional Dinosaur World).  Godzilla soon returned to Earth, and the squad was joined by several of the heroes in New York City in an effort to subdue the giant lizard.  As the struggle escalated, Rob Takiguchi climbed out on top of the rebuilt Behemoth, attracted Godzilla's attention, and convinced him to head back out to the sea.

BTS - The Squad presumably dissolved soon after this.

(Avengers I#198-199) - The Behemoth was used in a later attempt to subdue Red Ronin after it was stolen by Earl Cowan.

( Incredible Hercules#114-115) - Behemoth...

COMMENTS: Created by Doug Moench and Herb Trimpe.

Per Caesar Godzillatron: Toho Co. Ltd in Japan created him and still owns him, and are continuing his film series (as of February 2002, 25 have been produced [26 if you count that weak iguana in 1998] and have announced a 26th).

I haven't seen any of the old Godzilla movies (or any of the new ones, for that matter [I did watch the cartoon in the 1970s, digressing]).  However, Caesar Godzillatron tells me that none of the characters from the book besides Godzilla himself were in any of those movies.

Caesar Godzillatron is right.  Not one of the Japanese characters from Marvel's "Godzilla" comic ever appeared in the original Toho movies.  But... the cockroach people DID appear--if only in backlit silhouette--in "Godzilla on Monster Island" (1972).  Could they have been an offshoot of the Leviotes?   Yours truly:  Carycomix@aol.com

I'm not sure if Marvel has any interest in regaining the rights to Godzilla, but they can always just use him and not refer to him by name, like they did in Iron Man I#193+194.  You'd think either Rob or Yuriko would go off their rocker and summon Godzilla (or try to and summon some undersea deviant mutate).

As explained in the letter column of Godzilla#12, the SHIELD Heli-Carrier that appeared in issues#1-3 and was destroyed by Godzilla in the latter of those issues was one of two mini-carriers, similar in appearance to the original Heli-Carrier but smaller in size.  The other mini-carrier had been destroyed, also, in Captain America v. 2#141.--Kyle 

"Dum Dum" Dugan, Gabe Jones, and Jimmy Woo can all be seen in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, as well as at the SHIELD website.

Lee K. Seitz points out that Hashioka was never named as Doctor, and even referred to as "Miss." Still, as co-designer of something like a helicarrier, I'd have to imagine she's got at least a PhD equivalent.

Profile updated/edited by Kyle Sims

Clarifications: The Behemoth Helicarrier has no connection to:

 

Tamara Hashioka was a colleague of Dr. Takiguchi, at co-designed the Behemoth helicarrier and Red Ronin with him.  She avoided the advances of Jimmy Woo, although she did have some interest in him. Tamara saw Godzilla as a powerful force of nature, and recognized his threat, but wished to subdue or drive him away without harming him.  She also saw him as a noble, time-displaced life form.

--Godzilla#1 (2-4, 6-10, 13-15, 17-22, [23], 24, [Avengers I#198]

 

 

 

 

 

Dr.Gladstone Hawkins was a paleontologist who came up with the idea of using Pym Particles against Godzilla.  He was fascinated by Godzilla and wished to study him for scientific purposes.  He believed Godzilla to be permanently disposed of after he was sent away by Reed's Time Machine, and he left the group soon after that.--Godzilla#17 (18-21

 

 

 

Hugh Howards was pilot and mechanic for SHIELD I.  He was a talented pilot, a dedicated SHIELD agent, and an all-around nice guy.  He was once suckered into getting stranded on the roof of the helicarrier, allowing Rob to escape his custody.  When I first read this issue, I thought it was Tony Stark piloting the Behemoth.
As pointed out by Emilio Martín, the historical Howard Hughes was probably the template for Hugh Howards not only in appearance but in ability as well since Howard Hughes was a technician and pilot like the comic character.  In all probablity, Howard Hughes was the template for the characters Tony Stark also, given their similarities in appearance and wealth.  Emilio further illustrated such a connection from the Earth-X books where Stark appeared haggardly and unkempt much like Hughes in his later reclusive, Las Vegas residing days.--Kyle
--Godzilla#6 (7, 8, 10, 11, 17, 18, [19], 22-24

 

 

Jensen (first name unknown) was a SHIELD mechanic aboard the SHIELD helicarrier I.  He participated in the failed struggle in Los Angeles.  He was only seen in a long distance shot--Godzilla#3

 

The Behemoth was anti-Godzilla aircraft designed by Hashioka and Dr. Takiguchi.  It did succeed in subduing Godzilla in its first use.  After Godzilla escaped, its second attempt was sabotaged when it was assaulted and temporarily incapacitated by Red Ronin, piloted by Rob Takiguchi.  It was rebuilt by Stark International and was again active against Godzilla in his adventures in Manhattan.

After Godzilla vanished back into the sea, it was used once again by SHIELD to combat Red Ronin piloted by Earl Cowan.  The helicarrier was ultimately short-circuited when it focused all of its power through Iron Man's armor in an effort to stop the giant robot.  Years later, SHIELD used the Behemoth to transport technology confiscated from the stone vessel formerly commanded by the Hulk during his invasion of New York. Amadeus Cho usurped control of the Behemoth and used it to launch an assault upon SHIELD's forces worldwide, temporarily disabling all other Helicarriers. SHIELD launched a missile counter attack against the Behemoth which destroyed it, but Amadeus escaped injury. It was heavily armored, equipped for trans-continental flights, armed with energy shields and cannons, and tracking equipment.

--[Godzilla#1 (plans hinted at), 3 (construction begun)], 6 ([1, 3, 4], 6-8, 10, 11 (inactive), 18, 22-24, Avengers I#198, 199, Incredible Hercules#114-115d

 

 

The Dragonflies were a series of armored assault helicopters.  They were used in battle against Dr. Demonicus' monsters in the Aleutian Islands.  They were highly maneuverable and could had machine-gun type weaponry.

--Godzilla#4 (5)

 

 

 

 

 

The Electro-Mag Nets were dropped out of the SHIELD Helicarrier in an attempt to snare Godzilla in the San Francisco bay.  However, as a result of a simultaneous attack from the Champions, Godzilla ducked and received only a glancing blow.  Hercules, also in the bay, was nearly electrocuted.--Godzilla#3

 

 

 

The laser cannon was a shield weapon used in the first encounter with Godzilla, in Alaska.  While it did pain and enrage him, it did no lasting damage and was turned into molten slag by a single blast of radioactive breath.

--Godzilla#1

 

 

 

 

 

Operation: Mosquito (Agent L, Agent R), aka the Angel Squad, was one of the first attempts to stop Godzilla, in Alaska.  It utilized a number of SHIELD agents piloting one-man hovercrafts and using energy guns against Godzilla. After they blasted him, he wiped out a large portion of the assault squad with a single swipe, and they retreated.

--Godzilla#1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appearances:
Godzilla#1 (August, 1977) - Doug Moench (writer), Herb Trimpe (pencils), Jim Mooney (inks), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Godzilla#2 (September, 1977) - Doug Moench (writer), Herb Trimpe (pencils), Frank Giacoia & George Tuska (inks), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Godzilla#3 (October, 1977) - Doug Moench (writer), Herb Trimpe (pencils), Tony DeZuniga (inks), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Godzilla#4 (Noember, 1977) - Doug Moench (writer), Tom Sutton (pencils), Tony DeZuniga (inks), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Godzilla#5 (December, 1977) - Doug Moench (writer), Tom Sutton (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Godzilla#6 (January, 1978) - Doug Moench (writer), Herb Trimpe (artist), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Godzilla#7-11 (February-June, 1978) - Doug Moench (writer), Herb Trimpe (pencils), Fred Kida (inks), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Godzilla#12-13 (July-August, 1978) - Doug Moench (writer), Herb Trimpe (pencils), Fred Kida (inks), Jim Shooter (editor)
Godzilla#14 (September, 1978) - Doug Moench (writer), Herb Trimpe (pencils), Dan Green (inks), Jim Shooter (editor)
Godzilla#15-17 (October-December, 1978) - Doug Moench (writer), Herb Trimpe (pencils), Dan Green (inks), Bob Hall (editor)
Godzilla#18 (January, 1979) - Doug Moench (writer), Herb Trimpe (pencils), Dan Green (inks), Jim Shooter (editor)
Godzilla#19 (February, 1979) - Doug Moench (writer), Herb Trimpe (pencils), Dan Green (inks), Jo Duffy (editor)
Godzilla#20-21 (March-April, 1979) - Doug Moench (writer), Herb Trimpe (pencils), Dan Green (inks), Al Milgrom (editor)
Godzilla#22 (May, 1979) - Doug Moench (writer), Herb Trimpe (pencils), Jack Abel (inks), Al Milgrom (editor)
Godzilla#23-24 (June-July, 1979) - Doug Moench (writer), Herb Trimpe (pencils), Dan Green (inks), Al Milgrom (editor)
Avengers I#198-199 (August-September, 1980) - David Michelinie (writer), George Perez (pencils), Dan Green (inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Incredible Hercules#114-115 (March-April, 2008) - Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente (writers), Khoi Pham (penciler), Paul Neary (inker), Mark Paniccia (editor)

First posted: Around 09/01/2001 (see here)
Last updated: 07/05/2020

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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