takiguchi-robert-godz2-shinsupROB TAKIGUCHI

Real Name: Robert "Rob" Takiguchi

Identity/Class: Human;
    Japanese citizen

Occupation: Unrevealed;
    student when last seen

Group Membership: Formerly an unofficial member of the Godzilla Squad/"Green Team" (Timothy "Dum-Dum" Dugan, Tamara Hashioka, Dr. Gladstone Hawkins, Hugh Howards, Gabe Jones, Yuriko Takiguchi, James "Jimmy" Woo);

Affiliations: Godzilla, Red Ronin, S.H.I.E.L.D. (Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law-enforcement Division; notably Dum-Dum Dugan, Gabe Jones, and Jimmy Woo);
    he met
Mega-Monsters (Krollar, Rhiahn, Triax), Warlords of Mega, YetrigarNick Fury and Tony Stark but had minimal interaction with either of them;
    formerly
Red Ronin

Enemies: Mega-Monsters (Krollar, Rhiahn, Triax), Warlords of Mega, Yetrigar;
    antagonist relationship with Dum-Dum Dugan, although Dugan sought to protect Rob

Known RelativesYuriko Takiguchi ((presumptive paternal) grandfather, deceased), Yuriko's son (possibly Rob's father, deceased; see comments)

Aliases: Little Rob;
    "Tiger" (from Hugh Howards);
    "Champion of Earth" (a descriptive term from the Warlords of Mega);
    "whinin' little brat," "snot-nosed punk" (from Dum-Dum Dugan)

Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
    formerly the Behemoth helicarrier;
    at least formerly Japan

First Appearance: Godzilla#1 (August, 1977)

Powers/Abilities: Rob is highly intelligent, able to understand high-tech blueprints and to operate advanced technology such as the Red Ronin robot.
    See the
Red Ronin profile for details on the various weapons systems, etc. that Rob commanded while operating Red Ronin.

    Additionally, Rob had a borderline empathic ability to reach, communicate with, and earn the trust of Godzilla.

    He was also clever enough to outwit various S.H.I.E.L.D. agents (see comments).

    High emotional, Rob frequently cried with anger, sadness, and happiness.

    Twelve years old at the time of his Godzilla encounters, Rob likely developed other skills and abilities as he matured in adulthood.

Height: Unrevealed (approximately 4' when last seen; almost certainly significantly taller since then)
Weight: Unrevealed (perhaps 70 lbs.
when last seen; almost certainly significantly taller since then)
Eyes: Apparently blue (see comments; occasionally shown as brown, such as in Godzilla#11 & #13)
Hair: Black

History:
takiguchi-robert-godz1-full (
Godzilla#1 (fb) - BTS) - After Godzilla surfaced on the coast of Alaska, the Pentagon and the White House (presumably the President of the United States of America/POTUS) granted security clearance to Dr. Takiguchi and his assistant, Tamara Hashioka, based on their plans for a way to stop Godzilla (a giant robot temporarily designated SJ3 RX, which would become known as Red Ronin).

(Godzilla#1 (fb) - BTS) - S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury flew the two, along with Yuriko's twelve-year-old grandson, Robert, to meet up with the SHIELD helicarrier/mini-carrier in Alaska to confront Godzilla.

(Godzilla#1) - Fury flew Yuriko, Rob, and Tamara to Alaska in an experimental VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) fighter jet. As they passed over northwest Canada, Tamara remarked that she hoped there would not be more lives lost, and Rob interrupted, asking about Godzilla and noting that the Americans would probably try to kill him without trying to understand him. Yuriko tried to silence Rob, telling him that Fury might overhear him and misunderstand. Rob tried to continue that he feared for <Godzilla>, but Yuriko cut him off, stating that they all feared, as well they should, as Godzilla was the most dangerous and unpredictable being alive.

    Rob and the others arrived as Godzilla fought off and escaped from SHIELD forces led by "Dum-Dum Dugan," confirming that this was indeed Godzilla. After they landed, Fury introduced Yuriko and the others to Dugan.

(Godzilla#2) - Aboard the SHIELD helicarrier/mini-carrier, as Godzilla assaulted Seattle, Washington, Rob sat and listened as Yuriko revealed his part with Godzilla and concluded that Godzilla represented a hitherto unknown essence of life and behavior, which made him both unpredictable and dangerous. Rob interrupted, arguing that Godzilla had many times saved Japan from real evil and was considered a hero by many, and that they must not  be allowed to kill Godzilla. Yuriko reminded Rob of his instructions against such outbursts and of his past reprimands.

    After SHIELD's efforts led to Godzilla being knocked back into the ocean, Rob silently considered that the Americans were clever and resourceful but that they did not understand Godzilla as he did. Rob concluded that he was Godzilla's only hope.

(Godzilla#3 - BTS) - The SHIELD "Godzilla Squad" contingent unsuccessfully opposed Godzilla in San Francisco (with their mini-carrier ultimately/inadvertently being caused to crash by Hercules of the Los Angeles-based Champions.

(Godzilla#3) - Yuriko, Rob, Tamara, and Jimmy Woo's plane landed at Tony Stark's private Detroit airstrip, and they soon met with Stark himself at his Detroit Stark International facility. After Yuriko introduced Stark to Tamara and Rob, Stark showed them around. Rob subsequently considered that the security at that location would not be too difficult.

(Godzilla#4) - As Yuriko worked on designs/blueprints, Rob noted from his his grandfather's disapproving glare that he did not approve of the Chinese-American Jimmy Woo flirting with Tamara.

(Godzilla#6 (fb) - BTS) - Rob studied his grandfather's designs for the giant robot SJ3 RX. Knowing that too many questions would have made his grandfather and Tamara suspicious, Rob refrained from asking them much, leaving him in the dark about what purpose all of its equipment served.

(Godzilla#6 (fb) - BTS) - Rob sneaked onto catwalk above SJ3 RX -- which the Stark facility had constructed -- and waited there all day.

(Godzilla#6) - As Yuriko viewed the completed SJ3 RX and noted that he imagined that one of Fury's SHIELD agents would operate it, he was unaware that Rob watched from above, plotting to usurp control of the giant robot for himself.

    Later that night, Rob sneaked past the security guards and descended atop the giant robot via a rope. Aware of the robot's layout from viewing blueprints, Rob entered through an eye into the control cockpit and donned the cybernetic control helmet; however, his efforts to activate and control the robot led to an electrical discharge that knocked him out.

(Godzilla#7 (fb) - BTS) - Gabe Jones called the Stark facility, informing Yuriko that Godzilla had broken free of containment in a missile installation.

(Godzilla#7 - BTS) - After the robot activated and began moving without direction, Jimmy Woo airdropped into the robot's eye, and he apparently lucked upon the controls that stopped the robot's motion, after which he brought Rob with him and exited the robot.

    Tamara asked the still-dazed Rob why he had done it, and he told her that he didn't want the robot to kill Godzilla. takiguchi-robert-godz7-ronincontols


(Godzilla#7) - After Jimmy Woo recovered Rob from the robot, Yuriko approached, noting that the news about Godzilla. Though a Stark agent noted that the robot had neither been cleared for testing nor had been inspected, Yuriko argued that the robot was in operating condition and it might be their only chance. Jimmy Woo agreed with Yuriko and entered the robot with the plan to operate it.

(Godzilla#7 (fb) - BTS) - Yuriko provided remote instructions to Jimmy via headset, but the robot failed to respond to Jimmy's commands.

(Godzilla#7) - Yuriko noted that the robots failure to respond indicated that something was wrong.

(Godzilla#7) - When Jimmy noted that the robot had worked minutes earlier with Rob at the controls, Yuriko considered that if an overload was caused by a certain number of circuits being activated in just the right (or wrong, depending on perspective) sequence, the cybernetic control-helmet could be locked onto the unique electric impulse frequency of one person's brainwaves.

    However, as they discussed whether Rob might be the only one who could activate the robot, Rob re-entered the robot and activated it, taking off in hopes of stopping Godzilla without harming him.

(Godzilla#7 - BTS) - En route, Rob named the robot "Red Ronin."

(Godzilla#8) - Seeking to drive Godzilla away from the nuclear missile base, Rob explored the controls and inadvertently activated the laser-blade. Although Rob realized that the blade was too dangerous to use against Godzilla, the threat of the weapon caused Godzilla to use his radioactive flame-breath against its apparent would-be attacker. Unaware of how to activate the heat-guard and feeling his skin was starting to burn, Rob initially concentrated as hard as he could to reduce the laser-blade's intensity, but found that this actually increased it; after realizing he had to think calmly, he succeeded in reducing the intensity and then struck Godzilla, knocking him to the ground.

    After Jimmy Woo informed Dugan that Rob was piloting Red Ronin, Dugan instructed the crew of the Behemoth helicarrier crew to decoy Godzilla in an effort to save the young boy; however, Rob perceived that they were going to attack Godzilla, and so he used Ronin's laser-blade against the Behemoth, knocking out the aircraft's weapon systems pending activation of auxiliary power.

    Rob then deployed Ronin's magneclamp cables and used them to pick up Godzilla and begin flying with him toward the sea.  Unfortunately, when Godzilla awakened, his struggles disengaged Rob from the cybernetic helmet, after which Godzilla' flame-breath melted through the cables. While Godzilla landed in the water, Rob restored his connection to Ronin and halted the giant robot's fall, but mental exhaustion forced him to land Ronin. Godzilla attacked the giant robot anew, and Rob fought back with his low-level laser-blade and then used Ronin's shield to protect himself from Godzilla's flames. With his mind clearing, Rob's control and reaction time improved, and he hurled the shield, which homed in on and struck Godzilla before returning to his hand. Hoping another good strike would drive Godzilla off, Rob fired a blast from his left hand, but Godzilla ducked and then knocked Ronin down with his tail.

    With the Behemoth's auxiliary power back on, Dugan ordered the crew to protect Rob, but Rob again assumed that it was trying to hurt Godzilla, and he had Ronin blast it, shorting out the auxiliary power, leaving only the main engine to keep it airborne. Perhaps having earned Godzilla's trust, Rob guided Godzilla to depart the city and head to the open countryside inland.

(Godzilla#9 (fb) - BTS) - In San Diego, it took two days to talk Rob into exiting Red Ronin.

(Godzilla#9) - After Rob arrived on the ground, Tamara hugged him, while Yuriko advised him to remember that he might have been injured.

    After Dugan yelled at Rob for getting back into Ronin, Rob defiantly told him that he had done so to stop Dugan and his people from killing Godzilla, and he pointed out that he had both prevented Godzilla from hurting anyone or getting hurt...and that he had been the only who had been able to accomplish those things. Yuriko further noted that Rob was the only one who could activate and control Ronin and that while Rob was only a boy, they could certainly have many worse guardians of such responsibility. Dugan argued that if the robot could only be controlled by a "snot-nosed punk" that Red Ronin was not to be used further.

    As Dugan prepared to return with Gabe Jones to the Behemoth to investigate Godzilla's assault on Boulder Dam, he instructed Tamara (and presumably Jimmy Woo and Dr. Takiguchi, although they weren't seen) to shackle him to a "Saturday morning TV set or somethin'. I don't care what you do, but just keep him away from 'Red Roman' <sic>"
    Unnoticed, Rob angrily schemed.

(Godzilla#10 (fb) - BTS) - Yuriko instructed that Rob was to stay with Tamara and Jimmy Woo and to stay away from Red Ronin.takiguchi-robert-godz11-ronincontols

(Godzilla#10) - Tamara reminded Rob of his grandfather's instructions, but when Tamara and Jimmy were distracted by discussing their attraction to each other, Rob rushed away. As troops at its front guided Ronin into a hangar, Rob scaled the unguarded ladder by Ronin's feet and accessed the entry portal in its heel. Walking up to Ronin's head, Rob linked up with it via the cybernetic control helmet, activated its boot jets, and flew off to locate Godzilla outside of Las Vegas.

    Within Ronin, Rob located Godzilla as the reptilian creature squared off against the immense Yetrigar.

(Godzilla#11) - Rob fired a pair of Ronin's shield rockets, breaking up the fight, but then Yetrigar attacked, tackling Ronin before he could raise his laser-sword. As Ronin used the laser-sword to force Yetrigar off of him, Godzilla attempted to use his flame-breath to blast Yetrigar to aid his previous ally, but inadvertently blasted Ronin instead after Yetrigar was knocked out of the way. When Yetrigar assaulted Godzilla anew, Rob had Ronin kick him back and then lock him up in a Full Nelson wrestling hold. However, hearing the cries of the rafting Jillian, Ron, Mary, and Jeff upon their seeing the giant trio, Rob was distracted, relaxing Ronin's grip enough for Yetrigar to throw him off. Although Ronin was unharmed by the collision, the rocks knocked loose caused the rafters to crash and suffer injuries.

    Not wishing either creature to die, Rob fired Ronin's wrist cannon into Godzilla, which ricocheted into the cliff, threatening the former rafters again. When Godzilla struck back with his flame breath, Rob defended Ronin with the laser-sword, but as Godzilla stepped forward to attack again, the laser struck Godzilla with more than the intended force, injuring him. Yetrigar then tackled Ronin, knocking it over and causing Rob to fall out of the cybernetic control helmet. Although weakened, Godzilla attacked Yetrigar, holding it off long enough for Rob to recover control. Believing he could only stop Yetrigar by killing him, Rob twice slashed at Yetrigar with his laser-sword and then used Ronin's wrist cannon to blast the top of the cliff wall, causing a rockslide and burying the creature (Rob erroneously believed Yetrigar to have perished).

    With the former rafters having been rescued from the canyon by Dugan and Jones, Rob nodded Ronin's head at them and then -- disgusted over having seemingly taken a life (see comments) -- flew away and considered that he and Ronin should just keep flying and never stop.

    Meanwhile, Dugan -- irate over Woo and Tamara having let Rob get back into Ronin despite his having ended the threat of Yetrigar -- insisted he wanted to get his hands on Rob and make him feel more than sorry for himself.

(Godzilla#12) - Flying through the air in Red Ronin, Rob continued to lament having taken a life.

    As he approached Salt Lake City, Utah, Ronin was blasted out of the air and Rob was briefly knocked free of the control helmet by the Mega Monster Triax, through whom spoke the Warlords of Mega spoke to Rob telepathically, introducing itself and warning him to prepare to be slain. When Godzilla arrived seconds later, teleported in by the Betans (enemies of the Megans, each of whom used giant creatures harvested from other worlds in their wars against each other).

(Godzilla#13) - After Triax attacked Godzilla, Rob activated Ronin's laser-blade and attacked it. Although he regretted attacking another giant monster, he considered that this creature was evil and wished to kill; however, the Warlords of Mega clarified that their creatures merely obeyed their will. After Triax blasted Ronin back with energy from its feet, Rob was pleased to see Godzilla was on his side when he swatted Triax back with his tail. When Triax flew toward the city, Rob flew after the creature and flew it into the air to get it away from the people, leading the Warlords of Mega to unleash their other creatures, Rhiahn and Krollar, to aid Triax. Rob had Ronin hurl Triax at the new arrivals, both of which evaded the attack, with Krollar burrowing under the ground and then suddenly emerging under Ronin's feet, knocking the giant robot off-balance. takiguchi-robert-godz14-recumbent

    As their assault struck the edge of the city, the national guard arrived and opened fire on all of the giant combatants, and Rhiahn attacked Red Ronin. Dugan ordered the National Guard to hold their fire as long as Red Ronin was involved in an effort to protect Rob. However, at the instruction of the Warlords of Mega, Rhiahn used its bio-blade to decapitate Ronin. The giant robot's head hit the ground, and Rob was knocked unconscious or stunned, hanging motionless outside of Ronin's right eye slit.

(Godzilla#14) - Tamara rushed to Rob, and Jimmy Woo followed her; Triax spotted them, but Dugan blew up a building in its face, distracting Triax so that Jimmy could carry Rob back to the others. As Rob awakened soon after, he noted the voice in his head giving the Mega-Monsters orders, but neither Tamara nor Jimmy could hear it. Jimmy remained seated as Godzilla -- with Dugan and Gabe distracting the Mega-Monsters in their helicopters -- in series slew Krollar, Triax, and Rhiahn.

(Godzilla#15) - After Dugan instructed the Nation Guard to handle the clean-up, Rob asked about Red Ronin, stating that they could not just throw him away. Tamara assured Rob that they would get Ronin to Tony Stark's factory and repair him in no time. Rob asked Dugan if it was true that they would fix Red Ronin, and Dugan replied, "Yeah, I s'pose so, kid...we can't leave the blasted thing just lyin' there anyway. We'll send a crew to haul it away."

    After Dugan and Jones departed, Rob joined Tamara and Jimmy in a helicopter with the plan to meet up with them back aboard the Behemoth heli-carrier. En route, Rob told Tamara, "They've got to fix Red Ronin...they've just got to..."


(Godzilla#17 (fb) - BTS) - Back aboard the Behemoth, Rob accompanied Tamara, Yuriko, Jimmy, Dugan, Gabe,  and S.H.I.E.L.D. pilot/technician Hugh Howards to the Utah cattle ranch of John Hawkes.

(Godzilla#17) - While Hawkes related the events to Dugan, Jones, and Yuriko, Rob stood silently within the Behemoth. In the process of introducing himself to Rob (and calling him "Tiger"), Howards noted that while they had both been involved in this "Godzilla-chase" for awhile, it occurred to him that they had never met. Not evening turning toward Howards, Rob replied, "Glad to meet you."takiguchi-robert-godz17-true

    Howards initially retorted, "Well, don't slay me with your enthusiasm," but then he redirected, inviting Rob to "fiddle with the controls" of the helicarrier. When Rob politely declined, Howards was shocked, as he would have loved such a thing at his age, but Rob explained that all he wanted to do was to sit at the controls of Red Ronin again. "Ronin and I were one -- not like you and the helicarrier." Howards admitted that Rob had a point, as he and Ronin "were dynamite."

    Jimmy Woo then approached Rob, telling him that Ronin would be alright. When Rob replied, "So you say," Jimmy reminded him that he had heard Dugan say that, too, and when Rob retorted, "But is it true?," Jimmy assured him that they would get Ronin all back together again, and that SHIELD agents and Stark International technicians were working on him right now. Nonetheless, Rob dejectedly walked away, asserting that once Ronin was put back together they would make sure he never combined with Ronin again. Jimmy Woo had no reply.

(Godzilla#17 - BTS) - After Dugan, Jones, and Yuriko re-boarded the Behemoth, Yuriko's associate Gladstone Hawkins, a paleontologist, joined the  crew. The discussion led Dugan to conclude that they should enlist Hank Pym to supply them with some Pym Particles to shrink Godzilla down to a size they could more easily deal with.

   
Gabe Jones flew a mini-jet to meet with Pym and acquired the Pym particles.

(Godzilla#17 - BTS) -  As Rob had proven to be the only one who could get through  to Godzilla, Dugan asked Yuriko if Rob could/would manipulate Godzilla into a position to be doused with Pym's reducing gas. Dugan noted that it would take guts, and Yuriko replied, "Since the viscera involved as Rob's...I think the choice should be his."

(Godzilla#17 (fb) - BTS) - Rob agreed to help with this plan after Dugan agreed that Godzilla should not be harmed.

(Godzilla#17) - After Gabe returned with the Pym Particles and "the whiz-kids" had cannibalized some of the Behemoth's equipment into some kind of pressurized CO2 nozzle-blaster, the Behemoth approached the sleeping Godzilla, with Rob standing on its top surface. Rob yelled to awaken the sleeping Godzilla and drew him toward him, after which Gabe used the device to spray Godzilla with the Pym Particles; Godzilla assessed this as treachery from Rob.

    Godzilla's size and radioactive nature delayed his shrinking, allowing Godzilla to punch the Behemoth back and then grab Dugan. Rob urged Godzilla not to hurt Dugan, but then Godzilla rapidly began shrinking, and finally Gladstone Hawkins caught him in a net. Rob urged Hawkins not to hurt the rodent-sized Godzilla, but Hawkins assured him that he was an old hand at this. As Godzilla growled within the net, Rob promised Godzilla that he would be alright.


(Godzilla#18) - Sitting in the Behemoth's cockpit with Hugh Howards, Rob sorrowfully blamed himself for Godzilla's capture and shrinking. Howards reminded Rob that this was all for Godzilla's own good and assured him that Gladstone would never hurt him. Rob nonetheless noted how sad and confused Godzilla seemed in the cage, and that this made him feel like a traitor.

    Visiting Godzilla, Rob told him that he hoped he didn't blame him for tricking him into this state, but he advised him that it was for his own good and that he would not be in the cage much longer, as Dr. Hawkins' museum in New York would have a special place with lots of room. After he was there, they could decide where he could be set free to live forever in peace. Rob asked Godzilla to please trust him, and he received an ambiguous low roar in response. takiguchi-robert-godz19-godzsame

(Godzilla#18 (fb) - BTS) - According to Rob, he considered unlocking the cage latch but realized that he should not; however, he then apparently went numb...into something of a trance...and he did not recall what happened. He presumably unlocked the cage latch...

(Godzilla#18) - Having exited the Behemoth, Rob was in the process of boarding Dugan's watercraft when Gladstone -- who was a few steps behind him -- tripped and dropped the cage; although it was designed that not to open even if an elephant stomped on it, the cage popped open and Godzilla dropped into the East River.

(Godzilla#18 (fb) - BTS) - Rob was left under Hugh Howards' care while the others searched futilely for Godzilla.

(Godzilla#18) - Pretending to agree to a game of checkers to pass the time, Rob slipped away from Howards and made his was down to the Behemoth's lower levels. An alarm sounding caused the guards to rush to investigate, and they left open a room containing emergency equipment, from which Rob obtained some scuba gear and leapt out of the Behemoth into the East River.

    Rob made his way to the streets nearby, unaware that Godzilla was in a nearby sewer tunnel, but when he passed by, calling out to Godzilla, the shrunken king of the monsters climbed to the surface. Rob was pleased to see Godzilla, but he was surprised when Godzilla's system began to counteract the shrinking gas, and he grew to Rob's height, four-feet-tall.

(Godzilla#19) - Calming speaking to Godzilla, Rob earned his trust and led him back toward the Behemoth. Unfortunately, as they passed by a homeless man, the shocked man threw down his alcohol bottle and ran away, screaming for the police. Rob and Godzilla ducked down an alley but were spotted a policeman; however, they escaped when Godzilla burned through a fence blocking their egress.

(Godzilla#19 (fb) - BTS) - Finding an old overcoat and hat, Rob convinced Godzilla to wear them as superficial coverage.

(Godzilla#19) - After it got dark, Rob and Godzilla were accosted by a pair of would-be muggers until Godzilla stripped off the clothing and drove them off with a flame blast.

(Godzilla#19 (fb) - BTS) - Rob convinced Godzilla to put the coat and hat back on.

takiguchi-robert-godz22-full-objection(Godzilla#19) - Rob and Godzilla reached the dock after the others -- Dugan, Hawkins, Jones, Woo, Tamara, and Yuriko -- had met back up there after having no success in finding the lost reptile. Having believed Rob to have been aboard the Behemoth with Howards, Dugan started berating Rob before Hawkins pointed out the figure beside Rob. Godzilla then through off his coat and hat, after which he had another growth spurt, reaching 7' tall. Despite Rob's urging everyone not to crowd Godzilla, Dugan and Gabe tried to surround him and were swatted away by Godzilla's tail. As Dugan and Jones repeatedly engaged Godzilla, Rob approaching Godzilla and asked him to please not hurt them" "They're not really mean...they're just crazy Americans who don't understand that a monster doesn't have to be a monster." However, when Gabe rushed toward Rob, seeking to protect him from Godzilla, the slightly-mighty reptile interpreted this as a threat against Rob and launched Gabe into the East River.

    Soon after, Godzilla took off, ignoring Rob's calling out to him. Rob was upset with Dugan's joking about Godzilla being the undisputed king of the docks, reminding that Godzilla was now loose in the city and big enough for everybody to see.


(Godzilla#20) - As Dugan prepared to pursue Godzilla, he instructed Tamara to take Rob back to the Behemoth and keep him there. Rob defiantly and tearfully shouted, "No! You can't make me! I'm going with you -- and you can't stop me!" However, Yuriko sternly silenced him, noting how he had been behaving as a spoiled child and that now he must be obedient instantly. As his grandfather so seldomly asserted his authority so forcefully, Rob knew better than to challenge him, and he quietly accompanied Tamara and Jimmy back to the Behemoth. takiguchi-robert-godz22-face-objection

(Godzilla#20 - BTS) - Following Gladstone Hawkins' recommendations, Dugan and the others led Godzilla -- who had grown to 20' tall -- into the Museum of Natural History where Gladstone had the facilities to contain him. However, after the Fantastic Four arrived to help, a conflict ensued....

(Godzilla#21 - BTS) - Godzilla was eventually subdued and brought to the Baxter Building, where the group resolved that Godzilla would be happiest and safest if sent into the past during the age of dinosaurs.

    Jimmy considered that this would shatter Rob, at least at first, and Tamara agreed, but she added that all Rob had ever wanted was peace for Godzilla -- a normal life free of mankind's harassment -- and that Rob was mature enough to understand that this was the best way.

    However, Reed's time machine instead sent Godzilla to Earth-78411 ("Dinosaur World").

(Godzilla#21-22 - BTS) - Earth-78411's Moon Boy reminded Godzilla of Rob, which led Godzilla to be receptive to Moon Boy's instructions/requests.

(Godzilla#22 (fb) - BTS) - Unspecified crewmen aboard the Behemoth told Rob that the leaders of the group had sent Godzilla back in time (see comments).

(Godzilla#22) - As Yuriko and Gladstone discussed the apparent resolution of the matter, Rob rushed in, lamenting that Godzilla had been sent "back in time" where other creatures like him would try to kill him. After Rob repeatedly asked his grandfather, "How could you?" Yuriko reminded Rob that Godzilla had been out of place in the modern world, and he further and that it was not he who had made the decision to send Godzilla back, suggesting that fate/destiny/a higher force had decreed where Godzilla should go. However, when Rob countered that the same"higher force" had decreed that Godzilla should awaken in their world, Yuriko pondered the thought with a "Hmmm..." Gladstone added, "Hmmm, indeed. I do believe the lad's got a point, Tak."takiguchi-robert-godz24-pickedup

(Godzilla#22 - BTS) - Godzilla's radioactive nature apparently combined with a mystic pit (associated with the Hag of the Pits) on Earth-78411 and sent Godzilla -- who had just returned to his full size -- back to Earth-616, and he emerged through the time portal (which Reed Richards, realizing what was happening, had moved out of the Baxter Building) in the middle of Manhattan.

(Godzilla#23) - As Howards piloted the Behemoth in an effort to lead Godzilla out to the river and away from city, Rob noticed the activity in the crew, and he looked out a port window and was ecstatic to see that Godzilla had returned and regained his full size. He rushed to talk to Dugan to be sure Dugan did not think Godzilla was trying to hurt anyone.

    After Dugan had Howards fire a couple missiles at Godzilla to keep his attention (as he had been distracted by the yelling of Jonah Jameson), Rob rushed in and shouted at Dugan that attacking Godzilla would not calm him down and would only make things worse. Ignoring him, Dugan ordered Yuriko and Tamara to get him out of there now as he did not have time to argue: "I mean it -- ten seconds, and I bite his blasted head off!"

    Despite Rob's protests, Yuriko and Tamara led him away, and Yuriko told Rob, "It is out of our hands now."

(Godzilla#24 (fb) - BTS) - Somehow, Rob returned to the Behemoth's cockpit / command center.

(Godzilla#24) - As the Avengers and Fantastic Four engaged Godzilla, trying to prevent him from heading deeper into the city, Rob rushed forward and angrily pounded the controls, shouting, "No -- You must stop it! Force isn't the way to halt Godzilla! Haven't you Americans learned anything yet?! You can't make him calm by attacking him!" Dugan ordered Jones and Woo to take Rob out of the room, and when Rob protested, Dugan told him, "Shuddup, ya whinin' little brat! You're confined to yer quarters as of right now! And if ya give me any more lip about it, I'm gonna turn ya right over my knee!" OUT!!"takiguchi-robert-godz24-handheld

    As Gabe Jones took Rob towards his quarters, he expressed his sympathies, and Rob noted that his appreciation that Gabe realized more than any of the Americans that Godzilla was not really evil. Noting his apologies in advance, Rob kicked Gabe in the shin and rushed toward the hatch leading out onto the deck. As he did so, he explained to to Gabe that they would not listen to him and would not try anything but violence, and so he would have to do it himself. Atop the Behemoth's deck, Rob shouted out to Godzilla, asking him to listen to him and give him his trust one more time.

    Both Godzilla and the heroes engaging him all paused, and Rob continued, acknowledging that he was the one who got him shrunken down and into New York, but that he had done it for Godzilla's own good. Dugan worried that Rob was going to get himself fried, but Gabe asked that Dugan hold off on doing anything as they could not risk angering Godzilla mad now, and he further noted that Rob had gotten through to Godzilla in the past. Learning who the boy was, the Human Torch suggested that Dr. Takiguchi should put a leash on the boy, while Iron Man considered that the whole conflict resting on one small child was more terrifying than a dozen crushed buildings. Thor silently considered that the gentleness known only to a child was more effective than all the force he had brought against Godzilla.

    As Rob asked Godzilla if he believed him when he said that he would be left in peace, Godzilla gently picked up Rob between his fingers, and Rob thanked him. Tamara assured Yuriko that Rob would be alright as Godzilla trusted him, and Yuriko acknowledged this but nonetheless feared what would happen if Godzilla's trust wavered even
for the briefest of moments.

    Rob then told Godzilla that he had to leave and get away from the city, as far away as he possibly could. With the Behemoth following a safe distance behind to avoid provoking him, Godzilla made his way to the waterline. After carefully placing Rob back on top of the Behemoth, Godzilla headed into the water as Rob bade him goodbye. With a final roar, Godzilla disappeared under the waters.

    Rob then tearfully berated the others, asking if they were satisfied now that Godzilla was gone. Yuriko and the others, including Dugan, respectfully remained silent.


(Uncanny X-Men I#506 (fb) - BTS) - Yuriko's son died as a hero (see comments).

Comments: Created by Doug Moench, Herb Trimpe, and Jim Mooney.
    However, I believe characters created in the Godzilla series are not owned by Marvel, but rather by Toho Co, Ltd.: see here.

    Rob got away with a lot in the Godzilla series. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s security was spectacularly lax in allowing him to repeatedly get away, accessing Red Ronin multiple times, interfering with Godzilla's imprisonment, even pounding on the Behemoth's control panel, etc.
    Jimmy and Tamara were watching Rob visit Godzilla in #18, and it was implied that Rob unlocked Godzilla's cage when he went into a trance-like state, from which he could not recall anything. They should have seen what happened.
    Given Rob's past behavior, it would have been insanely negligent for them to have left Rob unsupervised or to have gotten all twitterpated and distracted from Rob by their own attraction/emotions.

    Yetrigar did not perish at Rob/Red Ronin's hands...see Yetrigar's profile for further details.

    Reed Richards...idiot?

    He intended to send Godzilla to "the Cretaceous Period of the Mesozoic Era -- 900 million years in the past."

    The Cretaceous Period was indeed within the Mesozoic era (its third and final period), but it was not 900 million years ago, but rather 145-66 million years ago...right up to the point of the apparent asteroid strike that brought about the end of the age of dinosaurs.
    So...they could have been dropping Godzilla off the night before the asteroid strike that would have killed him. That's not cool.

    900 millions years ago is the division between the mesoproterozoic period (1600-900 million years ago) and the neoproterozoic period (900-543 millions years ago).

    Dinosaurs first appeared during the Mesozoic era circa 250 million years ago, and the giant dinosaurs into which Godzilla might have fit would indeed by the Cretaceous period.

    However, Reed was off in his time settings by 800 million years (or perhaps by a factor of 10, and he meant 90 million years ago)...and the time machine did not send Godzilla into the past but rather to another reality.

    Did he mean to do that to avoid massively disrupting the past and potentially changing the future by sending an immense fire-breathing reptile who would have dominated any other creature in that time period (and perhaps inadvertently set massive, uncontrollable fires)?
    What a terrible idea!
    They could have sent him to the Savage Land so as not to risk changing the past...

    Or was there error just because computers weren't so accessible in the 1970s, there was no internet, and someone just checked and misreported information from an encyclopedia?  

    Odd that Tamara or Yuriko would not have told Rob directly of Godzilla's seeming transportation into the past. Perhaps each thought the other was doing it, or perhaps Yuriko was just about to do so, but one of the crewmen let the cat out of the bag first?

    Uncanny X-Men#506 notes that Yuriko's son died a hero; as Yuriko's son was never mentioned before this story, and Yuriko had been most closely associated with his grandson, Rob, it's a bit of an odd reference. However, there's nothing at all that contradicts Yuriko's son having died after the Godzilla stories, and I have zero desire to push this into actually meaning Rob's death.

    Rob was noted to be 12-years-old in Godzilla#24. As of 2024, about 45 years of real time have passed since that 1979 issue, which would equate to about 9 years of Marvel Time, which would make Rob 21-years-old at this time. I wonder what he is up to these days?

    Don't you make my brown eyes blue?

    Both Rob and Tamara fairly consistently are shown with light blue eyes.

    Per my understanding and some half-@$$ internet searching, most Japanese people have dark brown eyes and others have light brown eyes. There is reportedly a population of Japanese people known as the Ainu or the indigenous people of Japan, who live in Hokkaido, with blue eyes (and other different physical features than other Japanese people. There are also people with partially blue eyes in Akita and Aomori with "partially blue eyes"; it is speculated that this originates from Russian people mixing with the local population thousands of years ago.
    Other sources note that Japanese people with mixed European ancestry (especially with mixing on the side of both parents) may have blue eyes.

    I would speculate that choosing the unlikely eye color was not intentional, but perhaps the colorist and editor were not aware of the typical brown eye color in people from Japan.

    I did not see Rob in #5 or #16, nor did the Marvel Chronology Project, so probably good...
    I also don't see Rob in #21 (beyond the image where Godzilla looks at Moon Boy and sees the resemblance to Rob). He was last seen in #20, when Yuriko sternly sent him back onto the Behemoth...and while Tamara and Jimmy Woo had taken him there and they were at the Baxter Building in #21, Rob wasn't there, and Tamara discussed how he would feel about things.

    Rob originally had a sub-profile in the "Godzilla Squad" profile, which was one of the earliest Appendix profiles, before I uploaded everything and started keeping track of the order.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Yuriko Takiguchi
should be distinguished from:


images: (without ads)
Godzilla#1, pg. 16, panel 4 (full)
    #2, pg. 5, panel 4 (shins-up);
    #7, panel 2 (wear cybernetic interface and operating Red Ronin);
    #11, pg. 7, panel 1 (cybernetic interface);
    #17, pg. 5, panel 1 (face, "is it true");
    #19, pg. 11, panel 2 (next to same-sized Godzilla);
    #22, pg. 7, panel 1 (full & face; complaining about Godzilla having been sent back in time);
    #23, pg. 8, panel 5 (ecstatic at Godzilla's return);
    #24, pg. 14, panel 3-5 (picked up and held by Godzilla);


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 (November
, 1977) - Doug Moench (writer), Tom Sutton (pencils), Tony DeZuniga (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
(October, 1978) - Doug Moench (writer), Herb Trimpe (pencils), Dan Green (inks), Bob Hall (editor)
Godzilla#17 (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)
Uncanny X-Men I#506 (April, 2009) - Matt Fraction (writer), Terry Dodson (penciler), Rachel Dodson (inker), Daniel Ketchum (assistant editor), Nick Lowe (editor)


First started 09/02/2021
Last updated: 03/17/2024

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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