Godzilla Chronicles: Terror of Mechagodzilla

 

Well here we are! This Godzilla Chronicles journey began all the way back in May, 2014, in part as a way to honor a "new Godzilla" coming out, the first Legendary Pictures film. I was always going to write about my love of classic Godzilla films, but that seemed like as good as time as any to finally get started. I wound up deciding to cover the entire Showa series of Godzilla films (as in Toho films of that era that actually featured the "Big G" himself), and wound up most years, doing two entries, or if you prefer two movies a year. And as I said, here we are! It's now October 2022, essentially the 10 Year Anniversary of Retro Revelations itself, and what better way to celebrate, than by wrapping up what I consider the greatest period in monster movie, and certainly Godzilla history? 

The final battle?

When I left you last time, I was discussing 1974's Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, or as I had first known it as a kid, "Godzilla vs. The Cosmic Monster". While all of the Showa Godzilla films (and most other assorted non-Godzilla Toho monster/sci fi flicks of the era) are technically connected, some of them are actually direct sequels to one another. For instance, Godzilla Raids Again was a direct sequel to the original Gojira. Invasion of the Astro Monster was a direct follow-up to Ghidorah the Three-Headed Monster. And in a looser sense, Godzilla vs. Megalon was KINDA a sequel-ish to Godzilla vs. Gigan. And with a couple of odd exceptions, Terror of Mechagodzilla is a direct continuation of the first Mechagodzilla film. 

His helmet lets you know he's special.

Those couple of exceptions, are really cosmetic for the most part, but still odd changes, or in one case exclusion. Firstly, you'll notice in the picture above, that those dastardly aliens from the Third Planet of the Black Hole, have upgraded their attire to include some very stylish helmets! I have no idea why they didn't bust these bad boys out in the first movie, because they certainly scream "Hey, we're ALIENS over here!" I guess cool headgear was only part of their "If our FIRST attempt fails" plan. 

The exclusion I mentioned, is that in the first film, it was pretty clearly established that these kooky xenos, were actually some kind of strange green ape-men. Their "human" looking facade would disappear when they were either damaged, or would die. Yet in Terror, the only time you see any of them change form like that, a dude just straight up rips human-looking makeup off, to reveal underneath a decidedly NON-ape looking, either mutated or burnt face. Again, totally cosmetic, but a very odd, non-continuity conscious choice on Toho's part.

In THIS corner, the Big G himself!

And in THIS corner, Mecha-G...Mark 2?

As I mentioned in the other article, "Cosmic Monster" was a movie I first discovered thanks to the wondrous spinning VHS rack out in the aisle at our local Walmart, when I was probably around age 10 or 11. For Terror, however, the only reason I got to see it, was because it was included in one of the Godzilla Marathons they ran a couple of times in my pre-teens on the original format of my beloved TNT's MonsterVision. In those early pre-Job Bob Briggs days, when MonserVision focused pretty much entirely on classic sci fi, horror and monster flicks from mostly the 50s and 60s, with a dash of 70s, I clearly remember there were at least two major Godzilla marathons they ran. The one that stands out the clearest in my memory was "Godzilla Bash '94", which was a New Years Eve all night celebration. I don't remember which one I first saw Terror in, but I do know that it was one, along with Godzilla vs. Gigan (or as it was called "Godzilla on Monster Island"), and probably Mothra vs. Godzilla, that my grandmother stayed up and helped me record on blank tapes (which of course I was thrilled about). 

Whip it, whip it good!

 

Now while I was, of course, absolutely thrilled to be able to see "new" Godzilla movies I hadn't yet seen, as I wanted to see them ALL, it would only be fair to relate that even upon first watch as a kid, I remember being a little disappointed in this movie. Not that it doesn't have its finer points. I knew from a cool Godzilla book I found at the library, that this was the last of the original Godzilla series. And I also knew it was a sequel to the tape I already owned. But somehow, this film being a much darker affair, along with the new monster Titanosaurus (we'll get to him in a bit) being somewhat goofy and underwhelming, it just didn't feel as cool to me, as the first Mecha-G film. And for the most part I still feel that way today. 

 

 

The master at work.

 

One of the reasons this movie is notable, is because after taking several years away from directing films, to rest and do a bit of television work, the great Ishiro Honda returned to direct this. I'm not entirely sure, in the planning stages, if they knew for certain that this would wind up being the last Godzilla film for a decade, but that is of course what it wound up being. So in that sense, it was only fitting that the director to help originate this phenomenon, return to the helm one last time. And one last time is exactly what it was, for Terror would wind up being the last film that Honda directed himself. He would, in later years, spend time assisting his close friend Akira Kurosawa with some of his 80s and early 90s works. 

Akihiko Hirata, back one last time as Dr. Shinzo Mafune.

His haunted daughter Katsura.

Plot-wise, the film focuses on both the efforts of Japanese military and scientist trying to find the remains of Mechagodzilla in the ocean, as well as the case of a mysterious girl and her allegedly dead father. The father in question is Dr. Shinzo Mafune, a disgraced and bitter scientist, played by none other than Akihiko Hirata, who played Dr. Serizawa in the original Gojira film. That was a nice touch, having him basically book-end the series. But where Serizawa was a reclusive but more or less benevolent scientist, Dr. Mafune is more your angry-at-the-world mad scientist variety. He has teamed up with those bastard aliens, both because they saved his daughter once upon a time, and because they offered him the means to prove his theory of being able to control animals through technology. The specific animal in question, being the giant (and doofy looking) Titanosaurus, the last brand new Kaiju of the Showa era. 

Hello, my name's Fred.

I do clearly recall, even as a kid obsessed with monsters and monster movies, feeling that poor ol' Titano, or as his friends call him, Fred, was kind of a let down. Not a TERRIBLE monster design, but basically, he's a giant amphibious dinosaur, with fins even on the end of his tail. And aside from apparently a REALLY strong bite, that's his whole attack, outside of brawling, is turning around and fanning his tail-fin back and forth, creating hurricane force winds. A monster attack, I might add, already done by flying monsters like Rodan and Mothra, but far more imposing. I don't mean to dump on poor Fred, it's not his fault, after all. But in all blunt honesty, of ALL the 70s Toho kaiju they came up with (the creatures in Space Amoeba, Hedorah, Gigan, Megalon, King Caesar, Mechagodzilla, hell even the SUPER obscure Daigoro and Goliath), Titanosaurus is unfortunately kinda the lamest one. 

The roles are reversed!

Since their "invincible" Mechagodzilla was defeated by the combined might of two monsters (though mostly Godzilla) in their previous caper, those mad-cap clowns from the Black Hole decided to take a page out of the enemy's playbook. THIS time, they were gonna use an "improved" (not really) Mecha-G, in tandem with Mafune's controlled Titanosaurus, both to crush Godzilla once and for all, as well as to conquer Japan. The thing is, they included this wacky idea to have Katsura, Mafune's daughter, who as it turns out they had to turn into a CYBORG to save her life in the past, be connected mentally to Mechagodzilla. In addition to her already being the one who handles controlling Titano. So they literally put all of their eggs in the Katsura basket, even though she's conflicted, and has a thing for studly scientist Ichinose, who has been trying to study Titanosaurus too, and "believes in her". Hoo boy!

That's just not right.

Christ, I'm on fire!

Well, their nefarious plot seemed to pay dividends at first, as their Titanic Team, their Colossal Connection, did in fact wreck some major havoc on poor Tokyo, AND they managed to do a real number on poor Godzilla when he first shows up. As seen above, Titano apparently has a SUPER strong bite, and neck, because at one point, he just bites Godzilla's lip, and uses THAT to slam him around like a rag doll. Quite possibly the goofiest looking thing the Showa series ever produced, outside of Godzilla flying backwards. As you can ALSO see above, and not for the first time in the series, at one point when explosions were going off on set, the Godzilla suit caught a bit of FIRE, so thinking it looked wicked-cool, they decided to leave it in. 

Take THAT!

Wait...WHAT?

There really isn't too much to say about the final showdown between Big G, Mecha G, and Fred. I personally would have preferred if they had dusted off Godzilla's buddy Anguirus (my 2nd favorite kaiju) one last time, and made it a tag team affair again. For one, because it would have been a bit more interesting, and for another, it would have been a nice opportunity to follow up on the previous film, and have Angy seeking revenge for Mecha breaking his damn jaw! But alas, they decided to have Godzilla go it solo against two opponents, I suppose to make him look stronger in the end.

Ichinose, the good guy science man, discovers almost by accident while aboard a submarine, that Titano's mental control device (basically a pair of metal antennae), can be disrupted by sonic waves. So he and the Science Squad concoct a setup that allows them to shoot his ass with sonic waves from a helicopter, aiding Godzilla by more or less taking Fred out of the fight. This leaves Big G and his metal doppelganger, to finish the fight as they should. Though honestly, Mecha was more imposing in his first outing. He's supposed to be "upgraded" here, but he actually lacks the force field ability. Instead, his only new gimmick, essentially, is a "GOTCHA" moment to the audience, as in their previous fight, Godzilla ripped his fuckin' head clean off! And this time, when he does it again, SURPRISE, he doesn't need no head! As seen above, he instead has this doofy little dome that shoots a laser. 

I wouldn't have spoiled even THAT much of the final battle for you fine folks, but I felt it was too funny/novel not to share.

Hey, it was the 70s man.

So in a nutshell, as I intimated earlier in this piece, the way I felt about this movie after my first viewing back in the mid-90s as a youngster, is pretty much how I still feel about it today. That isn't the case with certain movies, even just in the Godzilla series. For instance, as I mentioned in its own article, the first time I finally got to rent and watch Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster, for whatever reasons I wasn't very impressed. But upon coming to own it in my 20s, and repeated viewings over the years, its really grown on me, to the point that I'd probably put it in my Top 5 Godzilla films. I also turned quite a bit on All Monsters Attack (or as I first saw it on TV, "Godzilla's Revenge"), which even as a kid I felt the overuse of stock footage, and the fact that Godzilla and Monster Island in the film were just a kid's daydreams, was kinda lame. But my sour take on that film improved, and while the glut of stock footage IS still lame, I appreciate it for what it is now. 

But Terror of Mechagodzilla? I still feel, in a way, that it was the Showa era going out with a bit of a whimper, instead of a bang. It's not a BAD movie at all, in fact in certain ways I think Honda did as good a job as he could, given even tighter budgets than he had to deal with in the 60s. But when I really think about it, out of all 15 actual Showa Godzilla films, I might honestly like Terror the least. Yes, even below All Monsters Attack, surprisingly. That film has a charming and endearing story of a kid who has to spend a lot of time alone because of working parents, coming to grips with bullies, and life, at its core. Terror is still interesting, and I DO like it, it IS definitely a good movie, but I dunno. It just somehow kinda lacks that spark that even the first Mechagodzilla had. 

Still a great monster, though.

All that said, there isn't a single Showa Godzilla film, or even any of the greater Toho Showa sci fi catalogue, that I truly dislike. They all have a spirit and a charm that is just unmatched by more modern takes, even with bigger budgets and improved effects and filming technology. The "suitmation" techniques they used, especially for these old films, was an art form unto itself. It took a lot of hard work, to build the miniature sets, to make things look reasonably believable at a small scale, to build these elaborate (and often great looking) monster suits, for tough-as-nails actors to actually ACT in those heavy, sweat-house things. You name it! It's an art form that's largely lost now, at least in feature film form. I do believe shows that continue to get made in Japan, like the Super Sentai (Power Rangers), still use suitmation and miniature sets. Which is good, because much like 2D animation, or Stop-Motion animation, or Jim Henson type puppetry, I don't EVER want to see this wizardry that Eiji Tsuburaya pioneered, truly fade away. That would be a tragedy and a crime.

With the last of the Showa Era Godzilla films covered, I am also now going to put the Godzilla Chronicles sub-series to bed, I think. My goal was always mainly to just cover the old, original series Godzilla films that I love so much. I do think I will, eventually, do pieces on non-Godzilla entries I love, such as Rodan, Mothra, Frankenstein Conquers the World, or King Kong Escapes. Hell, I may even someday get a bug up my ass to go ahead and cover the Heisei, or even Millennium film series. But for now, I think that the end of the Showa Era, is a fitting end to my Godzilla series as well. 

So as always, I want to wish you all a very happy Halloween season, and I sincerely hope you take my works as inspiration, and watch a lot of these wonderful old films that exist. SO much goodness, and it breaks my heart to know there are TONS of people who are perfectly content to mostly just watch whatever new shit comes out. Ignoring the vast array of amazing older shows, cartoons and movies (and games, books, music, comics, etc.) that exist, I truly believe is doing yourself a major disservice. But I digress! Just please do old "Retro" a favor, and watch some classics as we count down to another All Hallows Eve, ok?

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As an added bonus, I thought I'd share my personal order of the Showa series, ranked from most liked to least!

1. Invasion of the Astro Monster (Godzilla vs. Monster Zero) - 1965

2. Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster) - 1966

3. King Kong vs. Godzilla - 1962

4. Godzilla vs. Hedorah (Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster) - 1971

5. Destroy All Monsters - 1968

6. Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster - 1964

7. Gojira (Godzilla: King of the Monsters) - 1954

8. Godzilla Raids Again - 1955

9. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla - 1974

10. Godzilla vs. Gigan - 1972

11. Mothra vs Godzilla - 1964

12. Son of Godzilla - 1967

12. Godzilla vs. Megalon - 1973

14. All Monsters Attack - 1969

15. Terror of Mechagodzilla - 1975

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Here is the full list of Godzilla Chronicles articles, if you've missed any:

1. The Beginning

2. Gojira (aka Godzilla: King of the Monsters)

3. Godzilla Raids Again

4. King Kong vs. Godzilla

5. Mothra vs. Godzilla

6. Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster

7. Invasion of the Astro Monster (aka Godzilla vs. Monster Zero)

8. Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster

9. Son of Godzilla

10. Destroy All Monsters

11. All Monsters Attack

12. Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster

13. Godzilla vs. Gigan

14. Godzilla vs. Megalon

15. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla

 

 

 

Thank you for reading!

 

Godzilla Chronicles: Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla

 

Back again for the last two installments of the Showa Era. For the last two Showa Godzilla films Toho would produce, before giving the franchise a decade-long rest, they introduced a new and fearsome threat for "The Big G" to face, one who was every bit his equal, in some ways. And one that would go on to be not only one of his most iconic and popular foes, but also one that would see new versions/interpretations in the subsequent eras. You could argue, the ONLY monster, due to its mechanical nature, to receive literal "upgrades". 

 

 

My first exposure.

 

 

As I'm sure I've related in the past, I didn't get a VCR in my home growing up, until around 1989/90. So while I'm sure it's very possible I may have seen SOME kind of Godzilla film on TV before that, my Godzilla experiences, as far as I can properly recall, began with my grandmother buying a VCR. And the VHS tapes we would buy almost 100% came from the local Walmart, which at the time had relatively recently opened in the town where I lived. There was a specific tape rack, one of those spinning column ones, located out in the aisle, right outside of the electronics section (which also played host to my beloved Nintendo games). It was that rack, which served as a home for almost exclusively ALL of the Godzilla, Super Mario Bros., Bugs Bunny, etc. tapes that would be "my" VHS treasures.

The first such tapes we got from that rack, of course, were Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster, Godzilla vs. Monster Zero, and the American release of the original, Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Others would follow, but eventually, one day when going shopping, as I often would, I gravitated towards that magical tape rack once more. It was magical to me, because I never quite knew what kind of gem I would find, as there were often new ones. The problem, of course, as I painfully experienced with Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster, was that I then always had to try to talk my grandmother into actually BUYING said treasure/tape. But luckily for me, the day I saw the box art pictured above, was a day she said "Yes". Just seeing the art mesmerized me, Godzilla fighting some giant ROBOT! And "The Cosmic Monster" sounded incredibly mysterious, whatever could it BE? 

The REAL title.

Still just learning my way through Godzilladom, at the tender age of probably 9 or 10 years old, I had no way of knowing beforehand, that such a film existed. But upon reading the back of the box, imagine my shock and awe, at learning that there was a "MECHA-Godzilla"! Sufficed to say, I couldn't wait to get home and pop this bad boy in. I HAD to have this movie when I saw it, and once it was mine, I HAD to see/know what it was all about! 

Poor Angy.

Released in 1974, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (alternately titled Godzilla vs. the Cosmic Monster and Godzilla vs. the Bionic Monster) was directed by Jun Fukuda. He was the director of previous series entries Sea Monster, Son of, Gigan, and Megalon. Mr. Fukuda was the second most prolific director of Showa Era Godzilla films, behind Ishiro Honda himself. In fact, the only Godzilla film (out of the 14 original entries, not counting other Toho sci-fi/monster efforts) to NOT be directed by one of those two men, was 1955's Godzilla Raids Again, the direct sequel to the original film, which was directed by Motoyoshi Oda. While Fukuda's initial 60s turns at the G-wheel were somewhat lighter, island-bound affairs, more typical of the decade in general, his 70s Godzilla films (with the possible exception of Megalon), tended to trend a bit darker. 

This is especially evident in this film, as it opens with a great volcanic eruption, and my 2nd favorite kaiju monster, Anguirus, witnessing what appears to be Godzilla rising up and storming off towards Japan. But you see, Angy (as his friends call him) is a smart cookie, and he can tell that something is amiss. So early in the story, as this "Godzilla" is very robotically stomping along, Anguirus ambushes him, and jumps his ass, managing to claw off a chunk of his flesh! Underneath, wouldn't you know it, this strange "Godzilla", whose mechanical roar sounds NOTHING like the real deal, reveals shining silvery metal. Trying his best to put an end to this charlatan, Anguirus takes him on, but the Fake G is too much for him, and in perhaps the most brutal monster scene of the original films, and VERY reminiscent of King Kong (in fact already mimicked in 1967's King Kong Escapes), Fake G straight up forcibly breaks poor Angy's jaw! Seeing that as a kid kinda mortified me a bit. But Anguirus is a resilient bastard, and manages to run away, tunneling underground (an ability he only displays in this movie). 

Godzilla vs......Godzilla?

The imposter REVEALED!

Thankfully, Anguirus probably ran back to tell the REAL Godzilla what was up, because before long, Real G shows up to confront Fake G, in a quite literally explosive battle. Godzilla does some real damage, clearly pissed that someone is trying to ruin his good name (wouldn't you be?), and in surprisingly short time, the imposter reveals himself in a blaze of electric flames. Where once the Fake G stood, now you saw the mechanoid terror above, in all of his metallic glory! And let me tell you something, this Mechajerk was no joke! He was outfitted, as you learn throughout the film, with jets for flight, heavy plated armor, re-loadable missile fingers, and bad ass rainbow laser eye beams! And if THAT weren't enough, he ALSO has a chest panel that shoots electric bolts, AND he can create a force field around himself! Those aliens thought of everything! But wait...I'm getting a bit ahead of myself.

Those alien BASTARDS!

I don't know what it is about Earth, but seriously. in Godzilla, many other old sci-fi films, classic comic books, Doctor Who, you name it, our home planet seems to be THE hot spot of the galaxy, that all of these other Cosmic Crumb-Bums want in on. In the Showa series alone, prior to Mechagodzilla, there had been no less than FIVE Toho films (including non-Godzilla fare), which saw dastardly aliens trying to take what's ours. They just won't stop! And the new kids on the block in this movie, inventors of the seemingly all-powerful Mechagodzilla, might just be the biggest jerks yet. Hailing from the "Third Planet of the Black Hole" (wherever the hell that is), where the last few batches of Xenos tried to use multiple monsters to attack us, these pricks are so arrogant, they think they're going to get it done with just ONE monster: Mechagodzilla. 

Some of our heroes.

Meanwhile, as is always the case in these monster movies, there do also happen to be human characters milling about, do their thing. In this particular case, a couple of brothers, the Shimizu brothers Keisuke and Masahiko, are busy studying different stuff in Okinawa. While one brother stumbles across an ancient statue (with a prophecy about ancient monsters to boot!), the other goes exploring a local cave, and discovers a chunk of strange, non-terrestrial metal, that comes to be called "Space Titanium". While Keisuke runs off with a hot archaeologist he meets named Saeko, to study more about the statue, Masahiko takes the metal chunk to Professor Hideto Miyajima and his daughter Ikuko, to identify it. It is during these escapades that these guys, these gals, and these professors, get into more adventures, with Dr. Miyajima and crew witnessing the first battle between Godzilla and Mechagodzilla and finding some more "Space Titanium", which sends them on a chase looking for its source.

While the brothers' uncle Dr. Wagura and Co., find themselves assaulted by people who are after the statue. Keisuke and Saeko also keep finding themselves running into a mystery man (pictured above), who claims to be a reporter, but he acts more like a spy. The two professors are of special note, as both are played by frequent Godzilla actors. Dr. Wagura is played by Hiroshi Koizumi, previously starring in Godzilla Raids Again, Mothra, Godzilla vs. Mothra, and Ghidorah the Three-Headed Monster, among others). And Dr. Miyajima is played by none-other than Akihiko Hirata, who starred in the original Gojira as Dr. Serizawa, as well as Rodan, Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster, and Latitude Zero, among others. 

The OTHER other monster.

I won't spoil TOO much more of the plot, but I will say that around midway through the film, due to some hot coffee to the face of a returning statue thief, it is revealed (no joke), that the alien menace behind Mechagodzilla, are actually weird, green-faced APE men! Far out, right? Though not as far out as, say, the aliens really being giant COCKROACHES, ala Godzilla vs. Gigan. Anyone who's familiar with the old Mystery Science Theater 3000 show, might well be aware that Japan also produced OTHER ape-men science fiction properties in the 70s, and my guess is, someone over there took a real shine to the popular Planet of the Apes movies that were prevalent in the decade. 

Godzilla, having faced some difficulty in his first encounter with his robotic doppelganger, certainly wasn't left all by his lonesome in this story. While his good buddy Anguirus was KO'ed by that mecha-bastard, Toho had another brand new monster up their sleeve for just such an occasion. That monster would be of the "Ancient Protector of the Okinawan Royal Family" variety, referred to in the western release as "King Caesar". You know, as in Emperor Caesar, from ancient Rome? Well, on that note, it just so happens not to be the monster's actual name. In truth, the giant fluffy guy you can see above, was really called "King Shisa", which to anyone up on their Chinese mythology, was a kind of guardian spirit, a sort of "Lion-Dog". And that's basically what good ol' "Caesar" is. Except that he can walk upright, he can box like a sonuvabich, and when evil monsters shoot inevitable beam attacks at him, he can reflect them right back AT them, with his own fancy eye beams! All in all, not a bad new monster, one of the cooler ones of the 70s, I think. 

It's like looking in a mirror!

Fun Fact: Punching Space Titanium HURTS!

The only problem, is that to activate your Ancient Okinawan Protector home defense system, you've got to do some serious prayer-singing. In fact, it might take you an entire extended performance on a beach, before you finally get that sleepy giant to wake the hell up! But awake he does, and at first, Caesar actually tries to take on the Marauding Menace all by his lonesome. Without spoiling the WHOLE thing, let's just say he doesn't do so hot. BUT, our hero Godzilla finally shows up just in the nick of time, and these two strangers quickly perform the Mega-Powers handshake, and unite as the greatest tag team this world has ever known...besides Godzilla and Anguirus, that is.  

A force field is basically cheating, right?

Movie specific power activate!

Leaving the final battle for you to enjoy yourselves, I will reiterate that those Black Hole jerks weren't messing about when they made Mecha-G. When your killer robot can spin his head around REAL fast, and generate a nearly impenetrable force field that hurts to even try and PUNCH? That's what I call advanced planning. Thankfully, as I've mentioned in more recent previous entries, the 70s Showa films had a bit of thing for introducing new one-film-only abilities that Godzilla employs in his fight against evil. In Hedorah, it was the goofy-as-hell use of his thermonuclear breath to be able to fly through the air...BACKWARDS! In Megalon, it was the somewhat infamous (thanks to MST3K), but in my opinion awesome "Sliding Tail Kick" attack. 

And in "The Cosmic Monster"? Well when Godzilla went back to Monster Island to lick his wounds from Round 1 with Mecha-G, he was assailed by a random lighting storm. The lightning struck him several times, and somehow, it infused him with some manner of electromagnetic field. WHICH he conveniently was able to basically store up in his body, until right when he would need it, late in the story. It seems to have been a one-use sort of deal, so you can understand him saving it up, much like in a video game! Godzilla is nothing, if not a master of strategy. 

 

 

In another life, they coulda been pals.

 

 

 All things considered, kid me was quite happy with Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla upon seeing/owning it. In fact, for a long time, even though I previously owned Godzilla vs. Megalon on tape, and would come to see Godzilla vs. Gigan and Terror of Mechagodzilla thanks to TNT's Monstervision, this gem would be my favorite 70s Godzilla flick for a long time. It wouldn't be until well into my 20s, that I would come to like Hedorah, aka "The Smog Monster" even better. At first I didn't even love Hedorah that much, as it was so WEIRD. But it really grew on me, and well into my adult years I came to be quite fond of it. But Mechagodzilla is still my 2nd favorite 70s G-flick, with good reason. Even IF Gigan extensively features my boy Anguirus.

I tend to always end these things by suggesting that, if you've never seen this particular film, I really think you should (I mean why would I talk about them if I didn't want you to WATCH them, right?). And Mecha-G is no different. It's one of the best 70s Godzilla films, and while I think it misses out on my personal Top 5, I'd say it's one of the better Showa films overall. It didn't originate the concept of a monster (or hero for that matter) having to face his own bionic double. Toho themselves had done that back in 1967 with King Kong Escapes (another movie I'll have to write about someday)! But if you ask me, while Mecha-Kong was cool, Mechagodzilla is the bee's knees. A perfect, armed-to-the-gills foil for the mighty Godzilla. And between you, me, and the internet, probably Godzilla's deadliest foe, this side of King Ghidorah. 

So with this year's Halloween season WELL underway, if you do like I do (and you should), watching horror and monster movies in celebration, make sure to add Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla to your list! You'll thank me later. And with THAT said, there's now officially only ONE last Godzilla film of the Showa series to go! So make sure to keep a look out in October, for not only the last entry in this Godzilla Chronicles adventure (at least for a solid while), but ALSO, the 10 (yes TEN) Year Anniversary of Retro Revelations itself! Make sure to watch plenty of old films, and I'll see you next month! 

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Here is the full list of Godzilla Chronicles articles, if you've missed any:

1. The Beginning

2. Gojira (aka Godzilla: King of the Monsters)

3. Godzilla Raids Again

4. King Kong vs. Godzilla

5. Mothra vs. Godzilla

6. Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster

7. Invasion of the Astro Monster (aka Godzilla vs. Monster Zero)

8. Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster

9. Son of Godzilla

10. Destroy All Monsters

11. All Monsters Attack

12. Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster

13. Godzilla vs. Gigan

14. Godzilla vs. Megalon

Wrestling is Cool: My Favorite Chikara Characters

 

I'm back with my second piece honoring the 20th Anniversary of the professional wrestling promotion known as Chikara Pro. Last month, I talked at length about the history of Chikara, and my own personal history with it, and what I loved about the company in general. Now I'm going to delve a bit deeper, and talk about many of the characters I loved, and why. Chikara Pro was a universe inhabited by all manner of strange warriors, from living ice creams, to humanoid ants, to maniacal insect overlords, and goofy white rappers, and demons, and knights from the past, and even heroes from the future! All that and more graced Chikara rings over the years, and I'm about to tell you what I feel were the cream of the crop. So buckle up!

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Name: Ultramantis Black

Type: Evil Insect Overlord

Style: Great and Devious

I'll start more or less where I started in the previous piece, talking about the character who might just be my top overall favorite Chikara persona of all time: Ultramantis Black! One of the graduates of the very first Wrestle Factory class in 2002, he was originally a heroic character known simply as "Ultra Mantis". Mantis was a send-up to Japanese tokusatsu heroes, specifically himself something of a cross between Ultraman, and the insect-like biker Kamen Rider. For the first couple seasons of Chikara, he was a red-clad hero of the people, and even spent some time teaming with fellow "Gen 1" graduate Mister Zero, a grumpy, coffee-addicted, middle-aged white-collar worker. Together, their team was known as "Ultra Zero". 

The Gen 1 Originals

But by 2004, Mantis grew tired of, at least in his mind, being seen as a joke. So he eventually turned his back on Zero, nay, ALL of humanity, and revealed a new persona: Ultramantis BLACK! This name too, was a send-up to tokusatsu, as such heroes often had evil shadowy twins or doppelgangers of sorts. It was as UM Black, that Mantis declared his hatred of humanity, and his intention to eventually dominate, or destroy, not just Chikara, but the entire world! This was the genesis of true foundation of the character: a villain very much also in the mold of Saturday Morning Cartoons, mustache twirling, monologuing, and while indeed being "Great and Devious", also at times proving to be somewhat incompetent. 

The Order of the Neo Solar Temple

Before too long, he set about building his army to accomplish his goals. He first introduced the devastating sea monster Hydra, who was one of the tiniest members of the roster, yet thought he was a Big Show-sized super heavyweight. He also recruited Crossbones, a genuine heavyweight, with a penchant for running his mouth during matches. Together they were known as the "Order of the Neo Solar Temple", with Mantis as the mastermind and spiritual leader. Unfortunately for Mantis, and true to Saturday Morning Cartoon villainy, they didn't often have success in their maniacal schemes. To counter this, Mantis would eventually add other members, such as brainwashing the squeaky-clean rookie Tim Donst, and convincing the technical grappler that he was part of the Order (right down to painting half his face ala King Diamond, or KISS). Later still, as I explained in the first article, Mantis "recruited" his enemy Delirious, by means of total mind control, thanks to the mystical and mysterious "Eye of Tyre" crystal that came into his possession. Of course, that would also be his downfall...

New and Improved?

I covered the mishaps with the Eye of Tyre, and the BDK group who came after it, in the Chikara tribute piece. But needless to say, after years of devious machinations, Mantis' scheming backfired on him, big-time, and he ultimately wound up losing his entire Order stable. He would then "see the light", to a point, joining the side of "good", at least to get revenge on the BDK. He befriended former ally-turned-enemy Hallowicked, and his spawn Frightmare, and the trio known as the "Spectral Envoy" fought on the side of Chikara, against not one, but what would eventually be multiple waves of Chikara invaders. The Envoy era is when I first started watching Chikara, circa 2012. In fact, the first full Chikara shows I ever watched (instead of merely just clips on Youtube), was the 2012 King of Trios tournament, which (SPOILERS), I was thrilled to discover Ultramantis and the Envoy won! 

It's Halloween All Year Round!

Looking back over Chikara's history, of which I was there actively watching from 2014 through 2016, and keeping tabs on after (and more recently going back and watching from its beginnings onward), I have had other characters who I would say were my "favorites" at the time. But when I really think about it, the character I am most entertained by, and find the most consistent and endearing from all of Chikaradom, is Ultramantis Black. In other words, I would have to call him my Top Favorite Chikara wrestler of all time. His commitment to character, his charisma, his in-ring work, his flair for presentation. He was just the "total package". 

 

The coolest tattoos I have ever seen.

 

But more than that, even for a "Maniacal Villain", there was always something endearing and lovable about Ultramantis. In a similar way to, again, Saturday Morning Cartoon villains like Skeletor, or Cobra Commander, or King Bowser Koopa. Mantis as a character (and seemingly as a person) is a juxtaposition of disparate parts. For instance, as you can see above, while he is supposed to be this evil, devious overlord, his "evil" tattoos are literally all nice, peaceful, happy Christmas iconography. I love his tattoos more than words can express, and the hilarity and sheer awesomeness of what people would automatically assume MUST be totally EVIL tattoos, being the friendliest shit you've ever seen, is priceless. 

 

 

Grand Champion!

 

 

Ultramantis Black is my favorite Chikara wrestler of all time, because he's dastardly, but charming. He's an incorrigible, arrogant rogue, yet at the same time a totally lovable, gregarious paragon. He's a mystical, supernatural character, who claims to be a sorcerer of great eldritch power. Yet he's also something of a warped, spiritual zen Buddhist. I was glad to be able to see him win the King of Trios (which was his first MAJOR accomplishment in Chikara) in 2012. And even though I wasn't watching regularly anymore by 2017, I was also happy to discover he finally won THE top prize, the Chikara Grand Championship! I wasn't thrilled with how all that was handled, and will always think his reign should have lasted significantly longer than it did. But considering he suffered a leg injury in 2015, of which I was devastated, and genuinely feared he might never wrestler again, it did my blackened heart good to see him with "The Strap". I had been genuinely hoping that he would win it before he retired, and he did. So in that, at least, I could be content.

Name(s): Hallowicked and Frightmare

Type: Nightmare Warriors

Style: Brutal and Frenetic

Instead of listing them separately, I might as well list Hallowicked, and his literal storyline spawn Frightmare, together. During that time that I was most actively a Chikara fan (2014-2016), I listed Frightmare as one of my probably Top 5 Favorite Chikara wrestlers. I have always liked Hallowicked too, but especially back then, I just loved Frightmare's seemingly boundless energy, his lethal combination of high-speed brutality and high-flying marvel. For his part, Hallowicked (whom I have come to appreciate more and more as I go back through Chikara's old shows), a fellow Gen 1 Wrestle Factory graduate of Ultramantis', is arguably the most overall "complete" wrestler that Chikara ever produced, that Mike Quackenbush ever trained. If 'Wicked were a Super Mario Bros. 2 character, he would be Mario, the All-Rounder. He isn't the most high flying, but he can sure fly, and he isn't THE biggest or strongest, but he's pretty big and strong. And he isn't the TOP most technical wrestler the company had, but he could tie you up six ways from Sunday when he tried. He was a lethal mixture of all the right elements, and together with Frightmare, these so-called "Nightmare Warriors" were one of the best tag teams Chikara ever had (which makes it ironic that they were never Tag Champs). 

All Glory, Nazmaldun.

When I was watching the 2014 Season Finale live, it was a roller-coaster of emotions when, first, Ultramantis defeated his old frenemy Delirious, but then Delirious turned around and got the last laugh, when he used the Eye of Tyre to seemingly take control of Mantis' friend Hallowicked (and through him Frightmare). But that wasn't quite what happened. Instead of being mind-controlled as Victims of the Eye had in the past, Hallowicked would instead seemingly be possessed by something else entirely. The very next Chikara show, the season opener of 2015, he and Frightmare came out looking completely different than they had before. Not only that, but Hallowicked, who had for his entire previous history only ever spoken in gibberish, now spoke perfect, sinister English, and they brandished the banner of some Lovecraftian forgotten god, the Lord of Rot, Nazmaldun. Hallowicked was now his scion, and he was bent on building an army for his Dark Lord, to take over Chikara (and of course, the world). 

Two Princes.

While I unfortunately never got to see Hallowicked and Frightmare capture the Chikara "Campeones de Parejas" (Tag Team Championship), I DID get to see Hallowicked, in this new "Evil Overlord" form, win the Grand Championship not once, but twice. In fact, in the entire (tragically ended) history of Chikara, Hallowicked was the ONLY 2 time Grand Champion. I was initially heartbroken (so to speak) when Wicked and Frightmare were turned against my boy Mantis, and I still prefer them as the heroes I first knew them as. But I also found the whole unexpected Nazmaldun direction to be quite interesting, and the storyline had a lot of potential. I don't think it quite lived up to that potential, ultimately, but it certainly had some cool moments. I had strongly hoped, as had been hinted before his injury, that the ultimate payoff for the story would be Ultramantis eventually defeating Hallowicked to finally become Grand Champion himself (which technically he did), and ultimately, to somehow "purify" and redeem his old friends, reuniting the Spectral Envoy one last time. That sadly didn't happen, and I'll always wish it had.

Overall, Hallowicked and Frightmare, individually or as a team, are two of my favorite Chikara personalities. Frightmare for his barely-contained energy and crazy moves, and Hallowicked for his excellent wrestling and commanding presence. I loved them as heroes, but I have to admit, they also made for some truly fearsome villains. 

 

Name: Estonian Thunderfrog

Type: God of Lightning and Thunder

Style: Power and Majesty of the Baltics

Right around the time that I was actually able to start watching and keeping up with every Chikara show in a given season (2014), a couple of rival "European" trios were on the rise. Originally appearing in Chikara's "Wrestling Is" satellite promotions, the two forces known as "The Baltic Siege" and "The Bloc Party" were now in Chikara proper. Both groups represented countries/regions of Eastern Europe, with the Bloc of course representing old Soviet Bloc nations, in The Proletariat Boar of Moldova, Mr. Azerbaijan, and Prakash Sabbar (who represented Georgia). The Siege, meanwhile, was made up of The Lithuanian Snow Troll, The Latvian Proud Oak, and the man we're here to talk about, The Estonian Thunderfrog. 

Bloc Party fan art.

Baltic Siege fan art.

The Thunderfrog character, for anyone familiar with classic Marvel comics, is an homage to an 80s Mighty Thor storyline, wherein the God of Thunder was transformed by Loki, into a life-size frog. Thunderfrog, of course, while also being a God of Thunder, is a man-sized frog...man. Who loves the ladies (especially classy milk-maidens), dancing, and justice. He speaks with a "Baltic" accent, and has that mysterious Eastern European charm. He is proud to represent the nation of Estonia, and even more proud to use his mighty "Hammer of Peace" to rain down justice upon evil-doers! In fact, true to his Thor homage roots, only Thunderfrog can lift his hammer. When others try, it proves to be too heavy for them to barely even budge!

Thunderfrog, wielding the mighty Hammer of Peace.

Not only did I immediately fall in love with Thunderfrog, as in he instantly became one of my Chikara favorites, but little did I know the emotional roller-coaster of sorts Chikara would take me on with him. Early in the 2014 season, the Siege continued their rivalry with the Bloc, and ultimately, they got the best of them. But their triumph was short-lived. Thunderfrog took part in a match that involved the great hulking behemoth of the BDK, the Nordic Nightmare, Tursas. And ever vigilant against evil, near the end of the match, Thunderfrog lifted his mighty Hammer of Peace, and used it to vanquish the giant, seemingly once and for all. 

But in reprisal for such an act, the terrorizing leader of "The Flood" villain super-group that was trying to destroy Chikara at the time, the monster known as Deucalion, came out at a following show, and "murdered" the Thunderfrog, with his fearsome "Chokebreaker". Not only did his fellow Baltic Siege-mates mourn their valiant friend, but they foolishly tried to avenge him at a subsequent show, which also led to the poor Proud Oak's demise as well. 

Evolution.

For my part, I was legitimately, unironically devastated. Not only was I, yes, actually sad that the character "died" (something in and of itself that is fairly rare in pro wrestling), but I was also shocked, and even kinda pissed off, like "DUDE, what the fuck, I just got into this guy and you're already getting rid of him?" That was one of the few things that season that I didn't like about the whole Flood storyline, even though for the most part I enjoyed it. I honestly feared The Frog was gone for good from Chikara, and one of my new favorites was super short lived. Thankfully, I was wrong. 

Somewhat reminiscent of the '93 "Death and Return of Superman" storyline in DC Comics, there was a glimmer of hope! At the 2014 season finale, when former villain-turned-hero Icarus led the charge to stop The Flood, and faced their fearsome leader, "Duke" alone in a cage, because of his righteous cause, he proved worthy to wield Thunderfrog's Hammer. He used it to smite Deucalion, and end the Flood threat. As a post-show "stinger", they showed a brief skit wherein a mid-west farmer, after a random lighting strike, discovered a tiny frog, wearing Thor trappings! Via mysterious means, our hero had somehow returned from Valhalla, reborn as the mortal "Estonian Farmerfrog", an incarnation of the character which would eventually appear again within Chikara rings.

 

 

The Return!

 

 

But at the 2015 season finale, a year removed from that "rebirth" vignette, Icarus, who no longer could do anything more than drag the Hammer along the ground, left it backstage before his main event match that night. He was no longer worthy to lift it, because where he had once been fighting for Chikara, now he fought for himself, to recapture the Grand Championship he had lost (to Hallowicked, Scion of Nazmaldun). Well, ol' Froggy, in yet another post-show "stinger" skit, found the Hammer leaning against a wall backstage, and touched it. Doing so caused him to be charged with lightning, and he transformed into a NEW incarnation of the fully realized Thunderfrog! 

Now wearing golden "armor", and adorned with a superheroic cape, the Thunderfrog (no longer prefaced by "Estonian"), was a major player and hero of the 2016 season, for which I was enormously gratified. Not only would he take part in major matches at King of Trios, and in the main event Cibernetico Match against the forces of Nazmaldun at the season finale, but he began the season with a bang. At the 2016 "National Pro Wrestling Day" show, he won the 2016 "Young Lions Cup" tournament, and became that years YLC Champion, which he went on to successfully defend. I was happy to see him be featured prominently like that, and have some major success. Though sadly, 2016 would also mostly be the end of it. Outside of a couple appearances in later seasons, "Because Reasons", the Thunderfrog stopped appearing in Chikara for the most part in 2017, which again made me sad. But at least I got his hot 2016 run, even though I would have hoped for him to be a long-term fixture, and future Grand Champ. Alas.

 

Name(s): Silver Ant & The Colony (Soldier Ant, Fire Ant, Worker Ant)

Type: Humanoid Insectoid Heroes

Style: Technical Wrestling Bug (Depends on the Ant)

Circa 2015/2016, especially in 2015 with Thunderfrog gone, and Ultramantis injured, my answer for not only "Favorite Chikara Wrestler", but "Favorite Wrestler At The Moment PERIOD", was none other than Silver Ant, of Chikara's long-running super-group, The Colony. As explained in the previous piece, The Colony debuted in Chikara in 2005/06, as the team of Fire Ant and Soldier Ant, the two originals. Later in 2006, and into 2007, they were joined by the original (and sadly somewhat forgotten) Worker Ant. Poor Worker fell afoul of some heinous villainy in 2008, and wound up retiring. But he would be replaced by a new-comer, a literal "Green" rookie, hence he was called "Green Ant".

Your 2011 King of Trios.

All of the ants had some kind of specialty or character trait. Fire Ant was the "hot" tempered high flier. Soldier Ant, while technically proficient in his own right, was the military marching brawler of the bunch. The original Worker Ant, was the "blue collar" kid who never gave up. Even the future replacement Worker II, while he was originally the villainous "AssailANT", as one of the Colony was the big bruising power guy. But Green Ant? His specialty was technical mat-based wrestling. Much like their trainer, "The Man of 1000 Holds", Mike Quackenbush. Green may not have known 1000 holds, but he certainly knew many dangerous ones, and over time, he developed into one of the best technical wrestlers I've ever seen. And considering what a big fan of technical submission-based wrestling I am, considering All-Time favorites of mine like Bret "The Hitman" Hart, that made me a natural fan of his.

The Colony.

Well, when Chikara came back in 2014 from their "shut down" as part of the Titor/Flood story arc, Green was no longer a "Green" rookie anymore. So it was decided he graduate, into an older, wiser version of himself. Thus he became my preferred incarnation, and one of my top favorite Chikara wrestlers, Silver Ant! Once again, sadly, ol' Silver never won any major accolades during his Silver years, during my time of closely watching Chikara. He was another that I had high hopes would be around long-term, and one day have a run as Grand Champ, but it was not to be. 

It should be stated that, in all honesty, there hasn't really been a legitimate member of The Colony that I haven't liked. I like them all: Silver, Fire, Soldier, Worker I, Worker II. I even liked all the members of the villainous Swarm team: AssailANT (later Worker II), CombatANT, and DeviANT. Or the goofy but dangerous members of the Colony Xtreme Force: Missile Assault Ant, Orbit Adventure Ant, and my favorite, Arctic Rescue Ant. Hell, I don't even mind the two "New Generation" additions that popped up in 2018, Green Ant II and Thief Ant. If you find yourself thinking "Geezus, there's been a lot of Ants!", well, you're not wrong. 

Fire vs. "Winter" Soldier Ant. Brother vs. Brother.

 

But outside of Silver Ant, my top favorite, the one I liked the best, at least a specific and limited incarnation of him, was Soldier Ant, circa December 2014 through December 2015. For that one sweet year, he portrayed what many fans dubbed the "Winter Soldier Ant", referring to the Marvel character. He had been kidnapped and brainwashed/programmed by Titor, and employed by the Flood (and later Jakob Hammermeir's new BDK), to hate the other ants, and to destroy on command. As you can see above, his outfit was riddled with bullet holes, and he was implied to have at least some kind of possible cyborg shit going on as well. 

Either way, his performance during this time, in AND out of the ring, was amazing. I have rarely ever seen such an intense display of pro wrestling character, nor such dedication to constantly staying IN character, as I did with Soldier Ant that year. His mannerisms and persona were such a stark contrast from the goofy, fun-loving Soldier Ant of old. Instead, his movements were cold and robotic, he seemed impervious to most pain, he wrestled as if he legitimately possessed enhanced strength. And he was hyper angry and aggressive, yet cold and calculating. He destroyed people, and his rage engine never ran on "Low". It was short-lived, and I was a bit disappointed that he dropped all of those mannerisms entirely when his Colony-mates snapped him out of it and brought him back. But it will remain one of the best wrestling performance, one of my top favorites, I have ever seen, in ANY promotion. 

Unfortunately, by mid-2017, both Silver Ant AND Soldier Ant were gone from Chikara completely, having been hired by bigger wrestling companies (obviously as non-ant personas). 

Name(s): Ophidian / The Osirian Portal

Type: Venomous and Vile, Serpent of the Nile

Style: Master of Snake Style

One of my top favorite Chikara tag teams, aside from the likes of the Nightmare Warriors, or the Colony, was the Osirian Portal. Consisting of Ophidian the Cobra, and the "Funky Pharaoh" Amasis, they were a pair of ancient Egypt themed characters. They were not only a pair of dancing goofballs, on the one hand, but also a very dangerous and unpredictable team on the other, steeped in Egyptian symbolism and mysticism. In their early years, there were other temporary additions to the Portals' entourage, but these two were always the core of the group. And in 2008, very early into their tenure, they managed to capture the Campeones de Parejas, as seen above. And in spite of heel-ish antics in their early days, they also managed to quickly capture the hearts of fans. 

One of the reasons I liked them so much as a team, was because they were exciting and proficient in-ring wrestlers, who didn't always rely on the same exact moves every match. But they were also just highly entertaining. One of their classic "moves", and the way I first discovered them through Youtube clips, consisted of Amasis holding Ophidian up, while he did a "Snake Charm" routine, hypnotizing their opponent(s), and then making them do whatever they wanted. Which often consisted of dancing, but it also ranged from leaving the ring, hitting their own tag-partner, or whatever else. Amasis specifically also loved to challenge opponents to "Dance Offs", where he would try to show them up with his hip break-dancing moves. I love both characters, though as individuals, I always found Ophidian to be more interesting, and that echoed in his time(s) as a singles wrestler. The first of which came at the expense of Amasis himself.

Deceiver.

Conqueror.

Warlord.

In 2011, Ophidian grew tired of the Portal's feel-good ways, and their failure to re-capture the Tag Gold. So he eventually turned on his friend Amasis, stealing his mask. He would likewise target and defeat Portal allies, such as Hieracon, taking their masks as well. After this, now a crazed solo-act, Ophidian started undergoing a long-term metamorphosis, wherein he changed his form, "shedding his skin" like a snake, and changing up his mask and outfit over time, as he continued to evolve. He ultimately came out looking rather G.I. Joe-ish, or rather, COBRA-ish, which I'm sure was deliberate. And he also wound up allying himself with the evil newcomers, the demonic Batiri, as well as their manipulator at the time, Delirious. Delirious was occupied with trying to get revenge on Ultramantis Black for controlling him with the Eye of Tyre, and in so doing took the Batiri under his wing, and recruited Ophidian to be their "Ring General" and field leader. 

During much of this time, he continued to carry around Amasis' old mask, wherever he went, and even took to talking to it, having conversations with it, believing the spirit of Amasis was still communicating with him. The character had been corrupted, and was going insane, believing he kept seeing Amasis in the crowd at different shows. This was circa 2013, and before long, the true Amasis really did show up, seemingly to get revenge. But his motives were different: he wanted his friend back, and to do that, he had to "Purify" Ophidian of the evil that had gripped him. To accomplish this, he challenged him to a "Sarcophagus Match" at the final Chikara show of 2013 (the one where the company got "Shut Down"). He managed to seal Ophidian within, and even though the company was in doubt, Ophidian's soul had been saved. 

Purified.

Circa 2014.

Crucible.

The main reason I share so many pictures of Ophidian, is because he's had so many looks over time. And these pictures are only some of them. When I started really watching in 2014, he looked like the middle picture above, reunited with Amasis, a hero once more, trying to protect Chikara from the invading Flood. In 2015, he led his own "Challenge of the Immortals" team, the "Snake Pit", which also involved two young wrestlers I liked, Shynron and Argus, though it also unfortunately included Eddie Kingston. That same year he and Amasis also challenged once again to become Tag Champs, though they fell short. In 2016, both would become embroiled with the growing army of Nazmaldun, with Amasis ultimately succumbing, being defeated and stripped of his mask, leaving Chikara for good. While Ophidian played a major role in defeating Hallowicked and Co., by once again becoming "Purified", and in turn freeing poor Ultramantis Black, who had become a wheel-chair bound puppet and voice for Nazmaldun himself. 

Overall, Ophidian was one of the very few long-term Chikara characters, along with the likes of Dasher Hatfield, Icarus, and Hallowicked, to stick around in the company until the sad and unjust end. In later years, after failing to fully protect Chikara from evil-doers, Ophidian turned "evil" once again, though this time through ego, not supernatural malice. He was convinced only he knew how to truly protect Chikara, and thus started secretly training Wrestle Factory students in night-time "Fight Club" type sessions, building a group of would-be (but overly violent and misguided) defenders calling themselves "The Crucible". This group, in Chikara's last days, challenged Quackenbush and the old order of Chikara, led of course by Ophidian. The story never truly concluded, because the company shut down for real, which was one of many unfortunate things about the situation. 

I liked Ophidian as a solo character and singles wrestler, because he was, quite frankly, one of the most interesting, complex, and compelling pro wrestling characters I've ever encountered. He was layered, nuanced, and one hell of a wrestler to boot. Ophidian could pull off moves, and "snake like" movements and mannerisms in the ring, that I've never seen anyone else do. At his peak, he had uncanny body control, and his signature moves, such as his dreaded "Ophidian Death Grip" submission, were top of the class. Whatever else can be said about Ophidian, I will always fondly remember him, and the Portal, as some of the greatest Chikara had to offer.

 

Name: Jervis Cottonbelly

Type: World's Sweetest Man

Style: Purveyor of Gentlemania

There is perhaps no more unique a personality (at least that I've ever seen) in all of professional wrestling, than Mr. Jervis Cottonbelly. Originally appearing as early as 2005, the early days of Chikara, the character of Jervis was that of a vaguely aristocratic, vaguely Victorian (or perhaps Edwardian) Era British gentleman. He was the embodiment of "Chivalry" and the ultimate Gentleman, as well as being purported to be the friendliest/sweetest man on Earth. While his appearances were sporadic prior to 2012, he eventually started appearing more regularly in the "Wrestling Is..." spinoff promotions around that time. By 2014, again the first year that I was able to watch every Chikara show and really dive in to the promotion, Mr. Cottonbelly was appearing regularly in Chikara itself.

Implied to be possibly immortal, or at least very long-lived (and thus slow-aged), this "blast from the past" personality immediately struck my fancy. From his penchant for treating his opponents kindly, dancing with them or even gently putting them to sleep, to his ceaseless positive attitude and "Gentlemanly" charm, he won me over. Jervis was a sometimes tag-team partner of fellow "Olde Fashioned" (in fact their team name) rassler Marion Fontaine. As well as having a friendship with the Estonian Thunderfrog, which somewhat played out when he tried searching for the hero after his apparent "demise". He was ALSO a member of the 2015 Challenge of the Immortals team "Crown & Court", led by Princess Kimberlee and including the team Los Ice Creams. I have mixed feelings about the end results and aftermath, but I was happy at the time, that Jervis and his team ultimately wound up winning the tournament, the ultimate underdogs.

The reward for winning the tournament, was that all members of the team received an automatic, un-loseable title shot for whatever Championship they wanted (Grand or Tag). But sadly, Jervis was another character who disappeared from Chikara, without any sort of storyline explanation whatsoever, in 2016. So he never got a chance to cash in, which is a damn shame, because I would have taken a Jervis Cottonbelly Grand Championship reign over Kimberlee, any day. Jervis appeared all of one more time, in the first ever "Infinite Gauntlet" Match (basically a Royal Rumble), but was never ever seen again in Chikara thereafter. Which made me very sad, as he was one of my favorites.

Name(s): Los Ice Creams

Type: Sweet Yet Sour Living Ice Creams...With Sprinkles!

Style: Frozen Lucha Libre

Speaking of Los Ice Creams, another of my favorite tag teams in Chikara, were these vaguely sinister, but ultimately harmless fighting treats. Brothers, Ice Cream Jr. and El Hijo del Ice Cream, were supposed to be the sons of actual Mexican luchador, "Ice Cream". Originally appearing in 2006, for most of their existence, these living dairy delights were more or less "Rudos", yet they also quickly became fan favorites. They were silly as hell, and their antics were a lot of fun, known for such shenanigans as Hijo pinching people's bottoms, or the boys dropping their opponents on deadly, painful candy sprinkles!

Unlike regular Ice Cream, these guys would often shift their look/flavor, from mint green, to purple grape, or some manner of sherbet. But no matter their look, for much of their career, the brothers were known more for goofy antics than being much of a threat. That wasn't always true, of course, as there was a period around 2007/08, where they acted as a formidable team. But by the time I really started watching, they were clownish Rudos with charm, for the most part. That all changed when they became co-winners of the CotI tournament in 2015, and unlike poor Jervis, while they bided their time before doing so, the Ice Creams DID eventually cash in, and seemingly won the Tag Team titles! There was some nonsense that saw them stripped of this win, BUT they did later actually (finally) win the belts for real, and Ice Cream Mania ran wild in Chikara for a brief but happy time.