“ | Ogata, if the Oxygen Destroyer is used even once, politicians from around the world will see it. Of course, they'll want to use it as a weapon. Bombs against bombs, missiles against missiles, and a new superweapon to thrown upon us all! As a scientist.. No, as a human being, I cannot allow that to happened! | „ |
~ Dr. Daisuke Serizawa about a possible apocalypse scenario should the Oxygen Destroyer be both exposed to the world and mass-produced. |
The Oxygen Destroyer is the name given to the only known successful weapon that can destroy Godzilla where other man-made weapons that succeeded it failed to accomplish the same feat. It first appeared in the original 1954 Godzilla film (known in Japan as Gojira).
History
Discovery
A scientist named Daisuke Serizawa accidentally found the micro-oxygen, chemical component that would become main ingredient of Oxygen Destroyer, during experiment with oxygen element. He was horrified with the chemical reaction from micro-oxygen that can disintegrate any lifeform, either only reduce them into bones or leaving no remains. Despite this, Serizawa decided to perform some more tests, hoping that he can developed the micro oxygen for benefit to mankind instead of doomsday weapon that far worse than nuclear weaponry.
Godzilla (1954 film)
Through the experiment, Serizawa perfected the discovered element into Oxygen Destroyer, which he grimly stated that it indeed the most deadliest weapon on earth during that time (1950s). The only one whom he showed this weapon was Emiko Yamane, his girlfriend, where he implored her not to tell anyone else.
Unfortunately, Godzilla's rampage to avenge the death of its family due to hydrogen bomb test that both awakened him from his million year old sleep and horribly mutated him, as well as destroyed his habitat, and military forces' helplessness in stopping it forced Emiko to break the promise by revealing the Oxygen Destroyer's existence to Ogata, whom hoped that they can convince Serizawa to use it.
Of course, Serizawa was furious with this and storms down to his basement to destroy the Oxygen Destroyer. Ogata and Emiko follow him down in order to prevent him from doing so. However, this only results in a short fight between Ogata and Serizawa, with Ogata receiving a minor head wound. As Emiko treats the wound, Serizawa apologizes. Ogata tries to convince Serizawa that he is the only one who can save the world.
Then, after the argument, a grim television program appears on the air, showing the devastation and deaths caused by Godzilla, along with prayers for hope and peace. Shocked by what he is witnessing, Serizawa ultimately decides to use his last Oxygen Destroyer, but only one time. Serizawa then proceeds to destroy his research, knowing that this weapon was almost as dangerous and destructive as Godzilla himself, and that destroying this weapon will be for the betterment of society.
Serizawa did used the weapon to destroyed Godzilla, but in order to ensure that he would never be coerced to revealed the weapon's components, sacrifice himself by letting himself and Godzilla destroyed by the effect of his own weapon.
Godzilla vs. Destoroyah
Dr. Ijuin managed to rediscovered micro oxygen that used to be basis of Oxygen Destroyer, but instead of as doomsday weapon, he intended that the element improved for better use of mankind. When Emiko learned his invention on TV, she asked Kenichi and Yukari to stop his research out of fear that it would be as dangerous as Serizawa's Oxygen Destroyer. Though Kenichi and Yukari unexpectedly implored Dr. Ijuin to recreate Oxygen Destroyer to prevent Godzilla destroyed the whole planet due to his body now overloaded with nuclear energy, Dr. Ijuin turned out unwilling to recreate it due to the effect of the weapon can reduce Tokyo to graveyard should it used on land (which echoed the late Serizawa's theory as he explained Oxygen Destroyer's effect). To make matter worse, Dr. Ijuin discovered that Serizawa's action in destroying first Godzilla by Oxygen Destroyer turned out has created an evil, apocalyptic monster called Destoroyah, whom originated as a colony of microscopic crustaceans from the Precambrian period, about 541 million years ago.
The only option to stop Destoroyah from destroying the world is by luring both Godzilla and his son to the embodiment of the Oxygen Destroyer. Though the plan worked well and put an end of legacy of Oxygen Destroyer, it indeed succeed not without enormous losses: Destoroyah killed Godzilla Jr. in cold blood and did the same on Godzilla by leaving him dying due to burned by nuclear meltdown, forcing JSSF killed Destoroyah themselves by shoot it down and left it burned to death by super-heated ground. Also, Destoroyah's effort to kill Godzilla Jr. was vain with the said Godzilla revived from absorbing radiation from his father's remains.
Millenium Series
Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla
The Oxygen Destroyer did not disintegrate Godzilla's skeleton into nothing, but his skeletal remains were instead utilized to create Mechagodzilla, also known as Kiryu (meaning "Machine Dragon") to, not only defeat a second Godzilla, but to make the design process and construction less difficult.
MonsterVerse Series
MonsterVerse version of the weapon made its debut in the franchise's third film Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Here, the weapon was developed as the military's prototype weapon against kaiju threat and instead of triggering violent chemical reaction, the weapon works in form of a giant, green mushroom explosion. The weapon was deployed against King Ghidorah who locked in the battle against Godzilla, but proved to be useless against the former thanks to his extraterrestrial nature — instead, to everyone's horror, the weapon only worked against terrain lifeforms including Godzilla himself, who rendered severely crippled by the blast.
Quotes
“ | We must kill him the way we killed the first Godzilla. (Miki Saegusa: YOU CAN'T!!!) The Oxygen Destroyer. | „ |
~ Kenkichi Yamane to Miki Saegusa in Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. |
Gallery
Trivia
- In 2000's Godzilla vs. Megaguirus, the Godzilla in the film is the same Godzilla that attacked Tokyo in 1954 and it is explained that he was never killed by the Oxygen Destroyer.