ATOM Bonus Kaiju Files 20: Helhornet

Posted on August 8, 2019 by

B20 Helhornet

Date Discovered: October 23rd, 1956

Place of Origin: Mojave Desert

Notable Stomping Grounds: Mojave Desert, Typhon Island

Height: 100 feet

Length: 160 feet

Wingspan: 300 feet

Biology: While fairly similar to non-kaiju wasps in most respects, Helhornet’s limbs are adapted for a bipedal gait similar to many Japanese arthropod kaiju, such as the famous brawling beetle Nastadyne.  Whether this is an oddly common (yet not universal) Yamaneon radiation induced mutation, or simply a result of convergent evolution on the parts of their ancestors is unknown.  Regardless of its origin, Helhornet is well adapted to its unusual body plan, being a skilled brawler and ruthless hunter.

Helhornet’s powers include:

  • Super strength
  • An enhanced healing factor
  • Immunity to radiation
  • Neurotoxic venom in stinger

Personality:   Unusually swift for a kaiju, most creatures that intrude on Helhornet’s privacy are neutralized before they even see the insect coming for them.  The extremely potent venom in the wasp’s stinger can paralyze most monsters within minutes, and its lean yet powerful limbs can deliver a flurry of devastating blows to its victims.  Combine this combat prowess with the insect’s extremely territorial nature and short temper, and you have a recipe for one vicious giant monster.

However, there have been rare occasions where the wasp was unable to defeat its enemy quickly, and each of these battles has given the insect pause.  When faced with a foe that provides adequate resistance, Helhornet’s attitude radically alters on the spot, as it can’t help but be curious as to how its enemy offers such resistance.  Curiosity turns to fascination, and, should the enemy last long enough, Helhornet quickly regards its tenacious enemy with something akin to respect or even affection.  Creatures that give the wasp good sport will soon find it following them out of admiration, even coming to their aid in times of trouble.

Like many kaiju, Helhornet shows an open-ness to and desire for companionship that would generally be considered impossible for its mundane relatives, and will go out of its way to socialize with monsters it likes.  While its tendency to pick vicious fights with other monsters hasn’t won it many friends, the few creatures Helhornet has befriended seem to value it in turn, and the wasp can be rather peaceful if it is allowed to stay with its chums undisturbed.

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ATOM Bonus Kaiju File 19: Lobjob

Posted on August 4, 2019 by

B19 Lobjob.png

Date Discovered: October 23rd, 1956

Place of Origin: Mojave Desert

Notable Stomping Grounds: Mojave Desert, Typhon Island

Height: 100 feet

Length: 100 feet

Biology: Of the many kaiju that prowled the Mojave Desert, Lobjob is perhaps the most straightforward, being little more than a gargantuan crab.  Of course, no kaiju can really be considered mundane, and Lobjob’s thick armor and powerful crushing claws make it just as dangerous as its stranger neighbors.

Lobjob sports the standard kaiju power set:

  • Super strength
  • An enhanced healing factor
  • Immunity to radiation

Personality: A perpetual follower, Lobjob is a rather mild and confused creature when left to its own devices, lacking any internal ambitions to speak of.  In the presence of other monsters, it immediately looks to others for answers, often glomming onto whichever monster seems the most powerful, ferocious, or otherwise charismatic and becoming a dependable and loyal lackey.  Only severe mistreatment will drive the crab away from its perceived leader, and even then the crustacean will be quick to forgive if its boss shows a change of heart.

In combat, Lobjob is a brutal powerhouse, relying primarily on its enormous forearms to batter and crush its opponents.  Despite its bulky and heavily armored body, Lobjob’s legs can carry it forward with surprising speed, giving the crab a mix of strength, durability, and swiftness to be a truly formidable foe.  Of course, Lobjob’s determination to actually harm an opponent depends upon its leadership, and when left alone the crab’s only desire when faced with a fight is to make it out alive.

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ATOM Bonus Kaiju File 18: Necronychus

Posted on August 2, 2019 by

B18 Necronychus

Aliases: Ol’ Rattlehorn

Date Discovered: October 23rd, 1956

Place of Origin: Mojave Desert

Notable Stomping Grounds: Mojave Desert, Typhon Island

Height: 80 feet (130 with head held high)

Length: 200 feet

Biology: Necronychus is one of the odder reptilian kaiju ever discovered, with its superficially snake-like head at odds with its four powerful and almost ape-like limbs.  Despite its gorilla-like build, the massive reptile’s limbs are splayed out like its lizard relatives, and its disproportionately large forearms seem to have evolved for digging rather than climbing trees.  Where it fits in the reptile family tree is also an unanswered question – it shares anatomical details with both varanid lizards and snakes, and seems to have a lot in common with the prehistoric snake kaiju Gorgolisk.  The most accepted hypothesis is that Necronychus is some strange prehistoric offshoot – an evolutionary dead-end in the lineage of lizards who would become snakes.

Necronychus sports the following powers:

  • Super strength
  • An enhanced healing factor
  • Immunity to radiation
  • Mild neurotoxin venom

Personality: Like the pit vipers she superficially resembles, Necronychus is a high strung creature whose default emotion is a seething irritability.  The massive desert-dwelling reptile is highly territorial and generally dislikes company, hissing threateningly at any creature that dares to approach it.  Those who ignore her warnings will promptly be subjected to a vicious beatdown, as Necronychus does not hold back when her boundaries need to be reinforced.

Despite her surly, antisocial attitude, Necronychus isn’t a wicked monster, and is generally content to let other creatures be so long as they retreat.  Creatures that are persistent in approaching her but also listen to each of her warnings and back off may also slowly earn her trust, and a select few kaiju are privileged to actually be tolerated by the aggressive lizard.  While not an affectionate or pleasant friend to have, Necronychus is dependable in a pinch, and anyone who picks on the creatures she has deigned to tolerate will quickly learn how brutal the reptile’s unleashed fury truly is.

Necronychus’s fighting style appears clumsy at first glance, her spike-covered limbs flailing into her opponents with reckless abandon.  However graceless it may be, it is ultimately a calculated risk – Necronychus knows most enemies can’t dodge her chaotic swipes, and that whatever damage she may risk to herself in the process will be far outweighed by that her foes suffer.  The whirlwind of powerful blows she unleashes is difficult to weather, and Necronychus can stay in the fight far longer than most other kaiju.  Wise kaiju quickly learn it is better to flee from the irritable lizard than fight her, and many consider her one of the most devastating fighters in the kaiju world.

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ATOM Bonus Kaiju File 17: Gulgek

Posted on August 2, 2019 by

B17 Gulgek

Date Discovered: October 23rd, 1956

Place of Origin: Mojave Desert

Notable Stomping Grounds: Mojave Desert. Typhon Island

Height: 65 feet

Length: 170 feet

Biology: An example of mild Tyrannosation – i.e. the tendency for non-retrosaur lifeforms to evolve similar body types as Paleo Tyrants – Gulgek is an enormous gecko that is equally skilled at crawling on all fours and running on two legs.  It is believed to be a prehistoric creature that survived in the Yamaneon tunnels, as its anatomy is similar to Correlophus ciliatus, a species of gecko that was believed to be extinct at the time of its discovery.  However, the discovery of a living population of C. ciliatus in New Caledonia four decades later puts a little doubt on this hypothesis.  Regardless of whether it has any modern mundane relatives, Gulgek acts much like a young kaiju, and is believed to not be as old as many of the other prehistoric relics that make up its peers.

Gulgek’s powers include:

  • Super strength
  • An enhanced healing factor
  • Immunity to radiation
  • Sticky pads on feet and semi-prehensile tail

Personality: Few creatures can match the enthusiastic curiosity of Gulgek.  Wide-eyed and full of wonder, the enormous lizard treats every day like a new adventure, and delights in exploring the wide, wide world and meeting all the different creatures that live there.  One would think this would put her in conflict with humanity quite often, but thankfully Gulgek emerged in the vast Mojave Desert, where she remained for a few years before eventually being moved to Typhon Island.

Amiable and sweet, Gulgek makes friends very easily, as her playful personality disarms all but the most vicious of kaiju fairly quickly.  Her friendliness can get her into trouble of course, as most kaiju’s initial reaction is to attack her under the assumption she may be a threat, and some have taken advantage of her kindness.  Though Gulgek’s naive optimism has gotten her into trouble, her cunning mind and quick reflexes have kept her from any lasting harm, and the lizard is quick to forgive the monsters that do her wrong, making it very hard to remain on her bad side.

When forced into a fight, or when play-fighting with her friends, Gulgek is a wily and somewhat frustrating opponent, using her superior reflexes and speed to literally run/hop circles around her opponents.  Lacking any particularly devastating weapons (Gulgek’s teeth and claws are not particularly sharp, and her jaws are likewise not very strong), Gulgek forces her enemies to defeat themselves by over-exertion, exhausting them into submission by dodging everything they throw at her.  Gulgek is also smart enough to use her environment to her advantage – when living in the Mojave, she caused more than a few rock slides to finish off particularly resilient enemies.

Her greatest weapon is her friendliness, however, as few creatures that have fought the gecko remained enemies by the end of her bout.  Many monsters have taken a liking to the amiable lizard, and as a result she has plentiful backup whenever a truly hostile enemy rears its head, as none of her friends would be content to let the little lizard be harmed.  Of course, Gulgek returns this loyalty, and has leapt to the aid of her fellow monsters on many occasions.

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ATOM Bonus Kaiju File 16: Cucharoch

Posted on August 2, 2019 by

b16 Cucharoch

Aliases: Roachie

Date Discovered: October 23rd, 1956

Place of Origin: Mojave Desert

Notable Stomping Grounds: Mojave Desert, Typhon Island

Height: 35 feet

Length: 150 feet

Wingspan: 150 feet

Biology: Believed to be a result of one of the many nuclear bomb tests performed in the deserts of the American Southwest, Cucharoch was suddenly transformed from an ordinary roach to an enormous behemoth.  In terms of behavior and physiology, Cucharoch is much like its mundane relatives, though the magnified spikes on its body do make it a bit more lethal than the average pest.

Cucharoch’s powers include:

  • Super strength
  • An enhanced healing factor
  • Immunity to radiation
  • Skin-irritating powder spray

Personality: A timid scavenger by nature, Cucharoch isn’t particularly well suited to the rough and tumble world of its fellow giants.  When faced with any sort of threat, the roach’s first instinct is to retreat to a safe hiding place and wait out the danger.  It cowardly nature has won it little respect among other kaiju, and humanity has likewise written off the roach as a minor threat at best.

However, what few have learned is that Cucharoch is a very loyal friend to the rare creatures who treat it kindly, and while the insect may not be very brave in defending itself, it can show surprising courage when coming to an ally’s aid.  The only thing it fears more than being hurt is losing a friend, and when Cucharoch actually chooses to fight rather than flee it can be a surprisingly tough opponent.

Though smaller than most kaiju, Cucharoch is also significantly faster than its fellow titans, and can use its spiky body and nasty jaws to deliver some very painful attacks.  Cucharoch is also freakishly durable, surviving blows that would slay most kaiju.  The few monsters that have actually been attacked by the roach quickly learn that not all cowards are weak.

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ATOM Mecha File 4: Big Iron

Posted on August 1, 2019 by

m4 Big Iron.png

Aliases: Project Thunderchild Mk. 3

Date Unveiled: October 23rd, 1956

Origin: The third mecha created as part of Project Thunderchild, Big Iron is a relic of the project’s initial goal of producing a weapon of destruction, and had to undergo a hasty redesign during its construction phase to be better equipped for the kaiju threat, which resulted in Atomoton, a design that began construction at roughly the same time but was much easier to adapt, being finished first.  Big Iron has the most powerful ranged weaponry of any A.T.O.M. age mecha as a result, but the sheer resilience of most kaiju makes this a slight advantage at best.

Nonetheless, when Atomoton was unveiled to the public and proved to be effective enough at repelling kaiju to be considered a success, Big Iron was greenlit for completion.  Its debut was delayed by the falling out between the United States government and the rogue Spooks Organization (the former officially owned Big Iron, but the later was actually building it within one of their bunkers).  Ironically, the finished mecha’s first mission was to track down and destroy one of the remaining known Spooks Organization outposts, a mission that it barely succeeded in completing.

Height: 100 feet (170 including barrel)

Arsenal:

  • Promelion Artificial Pilot Intelligence, or P.A.P.I.
  • Mechanical strength equal to or surpassing a Kaiju of equal size
  • Xeno-Titanium armor
  • Gravity Manipulation Thrusters in torso & feet
  • Mass Annihilation Plasma Cannons (MAPCs)
  • Trigun Mass Annihilation Plasma Blast (requires stance change & charging time)
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ATOM Bonus Kaiju File 15: Gomorel

Posted on July 30, 2019 by

Aliases: Purple Queen Gomorel, Misato Musashi

Date Discovered: August 1st, 1958

Place of Origin: Beyonder Kaiju Factory Planet 4

Notable Stomping Grounds: Beyonder Kaiju Factory Planet 3, Tokyo, Osaka, Mount Rokkô, Ogasawara Kaiju Sanctuary

Pure Form:

Length: 320 feet

Wingspan: 280 feet

Hybrid Form:

Height: 100 feet

Wingspan: 240 feet

Biology: Hailing from one of the stranger inhabited planets in the galaxy, Gomorel, like all animal life on its home planet, stores all of its most vital components in a single nigh-indestructible core organ.  Every other part of its body can suffer catastrophic damage without truly killing the alien monster so long as the core remains unharmed, and as a result it is incredibly difficult to kill even by kaiju standards.

Even when its core is damaged, Gomorel may not be down for the count, as humanity discovered after the third attempt to destroy the creature resulted in a fragment of its core merging with a human host named Misato Musashi.  Now capable of shifting between serpentine and humanoid forms, the hybridized Gomorel combines the adaptability of its alien biology with human ingenuity and cunning, making it a force to be reckoned with.

Like many extraterrestrial kaiju, Gomorel has an expansive powerset, including:

  • Super strength
  • An enhanced healing factor
  • Immunity to radiation
  • Redundant biological systems
  • Nigh-indestructible core
  • Ability to merge with other organisms
  • Telepathy
  • Psychic Shriek
  • Seizure Flashes – blaring lights generated by Gomorel’s eyes to incapacitate other kaiju
  • Heat vision from pits on false skull

Personality: As one of the most versatile and durable monsters in the Beyonders’ arsenal, Gomorel has been deployed in some of the most dire battles the alien empire has ever taken part in, and has countless combat victories to her name.  Every world she has been dropped into is a starkly alien one in her eyes, as all other worlds she has visited are far more static than the chaotic and ever changing environment that forged adaptable creatures like herself.  The fact that these slow moving worlds inevitably prove hostile does not surprise her, and Gomorel has long since accepted that she will never know peace so long as she is far from home.

A skilled and deadly opponent, Gomorel takes to the battlefield with a ruthless efficiency and pragmatism, quickly sussing out her enemies’ weak points and hitting them as hard as possible.  Like many of the Beyonders’ older kaiju warriors, Gomorel has long since lost the thrill of combat, and treats every fight as an annoyance she’d prefer to be done with as soon as possible.

On the rare occasions her strategies fail and an opponent gets the better of her, Gomorel’s favorite strategy is to play possum, pretending to have died only to recover from her wounds and seek out the enemy that bested her for a second and far more deadly round.  Despite not seeking out fights, Gomorel holds grudges, and the alien monster refuses to accept defeat from anyone – least of all the arrogant earth monster that has nearly killed her repeated times, Deluxman.

Upon absorbing the human Misato Musashi, Gomorel’s outlook on the world changed somewhat.  The human’s mind gives her a better understanding of what the inhabitants of these still, slow-moving alien worlds are like, and with that understanding comes a degree of compassion.  Though she may be slow to accept it, Gomorel is slowly learning that earth may be the place where she can finally stop being a warrior, and start living a life that’s worth savoring.

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