Mosura

Real Name: Mosura, goddess of love and reincarnation on Infant Island

Identity/Class: Mutant insect / mystical being

Occupation: Defender of the Earth

Affiliations: Cosmos/Shobijin/Elias (differing names for her tiny fairies); Gojira, Rodan, Battra, Ghidorah (Yamato spirit incarnation), Mekagojira (Kiryu incarnation)

Enemies: Battra, Belvera, the Ghidorah's, Dagahra, formerly Gojira

Known Relatives: Other Mosura's

Aliases: Mothra

Base of Operations: Beiru Island

First Appearance: Daikaiju Masura (Toho Pictures, 1961)

Powers/Abilities: In all versions, Mosura starts off as a caterpillar with great strength, an armoured hide and a powerful silk-spray that can restrain Gojira himself. Once she becomes an adult, the different Mosura's abilities vary.

In all forms she can fly at high speeds, creates hurricane winds with her wings and is quite intelligence. In her original form, (Showa and Millennium II), she has a poisonous dust attack that can stun opponents. In her Heisei form, she fires energy beams from her antennae. Her incarnation in the Millennium Gojira series was incredibly agile and fired dozens of poison darts at her opponents. In the Rebirth of Mosura films, she had multiple different forms- Rainbow Mosura, Aqua Mosura, Light Speed Mosura and Armour Mosura, each with different powers: all had powerful beam attacks, with special abilities including restoring plants as Rainbow Mosura and time travel as Light Speed Mosura. Aqua Mosura can also swim and breath underwater.

History: (Showa incarnations) Mosura was created by atom bomb testing on Infant Island, and she was worshipped as a god by the island's inhabitants, with two twin fairies - the Shobijin - acting as her priestesses. When a greedy corporate mogul from Rolisca abducted the Shobijin with the intent of exploiting them commercially, Mosura tore apart a city getting them back. Following this, and suffering from old age, Mosura returned home and laid an egg. Generally a benevolent creature when not provoked, Mosura tried to protect Japan from one of Gojira's rampages and was killed; her egg hatched and the resulting two Mosura larvae neutralised Gojira with their silk.

One of the larvae died but the survivor went on to continue defensive work. She was instrumental in driving King Ghidorah from Earth after forming an alliance with Gojira and Rodan, and in her adult form she saved the Infant Island population from the Red Bamboo terrorists. In the far-flung future of 1999, another Mosura larvae was brainwashed by the Kilaak aliens into attacking Beijing; once freed from this, she helped bring down Ghidorah once and for all.

(Heisei incarnations) Mosura was created by the alien Cosmos as their protector and goddess when they settled on Earth eons ago. Their attempts at weather control angered the spirit of Earth and the mighty Battra, an 'Anti-Mosura', was formed to destroy them. Battra and Mosura fought but the Cosmos were wiped out; the two monsters went into hibernation. In the early 1990s, Mosura and Battra were born again and continued their fight in Yokohama; the arrival of Gojira made them put aside their difference to stop their mutual threat. Battra died in the battle and Mosura inherited his task of destroying a meteorite heading for Earth.

(Millennium I incarnation) The spirit of Mosura, one of the great Yamato beasts, resided in Lake Ikeda as a guardian spirit of the nation. When the terrifying Gojira attacked Japan after 50 years absence, Mosura and her fellow Yamato spirits had to take physical form to defend the nation. Mosura fought valiantly at Tokyo, utilising hit-and-run attacks on Gojira, but this incarnation of Gojira was a manifestation of the wrathful spirits of those killed by Japan in WW2 - she couldn't stop him. Fatally wounded, she transferred what remained of her life force to her ally Ghidorah so he could finish the fight.

(Millennium II incarnation) Mosura hadn't been seen since her attack on Rolisca to retrieve the Shobojin back in the 1960s. Then in 2003, she appeared again with her Shobojin forecasting doom; Japan's defensive Mekagojira weapon was built around the remains of the first Gojira, and this was a desecration of the dead that would cause the current Gojira to keep attacking Japan. Mosura's warning was dismissed due to her past rampage, but it proved to be right. Mosura defended Japan against Gojira but was killed in the attempt.

(Rebirth incarnation) Mosura is a defender of the planet that repeatedly incarnates, with Motha's existing at the tail-end of the Mesozoic era. In the late 1990s, the current Mosura and her Elias priestesses were preparing for the birth of the new Mosura. Soon after it was born, the wicked dark Elias, Belvera, freed Desghidorah from his mystical tomb. With the entire planet at stake, the Mosura's attacked the demon and the mother was killed.

The offspring headed for the magical Tree of Life and used its power to progress to the form of the adult Rainbow Mosura; with this power, it destroyed Desghidorah in vengeance of her mother. She later defeated the sea-beast Dagarah in her Aqua-Mosura form. However, she proved ineffective when the space demon Grand King Ghidorah came to Earth, intending to feed on the Earth's children for energy. As Light-Speed Mosura, she headed back in time to the Cretaceous Period to try and kill Ghidorah when he was on Earth in a weaker form, back when he killed the dinosaurs. She fought him as Rainbow Mosura and barely defeated him, being so wounded the Prehistoric Mosura larvae's had to place her in a protective cocoon for millions of years.

Grand King Ghidorah disappeared from Earth, as he never arrived there due to his being dead in the past. However, a severed tail from the Cretaceous King Ghidorah had grown over time into a new Grand King Ghidorah, and he suddenly arrived on Earth, out to devour the world's children as well. At this point, Mosura emerged from her cocoon as the mighty Armour Mosura and was able to obliterate the demon. The battle done, she transformed into Eternal Mosura and retired from battle permanently.

Comments: Mosura is a highly popular kaiju in Japan, which is why she's had so many films (and so many different incarnations) over the years. In each incarnation, she is a heroic beast who defends the world against evil monsters except when her priestesses are threatened.

Rebirth of Mosura was a children's series of movies, made in the late 1990s.

Thanks to Olivia Quirk, who sent me loads of info on Mosura, as well as several excellent images, and also the following note "Mothra is not only undefeated (Even if the adult died, her reincarnated children would finish the job, and since it is technically the same soul, just slightly different in looks, personality, and power, it's the same Mothra) But she beat Godzilla of all monsters, TWICE! YAY FOR Mothra!!!!"

Thanks also to Charles Ellis who sent me detailed information on the varying histories of the different Mosuras, and several more images.

CLARIFICATIONS: Not to be confused with

• Moth, Golden Age hero

Any Additions/Corrections? Please let me know.

Back to Japanese heroes main page

Home

All images and characters depicted on this site are copyright their respective holders, and are used for informational purposes only. No infringement is intended and copyrights remain at source.