Godzilla: Why Mothra Really Attacked Monarch In King of the Monsters

Mothra, a benevolent Titan, attacked Monarch at the start of Godzilla: King of the Monsters, but there was a good reason by the uncharacteristic moment. Mothra was one of the four main Titans to appear in the third MonsterVerse movie, but she was the only creature who stood with Godzilla against King Ghidorah.

Although a flashback scene showed Godzilla at the start of the film, Mothra was the first of the three new MonsterVerse Titans to be introduced in Godzilla: King of the Monsters. At one of Monarch’s outposts in China, Dr. Emma Russell (Vera Farmiga) and Madison Russell (Millie Bobby Brown) headed into a large room to witness the birth of the legendary Titan. The giant Mothra larvae observed Emma briefly as they tried to use the Orca to communicate with her, but something went wrong. Mothra went wild, forcing Monarch’s men to become hostile. After Mothra’s attack, she escaped and didn’t return until she emerged from her cocoon at a later point in the movie.

Mothra carefully didn’t kill anyone in this scene, but why did a Titan know for being peaceful become so violent in the first place? The reason for this is linked to Mothra’s backstory and how she was utilized in Toho’s movies. The movie later establishes through Zhang Ziyi’s characters, Dr. Chen and Dr. Ling, that the MonsterVerse has its own version of the Twin Fairies – two tiny, mystical women who have a strong psychic link to Mothra. In Toho’s movies, the Twin Fairies are usually a big part of Mothra’s story and they’re typically present when Mothra either hatches from her egg or emerges from her cocoon. According to Dougherty, there was an expectation from Mothra that they would be around in King of the Monsters [via Twitter]. So when Mothra didn’t get the welcome she’s always treated to, she panicked a bit.

Like Godzilla, Mothra is an ancient creature who has been around for thousands of years. It’s mentioned in the movie that four generations of twin sisters have been working at Monarch, but their legacy goes back much further than that. Dougherty has explained that an ancient cult was responsible for looking after Mothra, but they died off long ago. Mothra’s egg laid dormant for 10,000 years, and it was apparently during this time that they faded away. Dougherty says that when Mothra was reborn, she was expecting to see “her twin priestesses doing a big song and dance number”, as per tradition. He goes on to say that ancient civilizations understood that music could be used to sooth Titans, so that’s why this was practiced with Mothra. Also, this is normally how the ceremony was handled in the original movies.

The traditions involving Mothra from classic Godzilla movies is now part her history in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, which is certainly an interesting addition to Mothra’s story. Even the island she protects, Infant Island, exists in the MonsterVerse. It’s possible that Mothra’s never-ending cycle of death and rebirth will continue in a future installment so that the MonsterVerse can continue building on its Mothra lore.

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