Kamacuras (Showa)

Kamacuras's History

Kamacuras are a species of giant praying mantids.

A group of scientists working for the United Nations established a research outpost on the remote Sollgel Island to carry out Operation Sherbet, an experiment to try and artificially alter the climate and thus allow for crops to be grown in once-infertile lands and potentially solve world hunger. The members of the operation soon learned that the forests of the island were inhabited by huge human-sized praying mantises which were active at night. The men learned to stay out of the jungle at night lest they risk being attacked by one of the mantises. One night after reporter Goro Maki arrived on the island to cover the story, he heard the hiss of one of the mantises from outside the camp and tried to approach. The other men immediately warned him of the danger and opened fire on the mantis with their rifles before it made its way back into the jungle. The next day, the team members carried out the first trial run of their climate-altering experiment. However, they received radio interference from somewhere on the island, delaying the detonation of the Radioactivity Sonde, producing the opposite intended effect and triggering a massive heatwave on the island. This man-made heatwave included storms of boiling radioactive rain that ravaged the island. The rain had a different effect on the mantises though, mutating them into 50 meter kaiju that Maki dubbed "Kamacuras." Three Kamacuras gathered around a large mound on the island and began to dig it up with their claws, eventually unearthing a colossal egg. The Kamacuras wasted no time in breaking open the egg with their claws, forcibly hatching Minilla, an infant member of Godzilla's species whose brainwave patterns had produced the earlier radio interference. The Kamacuras toyed with the helpless infant, smacking him around with their claws and stomping on him. Fortunately, Minilla's distress calls drew Godzilla to the island, who promptly confronted the Kamacuras to rescue Minilla. The three insect kaiju attacked Godzilla in tandem, but their combined might was not enough to overcome Godzilla's raw strength. Godzilla burned one of the Kamacuras alive with his atomic breath, and dismembered another by repeatedly slamming it on the ground before incinerating the carcass with his atomic breath. Realizing it was outmatched, the surviving Kamacuras took flight and escaped. While no match for Godzilla, the Kamacuras continued to menace the humans, stalking them as they tried to repair one of the telecommunication towers on the island and at one point attacking their camp. The team members took refuge in a cave inhabited by Saeko Matsumiya, the daughter of an archaeologist who once lived on the island. When Saeko went outside one day to gather herbs, Kamacuras appeared and threatened her. As she tried to flee, Saeko lost her footing and collapsed, after which Kamacuras approached. However, Saeko had managed to summon Minilla with her call, who arrived to save her. Unintimidated by the infant, Kamacuras taunted Minilla. Minilla fired an atomic smoke ring at Kamacuras' head, which only seemed to provoke it. Kamacuras approached Minilla and began savagely beating him with its claws until Godzilla arrived to back up his adopted son. Godzilla scared off the giant mantis with a blast of atomic breath, while Maki helped Saeko back to safety.

During his clash with Kamacuras, Minilla unwittingly kicked a boulder into the Valley of Kumonga, awakening the giant spider from his subterranean slumber. Kumonga initially menaced the humans before trapping Minilla in its webbing. Kamacuras flew overhead as Kumonga closed in on his prey, only to be pulled from the sky by Kumonga's web. Kumonga turned his attention to Kamacuras and stabbed it with his venomous stinger, killing it almost instantly.

At least one Kamacuras survived to inhabit Monster Island.