King Kong's History
Kong is a member of a prehistoric, simian superspecies that evolved in the Hollow Earth, a lush ecosystem of gigantic creatures located beneath the surface of the Earth. While the species shares a common ancestry with modern-day apes, it is considered to be an entirely new categorization of life. Unusual in apes, the species walked upright instead of knuckle-walking, giving them a humanoid appearance. Based on the appearance of Kong's parents, the species exhibited some examples of sexual dimorphism. Males appeared to be slightly larger, leaner, and possessed a sagittal crest and beard-like growths along the face. Females, like Kong's mother, were more rotund in physique and often grew longer hair.
Ancient humans who later became the Iwi revered the apes as gods and protectors, building large shrines and structures in their name. At some point in the distant past, the Kongs and the Iwi's ancestors waged war against Godzilla's kind for dominance. To combat the larger, more volatile Gojiras, the Kongs crafted axes forged from the dorsal plates, hide, and bones of fallen Gojira members. After a costly protracted war, the Kongs were ultimately unable to defeat their rivals, resulting in species' numbers to dwindle.
When Skull Island came into existence, living members of the species migrated there via an opening from the Hollow Earth. They ruled over the island peacefully until the Skullcrawlers, an invasive species from the Hollow Earth, infested the island. The feud between the two species lasted for centuries, with casualties on both sides. Eventually, the Iwi's descendants migrated to the island and witnessed the feud. Under constant attack from the Skullcrawlers, and unable to grow to their full potential due to resource limitations on the island, the remnants of Kong's species soon died off until only two were left alive, the parents of Kong himself. The two would later perish after being overwhelmed by a horde Skullcrawlers, but not before the female gave birth to Kong. As the last known member of his species, Kong patrolled the island and hunted the creatures responsible for the extinction of his species.
Kong: Skull Island
In the 1944 prologue, Kong first appears rising over a ledge where Marlow and Gunpei Ikari are fighting.
In 1973, he makes his first proper appearance as Preston Packard and his crew drop seismic bomb charges on the land below to map it. Enraged, Kong attacks the helicopters, swatting them out of the air and killing many of Packard's men, to which Packard swears vengeance against Kong. Following the conflict, Kong reappears at a lake, heavily wounded from the earlier fight. As he washes his wounds and drinks from the lake, a Mire Squid attacks Kong, but he manages to kill the creature by stomping on its head and proceeds to make a meal of the giant cephalopod.
Later, Kong is seen jumping from one mountain to another as he looks over the island. Kong finds a dead Sker Buffalo being eaten by a Skullcrawler near a large underground vent. As he is about to engage the creature, another one ambushes Kong from behind. He kills them by throwing one to the ground, breaking its neck, and stomping the other's head. Some time later, Weaver tries and fails to save a Sker Buffalo trapped under a downed helicopter outside the Iwi village. Kong appears and rescues the buffalo. He encounters Weaver for the first time and looks at her curiously before leaving her be. Later that night, he is seen sitting atop a mountain, somberly watching the aurora.
The following night, Kong sees both Weaver and Conrad on the top of a tall ledge through a blanket of fog and approaches them. While frightened at first, Weaver sees no signs of aggression. She touches his face, and he visibly weeps before retreating. Immediately afterwards, Kong is drawn to a distant explosion, which happens to be a napalm trap set by Packard. Kong is lured in and set on fire by Packard. Several of Packard's men get crushed in Kong's ensuing rampage, but the fire renders Kong unconscious, and Packard then prepares to kill Kong with explosive charges. However, Conrad, Weaver, and Marlow intervene, creating a standoff between them and Packard's men. In the midst of the standoff, the largest of the Skullcrawlers, the Skull Devil, emerges from the swamp. Everybody flees except for Packard, who is crushed by the awakened Kong moments before he can set off the charges. Kong attempts to fight the monster, but the Skull Devil manages to overpower him.
As the morning comes, the Skull Devil turns its attention onto the humans and chases them into a marsh. Kong returns and saves them by smashing a giant boulder against the Skull Devil's head, giving the humans the chance to get to safety. The fight continues with Kong managing to get the upper hand by wielding a tree trunk as a bat at one point. However, the Skull Devil uses his tail to throw Kong into a shipwreck, where he becomes tangled in its chains. As the Skull Devil prepares to deliver the killing blow, the humans distract the giant monster long enough for Kong to free himself.
Using a ship's propeller attached to a chain like a flail, Kong manages to snag and pull the Skull Devil towards him. Kong throws the Skull Devil against the cliff Weaver is standing on, causing her to fall into the water. He fights and seemingly kills the Skull Devil when he slashes the giant reptile's throat with the propeller. However, as Kong rescues Weaver, the Skull Devil springs back to life and attacks. The Skull Devil wraps his tongue around Kong's arm where Weaver is enclosed and pulls it down his throat. Kong violently tears out his opponent's tongue, finally killing his enemy for good and avenging the deaths of his parents as well as his species.
Kong gently sets Weaver down. As Conrad reunites with Weaver, Kong looks back at them before wandering off. As the humans depart from the island in the rescue helicopters, Kong beats his chest and loudly roars, proclaiming himself the King of Skull Island.
Skull Island: The Birth of Kong
On August 7, 1995, Aaron Brooks, the son of Houston Brooks and San Lin, leads a team of five Monarch operatives on a secret mission to Skull Island to uncover answers about Kong. Following an attack by Psychovultures, the operatives' pilot crash-lands on the west of the island in their V-22 Osprey while they parachute down to a cliff overlooking the island. Almost immediately, a pack of Death Jackals attacks them and kills survival expert, Helen Karsten. The Death Jackals pursue the remaining humans into a cave and corner them. Before the humans are finished off, Kong appears and saves them by crushing the Death Jackals in his hand and beneath his foot. Then Kong briefly stares at the cave entrance before walking away.
In July the following year, the remaining Monarch operatives, led by an Iwi boy named Ato, embark on a pilgrimage to uncover Kong's past and eventually meet with him. When a Sirenjaw by the wreckage of an old Dutch ship attacks the humans, they hear Kong's roar as he goes to fight it, and Aaron leads the others in Kong's direction. When Aaron and his team arrive at the scene, they see that Kong has already killed the Sirenjaw and left. The carcass eventually attracts Psychovultures and Death Jackals. The team then reaches the Boneyard and hides from a pack of Skullcrawlers in a cave. Riccio then experiences another vision and sees that the day of Kong's birth was when he lost his parents to the Skullcrawlers. Kong's mother hid her son in a cave by sealing its entrance with rocks while Kong's father fought off the Skullcrawlers. Kong then watched the Skullcrawlers kill his parents, creating the anger and hatred he had for the bipedal reptilians. When the Skullcrawlers left in the night, Kong walked towards his parents' bodies and cried in grief.
Kong makes his full appearance when a group of Mother Longlegs attack the Iwi settlement. Kong quickly kills all of the giant arachnids and crushes Riccio with his fist. Then he comes in contact with Aaron Brooks and spares his life. As Kong came and saved everyone when they needed him most, Aaron realizes that Kong has the instinct to protect human life.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters
Kong briefly appears in a stock footage recorded by William Randa that was rediscovered in 2015.
In 2017, Kong stumbles upon an Apex Cybernetics research facility on Skull Island after Cate Randa, Keiko Randa, and May Olowe-Hewitt returned to the surface from Axis Mundi. Kong proceeds to beat his chest and roar against the thunderstorm.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
In 2019, 24 years later, Kong makes a brief appearance on Skull Island that is only fleetingly shown on monitors, as one of the few Titans who ignored Ghidorah's call. The film's novelization explains Kong ignored Ghidorah wanting nothing to do with the Titans and the world beyond Skull Island and wanting them to have nothing to do with him, before making sure no Skullcrawlers leave the island after they also hear Ghidorah's call.
Kingdom Kong
In 2021, Kong shows up to rescue a team of Monarch soldiers that are being attacked by a Spirit Tiger, killing the beast after breaking its neck. One day during his walkabout amongst Skull Island, while being observed by Houston Brooks from an aircraft, Kong comes upon a pinned Sker Buffalo. As he attempts to free it, he is attacked by numerous Psycho Vultures. However, Kong manages to light a broken tree on fire and kill a majority of the swarm. Unfortunately, the Sker Buffalo was killed in the conflict, leaving Kong in a notable sadness. Later Kong explores a cave, which tells the Iwi prophecy of the Titan Camazotz. According to Iwi lore, Camazotz will trap Skull Island in a realm of eternal darkness. After he was awakened by the Monarch team trying to dig into Hollow Earth, he encounters Kong while trying to take over Skull Island with his swarm. During their battle, Camazotz proves to be a great challenge for Kong due to his sonic screech and aerial capabilities. Kong is slowly weakened after Camazotz lifted him up before dropping him hundreds of feet from the air several times. Before Camazotz can start feeding on Kong's blood, Audrey Burns flies her jet directly into the Titan's face, disorienting him. Kong uses the opportunity to put Camazotz in a chokehold and repeatedly punch him. The incapacitated Camazotz is unable to fight back, allowing Kong to drag and throw him into the hole where he crawled out from. As Audrey ejects from her jet, Kong catches her in his hand, assuring her safety and thanks her for her assistance with a simple snort, which Burns accepts. Later at night, Kong observes hieroglyphs of a battle between a member of his kind and Godzilla.
Godzilla vs. Kong
In 2024, three years after his battle with Camazotz, Kong wakes up and begins his morning routine. After showering underneath a waterfall, he finds a tree and yanks it out of the ground before shearing its leaves and branches off, fashioning it into a spear. Kong is then greeted by the Iwi orphan Jia, who presents him a doll that she made to resemble him. After checking on Jia, Kong throws the tree into the sky and watches as it shatters the biodome Monarch had built to contain him, prompting him to roar in anger.
Later, Monarch decides to move Kong, deciding that Skull Island is no longer stable enough to sustain him and allow him to survive. Chaining Kong to a massive barge, Kong, Jia, scientist Ilene Andrews, geologist Nathan Lind, and Apex Cybernetics Executive Maia Simmons depart to take Kong to Hollow Earth, where he will be able to thrive. One night, an upset Kong pulls on his chains and shackles. Jia arrives and the two touch fingers gently, calming the Titan. As Ilene communicates with Jia through sign language, telling her Kong does not understand they are trying to help take him to a new home, Kong shocks everyone and uses the sign for "home", revealing that he is capable of communication with humans.
On their way, they are attacked by Godzilla, who capsizes the carrier they are on, nearly drowning Kong as well as the others inside the carrier. Fortunately, Nathan manages to unlock Kong's shackles, allowing him to fight off Godzilla long enough to swim to the surface and flip the carrier back on its head, saving everyone inside from drowning. Kong then jumps to the next aircraft carrier to keep Godzilla from destroying the ship Jia is on and to challenge Godzilla, who climbs aboard ready to do battle. Kong strikes Godzilla with a blow to the head; unfortunately, this only staggers him. Godzilla retaliates by knocking him on his back with a swipe of his claws. Godzilla then prepares to fire his atomic breath at Kong, but the fighter jets distract Godzilla long enough for Kong to eventually push Godzilla back into the ocean.
Godzilla, however, fires his atomic breath from beneath the ocean at the carrier. Kong, realizing this, manages to jump off and evade the blast just in time. However, this puts Kong at a disadvantage as Godzilla begins to drown Kong. Fortunately, before Godzilla can drown him, the military fires depth charges that distract Godzilla enough for Kong to make it to the carrier again and catch his breath. Exhausted from the sedation and from nearly drowning, Kong lays still as Godzilla, convinced that he had won due to the convoy shutting down all of their weaponry, leaves. Realizing that Godzilla will return as soon as they move again, the group decides to airlift Kong with helicopters for the rest of the way. Although they successfully land at an outpost in Antarctica that holds the Hollow Earth's entrance, Kong is unwilling to go even with Jia's insistence. Realizing Kong can't survive the cold and that they can't return him to Skull Island, Nathan suggests telling Kong that the rest of his kind could possibly be down there.
With this, Kong charges ahead as Jia, Ilene, Nathan, and Maia follow him in aircrafts made to withstand the gravity of the Hollow Earth. After landing safely, Kong leads the group through the terrain where they encounter Warbats. Fortunately, Kong manages to kill the creatures before feasting on them. Continuing their journey, they make their way to a fortress that seemingly was the home of Kong's ancestors, as Kong discovers a handprint of one of his kind on the entrance. Inside the fortress, he finds an axe embedded in the corpse of an unknown Titan. Picking it up, Kong notices what appears to be a throne and sits on it, establishing and accepting the Hollow Earth as his new home and kingdom. Suddenly, the axe starts to glow and Kong instinctively lies it down on the ground, revealing powerful energy within the fortress. However, when Jia, Ilene, and Nathan find themselves threatened at gunpoint by Maia and her personnel, Kong angrily roars and prepares to defend them. However, Hellhawks begin to descend from the ceiling of the fortress and a hole is burnt into it by Godzilla sensing the energy spike. As the fortress starts to collapse, Kong notices Maia's aircraft and grabs it; after peeking inside to make sure Jia wasn't inside, he crushes it when the former attempts to shoot him to escape, killing her in the process. Kong hears Godzilla's roar, issuing the ape another challenge, which an angered Kong accepts and proceeds to make his way up to the surface of earth with his axe in hand. Arriving in Hong Kong and face to face with Godzilla, the two Titans prepare for their final battle.
Kong picks up his axe and leaps at Godzilla, who dodges the strike. While trying to take his axe out of the building it is stuck in, Godzilla lunges after Kong, biting the simian Titan and rag-dolling him into buildings. Kong wrestles himself free, landing several decisive blows on Godzilla before knocking him back and retrieving his axe. As Godzilla attempts to fire his atomic breath, Kong rams the handle of his axe down the Titan's throat, blocking it. Godzilla knocks Kong back and tries again, but this time Kong uses his axe to not only block the energy, but seemingly absorb it. Godzilla attacks again, knocking Kong down, who in turn slams the axe into Godzilla's thigh, leaving a deep wound. Godzilla removes the axe and throws it away and continues his attack. Separated from his weapon and vulnerable to Godzilla's atomic breath, Kong proceeds to evade the Titan's ranged attacks by using the buildings of Hong Kong and his superior agility to dodge. Using the environment, Kong fashions a makeshift shield to get close enough and retrieve his axe, before, leaping off a building and bringing down the now charged-up axe down on Godzilla's head, knocking the reptilian Titan out and incapacitating him, giving Kong the win in round 2.
As Godzilla recovers and gets up, Kong ambushes him from above, using a crane to distract him. Placing Godzilla in a chokehold, Kong proceeds to brutally pummel him from behind. Godzilla manages to clamp his jaws down on Kong's arm, yanking it out of its socket and throwing him off. Now on the defensive, Kong backs away as Godzilla viciously crawls at him on all fours. After clawing and stomping on Kong, Kong punches Godzilla's wounded thigh hard, causing Godzilla to roar in pain and stomp on him once more. Godzilla finally manages to subdue the ape Titan and roars at him in a show of dominance. Kong, defeated, but still showing no fear and unwilling to yield, roars back in defiance. Godzilla, as if impressed by Kong's resilience and prowess, shows mercy and spares him, thus rewarding Godzilla his victory. Godzilla leaves Kong alive after getting off his chest, but the huge ape is left close to death.
Later, as Godzilla is battling the unleashed Mechagodzilla, Nathan, Ilene, and Jia approach Kong's body. With his heartbeat growing weak, Nathan uses the Hollow Earth Aerial Vehicle to jumpstart Kong's heart, saving him. As Kong awakens, he reunites with Jia and is convinced by the girl to help Godzilla defeat Mechagodzilla. After resetting his dislocated arm against a skyscraper, Kong heads back into battle. As Mechagodzilla prepares to fire a fatal blast down Godzilla's throat, Kong intercepts by jumping on top of the Mecha and diverts the blast away from Godzilla, saving him. Now working together, Kong and Godzilla battle against the Mecha. However, Mechagodzilla proves to be stronger than their combined might, easily throwing Kong aside before overpowering Godzilla again. Seeing his axe among the wreckage, Kong retrieves it and lands several blows on Mechagodzilla, knocking him clear off his feet. However, the axe is ineffective against Mechagodzilla's armor, and the machine prepares to fatally stab the ape Titan with his tail. Godzilla then fires his atomic breath at Kong's axe, charging it up and allowing Kong to push the tail back enough to cut it, Kong then stops Mechagodzilla's punch with his left hand and cuts its right arm off, then he proceeds to finish dismembering the Mecha before tearing off his head, with the spine still attached, and roaring in triumph.
Exhausted and battered, Kong sits down, but his rest is interrupted by the roar of Godzilla, who approaches him. Kong retrieves his axe, and prepares to continue the fight, but Godzilla doesn't attack, and merely stares him down. Understanding that the true enemy has been defeated, Kong drops the axe, signaling an end to the feud between their species. The two then briefly regard each other as equals and allies before Godzilla returns to the ocean.
After having parted with Godzilla on good terms, Kong withdraws to the Hollow Earth, embracing it as his new home and kingdom. Nathan, Ilene, and Jia continue to watch over Kong in a newly established Monarch Hollow Earth outpost.
Godzilla x Kong: The Hunted
Kong is drinking from a river in the Hollow Earth when a Spineprowler ambushes him from behind a waterfall. After a battle, Kong manages to force the Spineprowler into retreating. Not long after, Kong enters a cave littered with bones before he comes across a painting depicting Godzilla battling Shimo.
In the following day, Kong is eating when he is alerted to the sound of Raymond Martin slaughtering various Hollow Earth creatures with his Titan Hunter Mech. Kong massacres Martin's subordinates and confronts Martin himself after he killed the mother of two Spineprowler cubs. Kong battles and defeats Martin after he throws the Titan Hunter into a cliff. But instead of killing Martin himself, Kong allows the Spineprowler cubs to avenge their mother before walking away.
