Godzilla is a prehistoric reptilian monster, awakened and empowered after many years by nuclear radiation. With the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Lucky Dragon 5 incident still fresh in the Japanese consciousness,Godzilla was conceived as a metaphor for nuclear weapons.Others have suggested that Godzilla is a metaphor for the United States, a “giant beast” woken from its “slumber” that then takes terrible vengeance on Japan.As the film series expanded, some storylines took on less-serious undertones, portraying Godzilla as an antihero or as a lesser threat who defends humanity. Later films address disparate themes and commentary, including Japan’s apathy, neglect, and ignorance of its imperial past, natural disasters, and the human condition.

Godzilla has been featured alongside many supporting characters and over the decades, has faced off against various human opponents, such as the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF), in addition to other gargantuan monsters, including Gigan, King Ghidorah, and Mechagodzilla. Godzilla has fought alongside allies such as Anguirus, Mothra, and Rodan as well as had offspring, including Godzilla Junior and Minilla. Godzilla has also battled characters and creatures from other franchises, in crossover media—such as King Kong—as well as various Marvel Comics characters, like S.H.I.E.L.D.,the Fantastic Four,and the Avengers.