While King Kong is perhaps the most iconic challenger to Godzilla’s ‘King of the Monsters’ throne, he’s far from the only one. In fact, right before Godzilla’s most recent battle against Kong within the MonsterVerse continuity, another Titan challenged Godzilla’s alpha status – and she almost won, too.
Godzilla vs Kong is a 2021 film that was the culmination of the MonsterVerse saga up until that point. The MonsterVerse began with 2014’s Godzilla and then continued with 2017’s Kong: Skull Island, which had a post credit scene teasing Kong’s battle with Godzilla. However, fans had to wait for one more film before that battle actually happened, as 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters was the next MonsterVerse installment. After Godzilla saved the world from King Ghidorah and claimed the official title of the King of the Monsters (with a number of kaiju from all over the world literally kneeling at his feet), it was finally Kong’s turn to challenge the newly-established alpha for that title. But not before another beast got a crack at it, one that challenged Godzilla right after his victory over King Ghidorah during the canonical comic book prequel to Godzilla vs Kong: Tiamat.
Godzilla Fights Tiamat Before Facing King Kong
In Godzilla: Dominion by Greg Keyes and Drew Johnson, readers learn what Godzilla was doing between the events of King of the Monsters and Godzilla vs Kong. Since his ancestral home was destroyed in King of the Monsters, Godzilla was on the hunt for somewhere new, where he could rest and rebuild his strength. As fans know, the battle with King Ghidorah nearly killed Godzilla, so the aftermath of that fight left him greatly weakened. So, one Titan figured this was the best time to challenge Godzilla’s alpha status: Tiamat. Tiamat is a giant sea serpent who ambushes Godzilla while he’s resting in the rushing currents of the vast ocean. Their battle is fierce, and due to his weakened state, Tiamat nearly defeats Godzilla. However, the King of the Monsters proves why he holds that title, as a resurgence of atomic energy surges through his body as he asserts utter dominance over Tiamat, ultimately winning the battle without even needing to kill her.
While this battle is overall pretty inconsequential to the wider MonsterVerse lore, it is an interesting inclusion, as it shows Godzilla’s constant struggle to maintain his alpha status. Not only that, but it’s cool to consider that, anytime Godzilla isn’t on-screen in any given Godzilla movie, that he’s out fighting another kaiju in a battle that has no immediate impact on humanity, but one that has immense repercussions on the Titan hierarchy. If Godzilla actually lost to Tiamat, then there’d be a new King of the Monsters in town, and none of the main human characters of the MonsterVerse would have any idea why.
Indeed, fans were almost robbed of the epic battle that ensued between King Kong and Godzilla, as before those two Titans even met, an arguably deadlier MonsterVerse kaiju challenged Godzilla for that King of the Monsters title – and, due to his weakened state, she nearly won.
