Godzilla's Next Crossover Is A Billion-Dollar Fantasy Franchise

Published Sep 4, 2026, 2:30 PM EDT Shaun Corley has been with ScreenRant for over 5 years, and is currently the Coordinator for PR and Outreach for the Comics Team. Warning: contains potential spoilers for Godzilla Monsterpiece Theater Presents: Kaiju of Oz! Godzilla’s next crossover is with a beloved, billion-dollar fantasy franchise. In recent years, IDW Publishing has raised the bar for Godzilla comic books. The publisher has taken some massive creative swings, including Mothra’s first-ever series, as well as a line of one-shots that see Godzilla lay major American cities to waste. Godzilla’s history in American comics begins in the 1970s, when Marvel obtained the rights to produce a series starring the King of Monsters. Set firmly in the Marvel Universe, Godzilla: King of the Monsters only lasted for two years, but nevertheless brought the kaiju to comics, a trend that continues to this day. After Marvel lost the rights, other publishers, including Dark Horse Comics, picked up the license, creating oddball crossovers: this era of Godzilla comics saw him run up against basketball player Charles Barkley, for example. These “so out there, they work” crossovers have continued under IDW’s stewardship of the franchise, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the Godzilla Monsterpiece Theater Presents line. These books have placed Godzilla in works of classic literature, such as The Odyssey and War of the Worlds. Fans have responded enthusiastically to these books, and now IDW is unleashing maybe the most unhinged Godzilla crossover yet, as the King of Monsters stomps his way through the land of Oz. King of the Monsters · 70 Years of Destruction GodzillaTrivia Challenge ☢TohoClassicThe original king 🏯ShowaEraMonster island mayhem 🔥HeiseiEraDarker and deadlier ⚡Millen­niumA new beginning 🌊Monster­VerseLet them fight UNLEASH THE BEAST → 01 The original 1954 Godzilla film was directed by a visionary Japanese filmmaker and served as an allegory for the horrors of nuclear weapons. Who directed the original Godzilla? AAkira Kurosawa BIshiro Honda CHayao Miyazaki DTakashi Shimura ✓ Correct! Ishiro Honda directed the original 1954 Gojira. The film was a direct response to the Lucky Dragon No. 5 incident and nuclear testing in the Pacific. Akira Kurosawa was Honda’s close friend but directed samurai films, and Takashi Shimura was actually an actor in the film. ✗ Destroyed! The answer is Ishiro Honda. Kurosawa directed Seven Samurai, Miyazaki is the anime legend behind Studio Ghibli, and Shimura was an actor who appeared in the original film. Honda’s vision turned nuclear fear into cinema’s greatest monster. NEXT → 02 In the Showa era films, Godzilla frequently battles a three-headed golden dragon from outer space who becomes his most iconic rival. What is this monster’s name? AMechagodzilla BMothra CKing Ghidorah DRodan ✓ Correct! King Ghidorah, the three-headed golden dragon, first appeared in 1964’s “Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster.” He’s Godzilla’s ultimate arch-nemesis, appearing in more films than any other Godzilla villain. ✗ Destroyed! Mechagodzilla is a robotic duplicate, Mothra is generally an ally, and Rodan is a giant pteranodon who sometimes fights alongside Godzilla. King Ghidorah is the iconic golden three-headed dragon. NEXT → 03 Godzilla’s signature attack is a powerful beam of concentrated radiation that he fires from his mouth. What is this iconic weapon commonly called? APlasma Beam BNuclear Pulse CAtomic Breath DRadiation Ray ✓ Correct! The Atomic Breath (or “heat ray” in Japanese) is Godzilla’s signature weapon, powered by the nuclear energy in his body. The blue beam has been a defining visual element since the original 1954 film. ✗ Destroyed! The answer is Atomic Breath. While “Nuclear Pulse” is a separate Godzilla ability (a shockwave from his body), his signature mouth beam is universally known as the Atomic Breath. NEXT → 04 In the 1995 film “Godzilla vs. Destoroyah,” Godzilla’s nuclear heart goes into meltdown, turning him a glowing red-orange. This version of Godzilla has what popular fan nickname? AShin Godzilla BBurning Godzilla CMecha Godzilla DFinal Godzilla ✓ Correct! Burning Godzilla first appeared in Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995), glowing red-orange as his nuclear reactor heart goes critical. This form returned in the MonsterVerse in Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019). ✗ Destroyed! Shin Godzilla is the 2016 Japanese reboot, Mechagodzilla is the robotic version, and “Final Godzilla” isn’t a recognized form. Burning Godzilla specifically refers to the meltdown state. NEXT → 05 One of Godzilla’s most beloved allies is a giant divine moth who is often accompanied by tiny twin fairies called the Shobijin. Who is this kaiju? ARodan BAnguirus CMothra DBattra ✓ Correct! Mothra, the Queen of the Monsters, first appeared in her own 1961 film before becoming one of Godzilla’s most reliable allies. The Shobijin (tiny twin fairies) serve as her priestesses and communicate her intentions to humanity. ✗ Destroyed! Rodan is a pteranodon, Anguirus is Godzilla’s first opponent (and later ally), and Battra is Mothra’s dark counterpart. Mothra is the divine moth accompanied by the twin Shobijin fairies. NEXT → 06 Shin Godzilla (2016), directed by Hideaki Anno, was a critical and commercial hit in Japan. The film reimagined Godzilla as a metaphor for which real-life disaster? AThe Kobe earthquake BThe 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster CTyphoon Hagibis DThe Tokyo firebombings ✓ Correct! Shin Godzilla was explicitly created as an allegory for the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster and the Japanese government’s response. Director Hideaki Anno (of Evangelion fame) used Godzilla to critique bureaucratic paralysis during crisis. ✗ Destroyed! The answer is the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. While the original 1954 film was a nuclear weapons allegory, Shin Godzilla specifically parallels the Fukushima crisis and the government’s slow response. NEXT → 07 In the Legendary MonsterVerse films, the ancient organization that monitors and studies giant monsters is named after a real-life secret project. What is this organization called? ASHIELD BMonarch CApex DMUTO ✓ Correct! Monarch is the secret scientific organization dedicated to studying Titans (massive ancient creatures). Named to evoke secrecy and authority, Monarch has appeared in every MonsterVerse film since Godzilla (2014). ✗ Destroyed! SHIELD is Marvel’s organization, Apex is the villainous corporation from Godzilla vs. Kong, and MUTO stands for “Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism” — a monster species, not an organization. Monarch is the answer. NEXT → 08 In Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024), Godzilla and Kong team up against a new threat from Hollow Earth. What is the name of the tyrannical ape villain they face? AMechagodzilla BCamazotz CSkar King DTiamat ✓ Correct! Skar King is a tyrannical great ape from Hollow Earth who enslaves other apes and wields a weapon made from a Titan’s spine. He also controls Shimo, an ancient ice-breathing Titan. His threat is so great that Godzilla and Kong must team up to stop him. ✗ Destroyed! Mechagodzilla was the villain of Godzilla vs. Kong, Camazotz appeared in the graphic novels, and Tiamat is a sea serpent Titan. Skar King is the new ape tyrant from Hollow Earth. REVEAL MY SCORE → Destruction Report Your Kaiju Knowledge / 8 King of the Monsters — or trampled underfoot? ↻ RISE AGAIN Godzilla Stomps Through Oz in IDW's Latest Crossover Godzilla Monsterpiece Theater Presents: The Kaiju of Oz pools the talents of some of today’s top creators to bring fans one of the most gonzo entries in recent Godzilla lore. Writer Mike Brown, who has penned various titles for Marvel including Spider-Verse, joins forces with 8 Billion Genies artist Ryan Brown to tell the main story, which sends Godzilla all the way to the Emerald City. Artist Tom Scioli’s “Godzilla vs Robin Hood” concludes in this issue as well. The Kaiju of Oz opens in a fashion familiar to pop culture fans the world over: a tornado scoops up Dorothy and her dog Toto, whisking them off to Oz. Events continue to unfold as usual: Dorothy’s house lands on top of the Witch, and she meets the Munchkins. And then comes Godzilla, who somehow made it to Oz as well. Dorothy, thinking she is in a dream and Godzilla is actually Toto, joins the King of Monsters on a destructive spree culminating in an epic battle in the Emerald City that has to be seen to be believed. Costa and Brown continually subvert the lores of both Godzilla and The Wizard of Oz throughout. As Godzilla rampages across Oz, other familiar characters show up as well. The Wicked Witch of the West seizes on Godzilla’s arrival, seeing him as a way to conquer and enslave the denizens of Oz. The Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow make appearances too. Costa and Brown continually subvert the lores of both Godzilla and The Wizard of Oz throughout. Kaiju of Oz is a Glorious Pop Culture Mashup The test of a true pop culture icon is how well they can be adapted into other contexts and time periods, and Godzilla succeeds in this department. The character began as a commentary on nuclear testing before morphing into a fun franchise aimed at children. In recent years, the Godzilla movies have moved between more fun, popcorn-friendly fare such as the King Kong crossover films, and more somber affairs, such as Godzilla Minus One. That crossovers like the Kaiju of Oz can stand alongside the franchise’s serious moments is a testament to Godzilla’s versatility. Godzilla Monsterpiece Theater Presents: Kaiju of Oz takes full advantage of how malleable the King of Monster’s lore is by dropping the Big G into one of the most beloved realms in fantasy literature. Frank L. Baum’s Oz series has entertained fans for over a hundred years, and films based on the property have endeared it further to even more readers and viewers. A crossover between it and Godzilla may sound out of left field, but it is a testament to Costa and Brown that it works beautifully. Kaiju of Oz is the Wildest Godzilla Crossover Yet Kaiju of Oz Is Darkly Funny With An Unforgettable Ending Fans are living in a Golden Age of Godzilla crossovers. In the past two years, Godzilla has fought the Justice League as well as smashed his way through Marvel’s multiverse, in addition to his appearances in IDW’s line of titles. Godzilla Monsterpiece Theaters Presents: Kaiju of Oz’s dark humor propels the story to even greater heights of comedy, and maybe the King of Monster’s wildest crossover yet. Godzilla Monsterpiece Theater Presents: Kaiju of Oz is on sale October 7 from IDW Publishing!