Since it began back in 2014 with Godzilla, the MonsterVerse has featured some unique monsters on the screen. More often than not, it all ends in a showdown as these titans battle to see who will be the Earth's dominant apex predator.
These monsters are deadly, destructive forces. Even if they don't mean to cause any harm to humans, their sheer size means that anything that stands in their way will be reduced to rubble.
We're going to count down the five best monsters we've seen in the MonsterVerse so far, starting with...
Skull Crawlers
Skull Island has always been the home of King Kong, and the MonsterVerse took us there in 2017, revealing its version of the legendary ape when a group of Monarch scientists go to investigate the uncharted isle. As usual, Kong isn't the only danger on the island. When the scientists use seismic charges to map the caverns below the surface, they disturb some deadly creatures.
They're named Skull Crawlers by Lieutenant Marlow, a WWII veteran who's been marooned on the island since the war, and are the stuff of nightmares. They're part of the reason the Iwi tribe worships Kong, as he protects them from the Crawlers. When the military escort is taken down, Kong is the only thing standing between the survivors and a very gruesome death.
MUTO
One of the first monsters that appears to challenge Godzilla, these large creatures are dubbed MUTOs by the military, meaning Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism, and the name seems to have stuck. Two of these giant parasites were found on the skeleton of a Godzilla creature when they're disturbed by miners, with one going straight to a nuclear power station to feed and hibernate.
A couple of decades later, the creatures wake up and start a rampage across the United States. The MUTOs catch the attention of the titan, who goes to challenge them. In some ways this was a good thing, as everything the military tries has no effect on the MUTOs, and only Godzilla had any chance of bringing them down.
Kong
He's been dominating the screen since the '30s, and Kong is just as much a force of nature in the MonsterVerse. He's once again encountered on the mysterious Skull Island; his isolation is no doubt one of the reasons he's avoided Godzilla's attention for so long. It's only when Monarch takes him off the island that the titan considers him a threat to his dominance.
Despite his best efforts, Kong isn't really a match for the King of the Monsters, though he has his own strengths. He's one of the few creatures that can be reasoned with, developing emotional links with the people who've cared for him, asking them for help and even learning to use sign language to communicate with them. He moves down to Hollow Earth after its discovery, becoming the alpha male there, away from Godzilla.
Monster Zero
This terrifying creature was frozen in the ice of Antarctica for hundreds or even thousands of years until it was reawakened by Dr. Emma Russell, a Monarch researcher turned eco-terrorist. She wants to use the titans as a way to restore balance to the Earth, helping reverse the damage caused by humanity, and she's not concerned about the potential for millions of innocent deaths.
Zero, who is known as King Ghidorah in the original Godzilla continuity, was the perfect choice to help with this plan, and came close to succeeding. Unlike the other monsters, it's not from Earth, but rather crashed here thousands of years ago, becoming the stuff of legend because of its unstoppable destruction. The giant three-headed dragon is one of the few creatures that can give Godzilla a real run for his money. It can breath fire and even regrows a head within minutes when it's bitten off.
Godzilla
The undisputed King of the Monsters, Godzilla believes himself to be the dominant creature on Earth and he's willing to defend that title if necessary, facing off against many challengers in his time. Luckily he's up to the task, feeding on radiation which gives him the ability to breathe a blast of nuclear energy at his foes.
Despite being considered a threat at first, over the years, Godzilla has become something of an anti-hero. He's not interested in humanity as he doesn't see them as a significant threat; a lot of people see him as a necessary counter to the danger posed by other titans, as he's often the only one who can stop them, even if he does level a city while doing so. Even those who do have a problem with him can't do much about it, as no weapon has ever been developed that can take down this legendary monster.
To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and Twitter account, sign up for our exclusive newsletter and check out our YouTube channel.