In 1954, Gojira changed the course of cinematic history. While it wasn’t the first monster movie, it almost instantly became one of the most famous and popular. Created in response to Japan’s well-justified fear of nuclear weapons, Godzilla (the Americanized version of his name) is an ancient giant sea monster awakened by the atomic blasts of WWII. Originally, Godzilla had a straightforward goal: smashing the nearest city of destructive humans. However, over the decades, he’s become the king of the monsters and has fought with and against countless other famous cinematic beasts, most famously King Kong in King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962).