Back in 1976, Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Stan Lee was able to score the licensing rights to bring Toho’s iconic monster Godzilla into the Marvel world. Running for 24 issues from 1977 to 1979, the Godzilla, King of the Monsters comic book series, written by Doug Moench and drawn by Herb Trimpe, saw Godzilla rampaging through the United States and taking on the likes of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, the Fantastic Four, Devil Dinosaur and Moon Boy, the Champions, and the Avengers. Marvel will soon be re-printing the entire run of Godzilla, King of the Monsters in color for the first time, and to celebrate they have unveiled fifteen variant covers for upcoming comic books – covers that feature Marvel heroes facing off with Godzilla! You can check them out at the bottom of this article, thanks to Marvel.
Here’s what Marvel had to say about all of this Godzilla action: This year, Marvel Comics proudly reprints its classic ‘70s Godzilla comic book series in GODZILLA #1 FACSIMILE EDITION and the highly-anticipated GODZILLA: THE ORIGINAL MARVEL YEARS OMNIBUS, collecting Doug Moench and Herb Trimpe’s entire 24-issue run in color for the first time! To celebrate this exciting collaboration with Toho International, the Japanese studio’s U.S.-based subsidiary that has brought global sensation Godzilla to life, Marvel Comics will also be producing brand-new Godzilla Variant Covers on select issues this September. See the King of the Monsters tower over iconic Marvel characters in 21 explosive covers! Drawn by some of the industry’s hottest artists, these breathtaking battles and daring team-ups depict Godzilla alongside super hero icons including the Avengers, the X-Men, Spider-Man, and Deadpool.
Godzilla #1 Facsimile Edition is a re-printing of Godzilla, King of the Monsters issue #1 on its own, “re-presented in its original form, ads and all!” Godzilla: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus gathers all 24 issues together.
As they said, there will be 21 Godzilla variant covers, and only 15 have been unveiled so far. So there are six 6 covers we haven’t gotten a look at yet.
Will you be collecting Marvel’s re-printing of Godzilla, King of the Monsters and/or the Godzilla variant covers? Take a look at the covers below, then let us know by leaving a comment.