Super X

The is a fictional Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese military aircraft

Military aviation

Military aviation is the use of aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of conducting or enabling warfare, including national airlift capacity to provide logistical supply to forces stationed in a theater or along a front. Air power includes the national means of conducting such...

featured in the 1984 Heisei Godzilla

Godzilla

is a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...

film The Return of Godzilla

The Return of Godzilla

The Return of Godzilla The Return of Godzilla The Return of Godzilla (released as in Japan and as Godzilla 1985 in North America, is a 1984 Science Fiction Kaiju film. The sixteenth film in Toho's Godzilla series, it was produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka and directed by Koji Hashimoto with special...

. The concept and basic design were reused for the Super X-II in 1989's Godzilla vs. Biollante

Godzilla vs. Biollante

is a 1989 science fiction kaiju film written and directed by Kazuki Ōmori. It was the seventeenth film to be released in the Godzilla franchise and the second in terms of the franchise's Heisei period...

and the Super X-III in 1995's Godzilla vs. Destoroyah

Godzilla vs. Destoroyah

, alternatively titled Godzilla vs. Destroyer, is a 1995 science fiction kaiju film directed by Takao Okawara and written by Kazuki Omori. It was released in Japan on December 9, 1995. It is the 22nd installment in the Godzilla series of films and the seventh and last of the Heisei series...

, both under the command of Sho Kuroki, Special Pilot of the Defense Agency.

The Super X was a joint project of the Ground

Japan Ground Self-Defense Force

The , or JGSDF, is the army of Japan. The largest of the three services of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, the Ground Self-Defense Force operates under the command of the chief of the ground staff, based in the city of Ichigaya, Tokyo. The present chief of ground staff is General Yoshifumi Hibako...

and Air

Japan Air Self-Defense Force

The , or JASDF, is the aviation branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces responsible for the defense of Japanese airspace and other aerospace operations. The JASDF carries out combat air patrols around Japan, while also maintaining an extensive network of ground and air early warning radar systems...

Self-Defense Forces

Japan Self-Defense Forces

The , or JSDF, occasionally referred to as JSF or SDF, are the unified military forces of Japan that were established after the end of the post–World War II Allied occupation of Japan. For most of the post-war period the JSDF was confined to the islands of Japan and not permitted to be deployed...

. Designated the Capital Defense Mobile Fortress T-1, it was a piloted VTOL

VTOL

A vertical take-off and landing aircraft is one that can hover, take off and land vertically. This classification includes fixed-wing aircraft as well as helicopters and other aircraft with powered rotors, such as cyclogyros/cyclocopters and tiltrotors...

craft constructed in secret to defend the Capital of Japan

Capital of Japan

The capital of Japan, where the seat of the Government of Japan and home of the Emperor are located, is de facto. While this is generally not in dispute, the capital de jure is unclear. There is a dispute as to exactly when Tokyo became the capital. Some state that it occurred when Tokyo...

in case of emergency, in particular a nuclear attack

Nuclear warfare

Nuclear warfare, or atomic warfare, is a military conflict or political strategy in which nuclear weaponry is detonated on an opponent. Compared to conventional warfare, nuclear warfare can be vastly more destructive in range and extent of damage...

. It was operated by a crew of six, armored with heat-resistant titanium alloy

Titanium alloy

Titanium alloys are metallic materials which contain a mixture of titanium and other chemical elements. Such alloys have very high tensile strength and toughness , light weight, extraordinary corrosion resistance, and ability to withstand extreme temperatures...

integrated with platinum

Platinum

Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...

circuitry, heavily armed with missile

Missile

Though a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"...

s, machine gun

Machine gun

A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....

s, and high-intensity laser

Laser

A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...

s, and used three underside rotor

Helicopter rotor

A helicopter main rotor or rotor system is a type of fan that is used to generate both the aerodynamic lift force that supports the weight of the helicopter, and thrust which counteracts aerodynamic drag in forward flight...

s for lift

Lift (force)

A fluid flowing past the surface of a body exerts a surface force on it. Lift is the component of this force that is perpendicular to the oncoming flow direction. It contrasts with the drag force, which is the component of the surface force parallel to the flow direction...

. The craft was thus well-suited to engage Godzilla

Godzilla

in Shinjuku

Shinjuku, Tokyo

is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative center, housing the busiest train station in the world and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration center for the government of Tokyo.As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population...

when the monster

Kaiju

is a Japanese word that means "strange beast," but often translated in English as "monster". Specifically, it is used to refer to a genre of tokusatsu entertainment....

invaded Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

in 1984. Its magazine of missiles were fitted with cadmium

Cadmium

Cadmium is a chemical element with the symbol Cd and atomic number 48. This soft, bluish-white metal is chemically similar to the two other stable metals in group 12, zinc and mercury. Similar to zinc, it prefers oxidation state +2 in most of its compounds and similar to mercury it shows a low...

warhead

Warhead

The term warhead refers to the explosive material and detonator that is delivered by a missile, rocket, or torpedo.- Etymology :During the early development of naval torpedoes, they could be equipped with an inert payload that was intended for use during training, test firing and exercises. This...

s, which were temporarily able to control the nuclear reaction

Nuclear reaction

In nuclear physics and nuclear chemistry, a nuclear reaction is semantically considered to be the process in which two nuclei, or else a nucleus of an atom and a subatomic particle from outside the atom, collide to produce products different from the initial particles...

s keeping Godzilla

Godzilla

alive.

However, the detonation of a nuclear missile

Nuclear weapons delivery

Nuclear weapons delivery is the technology and systems used to place a nuclear weapon at the position of detonation, on or near its target. Several methods have been developed to carry out this task....

in the stratosphere

Stratosphere

The stratosphere is the second major layer of Earth's atmosphere, just above the troposphere, and below the mesosphere. It is stratified in temperature, with warmer layers higher up and cooler layers farther down. This is in contrast to the troposphere near the Earth's surface, which is cooler...

above Tokyo results in a spectacular lightning storm that revives Godzilla

Godzilla

. Godzilla and the Super X then have a final battle. Godzilla fires an atomic breath blast that erodes the warship's armor causing its rotors to fail, and it crash lands near the Sumitomo building. Godzilla

Godzilla

then destroys the Super X by toppling the building on to it.

Super X-II

A sleeker but broader shape defined the second Super X, a remotely operated

Remotely operated vehicle

A remotely operated vehicle is a tethered underwater vehicle. They are common in deepwater industries such as offshore hydrocarbon extraction. An ROV may sometimes be called a remotely operated underwater vehicle to distinguish it from remote control vehicles operating on land or in the air. ROVs...

VTOL craft designed specifically to combat Godzilla

Godzilla

. It sported TA32 armor, claimed to be twice as resistant as the previous craft's; it also introduced the "Fire Mirror", a configuration of synthetic diamond

Synthetic diamond

Synthetic diamond is diamond produced in a technological process; as opposed to natural diamond, which is created in geological processes. Synthetic diamond is also widely known as HPHT diamond or CVD diamond, denoting the production method, High-Pressure High-Temperature synthesis and Chemical...

designed to reflect Godzilla

Godzilla

's ray, intensified 1,000-fold, though not as heat-resistant as the TA32. During the Super X-IIs first bout with Godzilla

Godzilla

, after several effective counterattacks the Fire Mirror began to melt. Godzilla

Godzilla

's ray and tail damaged the ship, which was forced to retreat for repairs.

Later, in Osaka

Osaka

is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...

, the Super X-II served as a decoy to maneuver Godzilla

Godzilla

into firing range of a bazooka

Bazooka

Bazooka is the common name for a man-portable recoilless rocket antitank weapon, widely fielded by the U.S. Army. Also referred to as the "Stovepipe", the innovative bazooka was amongst the first-generation of rocket propelled anti-tank weapons used in infantry combat...

troop equipped with shells containing a biological agent

Biological agent

A biological agent — also called bio-agent or biological threat agent — is a bacterium, virus, prion, or fungus which may cause infection, allergy, toxicity or otherwise create a hazard to human health. They can be used as a biological weapon in bioterrorism or biological warfare...

. The craft taunted Godzilla

Godzilla

almost into range of the troop until it ran out of missiles, at which point Major Kuroki ordered the still-damaged Fire Mirror engaged. Godzilla

Godzilla

's next blast crippled the craft, which crashed into Osaka Business Park. Though the Super X-II was lost, the mission to infect Godzilla

Godzilla

succeeded.

The Super X-II appeared in Godzilla 2: War of the Monsters

Godzilla 2: War of the Monsters

Godzilla 2: War of the Monsters is a video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System.The player controls military forces trying to prevent Godzilla and other giant monsters from destroying cities. Mothra, Gezora, Hedorah, and Baragon along with King Ghidorah are added to the line up, and are...

, a video game for the Nintendo Entertainment system as a playable unit, and made a cameo appearance in the final portion of the videogame Super Godzilla

Super Godzilla

Super Godzilla is a video game for the Super Nintendo released in 1993 by Toho.Unlike other games of the era, Super Godzilla is not a straight action game. Instead, the player must guide Godzilla into the different levels by pressing the adequate button in the appropriate place...

. The game manual described the Super X-II as being a mobile command center from which the player controlled Godzilla

Godzilla

via the use of a special device that had been fired into Godzilla

Godzilla

's body. The Super X-II, referred to simply as the Super X, despite the obvious design difference, also shoots down the final alien mothership in the game's final cutscene.

The Super X-II also appears in Godzilla Generations, in the sixth and eighth levels. Unlike the Super X, the Super X-II will fly toward the character and strafe him rather than sitting and circling. The first few passes it may do nothing, but if the player begins attacking it will fire cadmium missiles and eventually use the Fire Mirror, which can reflect any playable monster's breath weapon, including the American Godzilla

Zilla

, also known as the American Godzilla, is a movie monster that first appeared as the title character in the 1998 Roland Emmerich film Godzilla. The design by Patrick Tatopoulos is that of a hunched bent-over marine iguana...

's. The Super X-II is tougher than the Super X and takes more hits to bring down.

Super X-III

Whereas Godzilla

Godzilla

defense measures had by 1995 become the role of G-Force, the multipurpose fighter plane Super X-III was not designed exclusively as an anti-Godzilla

Godzilla

weapon, but rather (as with the original Super X) to respond to a nuclear accident or attack. The wing

Wing

A wing is an appendage with a surface that produces lift for flight or propulsion through the atmosphere, or through another gaseous or liquid fluid...

ed V/STOL

V/STOL

Vertical and/or short take-off and landing is a term used to describe aircraft that are able to take-off or land vertically or on short runways. Vertical takeoff and landing describes craft which do not require runways at all...

craft's central features are its cooling weapons, the Super-Low Temperature Beam and Freezing Missiles. Also like the original, it is piloted and operated by a three-person crew and equipped with cadmium missiles intended for long-range nuclear reaction control. Artificial diamond is incorporated into its alloy armor, making it strong enough to withstand repeated hits from Godzilla

Godzilla

's ray.

When Godzilla

Godzilla

manifested signs of an imminent nuclear meltdown

Nuclear meltdown

Nuclear meltdown is an informal term for a severe nuclear reactor accident that results in core damage from overheating. The term is not officially defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency or by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission...

, G-Force's offensive weapons were determined unusable, and the Super X-III was called into action. Piloted (this time from within) by Kuroki, the craft engaged Godzilla

Godzilla

at sea, using its cooling weapons to freeze Godzilla

Godzilla

and cadmium missiles to slow its internal reactor. Encased in ice, Godzilla

Godzilla

sank into the Bungo

Bungo Channel

The is a strait separating the Japanese islands of Kyūshū and Shikoku. It connects the Pacific Ocean and Seto Inland Sea. The narrowest part of this channel is the Hōyo Strait....

aqueduct. During Godzilla

Godzilla

's later battle with Destoroyah

Destoroyah

, alternatively Destroyah, or Destroyer, is a fictional Japanese monster from the Godzilla Franchise appearing only in the 1995 film Godzilla vs. Destoroyah and in some of the Godzilla video games. He originated as a colony of Precambrian crustaceans that had been awakened and mutated when the...

the Super X-III looked on, preparing to again shell Godzilla

Godzilla

with cadmium when it hit a critical meltdown temperature. When Destoroyah

Destoroyah

attempted to flee, the Super X-III fired its Low Temperature Beam, disabling and apparently disintegrating Destoroyah

Destoroyah

. Though it fired several cadmium shells at Godzilla

Godzilla

during the subsequent meltdown, protected by its armor from the immense nuclear fallout

Nuclear fallout

Fallout is the residual radioactive material propelled into the upper atmosphere following a nuclear blast, so called because it "falls out" of the sky after the explosion and shock wave have passed. It commonly refers to the radioactive dust and ash created when a nuclear weapon explodes...

, it was unable to control the process. This Super X is the only such vehicle to have beaten Godzilla

Godzilla

(albeit temporarily) without being destroyed as well.

The Super X-III appears in Godzilla: Save the Earth

Godzilla: Save the Earth

Godzilla: Save the Earth is a fighting game released on November 2, 2004 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox game consoles based on characters and situations from the Godzilla film series. The game is itself the sequel to the 2002 game Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee which was released for the...

as an obstacle, if the player or their opponent is hit by its missiles, they become temporarily frozen, leaving them vulnerable to their opponent.

The Super X-III is the final "boss" enemy in Godzilla Generations. Appearing in the tenth and final level, which is Tokyo from The Return of Godzilla

The Return of Godzilla

with the main theme from the film, the Super X-III behaves similarly to the Super X-II. However, the Super X-III often begins attacking with the first run and uses both lasers and missiles (without the freezing properties). It has very high armor and is faster than the Super X-II, making it very difficult to take down quickly. It is also much larger than its forerunners, with a length 1/3 that of Godzilla

Godzilla

's height and a wingspan over 1/2 his height.

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.