The Bat People (人間コウモリ Ningen kōmori?, lit. Human Bat) are eutherian humanoid kaiju created by Toho that first appeared in the 1969 Toho film, Latitude Zero.
Design
Appearance
All of the Bat People are the nearly the same in appearance, all looking like giant humanoid bats with brown fur.
The heads of their suits are made similarly to Sanda and Gaira in the sense that the suit actors' eyes are visible allowing for greater range of emotions.
History
Showa Series
Latitude Zero
The Bat People were originally normal humans but were transformed by Malik to do his bidding. The Bat People were used as Malik's body guards after his previous guard dogs (the Giant Rats) were killed. The Bat People guarded the captured Doctor Okata and his daughter, and when Malik's fortress was being invaded by the crew of the Alpha, the Bat People were called forth for their final duty to do battle with Captain McKenzie and his crew. However, the Bat People were no match for the advanced weaponry developed in Latitude Zero, and it was believed that none of them survived the confrontation.
Go! Godman
Another Bat Person named Bat Man (バットマン?, Battoman, lit. Batman) later appeared in the mini-series, Go! Godman. It is not explained whether this was one of Malik's original Bat People that had somehow survived, or if it was just a completely different monster. Not only was it capable of flight, but the monster could also summon invisible explosives and alter its size. These abilities proved to be a hassle for Godman, but he eventually came out victorious.
Gallery
