Mokele-Mbembe, also dubbed Titanus Mokele-Mbembe, is a giant elephant-like Titan in the MonsterVerse created by Legendary Pictures who was introduced in the 2019 film, Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Besides his name appearing on a monitor, he is heavily obscured by smoke and dust. However, he appears in Godzilla: King of the Monsters - The Official Movie Novelization.
Name
"Mokele-Mbembe" ("one who stops the flow of rivers") is a water-dwelling Congolese cryptid, similar to and believed to be a sauropod dinosaur.
Design
Appearance
In the novelization, Mokele-Mbembe is described as a grey quadruped with a pebbled reptilian back, with a head resembling an earless elephant, although his tusks point down instead of up. Each of his feet possesses five claws, and his front legs are slightly longer than his hind legs. The tail of Mokele-Mbembe is two third's the length of his entire body, and his mouth opens like a crocodile to reveal thousands of sharp teeth. He also has a curved horn on the top of his head, which pulsates with a faint green glow.
Portrayal
It is assumed that in Mokele-Mbembe's brief appearance, he is portrayed using CGI. Although not one of the Titans that Michael Dougherty mentions designing, and despite not appearing in concept art, the novelization of Godzilla: King of the Monsters describes Mokele-Mbembe in detail, implying that the figure in the cloud of smoke and dust is a model for Mokele-Mbembe and not a placeholder.
Roar
Mokele-Mbembe's roar appears to be low with small bellows.
History
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
At some point, Mokele-Mbembe is imprisoned in Monarch Outpost 75, located in Jebel Barkal, Sudan. When Ghidorah awakens the dormant Titans, Mokele-Mbembe breaks free and kills all Monarch agents in the area. When the ORCA calls all Titans to Boston, Mokele-Mbembe does not arrive in time for the battle and does not see Godzilla become the alpha of all Titans again.
Abilities
Durability
Mokele-Mbembe's pebbled reptilian back is durable enough to withstand a missile blast that has almost no effect on him.
Strength and combat
In addition to his tusks, Mokele-Mbembe's tail is sharp enough to slice an Osprey in half and strong enough to tear through a pyramid. Mokele-Mbembe's trunk is also incredibly fast and prehensile, allowing him to grab moving targets. His teeth are also incredibly sharp.
Trivia
- The outpost Mokele-Mbembe was contained in, Monarch Outpost 75, is a possible reference to the 1975 Toho film Terror of Mechagodzilla.
- It is also possible that the South African myth of the Grootslang and the Congolese/Ugandan myth of the Irizima were inspired by the sightings of Mokele-Mbembe.
List of appearances
Films
- Godzilla: King of the Monsters (Footage)
Novels
- Godzilla: King of the Monsters - The Official Movie Novelization (First appearance)