Gamera

Gamera (Japanese: ガメラ, Hepburn: Gamera) is a fictional monster, or kaiju, originating from a series of Japanese films. Gamera debuted in the 1965 film Gamera, the Giant Monster. The character and the first film were intended to compete with the success of Toho's Godzilla film series. Since then, Gamera has become a Japanese icon in his own right, appearing in a total of a dozen films produced by Daiei Film and later Kadokawa Daiei Studio, and various other forms of media.

Gamera is depicted as a giant, fire-breathing, prehistoric turtle monster, mutated by exposure to nuclear weapons. In the first film, Gamera is portrayed as aggressive and destructive, though he also saves a child. As the films progressed, Gamera took on a more benevolent role, becoming a protector of humanity, and especially children, from extraterrestrial races and other giant monsters.

To date, Gamera, the Giant Monster is the only film to be released theatrically in the United States; however, it was heavily localized and retitled Gammera the Invincible. In the United States, Gamera attained prominence during the 1970s due to the burgeoning popularity of UHF television stations featuring Saturday afternoon matinée showcases such as Creature Double Feature, and later in the 1990s when five Gamera films were featured on the television series Mystery Science Theater 3000.