Bagan is the titular main antagonist of the unmade 1990 Kaiju film Mothra vs Bagan. Adapted form the unmade Kaiju "Bakan" Bagan was initally planned to be a major Antagonist of the Heisei Godzilla series, however the under preformance of Godzilla vs Biollante put an end to these plans.
Biography[]
Mothra vs Bagan[]
In the year 1990 global warming has melted the icy prison of Bagan in the Himalayans, who immedately moves out. In the Nepal's Moutntain village, the houses are covered by Bagan's shadow, who then proceeds to destroy the area. The monster next goes to a temple in the outskirts of Kathmandu, the sound he makes awakens a monk who looks out the window. He at first mistakes Bagan for a mountain, only realising that wasn't the case when the beast glares at him. With the monk crawling away in fear, Bagan points at the temple and causes it to crumble.
Due to these events Shigeki Fukazawa the Global Environment Conference Chief, Sajit Singh the Director of Nepal National Museum, Sūn Shì Jī a Professor of Archaeology, Somna Payak a Professor of Palaeontology and others have a meeting in a confrence room to discuss these events. Sun suggest it could have been the doing of Bagan, explaining it is a monster in ancient documents. When asked if he thinks Bagan is real Sun replies he's not sure, but when the country is in disorder, the world is dirty and people's hearts are filled with evil Bagan is meant to appear.
During the night Bagan approches the Indian city Calcutta, roaring at the moonlight. He destroys the city, using a intense light ray from his horn. With his attack done Bagan submerges into the bay of bengal, all the while the once illusive beast is finally captured on video footage.
Continuing down into the depths Bagan encounters a Indian nuclear submarine with Fukazawa, Sun and Somna onboard. The sub's radar is unable to tell the differnce between Bagan and the surrounding rocks, Fukazawa suggesting it could be because Bagan was some sort of mountain monster. They decide to continue their advance on Bagan, which continues into the coast of the strait of Malacca. Bagan rises from these waters, snatches a passing ship and destroys it. The trio in the submarine send out a wireless S.O.S, they are informed by the radio staff however that the signal fell.
Bagan makes his way to the Thailand-Malyasian border where his foot is seen by train passengers. Bagan roars and looks to the sky to see Mothra, who had been chasing a train to rescue her twin tiny priestess', the Shobijin. He goes toward Mothra, firing a light ray from his horn and getting a direct hit on Mothra's neck. Mothra tries to retreat but Bagan fires more light rays. Mothra manages to reflect the rays and goes toward Bagan.
Bagan stands alert, but Mothra's attacks cause him to loose his balance on the rocky cliffs. Mothra flies towards him, but Bagan's tail strikes Mothra and she staggers greatly. As Bagan roars he stands up and fires a light ray at Mothra's back. Mothra tumbles out of the way of the attcks, swoops over Bagan’s head and glides downward. Bagan points his horn upward and raises both of his hands and prepares to skewer Mothra with his extended sharp claws.
Mothra makes a sharp turn at the last minute, her steel-like abdomen and the horn and claws of Bagan rub against one another, creating a resonating metallic sound while sparks fly. As Mothra rises sharply, wings like a bat protrude and spread from Bagan's back. As Bagan jumps, he stretches out his hands towards the rising Mothra, his sharp claws capture her wings. Like that, the two monsters fall toward the earth. Bagan still has both of Mothra’s wings in grasp, Mothra desperately flaps her wings, trying to get away, but Bagan does not let go. Using all his strength, Bagan forcibly turns Mothra so they are face to face.
At that moment, Mothra fired powerful Prism Beams from her compound eyes, hitting Bagan’s oral cavity directly. Bagan lets out a cry and releases both of Mothra’s wings. At close range, Mothra irradiates Bagan's face with her Prism Beams. Bagan staggers, Mothra spreads her wings and rises. Enraged, Bagan jumps high, one arm reaches for the tail of Mothra, Bagan floats in the air while grabbing her tail with one arm.
Mothra flies out over the sea, fluttering her wings at full power. She beats gale-force winds towards Bagan, where her tail is still caught. Bagan braces himself, but is unable to withstand the tempest and releases his grip where he crashes into the sea.
Much later on the Shobijin explain that Mothra has to fight Bagan because long ago when their home island was connected to the continent Bagan attacked leading to a fight between him and the Mothra of that time. Bagan was sealed in the Himalayas and now that he is backed the modern Mothra was born to fight him.
Off the coast of Thailand Bagan spreads his black wings and takes off into the sky, his devilish roaring and producing of a dazzling light is seen by bystanders.
On top of Mothra whose wings are spread and has quietly landed Bagan gives a surprise attack. He rides on the torso of Mothra, who flutters her wings trying to fly, but her body doesn’t rise. Bagan’s arms encircle Mothra’s neck, the claws on his feet scrape and crack Mothra’s wings. Mothra sways her body greatly from left to right, but Bagan does not let go, with all her power, Mothra raises her tail. Bagan is hit and falls off. Mothra spreads her wings, flying with great difficulty and Bagan gets up, then fires a light ray. The light ray scorches Mothra’s wing, burning right through it and Mothra climbs into the air with her wounded wings marked by rays and nails and rises, turning.
The Shobijin call out telling Mothra not to fight anymore. They explain originally, Mothra was born without attack instincts. Going against her normal instincts and becoming aggressive exhausts her life span. Mothra rushes towards Bagan, not hearing the voices of the Shobijin. Bagan hits Mothra’s body hard with a sweeping tail attack, Mothra crashes, decadently, and rolls to the ground. Bagan triumphantly approaches Mothra, slowly.
In the square Bagan grabs the torso of Mothra in both hands, his sharp claws dig into her body. Firmly holding Mothra in both hands, Bagan headbutts her and his horn pierces Mothra. Bagan raises its horn further, to end it with one more strike, at that moment, powder rushes from the body of Mothra.
Shobijin are shocked as Bagan, now bathed in the powder, is in agony. It releases Mothra reluctantly, she desperately flutters her wings, and escapes into the sky. The Shobijin say the poison powder is a sign that the end is close for Mothra. At this moment on Borneo Island another Mothra hatches and goes forward to help out the adult.
At the Royal Racecourse Square Mothra is circling in the sky and the music ends. Bagan fires a light ray from its horn, avoiding the beam, Mothra goes behind Bagan whose movements have been slowed. Mothra, holding her six legs out firmly, rams into Bagan from behind, at the moment of the collision, Mothra’s feet catch the wings of Bagan tightly, she lifts Bagan and flies. Even though Bagan flails hislimbs, he cannot match Mothra’s end-of-life power.
They fly towards the sea, go from the island to the sandy beach, and then get to the sea. The Mothra Larva can be seen approaching the island. On the island coast Mothra releases Bagan and with a Splash, Bagan slams into the coast. Mothra Larva heads toward Bagan, it gets up and fires a light ray, hitting the Larva directly. Bagan fires more rays at the Larva in quick succession, who cannot help but jump up. The Adult Mothra approaches Bagan from the sky, firing Prism Beams from her eyes.
Bagan roars and ascends, Mothra shoots a thorough ray attack, causing Bagan to stagger and fall. However, the Prism Beams of Mothra gradually become weaker and finally disappear, Mothra is debilitated. The Larva spits thread while moving to the fallen Bagan, the upper body of Bagan and his arms are bathed in the silk, and are gradually wrapped in white. Bagan rises and tries to extend his arms to the Mothra Larva who has moved in close, but the silk sticks and Bagan’s arms do not come free. Bagan roars and the Larva suffers a heavy kick from Bagan’s feet, being blown away all the way out to the sea.
On the island coast Mothra approaches Bagan from the sky, her speed has dropped considerably and Bagan begins a light ray attack. Mothra, with wings burning, flies up to Bagan and she showers her poison powder onto him. Bagan staggers and from above Mothra continues to relentlessly scatter the poison powder.
Off the coast Bagan continues to try freeing his immobile arms as he chases after Mothra. Mothra retreats towards the sea which Bagan enters, the Larva dives underwater and spits thread towards the legs of Bagan while beneath the water and in that moment, the thread catches Bagan’s feet and hefalls.
TheLarva emerges, she approaches the fallen Bagan, Mothra also approaches Bagan from the sky. The Larva spits more starch silk over Bagan’s body, Mothra also attacks, using the last of her poison powder. Bagan, while suffering, has his face, horn wrapped in a white cocoon, with a raised roar, Bagan, who had been stumbling, soon becomes quiet and does not move, his wings which had also been moving until the end have also stopped.
On the beach Mothra grips the still form of Bagan wrapped in the white cocoon with her feet, lifts it up slowly and flies out to sea. Off the coast of Thailand by the sea surface of Chaoyang Mothra comes flying, carrying Bagan and releases him. A large water column rises on the surface of the sea, As if to watch the end of Bagan, Mothra circles several times over the spot and breathes her last before falling to the water’s surface as if dancing.
Godzilla 3[]
The story of Bagan begins to unfold: it is learned that the malevolent creature was allegedly a project left by aliens responsible for the ruins of the Nazca civilization in Peru. But this revelation only leads to more questions as to the true purpose of Bagan - and where its creators may be now. Beyond this the exact role Bagan was going to play in this film is unknown and likely not decided upon given how it didn't make it to the scripting stage.
Other proposed appearances[]
After the cancellation of Mothra vs Bagan the monster was considered for other projects. These include a 1990 Godzilla vs Mothra film idea, the inital 1991 film that would become Godzilla vs King Ghidorah, the inital 1995 film that would become Godzilla vs Destoroyah, a appearance in the unmade Yamato Takeru sequel and he was even considered to make an appearance in the Rebirth of Mothra Trilogy.
His role in all of these projects, beyond most likely being a villain, is unknown, with the possible exception of the inital 1995 film where it was mentioned the Gotengo was going to make an appearance, with rumours Mothra would. There are even rumours the plot would have been adapted from the unmade Godzilla vs Giant Monster Varan, which had the titular antagonist be the harbinger of the apocalypse, leading to Godzilla and his Son fighting him and returning to the sea as the year 2000 begins.
He was even considered for the 2007 Video Game Godzilla Unleashed. However he wasn't chosen because the developers wanted to include more obsecure kaiju, specifically mentioning Varan, which can be considered ironic since for the development of the 1995 Godzilla film Bagan was the next choice for the antagonist after Varan. If he was included Bagan would have been part of the mutant faction.
Trivia[]
- Bagan had his first offical appearance in the 1993 video game Super Godzilla. He served as the final boss and his origin was that he was enhanced by the cells of Godzilla and King Ghidorah. His next offical appearance was in the 1998 video game Godzilla Movie Studio Tour where you can create mock posters. Most recently he appeared in the web series Godziban, being created from the cells of Godzilla and King Ghidorah and being sent by the Futurians to attack, leading to a fight between him, the Mothra twins, Battra and a adult Mothra.
- He will appear in the 46th season of the mobile game Godzilla Battle Line.
- Bagan in Indonesian means "blueprint" or "draft", something fans note as ironic considering he's never made into a movie.