Battra
Battra (バトラ, Batora), also known as the Black Mothra, is a fictional monster appearing in Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992). A dark counterpart to Mothra, Battra was created by the Earth itself approximately 12,000 years ago to destroy an advanced human civilization that had built a device capable of altering the planet's climate. When Battra's destruction became indiscriminate—threatening all life rather than just the offending civilization—Mothra was created to stop him, and the two battled until both were sealed away in a dormant state.
Battra appears in both a larval and adult form. In larval form he is a massive black caterpillar-like creature with a blunt, armored head and a red prism in his forehead from which he fires devastating Prism Beams. His adult form is a large moth with dark black and purple wings, blade-like appendages on his forelegs, and multiple eye-spots that fire energy bolts. In contrast to Mothra's flowing, elegant adult design, Battra's adult form is angular and aggressive, reflecting his role as a weapon of destruction rather than a guardian.
In Godzilla vs. Mothra, Battra reemerges after a meteor impact disturbs the ocean floor and makes his way toward Japan, clashing with both Mothra and Godzilla. He and Godzilla are dragged into a volcanic fissure together and reemerge in their adult forms. Despite being an adversary throughout much of the film, Battra ultimately joins forces with Mothra to defeat Godzilla, demonstrating that his hostility was directed at threats to the Earth rather than at life itself. Battra dies from wounds sustained in the battle, but before passing he transfers his duty to Mothra—the task of intercepting a massive meteorite destined to strike Earth in 1999. He appears only in this single film.
