The Oxygen Destroyer was a proven success in the original Godzilla movie, yet it was never used again in Toho’s movies. Invented by Dr. Serizawa, the Oxygen Destroyer is remembered as the weapon that killed Godzilla in the monster’s big-screen debut in 1954. Its role in the movie confirmed that despite Godzilla’s power level, humans are indeed capable of taking him down by technological means.
The Oxygen Destroyer exists in the canon of most Godzilla stories, so it would make sense if it was the first option the military turned to when Godzilla returned. Instead, the humans relied on tanks, fighter jets, and new weapons created specifically for fighting Godzilla. Across most of his movie appearances, Godzilla has faced limited difficulty in getting past the military. The humans were so desperate for a way to stop Godzilla that they even invented robot kaiju like Mechagodzilla and Moguera. Occasionally, the humans have managed to repel Godzilla, but their missions to defeat him are typically depicted as losing battles in Toho’s Godzilla films.
The Oxygen Destroyer Couldn’t Have Been Used Again
When a second Godzilla emerged in the sequel, Godzilla Raids Again, the movie addressed the Oxygen Destroyer and called back to the first movie to explain why that plan couldn’t be repeated. In Gojira, the point of Dr. Serizawa sacrificing himself was to ensure that the weapon wasn’t rebuilt. Knowing how dangerous it was, his intention was for the Oxygen Destroyer to be on a one-time-only defensive measure. He, of course, didn’t account for the possibility of a second Godzilla lurking in the oceans. It was stated in Godzilla Raids Again that because the Oxygen Destroyer sunk to the bottom of Tokyo Bay, the military no longer had any way of killing Godzilla.
Both the Heisei and Millennium reboots of Godzilla’s story have been consistent with that explanation. In 1995’s Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, a recreation of the Oxygen Destroyer was considered but ultimately abandoned. In 2002’s Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, it was once again acknowledged that the military didn’t know how to rebuild the Oxygen Destroyer, even though it had been years since Dr. Serizawa’s death.
How Toho Proved The Oxygen Destroyer Is Still Godzilla’s Greatest Threat
Thanks to Serizawa’s decision, Toho’s Godzilla didn’t have to deal directly with the Oxygen Destroyer a second time, but one particular fight confirmed that after all these years, the weapon is still his greatest threat. For Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, Toho decided to end Godzilla’s story by pitting him against the all-powerful Destoroyah, a monster secretly created by the Oxygen Destroyer in 1954. By taking this route, Toho was able to present Godzilla with an opponent that was essentially the personification of the very weapon that killed him in 1954. Godzilla ultimately defeated Destoroyah, but the extreme effort it took to beat him and the role it played in Godzilla’s final battle was a testament to its importance.