For the longest time, Heisei Gamera series director Shusuke Kaneko wanted to do a Godzilla movie. And in 2001, was finally given the chance by Toho. Kaneko eventually went on to make "Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters Attack", but not before going threw two different story ideas and with several different monster opponents.

Keneko's very first story concept involved an astronaut returning to Japan. But afterwards realizes that during his mission, he was infected by some sort of mutating space virus. Horrified and ashamed, he flees his home before his beloved daughter can see what he's quickly becoming. Soon, the man fully mutates into a giant monster and reports of the large beast moving about the surrounding forests of Mt. Fuji starts coming in. At the same time, Japan's greatest nightmare, Godzilla returns and begins a new spree of death and destruction. The astronaut's daughter eventually finds her father, whom although in a new monstrous form, has not lost either his intelligence or love for his child. After an initial encounter with Godzilla, the Astronaut Kaiju retreats, but appears again in a second battle after being confronted by his daughter and realizing that he's the only thing that can truly stop Godzilla's rampage. The film climaxes with the Astronaut Kaiju gaining new power thanks to his child's life force (shades of Heisei Gamera) and is victorious in his final fight with the King of the Monsters. Where he then gathers Godzilla's body and disappears into the sea.

Although the story is more bittersweet then depressing, Kaneko felt otherwise and began working on a four-way battle between Godzilla and an updated trio of classic Toho monsters: Baragon, Varan, and Anguirus. From which this idea was further altered on Toho's behalf to drop the latter two and replace them with the better known King Ghidorah and Mothra.

However, it may also be reasonable to assume that Kaneko may have dropped "Godzilla vs. Astronaut Kaiju" because the new hero monster shares way too much in common with the classic 1966 Ultraman enemy, Jamilla, who too was a mutant astronaut gone giant size. Perhaps not wanting to be sued by the other major franchise Eiji Tsuburaya helped create.

In some fan circles, the astronaut kaiju has been given the nickname Uchuhikrah.

(Source; multiple online and written articles)

THIS ENTRY WRITTEN BY FAKEGODZILLA1974