When tunnel excavation work ensues near Mt. Konpo for the new Tokai Super-Expressway project, a large, strange stone is found. After a worker claims to have seen a huge monster, a young scholar recalls the legend of Gomess, a fearsome beast, and a phoenix-like bird, Litra. When Yuriko and Jun get trapped in the caverns, they hear a rhythmic beating from the stone and discover the legendary Gomess.
Plot[]
While mining a train tunnel between Tokyo & Osaka, a construction crew unearths a strange object from within a huge underground cavern. Unable to identify the object, Jun and Yuriko venture into the tunnel to further investigate. In the meantime, Ippei and a reporter, with the help of a young boy named Jiro, discover that the object is the egg of the giant bird called Litra. According to ancient legend, when Litra's egg is found, the giant monster Gomess will appear to destroy the Earth and consequently, Litra will rise up to defend against it. Unfortunately, Jun and Yuriko have already encountered Gomess while exploring in the caverns and are pursue, to the surface by the ferocious monster. Jiri and Ippei help to warm the egg, thereby accelerating the hatching process and soon Litra is born. Gomess emerges from the tunnel and the two monsters clash in battle After a vicious struggle, Litra uses its citronella acid ray to kill Gomess and then expires itself, having fulfilled its destiny.
This episode is the twelfth in both production order and script numbering. However, it was chosen as the first episode to leave a strong impression of a "special effects monster drama" on the audience. Production took place between February and March 1965. In production order, the series' actual first episode was "Mammoth Flower".[2]
According to Toshihiro Iijima: "This was entirely TBS's decision because they wanted to clearly market the series as a 'monster drama.' At the time, the only completed script featuring a battle between two monsters was this one. In fact, I originally wanted to incorporate more monster battles into the series, but it wasn't feasible in Ultra Q. It wasn't until Ultraman that I was finally able to realize this idea."
Producer Takashi Kakoi had initially planned to air "The Gift From Space" as the first episode, as it had received high praise at the preview screening. However, in early December 1965, with the broadcast approaching, Hajime Tsuburaya suddenly proposed, "Iijima put great effort into completing this script. As a reward, could we make "Defeat Gomess!" the premiere episode?" In the end, the broadcast order was rearranged.
Reflecting on the decision, Kakoi stated, "I was initially torn between choosing The "Gift from Space" or "Defeat Gomess!" as the first episode. Ultimately, I went with "Defeat Gomess!" because it had a stronger monster presence, and that choice proved to be the right one. The first episode is crucial for a television show, as it determines whether viewers will continue watching. In the end, this episode successfully convinced children at the time that ‘this is a show where a new monster appears every week,' creating excitement and anticipation. The story crafted by Iijima and Tsuburaya fulfilled this mission perfectly."[3]
Iijima wrote "Defeat Gomess!" under the pen name "Kitao Senzoku," partly because "Gomess" had a strikingly strong sound. The script title was written in vertical format on the cover, following the convention of reading from the upper right corner.
At the time, the 1962 spy novel Gomesu no na wa Gomesu was popular. Toho initially planned to adapt it into a film directed by Kihachi Okamoto, but the project was later reworked into a television drama produced by Haiyuza. In 1967, the series was edited into a theatrical version starring Tatsuya Nakadai and released by Shochiku.[5][6]
The production team of Ultra Qon the set filming the episode "Defeat Gomess!"
Gomess's suit was a modified version of the Godzilla costume from Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964), provided by Toho. After filming, the suit was returned to Toho to create the film Invasion of Astro-Monster. form, and displayed at a "Kaiju Exhibition" held at Ueno Akafudado department store.[7] Later, Tsuburaya Productions borrowed the suit again, this time adding a frilled collar around the neck to create Jirahs.
According to Iijima's script, the episode was developed based on Hajime Tsuburaya's instruction that "the Godzilla suit can be used." Producer Takashi Kakoi had also requested Eiji Tsuburaya's help in securing Godzilla's appearance, to which Tsuburaya responded, "An exact appearance is impossible, but borrowing the suit and making minor modifications should be fine." However, neither Iijima nor Kakoi ever mentioned any plans to repurpose the suit for Todola.
The decision to modify the Godzilla suit into Gomess was made by special effects art director Yasuyuki Inoue.[8][9][10][11] The transformation process involved wrapping Godzilla's torso in fabric, attaching a shell and scales, and adding whiskers around the mouth. The modifications were carried out by Teizo Toshimitsu, Kanju Yagi, Yasuei Yagi, Eizo Kaimai, and Keizo Murase.
In both the early draft and final draft, Gomess's scientific name was listed as Gometius, described as an ancient mammalian carnivore that gives birth to live young, measuring 10 meters in length. Its appearance somewhat resembled a seal and could also be interpreted as a gigantic mole cricket.
This description is believed to have originated from Tetsuo Kinjo or Shoji Otomo, likely inspired by Yasuyuki Inoue's concept sketches and the illustrated materials in the episode. However, it was not Iijima's original idea.
Early kaiju guidebooks once claimed that Gomess was "based on a mole cricket," but when asked whether he had envisioned such an evolution, Iijima laughed and replied, "How could a mole cricket turn into Godzilla? That's clearly a reptile."
Iijima explained the inspiration behind Litra: "I have always enjoyed period dramas and was fascinated by adventure picture books as a child. In particular, the story of Ushiwakamaru, who appears frail yet skillfully outmaneuvers the towering Benkei, excited me. When writing the script for "Defeat Gomess!," I wanted to capture that same sense of tension. In this story, Litra represents Ushiwakamaru, while Gomess is Benkei. Unfortunately, since this is a kaiju drama, both ultimately meet their demise."
Iijima believed that Gomess' natural enemy should be a smaller monster to help the audience develop a sense of support for it. As a result, Litra was conceived as a small, bird-like kaiju. During the production of "I Saw a Bird," the special effects for the bird-like kaiju Larugeus proved to be difficult, prompting Eiji Tsuburaya to suggest abandoning the bird design. However, upon hearing this, Litra's design was further solidified as a bird-shaped creature, with Iijima remaining steadfast in his decision.[13]
Litra's design was also handled by Yasuyuki Inoue, with Teizo Toshimitsu in charge of the model. The design was based on the puppet version of Rodan from Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster. Litra's tail featured peacock feathers, and its beak was made from FRP resin. After filming, the suit was returned to Toho and stored in their warehouse, where it was later repurposed and modified into the large golden eagle seen in Ebirah, Horror of the Deep.
In the first draft of the script, after defeating Gomess, Litra attempts to carry it into the air but, exhausted, plummets into the sea, seemingly accepting its fate. In the second draft, the ending closely resembles the final version, though the closing narration was initially absent. According to an interview with Yoichi Iwasa, this narration was later added at Tetsuo Kinjo's request, with Iijima providing the final wording.
On the tokusatsu set, Kazuo Sagawa noted the incredibly tight space within the Bijutsu Center, making filming extremely challenging. Despite this, Yasuyuki Inoue personally scouted locations and meticulously recreated the setting of "Defeat Gomess!" inside the studio. However, the confined space meant that even slight camera movements risked capturing the lighting rig's base, and tilting the camera upward would reveal the ceiling, highlighting the limitations of the filming environment.[14]
The construction site for the "Tokai Super-Expressway Tunnel" sequence was filmed at the old Nihara Tunnel (east portal), which has since been abandoned.[15]
The temple where Ippei, reporter Nitta, and the young boy Jiro search for clues about the mysterious cave monster was Eirin-ji Temple in Hachiōji, Tokyo.[16]
The opening mine tunnel is believed to be the uphill lane of Kobotoke Tunnel.[17]
Sequences from this episode served as the basis for the opening of the 2022 film Shin Ultraman. Additionally, the Gomess featured in the film was created using a modified model of Godzilla's fourth form from the 2016 film Shin Godzilla, referencing how the original Gomess suit was similarly adapted from an existing Godzilla suit.[19]
