Of course, the most notable time Godzilla’s atomic breath turned red was in the final installment of the Heisei Era, “Godzilla vs. Destoroyah.” Meant to conclude the seven “Godzilla” productions released between 1984 and 1995, “Godzilla vs. Destoroyah” took the red atomic heat ray another step further. Instead of just recoloring Godzilla’s atomic breath and adding an electrical spiral, this time, Godzilla melts down. In the Heisei films, Godzilla’s heart doubles as a nuclear reactor, hence his atomic breath in the first place, but what happens when a kaiju melts down from the inside? Burning Godzilla is the answer.
Along with the red-orange glow of his atomic breath, this Godzilla glows from the inside out as his body breaks down. After absorbing too much energy from uranium deposits, Burning Godzilla is born, and his fiery appearance lies in stark contrast to the King of the Monster’s usual look. Eventually, Burning Godzilla defeats Destoroyah, but at the cost of his own life. Each time Godzilla uses his atomic heat ray while in meltdown, it negatively contributes to the process, ultimately leaving him in radioactive ashes. Though, Godzilla Junior is reborn just after his father’s death, so at least there’s that.
