I don't know why, but for a long time I've been wanting a map of Godzilla's journey across the United States in his own Marvel Comics series. Now I've finally done it.
The solid red lines indicate Godzilla's journey under his own power. The paths are only approximate, of course. The dashed lines indicate when Godzilla was moved by SHIELD (Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law-enforcement Division). Godzilla's trip to the moon was done via advanced Betan technology. His trip to Devil Dinosaur's time/planet (see #21 below) was via Doctor Doom's time machine.
The red numbers indicate the spots the majority of each issue's action took place.
- (Cover date August 1977.) We supposedly start on the "western coast of Alaska." Unfortunately, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline is in the eastern half of the state. His next stop is described as a "major Alaskan Pipeline terminal" which is "several miles inland." Since 500+ miles from the west coast is a bit more than "several" and it's unlikely Godzilla would be able to walk half-way across Alaska before SHIELD arrived, I've assumed he came ashore near the southern terminal at Valdez. Dum Dum Dugan then notes he walks into the sunset (to the southwest in Alaska), but he obviously turned east not too long afterwards.
- Godzilla appears in Seattle. SHIELD drives him back to the sea.
- Godzilla appears in San Francisco Bay by the Golden Gate Bridge, which, of course, takes major damage. SHIELD and the Champions drive him back to the sea.
- Godzilla encounters Batragon in the North Pacific and follows him to "an island in the Aleutian chain."
- More action against Doctor Demonicus and his monsters on an island in the Aleutian chain.
- Godzilla has journeyed to the "mountains of northern California." SHIELD captures him and takes him to a "SHIELD base north of San Diego."
- Godzilla escapes confinement at the SHIELD base.
- Red Ronin, piloted by 12-year-old Rob Takiguchi, carries Godzilla from the SHIELD base to San Diego. Ronin then directs Godzilla inland, away from San Diego.
- Godzilla destroys Boulder Dam and is swept to Las Vegas by the resulting flood. Never mind that it's officially been called Hoover Dam since 1947.
- Godzilla journeys from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon, where he fights Yetrigar.
- Red Ronin joins the fight against and defeats Yetrigar in the Grand Canyon.
- Godzilla is transported from somewhere in the midwest to the moon by advanced, extra-terrestrial technology. He's then transported back near Salt Lake City.
- Godzilla and Red Ronin fight the Mega-Monsters in Salt Lake City.
- Godzilla defeats the Mega-Monsters, but Ronin is decapitated. Godzilla leaves Salt Lake City.
- Godzilla travels east, encountering a bunch of cowboys.
- Godzilla's encounter with the cowboys from a "ranch east of Salt Lake City" concludes.
- SHIELD finds Godzilla in western Colorado, shrinks him with Pym particles, and captures him.
- SHIELD transports the miniature Godzilla to New York City, where he escapes into the sewers.
- Godzilla's New York adventure continues as Rob escorts him back to the SHIELD agents. And Godzilla's getting bigger again.
- Still in New York, the Fantastic Four arrive to lend a hand.
- The FF use Doctor Doom's time machine to transport Godzilla supposedly back to prehistoric Earth, where he encounters Devil Dinosaur and Moon Boy. I say "supposedly" because the Fallen Angels limited series later retconned Devil Dinosaur to being on an alien planet instead of prehistoric Earth. The official Marvel doctrine now is that Devil Dinosaur and Moon Boy originated from an alternate universe, although I'm not sure this really solves all the problems of his various appearances. In any case, this issue and the next also features a people far closer to human beings than anything Jack Kirby ever put in Devil Dinosaur, but that's enough digression.
- Godzilla fights beside Devil Dinosaur. Back on Earth, his innate radiation causes Doom's time machine to recall him back to New York. And to make matters worse, he's back to full size.
- The Avengers join the FF and SHIELD in their efforts to keep Godzilla from destroying New York.
- (Cover date July 1979.) The Avengers, FF, and SHIELD can't seem to beat Godzilla, but Rob talks to him one last time and convinces him to leave. Godzilla disappears into the Atlantic, never to be seen again (by that name and appearance) in the Marvel Universe because Marvel no longer has the license to use him.
Doctor Demonicus showed up many years (real time, not Marvel time) later with a very similar giant, green lizard in Iron Man vol. 1, #193 (April 1985). Apparently Demonicus captured and mutated Godzilla. How fortunate that this allows Marvel to use him as long as they don't call him "Godzilla." But it doesn't matter much, as after further appearances in Iron Man #194 (May 1985), #196 (July 1985) and The Thing vol. 1, #31 (January 1986), he has yet to be seen again.
You can find out more about Marvel's version of Godzilla at The Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe.