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Description
M.T.O ARACHNE
Codename: Kumonga
Scientific Name: Titanarachne matsumiyai (Matsumiya's Titan Spider)
Height: ~90 meters / ~295 ft
Length: ~180 meters / ~591 ft
Legspan: ~240 meters / ~787 ft
Weight: ~110,000 tonnes / ~121,250 short tons
Category: 6
Aggression Level: 5

History: Throughout the 50s and into the 70s, Apex and Adversary have had to deal with a multitude of giant monsters, some benevolent, others malicious, and many that fall in-between. But perhaps the most common of these was the giant arachnids, notably the spider-like beasts known as the Spiega. Named after an arachnid demon from Maran mythology, these flora-faunal predators have been found in every corner of the Pacific Rim, along with parts of the South Atlantic and the Indian Ocean. Many were taken down by the "Lizard Slayers" in a remote area of the Yucca Mountains, firebombed after a half-hour battle that left the region scarred under tons of napalm. Other, less destructive encounters included the discovery of two deceased female Spiega on Stewart Island, having seemingly killed each other over one of the female's unhatched brood. After realizing the eggs themselves were not viable, they were transported to one of Apex's research facilities for further study. It was determined the Spiega had managed to attain such a massive range using long-range dispersal methods as hatchlings (ballooning), a similar method having been employed by the distantly related Uros arachnid from Beiru, which was said to have arrived in the region in a single, massive ballooning event thousands of years ago according to the Ailenas. But there was still the case of where these arachnids came from. While the Uros have managed to attain a viable population size within Beiru, the Spiega seemed to have represented failed colonization of new territories, having fallen to either due to intra-species aggression or inbreeding. Even the population in the Yucca Mountains was found to have fallen to extensive casualties before the Lizard Slayers came to finish the job. A top of DNA analysis of the remains, they all suggested these Spiega colonies all stemmed from a single, viable population that has remained undiscovered. Based on wind currents that would be necessary to carry hatchling Spiega across vast ocean distances, they narrowed the area down to the South Pacific, though the exact location would remain a mystery for years to come...

In 1973, Apex launched an expedition to the dreaded Skull Isles, spurred on by the adamant William Randa to reach the Isles before their Soviet counterparts could mount an expedition of their own. But in their rather hasty planning and current low funding due to the all too recent Vietnam War, they were ill-equipped to face the nightmarish monstrosities dwelling within the land of the skull, beasts more ferocious than anything they could have possibly imagined. The first of these beasts they encountered were the Gimantids, rapacious camouflaged predators that managed to down their entire squadron. Cornered and defenseless, it seems all is lost for the surviving members as the queen of the Gimantids Kamacuras closed in on them. But things were about to get far worse. Disturbed by all the commotion, something emerged from the depths of the jungle's undergrowth to join in on the action. As Kamacuras closed in, the jungle shivered as something beneath the earth made its way to the surface, uprooting massive growths as eight massive legs emerged from the darkness accompanied by eight eyes and a pair of dagger-shaped fangs. Dragging itself from the depths, the figure revealed itself to be a titanic spider-like beast, an arachnid bigger than a battleship emerging from the depths of the green hell covered in smaller forms clinging to its carapace, the second of Solgell's warring gods and the queen the Spiega: Kumonga has been awakened.

With Kumonga's awakening, Kamacuras and her pack almost immediately attacked, the sight of their sworn enemy spurring them into a deadly frenzy of spiked limbs and claws. But Kumonga possessed an army of her own, as various Spiega emerged from the darkened forest to do battle with the Gimantids. Kamacuras had her eyes on Kumonga only and burst towards her colossal opponent with a great thud that shook the jungle. The two titans clashed, ripping into each other with deadly force, but not enough for either one to retreat. Kamacuras was swift and cunning, slashing and clawing at her enemy's exoskeleton, but Kumonga's sheer size and strength prevented the ravenous huntress from doing any real damage. The arachnid managed to grab hold of one of Kamacuras' legs with her fangs, swinging the Gimantid into a grove of trees before ensnaring her in webbing. Kamacuras began to writhe her way out, but she needed to be quick, for Kumonga was inching her way closer to deliver a finishing blow. But as the titan arachnid's fangs were about to drive down into their target, Kamacuras set one of her limbs free and impaled its spiked edge into one of Kumonga's eyes. The daikaiju reeled in pain, giving her opponent enough time to break out completely and resume their battle. In a short time, the jungle became a battlefield strewn with toppled trees, uprooted earth, and severed limbs as each side continued to escalate the situation with more and more titanic arthropods arriving drawn to the chaos. For the survivors on the ground, things had gone from bad to worse. They barely managed to make it through the maze of pillar limbs of the waring giants to a less chaotic clearing, but as they moved further and further away from the commotion, they were beginning to draw more attention to themselves. Smaller Spiega and Gimantids arriving at the battle began to take notice of what remained of the expedition and changed their course. Two more survivors were devoured by incoming Spiega, their remains now under constant bickering and battling as several Gimantids arrived to steal the kill. This gave the rest of the team a temporary lead, but not for long as more attackers began to pursue them. Their days seemed numbered when they run into a dead end, with the beasts only seconds behind them.

But as the arthropod daikaiju closed the distance, a bolas-like projectile was hurled from the undergrowth and impacted the ground ahead of it, creating a massive explosion that knocked back the predators. Furthermore, a noxious smell began to emanate from the impact site, discouraging some of the beasts even further. The survivors turned to see rustling in the vegetation behind them before a human figure emerges, that of a rather old man with a scruffy beard came out swinging another projectile towards the incoming beasts. He yelled at the survivors to follow him through the vegetation, and while they were hesitant, the suspicion did not last long as more of the incoming predators made their way to the ensuing chaos. Following the strange man, they came to a tunnel entrance hidden behind the vegetation and quickly entered. With the titanic arthropods now just behind them, the stranger hurled yet another projectile, this time at the roof of the tunnel, caving in the entrance under tons of debris. The stranger continued to urge the survivors to run, stating how the cave-in may not hold the beasts back for long. Eventually, as they covered enough distance from the entrance, they finally began to relax, their Spiega and Gimantid pursuers having ended their chase for them. But they now faced a new problem: The ship they came on was told to rendevous to the north end of the Isles in a few days. But with their aircraft having been downed in the battle, they were now stranded on this damned rock, with no way of leaving this nightmare realm in time.

Fortunately, their new friend was more than willing to help.

Description: The Skull Isles are populated with swarms of titanic arthropods, and among the fiercest of them all are the Spiega. Voracious predators, these goliath arachnids are thought to have descended from a basal tetrapulmonatan arachnid from as far back as the Late Carboniferous, and perhaps one of the first creatures to participate in the island-hopping phase of Skull Island biotic immigration. This hypothetical ancestor gave rise to a myriad of different Skull Isle arachnids, all part of the arachnid order Atheneae, ranging from the minuscule predators clambering through the undergrowth to the goliath Spiega which reign through the forest twilight, and of the Spiega, none are more fearsome and gargantuan than their titan queen, Kumonga. With a leg span reaching almost eight-hundred feet and weighing more than an aircraft carrier, Kumonga is the most gargantuan arachnid known.

As a result of being flora-fauna, Kumonga can obtain some energy from photosynthesis, both using her own body as well as various plant symbionts that dwell on her exoskeleton. They serve the more practical purpose of camouflage though, allowing Kumonga to seamlessly blend in with any surrounding vegetation, hiding her titanic body from sight. Spores from these symbionts can even take root in the surrounding soil and sprout into fully-formed forests in mere days, providing Kumonga with her mobile camouflage in case none is present, to begin with. All of this serves the function of prey capture, from which Kumonga obtains most of her energy. Being a ferocious carnivore, her kind has evolved the necessary equipment to bring down large prey. Massive tibial spurs can spear right through prey, though more regularly, she will use her grasping pedipalps to latch and crush prey beneath their serrated edges. After that, she brings it forwards to be subdued with acidic venom injected from the fangs, liquified by digestive juices, and torn apart by mashing chelicerae. Each foot is armed with a pair of massive talons that whip around and latch onto a target, and thanks to powerful hydraulic muscles, her legs can shovel through hundreds of tons of dirt and rock within minutes (in smaller individuals, these hydraulic muscles can allow them to jump great distances to bring down flying prey). In terms of physical defenses, she is packing an armored exoskeleton strengthened by floral elements and titanolith, while her underside is covered in coarse, silicon, and flora-infused uricating hairs that can be brushed off for defense. To an enemy daikaiju, they may prove a bit of an annoyance or irritant, but to a human, these hairs are the equivalent of spear-like projectiles capable of slicing straight through a person. Her physical power makes her a formidable foe, but unfortunately for her enemies, she possesses far more deadly weaponry...

Like her distant cousins the true spiders, Kumonga has the ability to produce silk, most likely a trait either shared in their ancestry or something her kind has convergently evolved. This golden silk is structurally similar to that of spider silk of the same thickness, meaning it is incredibly strong, with a single pencil-thick strand capable of supporting the weight of a Boeing 747. Like any ground-dwelling spider, she lay down mats of silken tripwires across her territory (while in hatchlings, it is used to make fully-constructed webs), allowing her to survey and know what's going on within her territory without ever needing to leave her main burrow. From here, her usage of silk becomes all the more extravagant. In addition to the silk she produces from her spinnerets, she can also make it in her chelicerae. This silk is used in active prey capture, being shot out through tips in the fangs at lightning speed to capture prey much like a spitting spider, and thanks to her excellent eyesight, she is even able to shoot down flying objects with pinpoint accuracy. However, this weaponized silk does more than just entangle her prey. Unlike most of her spider relatives, which rely on droplets of glue on their silk to trap prey, Kumonga's webbing relies on electrostatic forces for the silk to ensnare prey items. Much like the diminutive ogre-faced spider, Kumonga's prey-capture silk is capable of changing its structure upon contact with another organism, essentially fusing with the outer layer of hide of whatever has been ensnared in the trap. Such a force is much more potent than mere stickiness, and Kumonga can use it to ensnare prey in a netting of webbing nearly impossible to physically break through. However, some of her prey and enemies have evolved methods to nullify and escape from this deadly ensnarement. The Gimantids ability to produce electrostatic forces of their own can be used to nullify those of Kumonga's webbing, allowing them to slip out of their web snare, and while the webbing may be nigh impossible to break on its own, intense flames can weaken its integrity, something many pyromanic kaiju make sure to exploit. But such escapes from deadly ensnarement are rare among Kumonga's prey, for usually the only sure-fire way of surviving an attack is to avoid the silk by all means, lest the hapless prey item does not possess the means of the time to make it out of their predicament before Kumonga puts them to sleep.

While considered social arachnids, Spiega seems to be highly intolerant and ferocious to members that are not within their age range (except Kumonga). This is due to the heavy niche partitioning the species has acquired as a way to limit competition on this rather small landmass. Hatchlings, which range from the size of a cat to the size of a large dog, clamber around the emergent layer, building intricate webs and drifting on the strong winds on silken parachutes where they catch passing aerial kaiju. As they get larger, they ditch their webs and move onto arboreal pursuit predators, chasing down their prey through the dense canopy. Eventually, they switch over to ambush predation again once they get too big to nimbly chase their prey through the trees, and opt for a more terrestrial and even subterranean existence. The time it takes to go from hatchling to forty-meter tall adult takes less than a century, and they are reproductively active much earlier than that. Kumonga on the other hand seems to represent an extreme case of Spiega growth. Many theories have been postulated to explain this, such as her older age (>20 kYA) or a certain genetic component leading to the massive overshot in size. As a result of this niche partitioning, coordinated pack-hunting of the collective group assemblage is rare, usually only happening in the presence of very large prey and difficult prey. Even when prey is taken down in a coordinated assault, the following feeding frenzy can be violent as the Spiega try to resolve who gets first dibs on the kill. The only time such frenzying does not occur is when Kumonga enters the equation, in which any kill made in her presence is automatically hers. No Spiega ever seems to challenge her, mostly because of her massive size and pure strength, but also due to the protection, her mere presence seems to provide, scaring off most predators and competitors. Whether Kumonga is intentionally acting for the sake of her group is still somewhat debated, but the idea seems likely in consideration of her grudge with Kamacuras. As the Gimantid matriarch sports an army of followers, it only makes sense Kumonga would try to form and sustain a colony of her own to match her eternal enemy's forces.

Character: A waring beast of Solgell Plateau, Kumonga is a surprising reclusive creature. Her burrowing habits and ambush predation methods mean she spends most of her days within her underground tunnel system, rarely venturing out unless prey nears her burrow or when a major threat reveals itself to her. Her patience infinite, she waits within her main burrow where she most likely tends to her unhatched and very young brood and accompanied by various courting males. Like Kamacuras, she too does not think very highly of her suitors, and won't hesitate to devour them if she needs to. For the most part, however, they escape such a fate by providing her their kills as a gift, as well as providing some help with tending to the young and unhatched offspring. Despite her ferocious nature, Kumonga is a rather caring mother, feeding her offspring with a milk-like liquid and fresh kills for the first few days of their life before they eventually leave for the surface to fend for themselves. She spends a considerable amount of effort cleaning her unhatched brood, making sure they do not succumb to the deadly fungoid parasites that dwell on the Skull Isles. Smaller, mature females are completely absent from the tunnel systems, restricted to the surface and forest canopy. This is most likely a tactic Kumonga employs to limit reproductive competition within her species, making sure she passes on her genes to the next generation. While these smaller mature females can and do reproduce, they produce fewer and smaller offspring than Kumonga and usually have a much lower survival rate due to the absence of a nursery burrow and a lack of aid from other Spiega (smaller mature females are incredibly intolerant of each other).

For as long as the Atu has lived on the Skull Isles, Kumonga has been in an eternal turf war with the Gimantid matriarch Kamacuras over the occupation of the Solgell Plateau. The two titan arthropods are considered mortal enemies, something supported by the violent interactions between these goliaths. Despite being much smaller than Kumonga, Kamacuras is ferocious and swift enough in battle to stand up to the Spiega queen's sheer size and strength, and the evolution of an electrostatic charge countering that of Kumonga's own webbing makes things more difficult for the giant arachnid. Battles are said to be fought on a weekly to a daily basis, usually initiated by Kamacuras due to her seemingly more invasive and conquering lifestyle. This seems to suggest Kumonga may have already laid claim to Solgell Plateau before Kamacuras, having established herself as the dominant daikaiju before the Gimantid arrived with her armies. Now, Solgell Plateau is divided among the two beasts, with different kinds of symbiotic flora on each side showcasing the amount of territory each side has acquired in their battles. Kumonga and Kamacuras' turf war is the latest in a growing list of examples of grudge matches Apex and Adversary have discovered involving the great gods of old, and it surely won't be the last...

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NEXT: Rendevous at Lechen Bay

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Kumonga is owned by Toho

Description
M.T.O ARACHNE
Codename: Kumonga
Scientific Name: Titanarachne matsumiyai (Matsumiya's Titan Spider)
Height: ~90 meters / ~295 ft
Length: ~180 meters / ~591 ft
Legspan: ~240 meters / ~787 ft
Weight: ~110,000 tonnes / ~121,250 short tons
Category: 6
Aggression Level: 5

History: Throughout the 50s and into the 70s, Apex and Adversary have had to deal with a multitude of giant monsters, some benevolent, others malicious, and many that fall in-between. But perhaps the most common of these was the giant arachnids, notably the spider-like beasts known as the Spiega. Named after an arachnid demon from Maran mythology, these flora-faunal predators have been found in every corner of the Pacific Rim, along with parts of the South Atlantic and the Indian Ocean. Many were taken down by the "Lizard Slayers" in a remote area of the Yucca Mountains, firebombed after a half-hour battle that left the region scarred under tons of napalm. Other, less destructive encounters included the discovery of two deceased female Spiega on Stewart Island, having seemingly killed each other over one of the female's unhatched brood. After realizing the eggs themselves were not viable, they were transported to one of Apex's research facilities for further study. It was determined the Spiega had managed to attain such a massive range using long-range dispersal methods as hatchlings (ballooning), a similar method having been employed by the distantly related Uros arachnid from Beiru, which was said to have arrived in the region in a single, massive ballooning event thousands of years ago according to the Ailenas. But there was still the case of where these arachnids came from. While the Uros have managed to attain a viable population size within Beiru, the Spiega seemed to have represented failed colonization of new territories, having fallen to either due to intra-species aggression or inbreeding. Even the population in the Yucca Mountains was found to have fallen to extensive casualties before the Lizard Slayers came to finish the job. A top of DNA analysis of the remains, they all suggested these Spiega colonies all stemmed from a single, viable population that has remained undiscovered. Based on wind currents that would be necessary to carry hatchling Spiega across vast ocean distances, they narrowed the area down to the South Pacific, though the exact location would remain a mystery for years to come...

In 1973, Apex launched an expedition to the dreaded Skull Isles, spurred on by the adamant William Randa to reach the Isles before their Soviet counterparts could mount an expedition of their own. But in their rather hasty planning and current low funding due to the all too recent Vietnam War, they were ill-equipped to face the nightmarish monstrosities dwelling within the land of the skull, beasts more ferocious than anything they could have possibly imagined. The first of these beasts they encountered were the Gimantids, rapacious camouflaged predators that managed to down their entire squadron. Cornered and defenseless, it seems all is lost for the surviving members as the queen of the Gimantids Kamacuras closed in on them. But things were about to get far worse. Disturbed by all the commotion, something emerged from the depths of the jungle's undergrowth to join in on the action. As Kamacuras closed in, the jungle shivered as something beneath the earth made its way to the surface, uprooting massive growths as eight massive legs emerged from the darkness accompanied by eight eyes and a pair of dagger-shaped fangs. Dragging itself from the depths, the figure revealed itself to be a titanic spider-like beast, an arachnid bigger than a battleship emerging from the depths of the green hell covered in smaller forms clinging to its carapace, the second of Solgell's warring gods and the queen the Spiega: Kumonga has been awakened.

With Kumonga's awakening, Kamacuras and her pack almost immediately attacked, the sight of their sworn enemy spurring them into a deadly frenzy of spiked limbs and claws. But Kumonga possessed an army of her own, as various Spiega emerged from the darkened forest to do battle with the Gimantids. Kamacuras had her eyes on Kumonga only and burst towards her colossal opponent with a great thud that shook the jungle. The two titans clashed, ripping into each other with deadly force, but not enough for either one to retreat. Kamacuras was swift and cunning, slashing and clawing at her enemy's exoskeleton, but Kumonga's sheer size and strength prevented the ravenous huntress from doing any real damage. The arachnid managed to grab hold of one of Kamacuras' legs with her fangs, swinging the Gimantid into a grove of trees before ensnaring her in webbing. Kamacuras began to writhe her way out, but she needed to be quick, for Kumonga was inching her way closer to deliver a finishing blow. But as the titan arachnid's fangs were about to drive down into their target, Kamacuras set one of her limbs free and impaled its spiked edge into one of Kumonga's eyes. The daikaiju reeled in pain, giving her opponent enough time to break out completely and resume their battle. In a short time, the jungle became a battlefield strewn with toppled trees, uprooted earth, and severed limbs as each side continued to escalate the situation with more and more titanic arthropods arriving drawn to the chaos. For the survivors on the ground, things had gone from bad to worse. They barely managed to make it through the maze of pillar limbs of the waring giants to a less chaotic clearing, but as they moved further and further away from the commotion, they were beginning to draw more attention to themselves. Smaller Spiega and Gimantids arriving at the battle began to take notice of what remained of the expedition and changed their course. Two more survivors were devoured by incoming Spiega, their remains now under constant bickering and battling as several Gimantids arrived to steal the kill. This gave the rest of the team a temporary lead, but not for long as more attackers began to pursue them. Their days seemed numbered when they run into a dead end, with the beasts only seconds behind them.

But as the arthropod daikaiju closed the distance, a bolas-like projectile was hurled from the undergrowth and impacted the ground ahead of it, creating a massive explosion that knocked back the predators. Furthermore, a noxious smell began to emanate from the impact site, discouraging some of the beasts even further. The survivors turned to see rustling in the vegetation behind them before a human figure emerges, that of a rather old man with a scruffy beard came out swinging another projectile towards the incoming beasts. He yelled at the survivors to follow him through the vegetation, and while they were hesitant, the suspicion did not last long as more of the incoming predators made their way to the ensuing chaos. Following the strange man, they came to a tunnel entrance hidden behind the vegetation and quickly entered. With the titanic arthropods now just behind them, the stranger hurled yet another projectile, this time at the roof of the tunnel, caving in the entrance under tons of debris. The stranger continued to urge the survivors to run, stating how the cave-in may not hold the beasts back for long. Eventually, as they covered enough distance from the entrance, they finally began to relax, their Spiega and Gimantid pursuers having ended their chase for them. But they now faced a new problem: The ship they came on was told to rendevous to the north end of the Isles in a few days. But with their aircraft having been downed in the battle, they were now stranded on this damned rock, with no way of leaving this nightmare realm in time.

Fortunately, their new friend was more than willing to help.

Description: The Skull Isles are populated with swarms of titanic arthropods, and among the fiercest of them all are the Spiega. Voracious predators, these goliath arachnids are thought to have descended from a basal tetrapulmonatan arachnid from as far back as the Late Carboniferous, and perhaps one of the first creatures to participate in the island-hopping phase of Skull Island biotic immigration. This hypothetical ancestor gave rise to a myriad of different Skull Isle arachnids, all part of the arachnid order Atheneae, ranging from the minuscule predators clambering through the undergrowth to the goliath Spiega which reign through the forest twilight, and of the Spiega, none are more fearsome and gargantuan than their titan queen, Kumonga. With a leg span reaching almost eight-hundred feet and weighing more than an aircraft carrier, Kumonga is the most gargantuan arachnid known.

As a result of being flora-fauna, Kumonga can obtain some energy from photosynthesis, both using her own body as well as various plant symbionts that dwell on her exoskeleton. They serve the more practical purpose of camouflage though, allowing Kumonga to seamlessly blend in with any surrounding vegetation, hiding her titanic body from sight. Spores from these symbionts can even take root in the surrounding soil and sprout into fully-formed forests in mere days, providing Kumonga with her mobile camouflage in case none is present, to begin with. All of this serves the function of prey capture, from which Kumonga obtains most of her energy. Being a ferocious carnivore, her kind has evolved the necessary equipment to bring down large prey. Massive tibial spurs can spear right through prey, though more regularly, she will use her grasping pedipalps to latch and crush prey beneath their serrated edges. After that, she brings it forwards to be subdued with acidic venom injected from the fangs, liquified by digestive juices, and torn apart by mashing chelicerae. Each foot is armed with a pair of massive talons that whip around and latch onto a target, and thanks to powerful hydraulic muscles, her legs can shovel through hundreds of tons of dirt and rock within minutes (in smaller individuals, these hydraulic muscles can allow them to jump great distances to bring down flying prey). In terms of physical defenses, she is packing an armored exoskeleton strengthened by floral elements and titanolith, while her underside is covered in coarse, silicon, and flora-infused uricating hairs that can be brushed off for defense. To an enemy daikaiju, they may prove a bit of an annoyance or irritant, but to a human, these hairs are the equivalent of spear-like projectiles capable of slicing straight through a person. Her physical power makes her a formidable foe, but unfortunately for her enemies, she possesses far more deadly weaponry...

Like her distant cousins the true spiders, Kumonga has the ability to produce silk, most likely a trait either shared in their ancestry or something her kind has convergently evolved. This golden silk is structurally similar to that of spider silk of the same thickness, meaning it is incredibly strong, with a single pencil-thick strand capable of supporting the weight of a Boeing 747. Like any ground-dwelling spider, she lay down mats of silken tripwires across her territory (while in hatchlings, it is used to make fully-constructed webs), allowing her to survey and know what's going on within her territory without ever needing to leave her main burrow. From here, her usage of silk becomes all the more extravagant. In addition to the silk she produces from her spinnerets, she can also make it in her chelicerae. This silk is used in active prey capture, being shot out through tips in the fangs at lightning speed to capture prey much like a spitting spider, and thanks to her excellent eyesight, she is even able to shoot down flying objects with pinpoint accuracy. However, this weaponized silk does more than just entangle her prey. Unlike most of her spider relatives, which rely on droplets of glue on their silk to trap prey, Kumonga's webbing relies on electrostatic forces for the silk to ensnare prey items. Much like the diminutive ogre-faced spider, Kumonga's prey-capture silk is capable of changing its structure upon contact with another organism, essentially fusing with the outer layer of hide of whatever has been ensnared in the trap. Such a force is much more potent than mere stickiness, and Kumonga can use it to ensnare prey in a netting of webbing nearly impossible to physically break through. However, some of her prey and enemies have evolved methods to nullify and escape from this deadly ensnarement. The Gimantids ability to produce electrostatic forces of their own can be used to nullify those of Kumonga's webbing, allowing them to slip out of their web snare, and while the webbing may be nigh impossible to break on its own, intense flames can weaken its integrity, something many pyromanic kaiju make sure to exploit. But such escapes from deadly ensnarement are rare among Kumonga's prey, for usually the only sure-fire way of surviving an attack is to avoid the silk by all means, lest the hapless prey item does not possess the means of the time to make it out of their predicament before Kumonga puts them to sleep.

While considered social arachnids, Spiega seems to be highly intolerant and ferocious to members that are not within their age range (except Kumonga). This is due to the heavy niche partitioning the species has acquired as a way to limit competition on this rather small landmass. Hatchlings, which range from the size of a cat to the size of a large dog, clamber around the emergent layer, building intricate webs and drifting on the strong winds on silken parachutes where they catch passing aerial kaiju. As they get larger, they ditch their webs and move onto arboreal pursuit predators, chasing down their prey through the dense canopy. Eventually, they switch over to ambush predation again once they get too big to nimbly chase their prey through the trees, and opt for a more terrestrial and even subterranean existence. The time it takes to go from hatchling to forty-meter tall adult takes less than a century, and they are reproductively active much earlier than that. Kumonga on the other hand seems to represent an extreme case of Spiega growth. Many theories have been postulated to explain this, such as her older age (>20 kYA) or a certain genetic component leading to the massive overshot in size. As a result of this niche partitioning, coordinated pack-hunting of the collective group assemblage is rare, usually only happening in the presence of very large prey and difficult prey. Even when prey is taken down in a coordinated assault, the following feeding frenzy can be violent as the Spiega try to resolve who gets first dibs on the kill. The only time such frenzying does not occur is when Kumonga enters the equation, in which any kill made in her presence is automatically hers. No Spiega ever seems to challenge her, mostly because of her massive size and pure strength, but also due to the protection, her mere presence seems to provide, scaring off most predators and competitors. Whether Kumonga is intentionally acting for the sake of her group is still somewhat debated, but the idea seems likely in consideration of her grudge with Kamacuras. As the Gimantid matriarch sports an army of followers, it only makes sense Kumonga would try to form and sustain a colony of her own to match her eternal enemy's forces.

Character: A waring beast of Solgell Plateau, Kumonga is a surprising reclusive creature. Her burrowing habits and ambush predation methods mean she spends most of her days within her underground tunnel system, rarely venturing out unless prey nears her burrow or when a major threat reveals itself to her. Her patience infinite, she waits within her main burrow where she most likely tends to her unhatched and very young brood and accompanied by various courting males. Like Kamacuras, she too does not think very highly of her suitors, and won't hesitate to devour them if she needs to. For the most part, however, they escape such a fate by providing her their kills as a gift, as well as providing some help with tending to the young and unhatched offspring. Despite her ferocious nature, Kumonga is a rather caring mother, feeding her offspring with a milk-like liquid and fresh kills for the first few days of their life before they eventually leave for the surface to fend for themselves. She spends a considerable amount of effort cleaning her unhatched brood, making sure they do not succumb to the deadly fungoid parasites that dwell on the Skull Isles. Smaller, mature females are completely absent from the tunnel systems, restricted to the surface and forest canopy. This is most likely a tactic Kumonga employs to limit reproductive competition within her species, making sure she passes on her genes to the next generation. While these smaller mature females can and do reproduce, they produce fewer and smaller offspring than Kumonga and usually have a much lower survival rate due to the absence of a nursery burrow and a lack of aid from other Spiega (smaller mature females are incredibly intolerant of each other).

For as long as the Atu has lived on the Skull Isles, Kumonga has been in an eternal turf war with the Gimantid matriarch Kamacuras over the occupation of the Solgell Plateau. The two titan arthropods are considered mortal enemies, something supported by the violent interactions between these goliaths. Despite being much smaller than Kumonga, Kamacuras is ferocious and swift enough in battle to stand up to the Spiega queen's sheer size and strength, and the evolution of an electrostatic charge countering that of Kumonga's own webbing makes things more difficult for the giant arachnid. Battles are said to be fought on a weekly to a daily basis, usually initiated by Kamacuras due to her seemingly more invasive and conquering lifestyle. This seems to suggest Kumonga may have already laid claim to Solgell Plateau before Kamacuras, having established herself as the dominant daikaiju before the Gimantid arrived with her armies. Now, Solgell Plateau is divided among the two beasts, with different kinds of symbiotic flora on each side showcasing the amount of territory each side has acquired in their battles. Kumonga and Kamacuras' turf war is the latest in a growing list of examples of grudge matches Apex and Adversary have discovered involving the great gods of old, and it surely won't be the last...

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NEXT: Rendevous at Lechen Bay

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Kumonga is owned by Toho