Zigra is an extraterrestrial monster that tries to take over Earth, with the plan of enslaving them and using them like cattle. On Zigra's planet, it's revealed (in an instance of 'Russian reversal') that Zigra's species eat people.
In regards to his appearance, Zigra appears to look like a Goblin Shark - with his hide covered in a silvery-gray armour plating. As well as having a pointed nose, Zigra possesses a row of sharp fins on his back as well as sharp pectoral fins. Finally, he can fire a paralyzing beam from the gem on his nose.
Zigra is shown to be rather intelligent - been able to speak and hypnotize others as well as travel between planets in a spacecraft. He appears as the main antagonist of the Showa era Gamera movie, Gamera vs. Zigra, and as a minor antagonist in the Showa era Gamera movie, Gamera: Super Monster.
Information
Zigra's ship.
Zigra began his attack by first assaulting a moon base - kidnapping a woman called Lora Lee and who had been in a moon rover during the initial lunar attack. On-board his ship, the woman is placed under mind control by Zigra - who uses the woman as an extension of its will. As well as this, the woman gains a symbiotic relationship with Zigra's ship and the power to hypnotize others using eye contact and snapping her fingers.
Heading to Earth, Zigra's ship descends into the ocean - which is seen by two Japanese children (Kenny and Helen) and their fathers. They are soon captured by Zigra, however, when they go to investigate the ship -
Zigra onboard his ship, along with the mind-controlled Lora Lee.
which transports them aboard using a teleportation beam. On-board, Lora Lee (under Zigra's mind control) explains Zigra's great scientific and technological advances - but which unfortunately led to the destruction of its home-world, with Zigra deciding to make Earth its new home. She further demonstrates Zigra's technological prowess by explaining that she has used the ships technology to create two powerful earthquakes in Peru and Arabia. She then unleashes an incredibly powerful Magnitude 18 earthquake on Japan - wreaking havoc. Contacting Earth's authorities, the woman demands their surrender or she will kill the children and their fathers. When Helen's father - Dr. Tom Wallace - declares the woman to be insane, she angrily puts both men in a trance using her powers. However, Kenny and Helen manage to use the ship's console to escape - with Zigra ordering the woman to kill the children but stating that humanity as a whole must be preserved as a food source.
After a close call on the water's surface, Gamera appears - rescuing both children and their fathers - but
Zigra fires his Paralysis Beam.
with the woman continuing to pursue them. After learning about Zigra from the children, the United Nations decides to attack the alien - but the military jets deployed against the ship are more than outmatched as Zigra's ship shoots them all down with its lasers. The woman pursues the children into a Sea World facility (which the military is using as a base of operations) but is given the slip, with the children calling for Gamera. Gamera soon responds and begins an underwater attack against Zigra's ship and destroys it with his fire breath - only for Zigra to transform into a shark-like kaiju. Despite been thrown onto land (where Gamera has the advantage), Zigra eventually triumphs over Gamera by hitting him with his paralysis beam. Zigra then makes contact with humanity, declaring that they give up and surrender the seas to him.
At the Sea World facility, the scientists and dolphin trainer find that they can use Sonic waves to break Zigra's mind control. They use this on Lora Lee, freeing her from Zigra's servitude. Knowing they will need
Gamera saves the submarine from Zigra.
Gamera's help in order to stop Zigra, the military sends a deep sea submersible known as a Bathysphere to try and awaken Gamera. However, the Bathysphere is attacked by Zigra - who makes his final demand for humanity to give up or the Bathysphere and its occupants (including Kenny and Helen, who sneaked aboard) will be killed. However, Gamera awakens after been revived by an electrical storm and - after stealing the Bathysphere back from Zigra and returning it to the surface - recommences battle with his alien adversary. Zigra once again proves a powerful adversary - using his aquatic superiority and blades to slice Gamera's chest. However, Gamera grabs hold of Zigra and flies into the sky with him before dropping him on the land.
Gamera plays his theme tune on Zigra's spines.
Gamera finally brings the flight to a close after throwing a rock at Zigra, which gets impaled on his nose spike and pins him down on his front. After using another rock to play a theme tune on Zigra's back spines (the Gamera theme, no less), Gamera finally kills Zigra by torching him with his fiery breath. As humanity celebrated Zigra's defeat, Gamera once again flew away.
Gamera kills Zigra.
Some time later, Zigra was revived by the evil aliens known as the Zanon - as part of their plan to conquer Earth. Zigra once again battled with Gamera after Gamera kills Gyaos, but was beaten in a overall similar way - with Gamera playing a different tune on Zigra's dorsal spines before killing him again with his fire breath - after which Gamera would do battle with the newly revived Viras.
During Gamera's "Heisei" era (which is unrelated to the previous "Showa" era in which Gamera vs. Zigra was a part of), Zigra is seen in the Dark Horse Comics of Gamera, in which he is again an alien monster that managed to find its way to Earth. Battling Gamera, Zigra was beaten reasonably quickly by the fire-breathing turtle. In the comics, Zigra looks mostly the same but has a more aquatic appearance and is more wild.
Appearances
Gamera vs. Zigra - Movie
Gamera: Super Monster - Movie
Gamera Comics (Dark Horse) - Comics.