The King of the Monsters is dead, long live the King of the Monsters!
2026 will start with a bang on January 7 in writer Tim Seeley and artist Nikola Čižmešija's Godzilla #6. This landmark issue of the blockbuster series will feature the death of the iconic kaiju, and to celebrate this historic moment, comic book icon Dan Jurgens (The Death of Superman) has crafted a jaw-dropping "Death of" homage cover.
As for how the pop culture icon falls, it's said that fans will have to read the issue themselves for the full story.
Of course, in true comic book fashion, this will not be the end of the beloved monster. In February's Godzilla #7 from writer Tim Seeley and artist Hendry Prasetya, we'll witness the mysterious return of Godzilla. Freed from the constraints of its physical body and unleashed as its most powerful form ever: Kai-Sei Energy Godzilla.
"When the good folks at IDW asked about the possibility of a special 'Death of Godzilla' cover that would play off the iconic cover that Brett Breeding and I did for Superman #75, I was definitely up for it," Jurgens said. "I've always been a fan of the big guy but hadn’t had a chance to draw him so this was the perfect way to scratch that itch. It was great fun to be able to contribute!"
Aaron John Gregory, Godzilla Product Development Manager, chimed in to say, "Allowing IDW to ‘kill’ Godzilla only six issues in to the new Kai-sei Era series just goes to show how much trust TOHO International has in both rock-star writer Tim Seeley and Eisner-winning Godzilla editor Jake Williams.
"These types of comic events cannot be handled lightly. In '92, as a young teenager I waited in a long line to buy a copy of Superman #75, and was blown away by the consequential brutality in those pages. I can tell you that the incredible team behind our new Kai-Sei era of Godzilla have delivered on that level; with all the electrifying excitement and pummeling panache you’ve come to expect in this series."
Editor Jake Williams added, "Comics should be insane. And personally, I can't think of a more insane way to end arc 1 of the first ongoing Godzilla series in over a decade than killing Godzilla. For anyone waiting to check out this series – now's the time to jump on. We're delivering a Godzilla unlike any other, and finally making good on our promise to showcase 'a boy with the power of Godzilla.'"
Death rarely lasts in any comic book universe, so we're sure Godzilla will make a comeback eventually. The iconic monster is currently rampaging his way through the Marvel Universe, but those stories are obviously separate from what IDW is doing.
Below, you can check out the Godzilla #6 "Death of" Homage Variant by Jurgens, Brett Breeding, Gregg Whitmore, along with Jonathan Uribe's main cover for the comic.