Iris

Iris (イリス, Irisu), also spelled Irys, is an evolved Gyaos creature that appears as the main antagonist in the 1999 film Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris.

Appearance[]

Iris is a giant bipedal creature with four spike-tipped tentacles thousands of meters long. Iris has no mouth and only one eye located behind a pointed shell-like face. Iris' chest contains several bioluminescent patches, one of which it uses to absorb human hosts. Iris' arms end with sharp siphoning blades. Its back is cascaded with sharp armor-like plating.

Origins[]

Iris has mostly unknown origins. Japanese villagers in the Nara prefecture believe Iris to be an ancient demon called the Ryuseicho, which if awakened will cause the end of the world. Genius programmer Kurata Shinya hypothesized Iris to be a creation by the Atlanteans to kill Gamera in case he ever grew too powerful or no longer served the planet's best interest. All that is known is that Iris is somehow related to Gyaos.

History[]

Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris[]

Iris spent centuries within a stone egg in a shrine in the Nara prefecture of Japan. The shrine was guarded over by the Moribe family, who believed that the creature inside, the Ryuseicho, would bring disaster if it were ever set free. An orphan girl named Ayana Hirasaka, who blamed Gamera for her parents' deaths, was dared to enter the shrine and encountered Iris' egg. Iris sensed Ayana's hatred for Gamera and hatched from the egg. Ayana chose to raise Iris, hoping that one day it would take revenge for her. Iris escaped the shrine eventually and fed on animals in a nearby forest, siphoning their life force through its tentacles. Ayana found Iris in the forest, where it evolved into its sub-adult form and bonded with her. Tatsunari Moribe, a young man whose duty it was to watch over the Ryuseicho shrine discovered Ayana bonded to Iris inside of the shrine. Moribe used a sacred dagger to cut Ayana free and had her taken away for medical care.

Desperate to bond with Ayana again, Iris escaped the shrine and, sensing Ayana's hatred for her adopted family and other people in the village, proceeded to kill dozens of citizens in the village before evolving into its adult form. Dr. Nagamine, an expert on the Gyaos, investigated the aftermath of Iris' attack and found cell samples it left behind. Analysis of the DNA showed that Iris was a Gyaos with the ability to alter its own chromosome structure by uptaking DNA from other lifeforms. The Japanese Self-Defense Forces mobilized against Iris, who was resting in the forest. Iris awoke and proceeded to wipe out the entire platoon before taking flight. Iris headed to Kyoto, where Ayana was being held. Along the way it was attacked by fighter jets before Gamera himself arrived. After a brief aerial battle, Gamera was shot down by the fighters, allowing Iris to reach Kyoto unopposed.

Iris arrived in Kyoto and approached Ayana, who looked up at it from a train station. When Gamera finally landed, Ayana commanded Iris to kill him. Iris battled Gamera viciously, setting Kyoto ablaze in the process. Gamera tackled Iris into the train station, but was seemingly defeated when Iris stabbed Gamera through the shell with its arm blade. Iris then approached Ayana again, ready to completely bond with her. Moribe begged Ayana to stop, only for Iris to smack him aside. Ayana came to her senses and pleaded with Iris to stop, but was absorbed into its chest against her will. While inside of Iris, Ayana saw through a flashback that it wasn't Gamera who killed her parents, but Super Gyaos. Ayana also saw all of the horrific killings that Iris had committed. Suddenly, Gamera's fist smashed into Iris' chest and pulled Ayana free. Iris responded by stabbing Gamera's other hand and pinning it to the wall. Iris drained Gamera's blood and prepared to fire copies of Gamera's fireballs from its tentacles. Out of options, Gamera blasted his own hand off with a fireball and held up his arm to absorb Iris' fireballs. Using his Mana manipulation powers, Gamera formed a flaming plasma fist and drove it into Iris' open chest, destroying Iris in a massive explosion.

Powers and Abilities[]

Tentacles - Each of Iris' four 2,000 meter long tentacles is capable of draining the life force from another creature and transferring it to Iris. His tentacles can also fire the same sonic cutter beam possessed by Gyaos from their tips. Iris' tentacles can also deflect projectile attacks such as Gamera's fireballs.
Arm Blades - Iris' arm blades are sharp enough to pierce all the way through Gamera's shell. The blades can also drain energy from Iris' opponents and transfer their powers to it.
DNA Modification - Iris can alter its own DNA by uptaking genetic information from lifeforms it feeds on. After draining Gamera's blood, Iris gained the ability to fire plasma fireballs from its tentacles.
Fusion - Iris possesses a symbiotic relationship with Ayana Hirasaka and gains strength from her hatred of Gamera. By physically bonding with Ayana, Iris accelerates its genetic evolution and becomes immeasurably more powerful. Iris can absorb Ayana into a pocket within its chest and complete the fusion.

Flight - Iris can open membranes between its tentacles and use them as wings. Iris can fly at the incredible speed of mach 9, almost three times faster than Gamera.

Weaknesses[]

While still a baby, Iris is susceptible to being harmed by the sacred light dagger owned by the Moribe family. Once Iris reached its adult form, the dagger bounced off of Iris with no effect. Iris' weak point is the cavity in its chest where it absorbs human hosts. If the cavity is exposed, Iris is completely defenseless against attacks and will be completely destroyed from the inside out by an attack such as Gamera's Vanishing Plasma Fist.

Forms[]

Baby Iris[]

When it first hatches, Iris resembles a large snail, possessing two tiny black eyes, a shell on its back, and four tentacles. Iris appears harmless and docile as an infant, but is still capable of feeding on other lifeforms through spikes on its tentacles.

Sub-Adult Iris[]

After absorbing enough energy from other creatures, Iris grows several feet in height and gains the ability to float. It begins to develop an armored crest on its head and a glowing area on its forehead. In this form, Iris is finally able to physically bond with Ayana and can form a pod around her.

Imago Iris[]

In its adult form, Iris grows to nearly 100 meters in height. It develops an armored crest over its face and cascading armored plating down its back. It also displays bioluminescent patches on its chest, one of which covers a cavity in which Iris can absorb hosts. Iris is also capable of flight in this form by opening membranes in between its tentacles and using them like wings.

Trivia[]

Iris is the name of a goddess from Greek mythology as well as a type of flower. The monster Iris' name is ironic because although Iris appears majestic like the goddess Iris and sweet and harmless like a flower, it is in reality an evil demon.
Iris is essentially the anti-Gamera. It is an ancient god-like creature with ties to the Atlanteans that can manipulate the Earth's Mana and form bonds with a human, but unlike Gamera Iris uses its powers to increase its own power and spread death and destruction.
Iris is Universally Considered to be the monster Gamera Has battled The Longest.