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- Godzilla- The U.S. armed forces destroyed Madison Square Gardens, massacring the millions of newborn mutant iguanas. Every last one. Or so they thought. One un-hatched egg survived and later hatched, right in front of Nick Tatopoulos, the man who helped destroy the rest of his kind. But, as fate would have it, the newborn mutant followed its instincts, and imprinted on Nick, adopting him as his unofficial parent, giving Nick a chance to make up for the part he played in the genocide of the other mutant iguanas: by helping to protect and sustain Godzilla, the last of his kind. In return, Godzilla uses every weapon in his possession, from his strength, his speed, his burrowing ability, and most notably, his atomic, radioactive fire breath, to defend Nick from any mutation that crawls out of the woodwork. Godzilla's greatest gift, however, is the one that sets him apart from the other mutations: his intelligence. Godzilla possesses an intelligence that seems to exceed that of a simple animal. At times, he seems almost human. This is probably a side-effect of having a human as a parent. In spite of the never-ending threat from mutants, Godzilla's greatest enemy is the military. No matter how many times Godzilla defeats a mutant, the military keeps trying to destroy him. It's only the reluctant assistance of Major Hicks that keeps him alive many times. As for Godzilla himself, due to his love towards Nick, or an honorable trait of not bearing a grudge, he never retaliates against the military. The personal relationship between Nick and Godzilla is one of the most admirable qualities of the show. It becomes clear that their feelings toward each other go way beyond an animal and the being it imprinted on, or a scientist and his greatest living specimen. The truth is that the two love one another dearly. Nick would be devastated if Godzilla was killed, and Godzilla’s love for Nick is made obvious in Ring of Fire, when he abandons a fight with a mutant to save Nick from a fatal fall. (This is, in my opinion, Godzilla's finest moment.)
- Dr. Nick Tatopoulos- The leader of the HEAT team (and probably the one who holds everyone together. Let's face it: If Nick wasn't around, the team would probably split up almost immediately.) Nick was the one who came across the new Godzilla in episode one, right when the little mutant iguana was hatching. Following the laws of nature, since Nick was the first living being the newborn Godzilla saw after being born, Baby Godzilla immediately 'adopted' Nick as a pseudo-father figure. As a result, Nick is the only one who can truly control Godzilla, and when Nick's in any type of danger, Godzilla will be there in an instant to protect his 'papa'. Keeping Godzilla from going too far between the mutant battles, or providing him with enough fish to satisfy the mutant iguana, is not exactly easy. However, it's seriously doubtful that the inconvenience is significant enough to lead Nick to want to be rid of the responsibility. Regardless of the downsides, they are completely overshadowed by the obvious love he holds for the mutant. While, at first, Nick's reasons for keeping the only surviving mutant from the Madison Square Garden bombing sprung from the chance to study a true biological and scientific find, he soon comes to love Godzilla. This love is clear many times throughout the series. When it appears that Godzilla has died, in episodes like New Family part 1 and Hive, the pain and grief in Nick's voice and face is tangible. And in Trust No One, Nick displays a true connection to the mutant when he is able to tell apart the real Godzilla from The Mimic.
- Randy Hernandez- He is either in his late teens or very early twenties, which shows in the way he acts. Randy is a skilled computer hacker, which has helped the team out quite a bit, especially if they need to tap into some government computer to locate vital and top-secret information, (which they usually need to do quite often). However, Randy does have some negative qualities, like many college-aged people. He is in a never-ending battle with Dr. Craven. (Heck, those two are poster boys for the typical big-and-little-brother sibling rivalry most of the time.) Randy is constantly re-programming Dr. Craven's precious robot, N.I.G.E.L., in almost every episode, which drives the poor man crazy. Randy also has harbored an obvious crush on Monique from the moment they met in episode two, and often hits on her. (For the most part, this seems to be pretty one-sided, but there are some episodes when this is questioned. Randy does get a kiss from Monique in Cash of the Titans, and then there's Area 51. If that wasn't pure, flaming jealousy on Monique's part, I don't know what jealousy is.)
- Monique Dupre- Monique was placed on the HEAT team by her boss, Philippe, in order to have her monitor Godzilla. Many times throughout the series, Monique insists that Godzilla is much to dangerous to live, but eventually, she learns to admit that the world needs him, and she has even helped Nick save Godzilla's life in What a Long, Strange Trip It's Been. As a member of the French Secret Service, Monique rarely displays her heart on her sleeve, and often appears aloof and unfeeling toward her teammates. (A running gag in the series involves her insulting all things American.) But I don't believe she doesn't care for them. She always seems willing to help keep the others alive. (Plus there's her display of emotion towards Meg in Shafted.) Monique has undergone some major development throughout the series. When we first meet her, she's a perfect soldier, following orders without question, and refusing to accept help, possibly seeing help as weak. But her time among the other members of HEAT changes her a great deal. In An Early Frost, Monique actually turns on her boss, Phillipe, to protect Godzilla, and prevent Phillipe from completing his orders to kill Godzilla. And when Monique injures her ankle in Hive, Mendel actually gets her to accept his help in making it to the boat before the island is consumed by lava. In any event, it becomes clear that she's starting to learn that there are limits to her militaristic persona.
- Dr. Elsie Chapman- The sarcastic one. I'm sorry to say it took me a while to appreciate this character. She was constantly throwing herself at Nick, even though she knew full well he was technically dating Audrey. (Always seemed a tad desperate to me...) Plus, there was that one moment in Cash of the Titans, when she and Nick are disguised as waiters, and she somehow forgets that they're supposed to blend in when some lady asks for water. (Insert big fat OY here.) However, even she had good points. As a behavior specialist, (I'm not entirely sure what that is, so please don't ask) she could always figure out what caused the Mutants to act the way they did. In addition, as the series progresses, she develops a romantic involvement with Dr. Craven. (On a personal note, they make one VERY cute couple, and I support this pairing strongly) Elsie is also the only character whose family we are introduced to, in Wedding Bells Blew. She has two living parents, Jack and Peg, and a younger sister, Kate. In the episode, Kate is getting married to a man named Bradley. This family reunion gives us the opportunity to learn what Elsie's childhood might have been like. Her parents fawn over Kate, who is obviously the world's largest spoiled brat because of it, and fail to recognize Elsie's achievements. It's not until they witness Elsie helping save them and the wedding guests from a mutant manta ray that they finally acknowledge Elsie's line of work as worthy of admiration.
- Dr. Mendel Craven- A genius at robotics, Mendel, more commonly referred to as Dr. Craven, was the creator of the robot, N.I.G.E.L., who basically is used to go into the more dangerous areas to gather data for the team. (Unfortunately, this results in him being destroyed almost every time, which results in poor Dr. Craven to get very upset about his beloved robot dying. This becomes a running gag that you always keep waiting for in each episode.) As his last name implies, Mendel is something of a coward, and hates running after dangerous mutants every day. However, when he's pushed up against a wall, he will display his backbone (i.e. Future Shock). If you pay attention throughout the show, you'll notice he holds a flame for Elsie, but it took her a while to stop going after Nick and notice that the one for her was in front of her the whole time. By the time the series went off the air, (with a few episodes that never aired... GRRRR!) The chance that these two would go steady seemed a definite possibility. (Notable episodes include Cash of the Titans, Where is Thy Sting?, Future Shock, Trust No one, Juggernaut, Freak Show, possibly The Twister, and a short moment in Tourist Trap.)
- N.I.G.E.L.-Dr. Craven's beloved robot. N.I.G.E.L., which stands for 'Next-millennium Intelligence Gathering Electronic Liaison', serves many purposes in the show, from gathering vital data on the mutants, to distracting HEAT's opponents, to a tool in Dr. Craven and Randy's ongoing feud, to comic relief. N.I.G.E.L. 'dies' in almost every episode, which always gets Dr. Craven VERY upset. (You'd think he'd expect it after a while.) In many ways, N.I.G.E.L. is to HEAT as Kenny is to the South Park kids. (interestingly enough, the voice of N.I.G.E.L. is provided by Tom KENNY!) -
Recurring Characters
- Audrey Timmonds- Nick's old girlfriend from college. After the incident with the original Godzilla, their relationship was reconciled. However, they never seem to be able to catch a break. Every time they get a moment, it's always interrupted in one way or another. Many fans of the show did not like Audrey. I, on the other hand, didn't mind her. She did help HEAT out a few times, after all, and I'm sure Nick saw something worthwhile in her. Otherwise, he wouldn't have carried a torch for her in the years between their graduation and their reunion. (At one point, in End of the Line, Nick tries to propose, and I can name one fan who hated Audrey all the more for turning the proposal down. However, I say this was probably a smart move on her part. Nick couldn't abandon his obligations as HEAT's leader, and Audrey didn't want to give up reporting just yet. She wisely knew that deepening the relationship would get in the way of their work, and they both saw their work as important.)
- Victor “Animal” Palotti- Audrey's cameraman, who she is rarely seen without. Every time he appears, he is carrying around his precious camera. (In Cash of the Titans, he states it's his baby, right before Dr. Craven smashes it: Animal's reaction is hilarious.) He is also known to deliver some humorous wisecracks that are timed just right. (Joe Pantoliano is no Hank Azaria, but he does a passable job). Animal's wife, Lucy, is never seen in the show, but it's obvious she's still around. Animal constantly is worrying that she will kill him.
- Major Anthony Hicks- For some unknown reason, Hicks has been demoted to Major from the title of Colonel he had in the movie. (This might have been a production mistake, but we might never know for sure.) In the beginning, when Hicks was tipped off by Monique that Godzilla was being kept by Nick, he brought a surprise aerial strike and seemingly killed the half-grown mutant. Godzilla survived, however, and after defeating a new mutant that had been forcing giant squids to attack boaters and swimmers in Jamaica and helped rescue the victims of the attacks, Hicks ended up sparing his life. Since then, Hicks has been a reluctant ally to H.E.A.T., and has worked hard to pull the right strings to protect Godzilla from the rest of the military. He plays a very minor role up until the Monster Wars trilogy, which ends with Hicks deciding to turn Isle Del Diablo, an island in the South Pacific, into a containment facility for the mutants H.E.A.T. and Godzilla has defeated, and renames the island "Monster Island". As the show continues, we see a bit more of Hicks, who even saves Godzilla's life during End of the Line. The episode Where is Thy Sting focuses strongly on Hicks, and how his constant assistance to H.E.A.T. has given others the impression that he's too soft on Godzilla. In Future Shock, Hicks is seen as a cyborg, and part of a resistance group of humans battling genetically engineered mutations known as Dragmas. All in all, H.E.A.T. knows they can always call Hicks when they need the military's help. But at the same time, he makes sure Nick knows he won't hesitate to kill Godzilla if the mutant puts so much as a clawed toe out of line.
- Phillipe Roache- Monique's boss from the DGSE. Phillipe has only been seen in the episode An Early Frost, with short cameo appearances in New Family part 1 and Trust No One. In An Early Frost, he had received orders to kill Godzilla, on account of the mutant seemingly going on rampages. But it turned out that the true culprit was a genetically engineered Godzilla-like creature, and Phillipe eventually helped destroy the Chameleon. Apart from these few appearances, Phillipe is never seen. However, his presence is known through Monique, and he was the one who gave H.E.A.T. their main transportation, a rusty ship that Randy dubbed the H.E.A.T. Seeker.
- Cameron Winter- I can't say I know much about him. He only appears in three episodes in season one (and one comic in the Fox Kids Magazine, which I still have...somewhere... *Looks around*) What we do know is that he went to college with Nick, and they obviously never got along. He then became a business mogul and a multi-millionaire, and his name is clearly well known, judging from something Elsie says in his first appearance. When he first appears, he tries to use Godzilla as a weapon of war, using a mind-control device he tricks Randy into placing on the mutant iguana. Cameron's plan fails, however, and is sent to jail. He gets out however, and comes back twice for revenge. However, he is always beaten.
- A special Thanks to LunaLynn
