The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms

(The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms)

 The Story

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In the northern arctic polar circle, a secret base has been installed to realize nuclear tests. A highly scientific expedition leaded by the Professor Tom Nesbitt and the Colonel Jack Evans has rendered on the area. When an atomic bomb is dropped above the pole, unforeseen consequences occur -- a prehistoric monster asleep for about 100 millions of years awakes.

The monster awakes - The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms
The monster awakes

Tom and the Professor George Ritchie belong to a team in charge of collecting results of analyses realized by different machines surroundings ground zero. While they are suddenly taken in a blizzard, the monster provokes an accident in which George finds death. Casualty, Tom is the only living witness of the existence of this monster coming from the end of times. Repatriated to New York to be hospitalized, psychiatrists believe he is victim of hallucinations. Persuaded about what he saw, the scientist renders to the paleontology department to meet the Professor Thurgood Elson whom he is exposing his story. But the scientist has some pain to believe that a such animal could have survived after so many years.

When newspapers state several various fact bringing the attack of ships by a « sea-snake», Louise Hunter, Professor Elson's assistant comes to visit the scientist. The beautiful young woman proposes him to identify the beast thanks to a series of drawings representing the various prehistoric monsters listed to this day. By chance he recognizes the Rhedosaurus, what will confirm the survivor of one of the wrecked ship. Armed these evidences, both get convince the Professor Elson of the existence of the prehistoric monster.

Tom Nesbitt attempts to identify the monster - The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms
Tom Nesbitt attempts to identify the monster

With the assistance of Coast-guards chief, the Captain Phil Jackson, the scientists are informed of the new appearances of the monster. The destruction of a lighthouse and the other damages caused on the Massachusetts coasts make think that the migrant could stay in the underwater canyon of Hudson. The Colonel Jack Evans and the Captain Phil Jackson accept to lend a diving bell to the Professor Elson in order that it attempts to notice the beast.

If the monster is effectively noticed in this zone, this will also be the last expedition of the Professor that will find death, savagely attacked. After some times, the beast finally rises in the New York harbor and terrorizes the city that is put in alert…

The monster rises in the New York harbor - The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms
The monster rises in the New York harbor
 Spoiler ! the end of the story is revealed below…

A real war is declared against this enemy with the shell so thick that ordinary bullets do not reach it. In addition to its devastating power, the monster is equally carrying biological germs of a dreadful violence. If it was killed with conventional means, all the city could be contaminated. Tom, the nuclear physicist, proposes to use radioactive isotopes to finish with it as well as the germs it contains.

Noticed to the middle of the city funfair, the monster continues its devastating misdeeds. An marksman armed with a radioactive isotopes pomegranate touches the monster exactly at the place it was already injured. The beast collapses putting thus a term to its terrible devastating and sanguinary threatens.