Terrorists from Earth's future attempt to prevent Japan from becoming a super-power in the 23rd century. Their leader, a man named Wilson, has a two-tiered approach to how to accomplish this. First, they travel back in time to 1944 and teleport the dinosaur that would later mutate into Godzilla to the Bering Sea. Second, they leave in the dinosaur's place three genetically engineered creatures called Dorats. Exposed to the same atomic bomb test that would have created Godzilla, the Dorats merge into a single horrible monster, the three-headed King Ghidorah!

King Ghidorah waits until Wilson gives the order to appear. Then, with ruthless precision, the winged dragon begins the systematic destruction of Japan. Soon, the nation will be humbled and forced to accept the terms of the Futurians. In an effort to stop King Ghidorah, the Japanese try to create a new Godzilla from the dinosaur that has been transported to the Bering Sea. There is no need, however, for a Soviet submarine accident has already exposed the dinosaur to radiation and revived it as an even larger Godzilla. When this new Godzilla appears, Wilson sends King Ghidorah to kill him. But even the three-headed monster is no match for Godzilla. Godzilla blasts King Ghidorah's central head from his body, then turns his ray upon the Futurians' ship. Limping away, the mortally wounded King Ghidorah topples into the Sea of Okhotsk, leaving Godzilla free to finish what King Ghidorah began, the destruction of Japan.

King Ghidorah is very much a living puppet, obeying the commands of his controllers. Even so, the monster exhibits a ruthless precision in his attacks on cities. The monster seems to favor a more physical manner of destroying his enemies, however, preferring to strike with tooth and claw rather than his devastating gravity beam rays. The monster even tried to crush Godzilla beneath his tremendous weight and tried to choke the life from the monster by wrapping his central head about Godzilla's neck. It may be assumed that King Ghidorah prefers brute force to flashy ranged attacks, savoring the nearness of his enemy's suffering and death.