Films: Curse of the Komodo (2004)

Alias: None

Type: Man-Made

Location: Jungle

Height/Weight: That of a bus.

Affiliation: Neutral

Summary: As if regular Komodo dragons weren't the most dangerous of reptiles around, we made them even worse. Thankfully, and as usual, they remain secluded on an island away from civilization. But try to think for a second about the people who had the (lack of) luck to be on said island. Think how they will most likely be between the jaws of an enhanced super-predator...

History: On an isolated Pacific island, experiments have given rise to ravenous giant Komodo dragons that have either killed or drove off the humans there. But that's not even the worst of it. Their venom now turns people into mad ghouls, so all the more reason to not go there. But people do, because for the government, a place occupied by lizards and not them is a bad place. Alas, soldiers, regular folks, and even criminals get marooned on the island, and the fight for survival begins.

Notable Kills: Nothing special.

Final Fate: Many people are killed, but in the end, a few manage to get off the island before it's bombed to Hell so that none of the secrets there are revealed...except that not only will the survivors be telling of their near-death experiences to all for years to come, but the dragons are still there, thriving in fact.

Powers/Abilities: These Komodos produce a venom that can not only cause immense pain, but reduce people to braindead zombies.

Weakness: Anything conventional.

Scariness Factor: 3- Some bad CGI is quite distracting, yes, but you just have to admire the ferocity and strength of these reptiles. Imagine a regular Komodo, except ballooned in size, just as persistent, and capable of rotting your brain into making you a dangerous undead with its venom. Does that sound like a typical B-movie monster to you? Possibly, but it's no less terrifying.

Trivia: -The largest monitor lizard ever and one of the Komodo's greatest ancestors was Australia's Megalania prisca. With a name that means "Giant Ripper Lizard", this predator grew bigger than a saltwater crocodile, was equally opportunistic as its modern relative, and lived alongside ancient Aboriginals. Presumably, said Aboriginals drove it to extinction by either actively trying to kill it, depriving it of its prey's environment, or a combination of both.

-The way Komodo venom works is that the lizard first bites you, then it waits. It waits for the venom to lower your blood pressure, cause massive hemorrhaging, and reduce your strength until you can hardly move. Then they go in for the kill. Nature is fascinating.