The Last Hope is a comic book originated by artist Matt Frank as an unlicensed prequel to Gamera: Guardian of the Universe and its sequels, explaining how the Atlantean civilization, upon being attacked by the serpentine Garasharp species, responded by using mana to create the bat-like Gyaos to fight back against them. While the Gyaos were successful, they then turned on their creators, who in turn made another race of monsters — the Gamera, each psychically bonded to a human via a magatama bead. All but one Gamera died in the war against the Gyaos, but succeeded in their mission.
Years later though, a new swarm of Gyaos — accompanied by a massive Garasharp — attacked the city. The final Gamera ultimately decided to destroy both the city and the attacking monsters, realizing their continuing use of mana was to blame for the repeated attacks, then went into a dormant state. The surviving Atlanteans created a tablet recounting the story of the battle, which they placed atop the last Gamera (where it would be discovered in the present day).
Originally self-published and sold exclusively at G-Fest XXIV in 2017, it was subsequently translated into Japanese and included in the 2018 release of the Gamera: The Guardian of the Universe miniseries (set between Gamera, Guardian of the Universe and its first sequel) as a bonus, and the studio that releases Gamera films considers the story canonical
. Both the miniseries and The Last Hope were subsequently included in the U.S. and U.K. in 2020 as part of Arrow Video's Gamera: The Complete Collection Blu-ray box set. It can also be read on Matt Frank’s DeviantArt account, here.
This comic contains the following tropes:
- Bittersweet Ending: Atlantis is no more and despite a whole lot of the Gyaos being destroyed, the Hesei trilogy unfortunately reveals their eggs have survived to one day wreck havoc. However, the Garasharp are finally destroyed and the surviving Atlanteans seal Gamera away leading to the events of Gamera: Guardian of the Universe where he rises up once more to protect the Earth from the Gyaos; furthermore, the Southern General can be seen tending to an egg that will eventually become Irys.
- Dwindling Party: The Gameras put up a valiant fight against the Gyaos horde but they soon fell one by one, leaving only the last one we know from the Hesei trilogy.
- Mythology Gag: Some of the Gameras resemble previous Gameras throughtout the entire film series, including those from the Showa Era and Gamera the Brave.
- Origins Episode: The comic details the creation of Gamera and Gyaos and the fall of Atlantis.
- Properly Paranoid: The Northern General is skeptical that the Gyaos are gone after the Gamera army seemingly wiped them out. Turns out she's right.
- Small Role, Big Impact: Had it not been to the Garasharp, the Gyaos would never have existed nor Gamera.
- Snakes Are Sinister: The Garasharp are gigantic cobra-like monsters that preyed on the Atlanteans.
- Turned Against Their Masters: The Southern General created the Gyaos to devour the Garasharp. They succeeded but with their food source gone, the Gyaos turned to another source...
