Hiroshi Fujioka catches a Tokyo train amidst a large scale evacuation. While on board, he spots someone riding a motorcycle moving the other direction of the evacuating convoys. Near nightfall the headquarters of research and development think-tank Crisis Control Intelligence (CCI) suddenly comes under a brutal attack by that same motorcyclist when they come crashing through their front entrance. Unaffected by everything the shady organization's security teams throw at them, the intruder rapidly reveals themselves to be something decidedly not human.
But the intruder, Shin, was human once. Before that was torn away by CCI. But as they contemplate how they got to where they are now and what they've become, they soon are confronted with two other truths. This is Tokyo in 1984 and they are hardly the biggest monster around. The choice to be something else is left before them.
Hero is a fanfiction rewrite of Shin Kamen Rider: Prologue set in the Heisei Godzilla continuity written by Tarbtano
and edited by Lance Omikron. The same sort of Kamen Rider is present, being a Horrifying Hero who is more a mutated cyborg monster than a costumed superhero, but in a drastically different and potentially even darker new setting.
The fanfic is currently in progress (latest chapter posted as of 04/05/2022), with Part 1 released.
Readable here on Fimfiction, on Archive Of Our Own, Deviant Art, and on Fanfiction.net.
This Fan Fic provides examples of:
- Action Girl: See Samus Is a Girl.
- Adaptational Context Change: Shin still has a moment reflecting on their lost humanity, but the setting and context have changed.
- Big Entrance: Shin breaks into Crisis Control Intelligence's headquarters by driving a motorcycle full speed at the front door, then pulling off a stunt jump to smash through the window.
- Blasphemous Boast: The unnamed head of Project Shocker, when chiding a protesting scientist, boasts that they have outdone God by creating a better new breed of humanity with Shin as the first.
- Body Horror: The traumatizing transformation Shin underwent from the film is still there with gusto. Adding to it, the change appears to be permanent and happened gradually. All while they were strapped to a table.
- Crossover: It's a crossover with the Heisei Godzilla continuity, with the chief events happening at the same time as The Return of Godzilla.
- Clark Kenting: Despite being a famous actor, Hiroshi Fujioka manages to go unnoticed by wearing casual clothing, not doing his hair up, and not striking any of his infamous action poses.
- Diabolus ex Nihilo: From Shin's perspective, as they have been out of it for months, getting caught up in the 1984 Godzilla attack comes absolutely out of nowhere.
- Fun with Acronyms: The project that created Shin is called "Successor to Humanity Created by Kaijin Research", SHCKR transcribed as "Shocker".
- Little Hero, Big War: Shin's story happens in the background of the 1984 Godzilla attack.
- Mythology Gag: The C.C.I program that created Shin is named "Shocker".
- No Name Given: Shin's surname is unknown, due to memory loss from the experiments that turned them into a cyborg.
- Samus Is a Girl: Shin in this continuity is a woman, but you can't tell unless you hear them speak as they look so inhuman.
- Show Within a Show: Hiroshi Fujioka exists as an actor who worked on the show Kamen Rider (1971), implying all of the Kamen rider shows up to 1984 are works of fiction in-universe.
- Stealth Prequel: To Godzilla: New Era, showing some of what happened in the 1984 Godzilla attack that affected several characters.
- What You Are in the Dark: Seeing Godzilla begin to go on a rampage that could kill tens of thousands, Shin is left with a choice. Continue being a monster in their pursuit of revenge for revenge's sake by killing the head of CCI, or going off into a city under attack by a kaiju which Shin could never hope to defeat to try and be a hero saving anyone they can. They choose to be a hero.
