Real World Origin:
Film, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953)
In-Universe Description:
Nuclear tests performed in the Arctic wake a prehistoric Rhedosaurus; an enormous and aggressive four-legged carnivorous reptile. The monster swims down the coast of North America, sinking ships along the way. Eventually the Rhedosaurus comes ashore in New York city and starts wreaking havoc.
The Rhedosaurus is injured during its fight with the U.S. Army and it retreats to the ocean. However, the creature's blood is infected with ancient germs which are lethal to humans. Since blowing up the monster could cause the germs to spread, the military has to come up with a less messy way to deal with the Rhedosaurus when it returns to the city and attacks Coney Island.
Although the Rhedosaurus (which is an entirely fictional animal) was intended to be some sort of dinosaur, by definition no dinosaurs had splayed legs as this monster has. The movie was originally going to be titled Monster from Beneath the Sea when it was realized that Ray Bradbury had written a short story with a similar theme called The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. The film's producers bought the rights to the short story, renamed their movie, and promoted it as being "suggested" by Bradbury's story. Bradbury, in turn, renamed his short story The Fog Horn.
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