Warning: Spoilers for Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode 7

Summary

• May's past is connected to APEX, the organization that built Mechagodzilla in Godzilla vs. Kong.
• APEX, originally known as AET, conducted morally dubious experiments on animals and had a goal to study the nervous systems of Titans.
• A secret deal was made between APEX and Monarch in 2015, hinting at a deeper connection between the two organizations.

In an unexpected turn of events, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters offered an abundance of new information concerning the organization that built Mechagodzilla. As a show set after the 2014 Godzilla and before Godzilla: King of the Monsters, there originally wasn't much of an expectation for the Apple TV+ series to have a strong connection to a recent movie like Godzilla vs. Kong. However, the massive gap between the two Monsterverse installments didn't stop the show from making the villains of the 2021 crossover a big part of its narrative.

The big twist at the end of the creation of Mechagodzilla, the mechanized Titan that forces a team-up between Godzilla and Kong at the end of the movie. Thanks to the surprise connection, Monarch's show was able to shed additional insight into APEX's motivations and history.

APEX Was Originally Called AET

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters cleverly hid the link between May's former employers and APEX by noting that the company she worked for was called AET. Presented as an extremely powerful tech company that used May's coding work for mysterious purposes, AET was described as an organization that strove to make the world a better place. As May said, she was under the impression AET's work was to "help people walk again, see again" using "bleeding edge" methods.

The philanthropic facade put on AET was eerily similar to the speech given by Walter Simmons about APEX's mission early on in Godzilla vs. Kong. This was one of many hints that foreshadowed the twist at the end of the episode that saw the words "APEX" flash across a monitor screen. It came during a phone call between Brenda Holland (May's ex-boss) and a character revealed to be Simmons. After the reveal, Brenda declared the subject of their conversation a "bold statement for AET's corporate mission," suggesting that this moment in 2015 is when the name APEX was chosen.

APEX Conducted Illegal Experiments On Animals

What ultimately pushed May to turn on APEX was the discovery that her employers were engaged in morally dubious acts, specifically experiments on animals. May was horrified to find monkeys in cages with devices attached to their heads. Apparently, this was all part of APEX's work on a "cybernetic neuro-interface unit." In 2015, Brenda Holland defended those experiments by calling what they were doing "the future being created."

It would seem that this research was a precursor to the technology they used to allow Ren Serizawa to link with Mechagodzilla in Godzilla vs. Kong. The devices attached to the head do indeed raise comparisons to what was done with Ren in Godzilla vs. Kong. May's discovery in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode 7 goes to show that Mechagodzilla, whether a robot version of Godzilla was always the goal or not, has been in the works at APEX much longer than previously known. May destroying APEX's research several years ago could have to do with why it took until Godzilla vs. Kong for Mechagodzilla to be complete.

One Of APEX's Goals Was To Study Titan Nervous Systems

Before Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, it was understood that APEX was heavily invested in achieving human superiority. May's talks with Brenda revealed a bit more about one of the specific goals APEX pursues. Brenda expressed an interest in studying the nervous systems of Titans and figuring out what could allow a monster of Godzlla's size to function. It was this desire that led to Brenda offering May her freedom in exchange for being their spy within Monarch. Brenda hoped to use May to learn more about the Titans and their anatomy.

APEX Made A Secret Deal With Monarch In 2015

As it turns out, APEX may not have needed May's help with getting information on the Titans of the Monsterverse after all. After receiving a phone call from Monarch deputy director Natalia Verdugo, Brenda let May go and then mentioned a "deal" when talking to Simmons. Clearly, Monarch and APEX formed some sort of arrangement. Whereas Verdugo displayed a cautious attitude toward it, Brenda was comparably more enthusiastic. She voiced her approval of the deal to Simmons, claiming that if Verdugo keeps her end of the bargain, the future will be "bright" for APEX.

What APEX will gain from Monarch wasn't mentioned, but what she wanted from May serves as a clue. Since she wanted information on the Titans from May but was eventually convinced to let her off the hook, it stands to reason that Monarch will provide these details instead. Of course, that may not be the only benefit of their arrangement. In Godzilla vs. Kong, APEX was shown to be in possession of Skullcrawler eggs, as if they had access to Skull Island. It was theorized at the time - but not confirmed - that APEX must have received them from Monarch, whether it be through theft or a trade.

Brenda itted to May that the cybernetic neuro-interface research May destroyed was related to APEX's interest in Titans. The incident with May at APEX's headquarters in Seattle was depicted in flashbacks to "three years ago," meaning that APEX has somehow been had at least some awareness of monsters since 2012. That's a massive development, considering that the public didn't find out about the Titans until Godzilla battled the MUTOs in 2014. They knew about it at least two years in advance, and may have known about them even longer than that.

The answer to that mystery could tie into APEX's origins, which seemingly go deeper than Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode 7's AET story. If the Monsterverse ever gets another opportunity to revisit Walter Simmons and APEX, it's possible more secrets will be revealed pertaining to what APEX was working on in the shadows. Their prized creation, Mechagodzilla, was defeated, but as Monarch: Legacy of Monsters has confirmed, there's clearly more to do with APEX, whose shady dealings go back by more than a decade in the Monsterverse timeline.

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters releases new episodes on Fridays on Apple TV+.