Talkin' Trash

Talkin' Trash is an episode of from the first season.

Plot

A sanitation worker's strike leaves New York city covered in garbage. A scientist creates a colony of advanced microbes which consume petroleum based substances, but is under pressure from his employer to finish the operation. The microbes break free and attack a laboratory assistant, but is contained, for now.

In the morning, the microbes, or P.E.M.C. are demonstrated and successfully break down a crate filled with garbage. But they continue to search for more to consume, destroying a ship in the process. The H.E.A.T. team find the P.E.M.C., which has now grown massive. They use N.I.G.E.L. to electrocute it with a high voltage shock, but the robot gets ripped apart. Their weapons push the P.E.M.C. into the ocean, only for it to upgrade itself into a multi-legged marine version. The P.E.M.C. makes its way towards an oil tanker, but the team attacks it. Part of one of its tentacles is torn off by a stun-harpoon, and it is contained for research. The team is forced to escape, and the P.E.M.C. devours the oil in the tanker, growing larger as it feeds.

Godzilla comes to attack it, but the P.E.M.C. attempts to cover and suffocate him. Meanwhile, Mendel and Elsie are studying the sample they collected, and they find that the microbes are augumented with nanotech drivers, if the drivers are removed the microbes die. Mendel and Randy create a virus to shut down the nanotechnology. The P.E.M.C. spots an oil refinery and leaves Godzilla. It goes towards the refinery, comsuming oil trucks on the way, and all the while growing larger and eventually gaining a final, dragon-like form.

The virus is completed and tested on the sample, reducing it to a pathetic blob. Unfortunately, the refinery is causing too much signal noise, making it impossible to transmit the virus electronically. So Nick suspends himself from a cable and introduces the infected sample to the P.E.M.C., destroying it.

Trivia

* This is one of the few episodes where Godzilla doesn't actually kill the monster.
*Because the P.E.M.C. is amorphous and consumes garbage, it could be an homage to Hedorah.