Galactus
Galactus, sometimes called the Devourer of Worlds or Eater of Planets, is a fictional comic book character, a cosmic entity within Marvel Comics' universe. Created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #48, the beginning of a story arc sometimes regarded as the finest Lee/Kirby collaboration.Warning: Plot details follow.
When Galactus threatened to destroy the Earth, the Fantastic Four (aided by Galactus' ersthwhile herald, the Silver Surfer) defeated him and Galactus vowed to never again try and harm the Earth.
Details of Galactus' orgin were later revealed:
Originally named Galan, he is the sole survivor of the Big Crunch of the previous universe. A space explorer investigating the impending end of his universe, he approached the focal point of the Big Crunch and was transformed into a cosmic entity even as the universe collapsed. After the Big Bang of the current universe, to complete his transformation, Galactus was encased in a cosmic egg brimming with enormous energies. After billions of years, he emerged as an entity of vast cosmic power who was also necessary for the existence of the newly formed universe. Galactus is considered one of the three essential entities within the Marvel Universe alongside Eternity, the anthropomorphic personification of the universe, and Death.
Though he wields the immeasurable Power Cosmic, Galactus must feed off the energy of planets, without which he cannot survive. Towards this end, Galactus scours the universe seeking planets to sustain himself. Over millions of years he has become one of the most feared beings in the universe, his vast power allowing him to laying waste to innumerable extra-terrestrial civilizations in his quest for sustenance. Nevertheless, he is not evil, but rather a force of nature.
He has appointed a number of entities as his Heralds, imbuing them with a portion of the Power Cosmic and setting them out to search for edible worlds. Most of his heralds have rebelled or betrayed him. Among his heralds are the Silver Surfer, Terrax, Firelord, Air-Walker, Nova, Morg, and Red Shift.
Recently, in the Galactus: The Devourer limited series (1999-2000), Galactus died and was changed into a star by the forces of the Earth heroes and the Shi'ar Empire. Galactus has since returned to the normal continuity in various appearances in the pages of Fantastic Four and in a new Thanos series that began in 2003.
Galactus also made an appearance in the Earth X series, which lies outside the normal Marvel Earth 616 continuity. The Earth X series revealed why Galactus was one of the three essential entities in the Marvel Universe: by declaring that by destroying planets, which were really "eggs" of the Celestials, he prevented the Celestials from overpopulating the universe. However, other revelations in the Earth X series have proven to be false in regards to normal Marvel continuity, so this aspect of Galactus' nature may only be true in Earth X.
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Quotations
--Galactus, The Origin of Galactus (Marvel Comic, 1996)
A faceless Galactus was featured on the cover 1969's, "Monster Movie," Can's debut album.
Influence
External links