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Galactus is a Fictional Character , a cosmic entity in the Marvel Comics Universe . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby as an antagonist for the Fantastic Four , the character First Appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' vol. 1, #48 (Mar. 1966), the first part of a three-issue story later known as "The Galactus Trilogy". Thomas, Roy, ''Stan Lee's Amazing Marvel Universe'' (Sterling Publishing, New York, 2006), "Moment 29: The Galactus Trilogy", pp. 112-115. ISBN-10 1-4027-4225-8; ISBN-13 978-1-4027-4225-5 PUBLICATION HISTORY Following his introduction in the Superhero -team title ''Fantastic Four'' vol. 1, #48-50 (March-May 1966), Galactus next appeared in a Flashback Cameo in '' Daredevil '' vol. 1, #37 (Feb. 1968) before physically returning to Earth to retrieve his herald, the Silver Surfer , in actual and behind-the-scenes appearances throughout ''Fantastic Four'' #72-77 (March-Aug. 1968). He appears extensively in flashback, in the heretofore unrevealed origin of the Silver Surfer, in ''The Silver Surfer'' vol. 1, #1 (Aug. 1968). Galactus' Origin Story climaxed a series of appearances in '' Thor '' vol. 1, #160-162 (Jan.-March 1969) and #168-169 (Sept.-Oct. 1969), the latter of which, by writer Stan Lee, penciler and co-plotter Jack Kirby and Inker George Klein , revealed the character's beginnings. ''Super-Villain Classics'' #1 (May 1983) reprinted that 20-page tale with additions, edits, and deletions by writer Mark Gruenwald , pencillers John Byrne and Ron Wilson , and inkers Jack Abel and Vince Colletta to create an updated, 23-page origin story titled "Galactus". This in turn was reprinted as ''Origin of Galactus'' #1 (Feb. 1996). Galactus has made numerous guest appearances throughout the decades, and starred in the six-issue Miniseries ''Galactus the Devourer'' (Sept. 1999 - March 2000). FICTIONAL CHARACTER BIOGRAPHY Rebirth .]] Originally named Galan of the planet Taa, Galactus is the sole survivor of the Big Crunch of the universe that existed prior to occurrence of the Big Bang , which led to the present-day Marvel Universe . Galan was a space explorer investigating the impending end of his universe. Eventually, Taa was engulfed by a radiation plague that killed almost all its inhabitants. At the last second, Galan escapes the doomed planet in a star-ship with a few other survivors. Rather than perish from the lethal radiation that had extinguished all life across the universe, Galan proposes to his crewmates that they pilot their craft directly into the center of the Big Crunch. As he approaches the , and after millions of years emerges as an entity of vast cosmic power who is essential and intrinsic to the newly formed universe. Galactus is considered one of the five essential entities within the Marvel Universe alongside Eternity , Death , Infinity , and Oblivion . Galactus has been referred to as the "third force of the universe" ''Silver Surfer'' vol. 3 #10 alongside Eternity and Death. Eternity and Death consider Galactus a peer and a sibling, with Death actually referring to Galactus on one occasion as "husband, father, brother, and son." ''Fantastic Four'' vol. 1, #257 It has also been suggested but not proven that the entity the In-Betweener is Galactus' metaphysical counterpart. ''Silver Surfer'' vol. 3, #18 The Devourer of Worlds Due to his vast power and intrinsic, natural role in the universal order, Galactus considers himself a higher being than all non-abstracts, and as such has become more morally complex in recent decades, coming to embody a force of Cosmic nature and proving to be a necessary being for the universe to exist. Galactus maintains his existence by devouring planets that have the potential for supporting life. He has consumed countless planets, resulting in the elimination of entire Extra-terrestrial civilizations. For this purpose, Galactus usually employs a Herald to scour the universe in search of suitable planets. Upon pinpointing the requisite planetary body, the herald will signal Galactus, resulting in the Devourer's arrival on the world's surface and the deployment of the Elemental Converter—a colossal machine capable of draining all life energy from the planet within minutes. While the Converter makes consumption of the planet's energy more efficient, Galactus is fully capable of devouring planets without its aid.''Fantastic Four'' vol. 1, #257 (Aug. 1983) Galactus has appointed a number of beings to act as his Herald, with each being bestowed a fraction of the Power Cosmic. Curiously many of Galactus' Heralds have either rebelled against him, betrayed him or been cast aside. His known Heralds to date have included:
In alternate and parallel realities stories, Galactus also used other heralds: Earth '' vol. 1, #49 (April 1966), part two of "The Galactus Trilogy". Cover art by Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott .]] Galactus has threatened to consume the Earth on several occasions. During the first encounter, the cosmic entity the Watcher , and, later, Galactus' rebellious herald, the Silver Surfer , aid the Fantastic Four . Galactus is defeated when Mister Fantastic threatens him with the Ultimate Nullifier , the one weapon capable of destroying him (the weapon is obtained by the Human Torch when the Watcher transports him to Galactus' vessel). Galactus leaves and vows to never attack the Earth again.''Fantastic Four'' vol. 1, #48-50 (March-May 1966) Galactus does however, return to Earth space to seek the Silver Surfer''Fantastic Four'' vol. 1, #74-77 and is eventually released from his vow by Mr. Fantastic so that he can stop the threat of the cosmic entity the Sphinx .''Fantastic Four'' vol. 1, #210 - 213 (Sept.-Dec. 1979) In one significant encounter, Galactus returns to Earth in pursuit of his rebellious herald, Terrax . Galactus expends a considerable amount of energy in the pursuit, and finally arrives with the intention of consuming Earth to replenish himself. A hungry and weakened Galactus resolves the issue with Terrax, but is so diminished in strength that he is defeated by the combined efforts of the Fantastic Four , the Avengers , and Doctor Strange . However, rather than watch Galactus die of hunger, Mister Fantastic uses a device powered by the thunder god, Thor , to reinvigorate him. A grateful Galactus vows that Earth is safe from his feedings before departing.''Fantastic Four'' vol. 1, #242-244 (May-July 1982) Mister Fantastic's decision has consequences, however, as he is later placed on trial by a consortium of alien worlds for his actions. The Shi'ar preside over the trial, and look to execute Mister Fantastic until the cosmic entity, Eternity , is summoned by the combined efforts of Galactus and the Watcher. Eternity then enables millions of alien onlookers to momentarily become one with the universe, temporarily granting them the clarity that Galactus is part of the natural order of the cosmos. Temporary death Galactus recently discovered he was "starving" to death due to an addiction to the life forces of living beings which offer no sustenance, and was apparently killed when the Silver Surfer turned Galactus' own Elemental Converter against him. As Galactus dies he warns that his death will allow a great evil to surface. After his death, Galactus' remains took the form of a Star .''Galactus the Devourer'' #1-6 (Sept. 1999 - March 2000) The great evil that Galactus spoke of emerged a year later in the form of the Biblical demon, Abraxas , the universal embodiment of destruction and the antithesis of Eternity. The Fantastic Four discover that most of the energy that Galactus took from planets was devoted to keeping Abraxas imprisoned as, if released, the entity will eventually destroy the entire Multiverse .''Fantastic Four'' Annual 2001 Franklin Richards pools his Celestial -level power with that of his sister, Valeria Von Doom , and reconstitutes Galactus, but the siblings permanently burn out their powers in doing so. The newly reformed Galactus reclaims the Ultimate Nullifier from Abraxas, and Reed Richards uses it to remake the multiverse into a version in which Abraxas never escapes. The Ultimate Nullifier is revealed to be an aspect of Galactus himself.''Fantastic Four'' vol. 1, #478 Soon after, however, Reed Richards designs a weapon with the express purpose of stripping Galactus of the Power Cosmic. The creation of the device is made possible with help from Quasar and Johnny Storm , who is cosmically aware at this time. The weapon succeeds in separating Galactus into his two core components — Galan and the Power Cosmic. Galan then exiles himself in another dimension, hoping that this act will prevent the Power Cosmic from finding him.''Fantastic Four'' vol. 1, #520-523 (Jan.-April 2005) The ruse fails, however, as a fully reformed Galactus encounters the alien warrior, Beta Ray Bill , soon after.''Stormbreaker: The Saga of Beta Ray Bill'' #1-6 (2005) The manner in which the Power Cosmic finds Galan has not been revealed. Annihilation Galactus is a member of a group of entities called the "Cosmic Balance". After a brutal civil war that only three beings survived — Galactus the Devourer of Worlds, Tenebrous of the Darkness Between, and Aegis the Lady of All Sorrows — Galactus imprisons his brethren in the Kyln, until the , Drax The Destroyer , and Annihilus , the mastermind behind the Annihilation Wave. The Annihilation Wave and at least three star systems and a Watcher are destroyed by a blast from Galactus resulting in an armistice between all parties.''Annihilation'' #1-6 (Oct. 2006 - March 2007). POWERS AND ABILITIES .]] Galactus wields the immeasurable ''' of matter,''The Silver Surfer'' vol. 1, #1 (Aug. 1968) the Teleportation of objects—even entire Galaxies —across Space and Time , ''Rom the Space Knight'' vol. 1, #27 the erection of impenetrable Force Fields , the creation of Interdimensional Portals ,''Thanos'' #3 Telepathy , ''Fantastic Four'' vol. 1, #242 Telekinesis , ''Fantastic Four'' vol. 1, #49 and cosmic awareness on a universal scale. ''Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars'' #9 Galactus has even shown the abilities to create sentient life in the form of Tyrant ,''Cosmic Powers Unlimited'' #2 resurrect his herald Morg,''Silver Surfer'' vol. 3 #76 manipulate mortal souls,''Silver Surfer'' vol. 3, #49 and remake dead worlds—including their populations — in every detail.''Silver Surfer'' vol. 3, #130 Galactus requires his armor to help regulate his internal energies. As Galactus must continuously feed to sustain himself, his power levels are inconsistent throughout any given period. For this reason, Earth's heroes have been able to achieve various degrees of success in repelling — though not defeating — a starving, weakened Galactus.''Fantastic Four'' vol. 1, #243 As the oldest known living entity in this universe, Galactus employs technology that by Mr. Fantastic's own admission—perhaps the most brilliant mind on Earth—he cannot even begin to grasp. ''Fantastic Four'' vol. 1, #210 (Sept. 1979) Physical appearance Although Galactus is usually illustrated as a giant, armoured humanoid, each species perceives Galactus in a form resembling its own. As a being who is both an abstract entity (e.g. Death , Eternity , et al) and a physical creature, Galactus' true form and nature are beyond the capability of mortal beings to comprehend. He has, however, adopted the appearance of a roughly humanoid energy being on at least three occasions. ''Silver Surfer'' vol. 3, #10 (April 1988), ''Infinity Gauntlet'' #5 (Nov. 1991), and ''Super-Villain Classics'' #1 (May 1983) OTHER VERSIONS Ultimate Marvel See Also: Ultimate Galactus trilogy '' #5 (July 2006), with Gah Lak Tus. Cover art by Brandon Peterson. ]] Ultimate Galactus, called Gah Lak Tus, was introduced in a trilogy written by Warren Ellis . Gah Lak Tus is first mentioned by Ultimate Vision , an early-warning system for worlds under threat by Gah Lak Tus, an immense (approx. 100,000 miles long) group mind of city-sized robotic drones that attacks worlds using envoys (resembling the Silver Surfer ) followed by a flesh-eating virus that destroys all life. After this the entity breaks open the dying world and sucks all thermal energy from the core. Gah Lak Tus considers all forms and expressions of organic life to be so abhorrent it believed itself desecrated when telepathically contacted by Professor X .''Ultimate Nightmare'' (2004); ''Ultimate Secret'' (2005) & ''Ultimate Extinction'' (2006): '''need specific issues''' unless Prof. X contacted him in every issue of all three series. Epic Illustrated The Anthology comics-magazine '' Epic Illustrated '' published "The Last Galactus Story" by John Byrne . Set 100,000,000 years in the future, Galactus devours a now uninhabited Earth. Accompanied by Nova, Galactus follows the trail of destroyed galaxies to the core of the Milky Way. The story's conclusion was never published, but it involved Galactus combating a rogue Watcher until the death of the universe. When only Galactus and his herald, Nova, remain, Galactus removes his helmet, releasing a new Big Bang. With the end of Galactus and the birth of a new universe, Nova is shown as having transformed into the Galactus for that universe.[http://www.byrnerobotics.com/FAQ/listing.asp?ID=3&T1=Questions+about+Aborted+Storylines#57 the Frequently Asked Questions on John Byrne's website] Amalgam Comics In the Amalgam Universe, Galactus is merged with villain Brainiac to create Galactiac , who devours planets to replenish his energy cells, and simultaneously shrinks components of them to study at his leisure - much like the first version of Brainiac. ''Challengers of the Fantastic'' #1 (1997) MC2 Galactus, accompanied by a new herald named Dominas , appears in the MC2 universe, in the Last Planet Standing limited series. ''Last Planet Standing'' #1 - 5 Earth X Galactus also appears in the non-canon '' Earth X '' series. In ''Earth X'' Galactus is one of the three essential entities in the universe keeping the cosmic entities the Celestials in check. By destroying planets - actually "eggs" of the Celestials - Galactus prevents the Celestials from overpopulating the universe. ''Earth X'' #1 - 12 (2000 - 2001) Heroes Reborn Galactus appears in the pocket universe created by Franklin Richards - after the events of the Onslaught saga - and deploys several heralds at once and actually succeeds in consuming the Earth twice, although this is undone by Doctor Doom with the use of his time machine.''Heroes Reborn'' (1996 - 1997) Mangaverse In the Earth-2301 universe ''Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe: Alternate Universes'' (2005) the Manga Galactus appears as a gigantic, planet-sized lifeform (similar to Ego The Living Planet and Unicron ). ''New Mangaverse'' v2 #1 - 5 (2005 - 2006) Marvel Zombies Galactus appears in "classic" form and battles the '' Marvel Zombies .'' ''Marvel Zombies'' (2005 - 2006) He is defeated by the remaining zombies, and succeeded by the zombies as the new Galactus. In '' Marvel Zombies Vs. The Army Of Darkness '', another alternate Galactus appears as the victim of "Marvel Werewolves". ''Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness'' #5 Exiles The Exiles encountered one reality where Galactus is the restorer, rather than devourer of worlds. ''Exiles'' v1. #86 - 87 DC Universe Galactus has appeared in three projects associated with the DC Universe . Two of these appearances are not regarded as canon and exist as isolated one-shot publications, ''Superman, Fantastic Four: Infinite Destruction'' (1999) and ''Darkseid vs. Galactus: The Hunger'' (1995) while the third is referenced. ''JLA:Avengers'' # 1- 3 (2003 - 2004), in ''Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe'' (2006) IN OTHER MEDIA Television
Video games image of Galactus from ''''.]]
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