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Galactus

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{{Superherobox| image=Image:Galactus.PNG 225px |caption=Galactus
Andrea Di Vito, artist |comic_color=background:#ff8080 |character_name=Galactus |real_name=Galan |publisher=Marvel Comics |debut=''Fantastic Four'' #48 (March 1966) |creators=Stan Lee
Jack Kirby |alliance_color=background:#cccccc |status=Active |alliances= |previous_alliances= |aliases=Devourer of Worlds
Eater of Planets |relatives=Eternity (comics) Eternity, Death (Marvel Comics) Death |powers=Imbued with the Power Cosmic which can enable any number of abilities |}} '''Galactus''', sometimes called the '''Devourer of Worlds''' or '''Eater of Planets''', is a fictional character fictional comic book character, a cosmic entity within Marvel Comics' Marvel Universe 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.

Character history
{{spoiler}}

Rebirth
Originally named '''Galan''' (or '''Galen''', the spelling differs on occasion), he hails from the planet Taa, and is the sole survivor of the Big Crunch of the previous universe in which Taa was located. A outer space space explorer investigating the impending end of his universe, his ship approached the focal point of the Big Crunch and was promptly destroyed. Galen, the only survivor, was transformed into a cosmic entity even as the universe collapsed, after striking a deal with Eternity (comics) Eternity, who was about to be reborn in the next universe. After the Big Bang of the current universe, to complete his metamorphosis (biology) 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 five essential entities within the Marvel Universe alongside Eternity (comics) Eternity, the personification of the universe, Death (Marvel Comics) Death, Infinity (Marvel Comics) Infinity and Oblivion.

The Devourer of Worlds
Galactus wields the immeasurable '''Power Cosmic''' (indeed, he is so powerful that he must always wear his alien armor in order to contain his vast energies; were he ever to remove it, the energy thus released would destroy him and turn him into a star). However, he must feed to survive, consuming the energy of entire planets. 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 lay waste to innumerable Extraterrestrial life extra-terrestrial civilizations in his quest for sustenance. Image:Sspara.png Galactus with the Silver Surfer.|225px|Cover to ''Silver Surfer: Parable''. Art by [[Jean Giraud, under the pseudonym "Moebius."|thumb]] Nevertheless, he is not an evil being, but rather a force of nature whose feedings are necessary for survival. It is also said that Galactus plays a necessary role in the continuum of the Universe bringing randomness, which in turn balances with order, and if he were ever destroyed another being would have to take his place in this task.

Heralds
He has appointed a number of entities as his Herald of Galactus heralds, imbuing them with a portion of the Power Cosmic and sending them to search for edible worlds. Most of his heralds have rebelled or betrayed him. Among his heralds are the Fallen One, Silver Surfer, Terrax, Firelord, Air-Walker, the Air-Walker robot, an Earthwoman named Frankie Raye later known as Nova (comics)#Frankie_Raye Nova, Morg, Red Shift (comics) Red Shift, the Asgardian Destroyer (Thor) Destroyer armor, Human Torch, Dazzler, and Stardust (his current herald). Gladiator (Shi'ar) Gladiator and Tyrant (comics) Tyrant were possibly heralds, and Superman was a herald very briefly in the FF/Superman crossover. In stories in alternate and parallel realities, he also used unknown heralds: Plasma, Dark Angel, Kryptonian, Golden Oldie, the Fantastic Four, Thor, Ardina, and Starglow. In the Ultimate Marvel storyline Gah Lak Tus, as he is known in the Ultimate Universe, has used The Ultimate version of the Silver Surfer as heralds as well. The ultimate version of the Vision was built as a warning system for the coming of Gah Lak Tus.

Attempts to Devour the Earth
Galactus has threatened to destroy the Earth, on several occasions. On the first, the Fantastic Four (aided by the Watcher (comics) Watcher Uatu and by Galactus' rebellious herald, the Silver Surfer) defeated him by threatening him with the Ultimate Nullifier. Galactus vowed to never again try to harm the Earth. Nevertheless, he has returned on several occasions, in one instance weakened enough for the Fantastic Four, the Avengers and several miscellaneous heroes to defeat him. Rather than watch him die of hunger, Mr. Fantastic saved him, for which he later went on galactic trial.

Temporary death
In the ''Galactus: The Devourer'' limited series (1999-2000), Galactus was killed after a battle against the united forces of the Avengers (comics) Avengers, Fantastic Four, Starjammers, the Shi'ar Empire and an armada of other united planets (including even a Kree starship). He died with an ominous warning that his death would allow a great evil to surface. After his death, Galactus' true form was revealed, that of a star. That great evil emerged in ''Fantastic Four Annual 2001'' in the form of Abraxas (comics) Abraxas, an entity that was the antithesis of Eternity. It was revealed that most of the energy that Galactus takes from planets was devoted to keeping him imprisoned. Abraxas was only defeated after it was revealed in ''Fantastic Four'' (vol. 2) #49 ([vol. 1] #478; January 2002) that Galactus was still alive. Roma (comics) Roma, Franklin Richards, and Valeria Richards Valeria Von Doom had been incubating Galactus within Eternity.

Humanoid
In the 2005 Fantastic Four storyline ''Rising Storm'', Galactus was separated from his cosmic energy, and reverted to the humanoid form of Galan. In tribute to "the indominitible spirit of the humanoid order", Galan willingly exiled himself into an other-universal realm, in apparent hope that this would prevent or delay the Galactus-energy-being from finding him. This did not last long, however, and as Galactus, he encountered Beta Ray Bill shortly after. How the power cosmic found him was not explained, nor is it definite this story didn't slightly preceed the other.

Alternate realities

Earth X
Galactus also made an appearance in the ''Earth X'' series, which lies outside the normal Marvel Earth-616 Earth 616 Continuity (fiction) continuity, making it non-canon. According to the ''Earth X'' series, Galactus was one of the three essential entities in the Marvel Universe not because he kept Abraxas at bay, but because he kept the Celestials at bay. By destroying planets, which were really "eggs" of the Celestials, he prevented the Celestials from overpopulating the universe. In its previous incarnation, the universe was brought to a premature end by the overpopulation of Celestials. When the threat of the gestating Celestial within Earth was discovered, Reed Richards was contacted by Machine Man X-51 to summon Galactus and destroy the Celestial. Unfortunately, in events which parallel Earth-616, Reed had turned Galactus into a star. However, he still sent Black Bolt on a suicide mission on the Moon to send a message into space. This message brought a being who appeared to be none other than Galactus himself, who then fought and killed several Celestials before terminating the gestating Celestial. After the battle, Reed asked Galactus to remove his mask, revealing that the devourer of worlds was actually his own missing son, Franklin. The sequels to Earth X (Universe X and Paradise X) later revealed that Franklin, distraught over his mother and uncle's deaths, had fled Earth with the armor of Galactus, convinced to take on the role of the cosmic entity. As Franklin had manifested the final stage of the Celestial seed within humanity, he believed he was Galactus and became Galactus. Reed could not even call his son by name when they met again on Earth. At the end of Paradise X, after Reed inherits Captain Marvel (Marvel Comics) Mar-vell's cosmic awareness, he states that his first act would be to rescue his son. The original Galactus was also revealed to be connected to the Microverse. The energies of the Sword in the Star not only created the Microverse, but also empowered Captain Universe before Arcturus Rann ceded the power to Mar-vell. When the Psycho-Man conquered Homeworld with the power of hate and forced Mari to kill Arcturus Rann, the Micronauts fought their way out, stealing the Psycho-Man's Psycho-Caster. The "fear" effect of the Psycho-Caster drew the Man-Thing to the portal which the Micronauts escaped through; as that which knows fear (or any other strong emotion) burns at the touch of the Man-Thing, the entirety of Subatomica was set ablaze by Man-Thing's tendrils. As a result, the energy which made up Subatomica, that from the Sword in the Star, threw itself backwards in time, to before the universe existed. There, it empowered Galan of Taa, to allow him to survive the previous universe and become Galactus. While Kyle Richmond claimed that the Sword itself was sentient, X-51 contradicted him on the Moon, saying that the Star was the sentient aspect: Galactus as a star. Image:ULTEXT001 cov.jpg thumb|Cover to ''Ultimate Extinction'' #1. Art by Brandon Peterson.

Ultimate Marvel
While Galactus (called Gah Lak Tus here) has as yet only appeared in a side story of the Ultimate Marvel Universe (see below), writer Warren Ellis is currently writing a trilogy of limited series set in the Ultimate Universe that will introduce him. The trilogy are ''Ultimate Nightmare'', ''Ultimate Secret'', and ''Ultimate Extinction''. Gah Lak Tus is mentioned by name from the Ultimate version of the Vision (comics) Vision during ''Ultimate Nightmare'' and is set to be introduced in ''Ultimate Extinction''. Image:GahLakTus.PNG thumb|left|Gah Lak Tus's 'Killing Tool'. Art by Brandon Peterson. He has been mentioned a few times in ''Ultimates The Ultimates'' in the current arc, as well as alluded to by an alien visitor in other series. It has also been revealed in the ''Official Guide to the Ultimate Marvel Universe: The Ultimates and X-Men 2005'' that Gah Lak Tus is an immense (approx. 100,000 miles long) robotic entity that targets worlds with a flesh-eating virus which destroys all life, after which the entity breaks open the dying world to its core and sucks dry all its thermal energy, preventing any intelligent life from growing on, or inhabiting, that world ever again.

Marvel Zombies
{{spoiler}} Galactus in his "classic" form appears at the close of issue three of the ''Marvel Zombies'' miniseries, which takes place in an alternate universe within the Ultimate Fantastic Four setting. In this particular alternate world, virtually all Marvel superheroes and supervillians, including Captain America (called "Colonel America" in this universe), Spider-Man, Iron Man, The Hulk, and Wolverine (comics) Wolverine have been turned into flesh-eating zombies by an infectious virus, a la ''Resident Evil''. At the end of issue two of the series, the Silver Surfer appears in this Universe's New York City to herald the coming of Galactus. The Marvel Zombies, who are always hungry for new meat, attack the Silver Surfer. While the Surfer holds them off for a time, and even maims several of the zombies (to little lasting effect), they ultimately work together to capture and eat him, thereby gaining some of his powers. Immediately thereafter, Galactus appears, asking the zombies what happened to his herald. At this point, it is understood that the Zombies must now take on Galactus himself.

Earth-712
According to ''Squadron Supreme: New World Order'', Earth-712 wherein the Squadron Supreme resides also has a "Devourer of Worlds" corresponding to Galactus, although he hasn't thus far reached Earth in this universe.

Quotations
*"Of all the creatures in the vastness of the universe, there is none like me. I was present at the birth of the universe, and I shall be there at its end. Though I ravage worlds to live, I bear no malice to any living thing. I simply do what I must to survive. And why must Galactus survive? For, no matter how many worlds I devour... How many civilizations I destroy... It is my destiny to one day give back to the universe — infinitely more than I have ever taken from it. So speaks Galactus." :--Galactus, ''The Origin of Galactus'' (Marvel Comics Marvel Comic, 1996) *"I am he who is Galactus! I am he who is the power throughout a thousand thousand worlds! Mine is the will that is the word! Mine the hand that is the might! I am the then! I am the now! I am the yet to be! [...] I am him who is Galactus! My every whim is living law throughout a thousand thousand worlds! I shall regain my fallen herald! I will choose the time! I will choose the place! Then, I will choose... the strategem! And if Earth must die that I shall live... so shall it be! For, am I not... Galactus?!!" :--Galactus, ''The Silver Surfer'' Trade Paperback (Lee/Kirby Productions, 1978)

Influence
Image:CanMonsterMovieAlbumCover.jpg left|100px|cover of Can's ''Monster Movie'' album A faceless Galactus was featured on the cover of 1969's "Monster Movie," Can (band) Can's debut album. The Tick animated series had an episode (''Alone Together'') featuring a character named "Omnipotus" which was an extremely obvious parody of Galactus, down to the eating of worlds, although much less intelligent. After being shot into space, the Tick briefly becomes the herald of Omnipotus, rebelling and later convincing Omnipotus to spare Earth. He also appeared with the Tick's comic-book incarnation. Although technically not an influence, per se, the Transformers (toyline) Transformers character Unicron plays a very similar role in the series' mythos, even to the point of parodying his origins. However, unlike Galactus, Unicron is thoroughly evil, and is more or less considered to be the Transformers' equivalent to the devil (with his counterpart, Primus_(Transformers) Primus, being the equivalent of God). The syndicated comic ''Brewster Rockit: Space Guy!'' has a current storyline featuring a giant humanoid alien named Cosmicus who is attempting to devour the Earth.

Other
Galactus appeared in the 1994 Marvel cartoon show ''Fantastic Four'' with Silver Surfer. He also regularly appeared as a Computer animated figure in the ''Silver Surfer'' cartoon series on Fox Kids FOX Kids Network in 1997. In the episode of "Fairly Oddparents" on Nickelodeon (TV channel) Nickelodeon, called "Mighty Mom and Dyno Dad", Timmy Turner wishes himself to be a great superbeing called Timactimus, the eater of planets, so he can make his parents vulnerable to magic. In a comedic issue of Marvel's What If (comics) ''What If?'' series, Galactus was banished to earth and lands outside a trailer park, suffering from amnesia. After he is discovered by a local, she declares that he looks exactly like a young Elvis Presley. Galactus/Elvis begins a music career but when he is finally confronted by a galactic being and given his memory back, he chooses to remain on Earth as the king of Rock N' Roll. The Dexter's Laboratory backup series ''Dial M for Monkey'' once included a battle between the heroes of Earth and '''Barbequor''', a cosmic entity who eats worlds with barbeque sauce, and who had a herald called the 'Silver Spooner'. In the 1997 Fox Kids FOX Kids cartoon "Sam and Max: Freelance Police"; the character of Galactus was also spoofed in the form of the character 'Lactose the Intolerant'.

External links
* MarvelDatabase:Galactus MDP: Galactus - Marvel Database Project
- Marvel Directory - [http://www.marveldirectory.com/individuals/g/galactus.htm Galactus]
- GameFAQ's Comic Book FAQ: Marvel Cosmic Entities Category:Fantastic Four villains Category:Marvel Comics aliens Category:Marvel Comics cosmic entities Category:fictional immortals de:Galactus es:Galactus fr:Galactus it:Galactus pt:Galactus fi:Galactus

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