Red Shift (comics)

Galactus () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Formerly a mortal man, he is a cosmic entity who consumes planets to sustain his life force, and serves a functional role in the upkeep of the primary Marvel continuity. He was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #48 (March 1966). Lee and Kirby wanted to introduce a character that broke from the archetype of the standard villain. In the character's first appearance, Galactus was depicted as a god-like figure that fed by draining living planets of their energy, and operated without regard to the morality or judgments of mortal beings.

Galactus's initial origin was that of a Taa-an space explorer named Galan who gained cosmic abilities by passing near a star,''Thor'' #168–169. Marvel Comics. but writer Mark Gruenwald further developed the character's origins, presenting Taa and Galan as existing in the universe prior to the Big Bang that began the setting of the current universe. As Galan's universe came to an end, he merged with the " Sentience of the Universe" to become Galactus, an entity who must consume planets to sustain his existence. Additional material written by John Byrne, Jim Starlin, and Louise Simonson explored Galactus's role and purpose in the Marvel Universe, and examined the character's actions through themes of genocide, manifest destiny, ethics, and natural/necessary existence. Frequently accompanied by a herald (such as the Silver Surfer), the character has appeared as both antagonist and protagonist in central and supporting roles. Since debuting in the Silver Age of Comic Books, Galactus has played a role in over five decades of Marvel continuity. In 2009, Galactus ranked fifth on IGN's list of "Top 100 Comic Book Villains", which cited the character's "larger-than-life presence" as making him one of the more important villains ever created. IGN also noted "Galactus is one of the few villains on our list to really defy the definition of an evil-doer" as the character is compelled to destroy worlds because of his hunger, rather than out of malicious ends.

The character has been featured in other Marvel media, such as arcade games, video games, animated television series, and the 2007 film '' Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer''. He will appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film '' The Fantastic Four: First Steps'' (2025), portrayed by Ralph Ineson.

Publication history

Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist-coplotter Jack Kirby, the character debuted in ''The Fantastic Four'' #48 (cover dated March 1966, the first 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. ;

Origin

In 1966, nearly five years after launching Marvel Comics' flagship superhero title, ''Fantastic Four'', creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby collaborated on an antagonist designed to break the supervillain mold of the tyrant with god-like stature and power. As Lee recalled in 1993,

Kirby described his biblical inspirations for Galactus and an accompanying character, an angelic herald Lee called the Silver Surfer:

Kirby elaborated, "Galactus in actuality is a sort of god. He is beyond reproach, beyond anyone's opinion. In a way he is kind of a Zeus, who fathered Hercules. He is his own legend, and of course, he and the Silver Surfer are sort of modern legends, and they are designed that way."

Writer Mike Conroy expanded on Lee and Kirby's explanations: "In five short years from the launch of the ''Fantastic Four'', the Lee/Kirby duo ... had introduced a whole host of alien races or their representatives ... there were the Skrulls, the Watcher and the Stranger, all of whom Lee and Kirby used in the foundations of the universe they were constructing, one where all things were possible but only if they did not flout the 'natural laws' of this cosmology. In the nascent Marvel Universe, characters acted consistently, whatever comic they were appearing in. Their actions reverberated through every title. It was pure soap opera but on a cosmic scale, and Galactus epitomized its epic sweep."

This led to the introduction of Galactus in ''Fantastic Four'' #48–50 (March–May 1966), which fans began calling "The Galactus Trilogy". Kirby did not intend Galactus to reappear, to preserve the character's awe-inspiring presence. Reprinted in Fan popularity, however, prompted Lee to ask Kirby for Galactus' reappearance, and the character became a mainstay of the Marvel Universe.

1960s

To preserve the character's mystique, his next two appearances were nonspeaking cameos in ''Thor'' #134 (November 1966), and '' Daredevil'' #37 (February 1968), respectively. Numerous requests from fans prompted the character to be featured heavily in ''Fantastic Four'' #72–77 (March–August 1968). After a flashback appearance in ''Silver Surfer'' #1 (August 1968), the character returned to Earth in ''Thor'' #160–162 (January–March 1969). Galactus' origin was eventually revealed in ''Thor'' #168–169 (September–October 1969).

1970s and 1980s

The character made appearances in ''Fantastic Four'' #120–123 (March–June 1972) and ''Thor'' #225–228 (July–October 1974). These two storylines introduced two new heralds for Galactus. Galactus also featured in ''Fantastic Four'' #172–175 (July–October 1976) and 208–213 (July–December 1979).

Stan Lee and Jack Kirby reunited for the origin of the Silver Surfer and Galactus in the one-shot graphic novel ''The Silver Surfer: The Ultimate Cosmic Experience!'' in 1978. This Marvel Fireside Book, published by Simon & Schuster, was an out-of-continuity retelling of the origin story without the Fantastic Four.

The full Lee-and-Kirby origin story was reprinted in the one-shot ''Super-Villain Classics'' #1: ''Galactus – The Origin'' (May 1983), inked by Vince Colletta