The cosmic devourer of worlds, Galactus is one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe. He’s also a very complex character with a rich history.
Despite his hunger pangs, Galactus has a softer side. He once allied with the Silver Surfer against a threat that threatened all of reality.
Origin
Galactus has existed since the very beginning of the universe, and can survive in space without any need for air or food. He consumes the life energy of planets to sustain himself, and has the ability to sense latent cosmic power on a surface.
As the Devourer of Worlds, Galactus is responsible for the destruction of countless planets and lives across the Multiverse. He is ruthless in his pursuit of the next planet to devour, as shown when he coldly demanded that Reed Richards and Sue Storm surrender their son Franklin.
Throughout his long history, Galactus has developed complex relationships with many characters, most notably the Silver Surfer, who he first called upon to serve as his herald. The Surfer was once Norrin Radd, a noble being from the verdant planet Zenn-La, who offered to become Galactus’ herald in order to save his homeworld from destruction at Knull’s hands. The herald’s job was to search the Multiverse for uninhabited planets that could satiate the Devourer’s hunger. Galactus would consume the planets’ energies, but the Surfer would absorb some of the atmosphere and lifeforce to sustain himself.
Powers
As the physical embodiment of a universe, Galactus is a cosmic being with raw power beyond anything known to mortals.[7] He can attack his opponents on innumerable levels of reality simultaneously and transcends space and time. He is also capable of travel across the multiverse in his starship Taa II, which is the size of a solar system.
The Devourer of Worlds is a massive being, but even his massive body can only absorb so much energy at one time. This means he needs to consume planets and their lifeforms to maintain his strength and health. The more vibrant a planet is, the heartier the energy it provides. Galactus is a scientist at heart and developed machinery to convert a planet’s matter into energy that he can consume. He can also use Heralds imbued with part of his own power as scouts to find new planets for him to consume.
The sheer magnitude of Galactus’ power can often make him a threat even if his consuming agenda doesn’t align with the rest of the Marvel Universe. As such, he is an enormously difficult target to defeat head-on.
Purpose
Galactus is a godlike entity of cosmic proportions who devours planets to sustain his existence. Upon devouring a planet, he leaves only a barren husk of its former glory.
While he is ruthless in his quest to consume planets, Galactus can be persuaded to spare a world if it offers something of value to him. He spared the inhabited planet of Zenn-La after its inhabitants offered him their herald, Shalla-Bal.
As a herald, Shalla-Bal is able to bestow a fraction of the Power Cosmic on others. She imbued the mortal Norrin Radd with this power when he willingly sacrificed his life to become Galactus’ herald.
This imbuement gave Radd incredible power, enabling him to surf the universe for planets for Galactus to consume. He is able to project powerful energy blasts with his body. This is a key aspect of his abilities, allowing him to destroy entire cities with ease and even disable Sue Storm’s first force field attack. He also possesses godlike stamina, capable of lasting for an extended period of time. However, consuming a planet will reduce his time span dramatically.
Connection with Silver Surfer
In a world of gods, Galactus is one of the most powerful. He has the ability to teleport himself and his Heralds, as well as the cosmic energy that fuels him, across the Marvel Multiverse. He can also attack his foes on many different levels of reality at once.
Galactus has a complicated and often conflicting relationship with his Herald, the Silver Surfer. Initially he was willing to use the Surfer as a tool, but later rebelled against his master and even tried to destroy him. Ultimately, the Surfer resisted Galactus’ attempts to blackmail him back into service, and even foiled an attempt by the Fantastic Four to use an alien device called the Ultimate Nullifier on him.
Despite his immense power and destructive nature, Galactus has shown a surprising amount of compassion for the heroes of Earth. The Surfer’s relationship with Galactus is marked by a mixture of reluctant servitude and complex loyalty, and the two have developed a strange understanding that they are both forces for good in the universe. They have worked together to battle cosmic threats including the aforementioned Badoon, the demonic Mephisto, the asgardian trickster Loki, the rogue Zenn-Lavian scientist Yarro Gort, and the death-worshipping rogue Eternal known as Thanos.
Influence across the Marvel Multiverse
Galactus is one of the most powerful physical entities in the Marvel Multiverse. He is a force of balance between the forces of Eternity and Death. He consumes planetary energy and can transform into different forms.
Despite his hunger for the universe and its inhabitants, Galactus is aware of the pain and destruction he brings with his presence. He expresses a rare moment of empathy when he confronts the Fantastic Four. He also reveals that he feels some guilt for his role in the devastation of the worlds he devours.
He is capable of using telekinesis to lift objects and people. He uses this ability to telekinetically pick up and remove the Silver Surfer from her board, as well as stopping the Fantasticar in its tracks. He can also alter the biological functions of others, such as inducing Invisible Woman into labor or reducing Mister Fantastic’s stretching abilities.
Originally the Taaan explorer Galan of the planet Taa in the Sixth Cosmos, Galactus survived a cosmic cataclysm that killed all life in his universe and bonded with the Sentience of this current multiverse. He was transformed into the devourer of universes.