History Characters / MarvelComicsGalactus

-->-- '''Galactus'''

Sole survivor of [[TimeAbyss the universe existing before the Big Bang]], Galactus is perhaps the most feared being in the cosmos. Untold billions of years ago, he was born the [[HumanAlien humanoid]] Galan on the planet Taa, a wondrous paradise of scientific and social achievement. However, his universe was in its final stages, with all matter plunging towards a central point via the "Big Crunch", collapsing into a new "CosmicEgg", a sphere of disorganized, compact primordial matter. Galan, a space explorer, discovered a radiation plague threatening all of Taa. Though he was initially [[IgnoredExpert scoffed at]], the truth became clear as the people of surrounding planets perished. Despite the efforts of Taa's greatest scientists, no cure could be found, and the population began to die off. Galan convinced the handful of remaining survivors to die gloriously by flying a starship into the blazing cosmic cauldron. The others were killed by the intense radiation, but Galan was filled with new energy and saved by the [[SentientCosmicForce sentience of the dying universe]]. The sentient energy spoke to Galan as it brought him into the egg.

'''{{T|ropeCodifier}}he''' PlanetEater.

* TheArtifact: Became this amongst the other cosmic entities as time went on. Galactus has a silly name and an even sillier outfit, while his peers are named after the concepts they represent and their bodies look like how you would ''actually'' think a celestial entity looks like.

* AdaptationNameChange: The ComicBook/UltimateMarvel universe reimagination is called "Gah Lak Tus".
* AdvancingBossOfDoom: Type B in ''VideoGame/MarvelUltimateAlliance''. The heroes must run from Galactus as he destroys the platform behind them with each step. Eventually ends in a PivotalBoss fight.

** ''ComicBook/EarthX'' posited that he was created to keep the numbers of Celestials (who incubated inside planets, with shells of Vibranium, and developed living/superpowered populations to protect them while they incubated) at manageable levels.

* EvilerThanThou: Doctor Doom running into the barrier Galactus created to keep the Silver Surfer from leaving Earth caused Galactus to notice him. He scanned Doom, decided he wasn't worth his attention, stripped him of the Silver Surfer's stolen powers and sent him back to Latveria.

* KickTheSonOfABitch: Usually by accident, but Galactus did kill the Skrull Emperor when he ate their throneworld. Shame he also killed everyone else on the planet as well (and Hulkling's mother).

* NonStandardGameOver: He delivers one in ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'' if he defeats you. End result: The worlds of Marvel and Creator/{{Capcom}} are [[ItsAWonderfulFailure destroyed]].
* OneHitKO: In ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'', Galactus will start using an instant knock-out attack when he's low on health. The only way to avoid it is to stun him before he can complete the long charge time for the attack.

* PutOnABusToHell: The end of ''Cataclysm'' has him stranded in the Ultimate Universe's Negative Stone, where it was hoped he'd starve to death. Fortunately for Big G, a very angry Ikarus grabbed him as part of a revenge scheme against the Kree.

** [[ComicBook/XMen Professor X]] barely managed to rouse his attention in the ComicBook/SecretWars1984, whereas Moondragon and Thanos almost managed to overcome him in Thanos' own series.

* ShadowArchetype: In an odd way. Several stories have shown that Galen of Taa was, in many ways, much like Reed Richards before he became Galactus.

* TrappedInAnotherWorld: After ComicBook/AgeOfUltron, he found himself in the Ultimate Universe.

* SuperWeight: Level 6, although where exactly depends on how well-sustained he is.

Galactus had a daughter, Galacta, who suffers from the same hunger issues that he has, but chooses to prevent the destruction of most forms of life by instead consuming malevolent sources that would end up destroying life if left unchecked.

* ''Hunger'' - A four issue limited series in which Galactus finds himself in Marvel's Ultimate Universe following the massive tears in the time space continuum at the conclusion of ''Comicbook/AgeOfUltron'' and merges with Gah Lak Tus.
* ''ComicBook/CataclysmTheUltimatesLastStand'' - A CrisisCrossover and the immediate sequel to ''Hunger''. The story sees the various heroes of the [[ComicBook/UltimateMarvel Ultimate]] line (ComicBook/TheUltimates, [[Comicbook/UltimateSpiderMan Miles Morales]], and the [[Comicbook/UltimateXMen X-Men]]) banding together to stop Galactus from consuming their world.

* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}/Fantastic Four: The Infinite Destruction''

* DefeatMeansFriendship: After the combined forces of the Comicbook/FantasticFour, Comicbook/TheAvengers and Comicbook/DoctorStrange prevent a starving Galactus from destroying the Earth, Reed Richards shows the Devourer of Worlds mercy. In exchange, Galactus calls Richards "friend" before vowing that Earth need no longer fear his hunger.

** Galactus once made ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' his Herald. Yes, a demigod superhero endowed with godlike cosmic power. Cyborg Superman wanted this power for his own, but Galactus immediately knew he was unfit. He did grant him "perfection" - unfortunately for Cyborg Superman, he used ExactWords and turned him into a brick of metal, a ''perfect'' alloy with no imperfections.

** ''Franchise/{{Superman}} / ComicBook/FantasticFour: The Infinite Destruction'' had Galactus making Franchise/{{Superman}} his Herald. His hold wasn't as strong as it was on others, however, although this can be attributed to the fact that the memory of Krypton's destruction had such a significant effect on Superman that it couldn't be properly suppressed.

[[caption-width-right:280:Big hat. Bigger appetite.]]

** The Latin American dub of the ''WesternAnimation/SilverSurfer'' cartoon named him "Gala'''xi'''us", possibly to combine better with "galaxy", we are not sure. We repeat, still better than Alberto.

* CoolHelmet: Galactus' helmet is easily his most recognizable feature. In ''[[Film/FantasticFour Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer]]'', the cloud entity called Galactus takes on a familiar shape once the Silver Surfer reaches its center. The helmet itself becomes a prized possession of [[spoiler:MODOK]] in his ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'' ending. His daughter Galacta also has a helmet modeled after his. Par for the course for Creator/JackKirby, of course. His helmet is not unlike many of the helmets the ComicBook/NewGods wear.

* BadassBaritone: In the 90s Fantastic Four cartoon where he's voiced by ''Creator/TonyJay''.

** ''Franchise/{{Superman}} / ComicBook/FantasticFour: The Infinite Destruction'' had Galactus making Franchise/{{Superman}} his Herald. His hold wasn't as strong as it was on others, however.
** WorfHadTheFlu: Often handwaved by other writers by saying that Galactus hadn't fed off any planets in a while at the time when he was getting Worfed and wasn't at full strength.

* GreenLanternRing: The Power Cosmic, as the name implies, can do just about anything. It's a lot more limited in the hands of other beings, who haven't had billions of years to perfect their technique.

** On the other hand, he also tried to kill every sentient being on Counter-Earth out of self-stated spite, simply because they had succeeded in killing a future version of himself in self-defense, which renders much of the above claims of his nobility and lack of pettiness null and void. In addition, it has been established that he can just as easily feed on stars or non-sentient cosmic energy sources instead of wiping out trillions of sentient beings, yet only rarely does he seek out such sources.

* EvenMoreOmnipotent: Whenever the Silver Surfer rebels, Galactus just [[NoSell No Sells]] all of his attacks. Or when any being he bequeathed with the Power Cosmic tries the same - it's surprisingly common. Galactus is able to take back their powers at will or override any actions they attempt to take.

* HeelFaceTurn: As the Life-Bringer, he's cured of the Cosmic Hunger and no longer feeds on planets, instead restoring them. As such he's now a force for good (he even recruits two new teams of Ultimates to help protect the universe), and he won't go back to the old status quo without a fight. He does, eventually, but some of the CharacterDevelopment seems to stick. Some.

** He also gave his word regarding sparing Zenn La in exchange for Norrin Rad's servitude as his herald. He erased the Surfer's memories so he no longer had any attachment to his planet, but still kept his end of the deal. After [[spoiler:the Surfer dies]], Galactus vows that neither he nor anyone else will ever harm the planet.

* LastOfHisKind: Galactus is the sole survivor of a universe destroyed by the Big Bang. [[SubvertedTrope However, he conceived a daughter]] [[spoiler: and she's pregnant]].

* RealityWarper: Being a cosmic being, Galactus was able to recreate the entire planet Zen-La, including population, etc. in every detail.

* AntiVillain: Type III. Make no mistake, Galactus is a dangerous entity and actively devours planets and all life within in order to remain alive. However, he isn't [[NobleDemon doing this out of sheer sadism or evil, he's simply doing what every sapient being is programmed to do; survive.]] He is an honest being who always [[IGaveMyWord honours his word]] and is perfectly willing to spare planets if they prove themselves to him, as he did with Earth-616. He also has every intention of repaying for the lives he takes one day [[spoiler:as the Lifebringer]] as his page quote indicates.

** Reed Richards even gave this a great deal of thought during the first Secret War storyline, musing about how odd it was that the Beyonder considered Galactus "evil" and grouped him in with all the other villains. Reed knew that Galactus was so far beyond good or evil that the concepts simply didn't apply. He regarded Galactus as a force of nature, comparable to an earthquake or a hurricane, which also cannot be judged as good or evil.

[[quoteright:279:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/e6ee473db5a871fbca5d7d581a2221d1.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:279:Big hat. Bigger appetite.]]

* DubNameChange: In Spanish-translations:
** The completely stupid, silly and awful name of Alberto El Hambriento (Alberto the hungry) was given to Galactus by the now defunt Novaro editorial for a time. Quite difficult to take a planet-eater seriously with that name.

** The Latin American dub of the ''WesternAnimation/SilverSurfer'' cartoon named him "Galaxius", possibly to combine better with "galaxy", we are not sure. We repeat, still better than Alberto.

* ''WesternAnimation/FantasticFour''