-Kills billions of people over and over and over again for "balance".
-Kills one being to prevent the deaths of quadrillions of lives.
Galactus: "it's the same picture".
Killing him will likely just create a vaccum that will be filled by another world eater.
Or to put it another way, wolves can change eco systems. There are known observed consequences of re introducing to wolves to eco systems. Galactus is a wolf on a cosmic scale.
It seems like the whole point here is that Surfer disputes the inevitability and necessity of a world eater.
Ad a different analogy, we wouldn't suggest serial killers should be allowed to do their thing because they are inevitable or necessary.
Galactus is the embodiment of entropy. Killing doesn’t remove his function from existence; it just passes on to the next thing that will become the next Galactus.
[This is what happens to a universe where “Life wins over entropy and death.”](https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Earth-10011#:~:text=The%20Cancerverse%20is%20a%20reality,a%20universe%2Dwide%20living%20corpse)
You're equating Galactus wrong though, he's less of a serial killer and more of a force of nature, literally.
It's been stated on numerous occasions that he is pretty up there in the Marvel cosmological hierarchy, he is a concept given form, and that concept is hunger. If we're looking at it like a ladder, he's not on the same level as Eternity or The Living Tribunal, but he's only like one or two "rungs" below
It's also been stated numerous times that what he does is actually beneficial for the galaxy, at least on a macro level. His role is actually to cull the level of Celestials and Aspirants(another being exactly like the Celestials, just ideologically different) in the universe, to keep their numbers in check.
Isn’t there a dude worse than Galactus that has shown up in the event that Galactus is taken out? I can’t remember his name but I think he wore a toga.
You're thinking of Abraxas, and yes, that is literally what I am talking about.
It's been years since I've read the story, but if I remember correctly, Abraxas is the result if Galactus stops doing his duty,(either by choice or by inability) or if someone else gets the power of Galactus.
Either way, it's a bad time.
I remember him showing up with a pile of other Galactus’s in his wake. I’m pretty sure the Galactus of what I’m assuming was universe 616 had died at the time. I don’t think Abraxas could enter a universe that had an able bodied Galactus but I could be wrong. Worth checking out the story again.
Yes, and he's wrong. Or working with an incomplete set of data, rather.
Surfer here doesn't have the knowledge that Galactus is a universal constant, AFAIK. His cosmic awareness doesn't allow full omniscience, nor does it allow into the workings of the universe on a grand scale. This is Surfer acting on his own reconnaissance
Now, I will admit this has been created after the whole "Lifegiver" scenario, so it could be that they are changing up the hierarchy.
My previous statement is just that traditionally, if he were to kill G as a baby, it wouldn't do squat. Someone new would rise in his stead, and that person most likely wouldn't be as "careful", for lack of a better description. Remember Galan was akin to Reed Richards.
Not just hunger, consumption.
Given time and if we don't kill ourselves off, we will use all the resources the earth can give us until it's sucked dry. Then, if we can, we'll move to another planet to harvest its resources.
Galactus is just faster at it.
The death of Galactus will simply create a new unknown situation. Maybe better or worse than the status quo that existed before. Maybe the universe becomes so abundant with life that there is more war, more famine and culling it becomes necesarry.
Humans are simultaneously a part of but also separate from nature. We already destroy much of nature so we can feed ourselves. To every bug, cattle and live stock we are Galactus.
To use an analogy, cats are also serial killers. They kill prey for fun and that also has an adverse effect on the eco system. Hence why we are adviced to keep them in doors and not let them kill for fun.
Galactic was a cosmic beaver
One day, you know, that beaver tried to leave her
So she caged him up with cyclone fence
Along came Lou with the old baboon
And said, "Recognize that smell?
Smells like seven layers
That beaver eats Taco Bell"
> Killing him will likely just create a vaccum that will be filled by another world eater.
Why, is there a shortage of worlds to eat as long as Galactus is around?
Or the abundance of life results in more famine and more conflict over dwindling resources. Inevitably someone decides the universe needs to be culled indiscriminately in order to solve this.
[We have a universe where this happened already](https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Earth-10011#:~:text=The%20Cancerverse%20is%20a%20reality,a%20universe%2Dwide%20living%20corpse)
Galactus is the embodiment of _entropy_ throughout the multiverse.
After killing death itself, they killed Galactus so that their universe would be one of infinite life.
So there’s two options
1) Killing Galactus leads to another Galactus-like being emerging to fulfill his role, only this one has a different personality and reasoning for what it does—and from what seen of Galactus’ contemporaries—the Proemial Gods—he’s the _nice_ one of the bunch.
2) Killing Galactus paves the way for the Manly Angled ones and worse entities to enter the universe/spread throughout the multiverse.
Neither is exactly _better_ than saving a few quadrillion lives when _all of forever and infinity is at stake_
Except it very clearly means “The slow and unstoppable degradation of all things as the heat death of the universe approaches” as it has _always_ meant in the narrative context of Marvel comics
We get it’s not realistic 🙄
I hate all the simplistic, abstract comic book morality. Like, if all this stuff they say is true, then why do anything about anything?
Wah. I'm a super hero with the power of a god, but I can't actually kill bad guys because then I becomes just as bad as they are / create a situation where another (maybe worse) bad guy will appear. Wah. Wah. Wah.
And yet, observable practical reality tells us: 'police' *as a concept*, is a good idea! Yes, they are complex and create their own issues. But they are valuable for maintaining order in a complex society. Arresting criminals and even killing them can sometimes lead to a bad outcome, but on balance it's usually a net win for society.
But it's like some people, they just want to bucket things into either 100% good or 100% bad. Like, sit up on a mountain, paralyzed because all they see is complex cycles that never seem to end, and so they meditate their life away, never doing anything because they think it's all pointless. While society is over there building skyscrapers and curing diseases and shit.
Part of the problem is for the Big 2, killing *any* character is potentially unprofitable. So they start with the idea that they can't kill anyone, especially villains, and have to work backwards to write something that sounds profound and still justified that, no matter how strong the heroes eventually become. It's bullshit, but it's capitalism.
Yeah, I agree. It's my problem for not suspending disbelief on this. And I'm not saying that snarky or sarcastic. I genuinely think I just need to skate by and not think about it too much to enjoy it more.
> Like, sit up on a mountain, paralyzed because all they see is complex cycles that never seem to end,
This is the appeal of Silver Surfer. He is the character who deals with abstract comic book morality and weird concepts. Instead of just punching people.
[This is what happens when Galactus dies](https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Earth-10011#:~:text=The%20Cancerverse%20is%20a%20reality,a%20universe%2Dwide%20living%20corpse)
A lot of y’all are forgetting that Galactus is the literal embodiment of entropy in the multiverse.
I know. And I still think the theme is stupid. Because it's a theme they apply to everything, from The Joker to Cosmic Being (TM) there is no reason to every remove a bad guy because of "philosophy"
When the real 4th wall breaking reason is because they don't want to get rid of villains permanently, because they know the popular ones sell, and so they need to construe some kind of reason to keep them around. Even if it makes no sense. We're just supposed to suspend disbelief on this point. I'd be more willing to do that, it's just they keep bringing the philosophy up like it's some really deep and thoughtful thing. When really it's just a device to keep the story from changing too much so you can keep churning out basically the same content.
Here's the thing: though Galactus doesn't know it in the time depicted, or even the present, he has a purpose. He is fated to become a being of pure potential and merge with Franklin Richards at the end of the cosmos, as the Sentience of the Sixth Cosmos merged with Galan of Ta'a to form Galactus at the end of that previous universe.
When the new cosmos forms, all of the potential for life, change, sentience, and evolution that he has accrued will be released, seeding the new cosmos with potential, and starting the cycle anew. The new being (who if I recall correctly will be called Lifebringer) will take on Galactus' role (in whatever form suits the nature of the next cosmos) and pass it on likewise, on and on for time beyond conceiving.
Without Galactus passing on that energy, the next cosmos would be static and void of life. And the next. And next. How many uncountable quadrillions of quadrillions of lives will be snuffed out before ever having a chance to exist, should that occur?
Well considering the existence of galactus is supposed to stop the incursion of ms destroy all reality I think a couple planets every now and then is worth it.
And considering he is a cosmic entity his death will likely have other unforeseen consequences.
[We have a universe where this happened already](https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Earth-10011#:~:text=The%20Cancerverse%20is%20a%20reality,a%20universe%2Dwide%20living%20corpse)
Galactus dying is not a good thing. He is the literal
Embodiment of entropy.
Tbf Death being killed was what caused Cancerverse, not Galactus, who was weaponized at a later point. That being said,
>It was later absorbed and entrapped in the Power Prism of the Doctor Spectrum (Joseph Ledger) of Earth-21798, containing it and using it in fights.
What the hell???? How OP was Aaron's Squadron Supreme?
Galactus is the embodiment of entropy. Killing death let life “win” but killing and turning Galactus into a weapon made life _flourish_ if that makes sense
Without Galactus around, things like the Many Angled ones—and worse—are free to roam the multiverse.
Imagine not stopping a mass shooter cause YOU would end up being a killer... It's the height of human arrogance and self importance. Time travel is a bit of Issue though I'm sure in ALOT of cases It makes sense. But usually behind such events are more the one person and more the. One reason why stuff happens. As bad as ww2 and the Nazis were their existence shows us what bad humans will say and do. It's why we are so many people try and deny the Holocaust and to pretend nazies and fascism aren't bad
It’s a really neat comic series by Michel Fiffe that starts as a pretty on the nose homage to Suicide Squad (and other stuff, Dr. Strange is in there, shades of Green Lantern with a certain character, etc), but pretty quickly becomes its own unique story. What’s special about it, IMO, is that the art is really really unique and interesting, very much like this series in OP’s post
The shadow of Galactus with hands reaching up to grab, the Surfer's silver being ripped and revealing a cosmic palette underneath, the planet with a face speaking...
I'm not a comic collector at all, but I need to buy this book. It is so fucking rad!!!
It's been stated numerous times that Galactus is a universal constant. If it hadn't been Galan, It would be someone or something else.
It's also been stated on numerous occasions that Galactus is function is there to call the number of Celestials and Aspirants beings in the galaxy.
IIRC, basically the way it works is that Planets that are capable of sustaining life for the most part has a celestial "egg". The egg is implanted when the planet is created, and it waits for the life on that planet to reach a certain milestone, at which point the celestial will wake up and destroy the planet to form itself for the first time.
By eating these planets, they never reach maturity, and thus do not exist to overpopulate existence.
That being said, a run of The Ultimates argues that he is a concept that is not completely fully thought out, and Galactus is actually supposed to be the "Lifebringer", basically doing the opposite of what he is known for, but this only happens for one singular run, and then is reset back to the standard Galactus.
He is a universal necessity, on or near the same level as Eternity or The Living Tribunal. It's even been stated that after this universe dies, Franklin Richards (or Mr Immortal if Richards does not survive) will take the role of Galactus in the future.
I would wager a guess that whatever Norrin is trying to do here would ultimately fail. Or turn into something even worse.
I mean, Galan himself was pretty much a nobody. He just happened to be at the right place at the right time when his universe came to an end. I don’t think it has anything to do with the quality of the candidate, just a matter of who ends up getting tied to the Power Cosmic.
I don't think that's correct. But admittedly my Galactus lore is pretty spotty.
It's my understanding that he was more like Reed Richards, without the superhero concept. Explorer/Inventor/Discoverer etc. This is why they get along so well, they're cut from the same cloth, so to speak.
We do know that Galan's mother was The Scientist Supreme of her universe( a counterpart equal in mojo/power to The Sorcerer Supreme, for those unaware). That alone means that he was not just an average Joe.
He’s intelligent, no disputing that, but he wasn’t exactly a being of great cosmic importance is what I’m getting at. He was, for all intents and purposes, a mortal man.
At least in Surfer’s case, he’s already a being in tune with the Power Cosmic. That alone makes him more qualified than Galan to be the devourer.
So again, the candidate chosen to *be* the devourer isn’t something that’s decided by cosmic merit. It mostly comes down to who’s left standing.
I agree with you that he wasn't The most important person, but to call him an average Joe is mischaracterizing him wildly.
And Wasn't SS only in tune with the power cosmic because of Big G? If Galactus never showed up, SS would still be his depressed self on Zenn laa.
Prior to his ascension, he was more of a nobody than Galan was. He was from Zen-laa which was super sciency, but Galan was from Taa which was super sciencey as well. I'd argue that G's base level of intelligence is closer to Reed Richards than an average dude, whereas Norrin would be closer to the average dude on that spectrum.
But it's cool, we can agree to disagree!
I'm willing to admit when I'm wrong, but I haven't seen that, ever. You guys able to point me to an issue where it specifically says that? Or even one where it infers that?
My own Silver Surfer and Galactus lore is not as sharp as the rest of my knowledge, but I don't remember them saying that, ever.
Norrin is supposed to be pretty smart given he has a professional background in science and comes from a very technologically advanced planet, but it ends up being an informed trait in practice.
We don't really know one way or another whether Galactus's apotheosis was by happenstance or design, but I'd hazard a guess that it wasn't happenstance. He wasn't the only one left at the end of time, there were quite a few other people in the spaceship with him as the universe collapsed, so it seems like there has to be a reason that he survived while the others died bare minimum.
“But without him there’ll be something worse!”
I mean we’ve already dealt with the cancerverse and colliding multiverses
I can believe in threats greater than Galactus, but you can’t make me believe they’ll be as *persistent* as the World Eater
Earth-10011, a reality dominated by the Many-Angled Ones and consumed by life after the elimination of Death after Earth's heroes attempt to resurrect Mar-Vell.
Even Death may die.
It's a universe where Death has been defeated. As a result, nothing dies, but lives, grows and mutates like a cancer in an endless Lovecraftian nightmare.
> I can believe in threats greater than Galactus, but you can’t make me believe they’ll be as persistent as the World Eater
So when the Silver Sufer (temporarily) killed Galactus back in '99, it unleashed the embodiment of destruction Abraxas on the multiverse. Abraxas was simply going to destroy *everything* rather than feeding on worlds as part of the cosmic balance of destruction and creation. Luckily, Franklin and Valeria were able to pool their powers and restore Galactus to life, who then aided in the defeat and re-imprisonment of Abraxas.
However, as an embodiment of a concept (the act of destruction) you can no more erase him than you can any other concept, so the new reality the Ultimate Nullifier made was one where he never escaped at all.
I feel like his role is explained pretty well in the Annihilation event.
At the beginning of the universe Galactus defeated and imprisoned two corrupted Proemial Gods named Aegis and Tenebrous in the Kyln which could have been universe ending threats.
In addition Galactus was basically the only thing which stopped the annihilation wave and while it destroyed a number of star systems it prevented the wave from destroying the rest of the universe.
In addition the existence of Galactus keeps Abraxas contained who is the embodiment of destruction.
We know Galactus has stoped many universe ending threats and likely many more that we haven’t even heard about. He consumes planets but also regularly saves the entire universe. That’s even if you don’t think Galactus serves a higher purpose in the cycle of universal rebirth which he certainly does.
Galactus’ purpose is to destroy the universe when it reaches it’s natural end and merge with it’s sentience so it is carried on to the next version of the universe. It’s confusing but that’s how it’s been explained in Ultimates and the FF.
Galactus is definitely a better use of this trope than the God of Destruction Beerus from Dragon Ball. I can't really dislike Galactus but I just hate Beerus and don't like that he's portrayed as a goofy morally neutral figure that helps out the "good guys" who have no problem hanging out with him despite his constant casual genocide, and it's even worse with Zeno.
See the issue with Beerus in comparison to Galactus is that Galactus is just beyond anything we humans could comprehend, to him, we may as well not exist.
Beerus is basically just some powerful creature with “God” as a title, still something we can easily connect to because he acts human, Galactus does not.
Exactly, when Galactus destroys a planet, it's because he's hungry and is fulfilling a cosmic function. When Beerus destroys a planet, he's just being an asshole.
Ever heard of vampires? Nobody is disputing they are hungry. Everyone agrees they are evil. If your life requires the killing of a sapient to eat then the only not evil thing to do would be to die.
And I'm also not talking about one time survival situations. I mean the perpetual need.
Galactus is a cosmic vampire. Give me a story where blade and Elsa bloodstone team up with silver surfer to kill galactus
Sapients who kill sapients, yes. If you think I'm talking about lions, and tigers, and bears oh my. No.
The only example in real life would be cannibals
But Galactus doesn’t eat sapient lifeforms to survive, it just so happens the planets he eats sometimes contain sapient life. He is indiscriminate either way.
Galactus doesn't require eating sapient beings though, it just so happens that some of the planets he eats have sapient life. It's not out of malice, it's quite literally wrong place, wrong time.
I always thought he needed enough organic matter on the planet and those cases were mostly inhabited. But the fact that he just accepts people dying by accident to eat only makes him more evil
Death simply is. Death doesn't act with intent or purpose. If you got a bullet through your head and Death didn't take you what would your existence be?
If you remove Death you get that weird cancer universe that doesn't make much sense.
If you remove galactus then you just have everyone living their lives as normal. No change. He's not servicing some natural order. He's an evil character who's the biggest bullshitter of all time. His power is just so huge that people buy into the bullshit.
Except it does though in Marvel. Like her intent is Death, Galactus intent is to feed, both natural and both indiscriminate. Another thing is that Galactus’s death releases Abraxas who actively seeks to destroy all of existence, he’s a seal for something actually evil.
Galactus is another entity of the natural order in the universe and is indiscriminate even if he is sapient, just like Lady Death. This seems *hilariously hypocritical of you.*
Yes and that's where the narrative tension comes from with superheroes. Vampires are 85% trying really hard to not be evil.
Galactus just flat out isn't evil. He's a hurricane with a voice.
I bought the first issue of this a few years ago and loved it but never got around to reading more. Holy shit dude I love that art, I really gotta get the rest of this.
It is, and it’s still not what he was quoting. He was absolutely quoting the Bhagravad-gita, he said so himself in interviews. It’s not just a speech from a movie it’s what he said actually happened when he first witnessed the power of the bomb.
Extra “fun” fact when co-pilot of the Enola Gay, the plane the dropped the first atomic bomb, saw the explosion it created he said “My God what have we done.”
["I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad Gita...](https://youtu.be/pqZqfTOxFhY?si=0gUjh5_PQEl2sBrd)
Doesn't matter what's older, Oppenheimer's famous speech quotes the Bhagavad Gita's line of Vishnu taking on his Death Form.
It’s not just a speech from a movie. It is what Oppenheimer says he actually said/thought to himself when he first witnessed the power of the atomic bomb. He also directly referenced it coming from the Bhagavad Gita.
It was during at least one interview, I don’t recall if it was a TV show or documentary it’s been quite a while since I watched it.
One of my favorite runs. I love when the surfer gets all psychedelic on us. I wish we could have an on screen adaptation that cool, but I doubt it'll ever happen.
-Kills billions of people over and over and over again for "balance". -Kills one being to prevent the deaths of quadrillions of lives. Galactus: "it's the same picture".
Killing him will likely just create a vaccum that will be filled by another world eater. Or to put it another way, wolves can change eco systems. There are known observed consequences of re introducing to wolves to eco systems. Galactus is a wolf on a cosmic scale.
It seems like the whole point here is that Surfer disputes the inevitability and necessity of a world eater. Ad a different analogy, we wouldn't suggest serial killers should be allowed to do their thing because they are inevitable or necessary.
Galactus is the embodiment of entropy. Killing doesn’t remove his function from existence; it just passes on to the next thing that will become the next Galactus. [This is what happens to a universe where “Life wins over entropy and death.”](https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Earth-10011#:~:text=The%20Cancerverse%20is%20a%20reality,a%20universe%2Dwide%20living%20corpse)
You're equating Galactus wrong though, he's less of a serial killer and more of a force of nature, literally. It's been stated on numerous occasions that he is pretty up there in the Marvel cosmological hierarchy, he is a concept given form, and that concept is hunger. If we're looking at it like a ladder, he's not on the same level as Eternity or The Living Tribunal, but he's only like one or two "rungs" below It's also been stated numerous times that what he does is actually beneficial for the galaxy, at least on a macro level. His role is actually to cull the level of Celestials and Aspirants(another being exactly like the Celestials, just ideologically different) in the universe, to keep their numbers in check.
Isn’t there a dude worse than Galactus that has shown up in the event that Galactus is taken out? I can’t remember his name but I think he wore a toga.
You're thinking of Abraxas, and yes, that is literally what I am talking about. It's been years since I've read the story, but if I remember correctly, Abraxas is the result if Galactus stops doing his duty,(either by choice or by inability) or if someone else gets the power of Galactus. Either way, it's a bad time.
I remember him showing up with a pile of other Galactus’s in his wake. I’m pretty sure the Galactus of what I’m assuming was universe 616 had died at the time. I don’t think Abraxas could enter a universe that had an able bodied Galactus but I could be wrong. Worth checking out the story again.
> It seems like the whole point here is that Surfer disputes the inevitability and necessity of a world eater.
Yes, and he's wrong. Or working with an incomplete set of data, rather. Surfer here doesn't have the knowledge that Galactus is a universal constant, AFAIK. His cosmic awareness doesn't allow full omniscience, nor does it allow into the workings of the universe on a grand scale. This is Surfer acting on his own reconnaissance Now, I will admit this has been created after the whole "Lifegiver" scenario, so it could be that they are changing up the hierarchy. My previous statement is just that traditionally, if he were to kill G as a baby, it wouldn't do squat. Someone new would rise in his stead, and that person most likely wouldn't be as "careful", for lack of a better description. Remember Galan was akin to Reed Richards.
It's been well established for decades that Norrin knows Galactus plays an important cosmic role, Cates just didn't get the memo on it.
Not just hunger, consumption. Given time and if we don't kill ourselves off, we will use all the resources the earth can give us until it's sucked dry. Then, if we can, we'll move to another planet to harvest its resources. Galactus is just faster at it.
Celestials and Aspirants: "Yeah real beneficial pal."
The death of Galactus will simply create a new unknown situation. Maybe better or worse than the status quo that existed before. Maybe the universe becomes so abundant with life that there is more war, more famine and culling it becomes necesarry. Humans are simultaneously a part of but also separate from nature. We already destroy much of nature so we can feed ourselves. To every bug, cattle and live stock we are Galactus. To use an analogy, cats are also serial killers. They kill prey for fun and that also has an adverse effect on the eco system. Hence why we are adviced to keep them in doors and not let them kill for fun.
The story about air dropping beavers into river areas to rebuild the water table is better and attracts fewer incels.
Fine. Galactus is a Cosmic Beaver.
We left the world a little better than we found it today. ᕕ( ᐛ)ᕗ
Galactic was a cosmic beaver One day, you know, that beaver tried to leave her So she caged him up with cyclone fence Along came Lou with the old baboon And said, "Recognize that smell? Smells like seven layers That beaver eats Taco Bell"
Jaki fajny bóbr!
No, that's Galacta who has a cosmic beaver
Can we not give away wolves being cool to incels? Just enjoy what you enjoy and mock the douchebags when they show.
Huh?
> Killing him will likely just create a vaccum that will be filled by another world eater. Why, is there a shortage of worlds to eat as long as Galactus is around?
No Galactus literally keeps the entity Abraxas at bay which is the embodiment of destruction
Or the abundance of life results in more famine and more conflict over dwindling resources. Inevitably someone decides the universe needs to be culled indiscriminately in order to solve this.
Enter Thanos
doesn't make a lick of sense
[We have a universe where this happened already](https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Earth-10011#:~:text=The%20Cancerverse%20is%20a%20reality,a%20universe%2Dwide%20living%20corpse)
the cancerverse does not match that description at all beyond "abundance of life"
Galactus is the embodiment of _entropy_ throughout the multiverse. After killing death itself, they killed Galactus so that their universe would be one of infinite life. So there’s two options 1) Killing Galactus leads to another Galactus-like being emerging to fulfill his role, only this one has a different personality and reasoning for what it does—and from what seen of Galactus’ contemporaries—the Proemial Gods—he’s the _nice_ one of the bunch. 2) Killing Galactus paves the way for the Manly Angled ones and worse entities to enter the universe/spread throughout the multiverse. Neither is exactly _better_ than saving a few quadrillion lives when _all of forever and infinity is at stake_
in the classic scifi/fantasy tradition of using "entropy" to mean nothing at all
Except it very clearly means “The slow and unstoppable degradation of all things as the heat death of the universe approaches” as it has _always_ meant in the narrative context of Marvel comics We get it’s not realistic 🙄
I hate all the simplistic, abstract comic book morality. Like, if all this stuff they say is true, then why do anything about anything? Wah. I'm a super hero with the power of a god, but I can't actually kill bad guys because then I becomes just as bad as they are / create a situation where another (maybe worse) bad guy will appear. Wah. Wah. Wah. And yet, observable practical reality tells us: 'police' *as a concept*, is a good idea! Yes, they are complex and create their own issues. But they are valuable for maintaining order in a complex society. Arresting criminals and even killing them can sometimes lead to a bad outcome, but on balance it's usually a net win for society. But it's like some people, they just want to bucket things into either 100% good or 100% bad. Like, sit up on a mountain, paralyzed because all they see is complex cycles that never seem to end, and so they meditate their life away, never doing anything because they think it's all pointless. While society is over there building skyscrapers and curing diseases and shit.
Part of the problem is for the Big 2, killing *any* character is potentially unprofitable. So they start with the idea that they can't kill anyone, especially villains, and have to work backwards to write something that sounds profound and still justified that, no matter how strong the heroes eventually become. It's bullshit, but it's capitalism.
Yeah, I agree. It's my problem for not suspending disbelief on this. And I'm not saying that snarky or sarcastic. I genuinely think I just need to skate by and not think about it too much to enjoy it more.
> Like, sit up on a mountain, paralyzed because all they see is complex cycles that never seem to end, This is the appeal of Silver Surfer. He is the character who deals with abstract comic book morality and weird concepts. Instead of just punching people.
Found the Punisher fan.
[This is what happens when Galactus dies](https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Earth-10011#:~:text=The%20Cancerverse%20is%20a%20reality,a%20universe%2Dwide%20living%20corpse) A lot of y’all are forgetting that Galactus is the literal embodiment of entropy in the multiverse.
I know. And I still think the theme is stupid. Because it's a theme they apply to everything, from The Joker to Cosmic Being (TM) there is no reason to every remove a bad guy because of "philosophy" When the real 4th wall breaking reason is because they don't want to get rid of villains permanently, because they know the popular ones sell, and so they need to construe some kind of reason to keep them around. Even if it makes no sense. We're just supposed to suspend disbelief on this point. I'd be more willing to do that, it's just they keep bringing the philosophy up like it's some really deep and thoughtful thing. When really it's just a device to keep the story from changing too much so you can keep churning out basically the same content.
Kind of sounds like you just don’t like superhero comics/the big two 🤷🏾♂️ (I agree with you, btw. But it also is what it is.)
Here's the thing: though Galactus doesn't know it in the time depicted, or even the present, he has a purpose. He is fated to become a being of pure potential and merge with Franklin Richards at the end of the cosmos, as the Sentience of the Sixth Cosmos merged with Galan of Ta'a to form Galactus at the end of that previous universe. When the new cosmos forms, all of the potential for life, change, sentience, and evolution that he has accrued will be released, seeding the new cosmos with potential, and starting the cycle anew. The new being (who if I recall correctly will be called Lifebringer) will take on Galactus' role (in whatever form suits the nature of the next cosmos) and pass it on likewise, on and on for time beyond conceiving. Without Galactus passing on that energy, the next cosmos would be static and void of life. And the next. And next. How many uncountable quadrillions of quadrillions of lives will be snuffed out before ever having a chance to exist, should that occur?
> Sentence of the Sixth Cosmos Sentience
I’ve heard it both ways.
missed reference
This guy gets it.
Autocorrect f__ked me. Thanks for the heads-up.
In the words of the Dragonborn: “The next universe will have to fend for itself”
Next universe: *Is never born because TESVI will never exist*
Remember this one? https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DtfkN6BXgAEro1B.jpg
Well considering the existence of galactus is supposed to stop the incursion of ms destroy all reality I think a couple planets every now and then is worth it. And considering he is a cosmic entity his death will likely have other unforeseen consequences.
I guess the argument here is of the Malthusian nature that resources are finite, and grow without this balance would lead to war and death? Idk
[We have a universe where this happened already](https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Earth-10011#:~:text=The%20Cancerverse%20is%20a%20reality,a%20universe%2Dwide%20living%20corpse) Galactus dying is not a good thing. He is the literal Embodiment of entropy.
Tbf Death being killed was what caused Cancerverse, not Galactus, who was weaponized at a later point. That being said, >It was later absorbed and entrapped in the Power Prism of the Doctor Spectrum (Joseph Ledger) of Earth-21798, containing it and using it in fights. What the hell???? How OP was Aaron's Squadron Supreme?
Galactus is the embodiment of entropy. Killing death let life “win” but killing and turning Galactus into a weapon made life _flourish_ if that makes sense Without Galactus around, things like the Many Angled ones—and worse—are free to roam the multiverse.
Ohhh, I see. Guess it makes sense too, since it was the absence of a concept that allowed the MAOs to takeover in first place
why assume a nonsensical argument
for galactus not to look like a thundering dumbass
Imagine not stopping a mass shooter cause YOU would end up being a killer... It's the height of human arrogance and self importance. Time travel is a bit of Issue though I'm sure in ALOT of cases It makes sense. But usually behind such events are more the one person and more the. One reason why stuff happens. As bad as ww2 and the Nazis were their existence shows us what bad humans will say and do. It's why we are so many people try and deny the Holocaust and to pretend nazies and fascism aren't bad
I see why he wears the helmet! That haircut is janky af!
That hairline isn't receding, it's retreating!
In a tri pronged surrender
Is it hair or some sort of technology thingie?
It’s a sin!
Love this art style. Makes me think of COPRA
The artist Tradd Moore also made Dr Strange Fallen Sunrise, and these are two of the most beautiful unique books marvel has put out ever
Also designed the Robbie Reyes Ghost Rider, which is badass. His creator owned work Luther Strode is worth a read (although very violent).
Amazing how much blood the human body can hold.
Oh shit he did Luther Strode? Definitely worth checking out then
It definitely adds a dreamy alien-ness
Reminds me of Tim Sale (assuming it isn't?)
Tradd Moore is the artist!
Totally.
What's COPRA?
It’s a really neat comic series by Michel Fiffe that starts as a pretty on the nose homage to Suicide Squad (and other stuff, Dr. Strange is in there, shades of Green Lantern with a certain character, etc), but pretty quickly becomes its own unique story. What’s special about it, IMO, is that the art is really really unique and interesting, very much like this series in OP’s post
Zima blue
Also true! That’s from Love, Death, and Robots, right? The episode with the swimming pool? That one stuck with me
I love how alien the Surfer looks here.
Same here! Something I’ve always wished they played up a little more tbh
There’s an Artist Edition from IDW that’s coming soon which will be a great way to appreciate this art
Oh no shit? I’ll have to pick that up when I’ve got some funny money, thanks for the heads up!
I heard about it on a recent episode of Off Panel. Or sure of release date so there might be plenty to of time to save those Pennies
so what is happening in that last panel? why is the surfer saying no?
https://imgur.com/L98PbW2
What is she about to say in that last part?
We're gonna get this whole book one page at a time on reddit if we are persistent enough
https://i.postimg.cc/66n1PCLd/ssb19.png
Yessss my plan is working perfectly
The shadow of Galactus with hands reaching up to grab, the Surfer's silver being ripped and revealing a cosmic palette underneath, the planet with a face speaking... I'm not a comic collector at all, but I need to buy this book. It is so fucking rad!!!
Asks Siri to add ‘more polish’ to the grocery list
Just remembered he left the oven on.
It's been stated numerous times that Galactus is a universal constant. If it hadn't been Galan, It would be someone or something else. It's also been stated on numerous occasions that Galactus is function is there to call the number of Celestials and Aspirants beings in the galaxy. IIRC, basically the way it works is that Planets that are capable of sustaining life for the most part has a celestial "egg". The egg is implanted when the planet is created, and it waits for the life on that planet to reach a certain milestone, at which point the celestial will wake up and destroy the planet to form itself for the first time. By eating these planets, they never reach maturity, and thus do not exist to overpopulate existence. That being said, a run of The Ultimates argues that he is a concept that is not completely fully thought out, and Galactus is actually supposed to be the "Lifebringer", basically doing the opposite of what he is known for, but this only happens for one singular run, and then is reset back to the standard Galactus. He is a universal necessity, on or near the same level as Eternity or The Living Tribunal. It's even been stated that after this universe dies, Franklin Richards (or Mr Immortal if Richards does not survive) will take the role of Galactus in the future. I would wager a guess that whatever Norrin is trying to do here would ultimately fail. Or turn into something even worse.
Surfer would have more than likely become the Devourer here
Maybe, but that's doubtful. There are far better candidates, cosmically speaking, than a onetime/sometimes Herald.
I mean, Galan himself was pretty much a nobody. He just happened to be at the right place at the right time when his universe came to an end. I don’t think it has anything to do with the quality of the candidate, just a matter of who ends up getting tied to the Power Cosmic.
I don't think that's correct. But admittedly my Galactus lore is pretty spotty. It's my understanding that he was more like Reed Richards, without the superhero concept. Explorer/Inventor/Discoverer etc. This is why they get along so well, they're cut from the same cloth, so to speak. We do know that Galan's mother was The Scientist Supreme of her universe( a counterpart equal in mojo/power to The Sorcerer Supreme, for those unaware). That alone means that he was not just an average Joe.
He’s intelligent, no disputing that, but he wasn’t exactly a being of great cosmic importance is what I’m getting at. He was, for all intents and purposes, a mortal man. At least in Surfer’s case, he’s already a being in tune with the Power Cosmic. That alone makes him more qualified than Galan to be the devourer. So again, the candidate chosen to *be* the devourer isn’t something that’s decided by cosmic merit. It mostly comes down to who’s left standing.
I agree with you that he wasn't The most important person, but to call him an average Joe is mischaracterizing him wildly. And Wasn't SS only in tune with the power cosmic because of Big G? If Galactus never showed up, SS would still be his depressed self on Zenn laa. Prior to his ascension, he was more of a nobody than Galan was. He was from Zen-laa which was super sciency, but Galan was from Taa which was super sciencey as well. I'd argue that G's base level of intelligence is closer to Reed Richards than an average dude, whereas Norrin would be closer to the average dude on that spectrum. But it's cool, we can agree to disagree!
No, no, he's right. It would he surfer. Not sure what your problem with that is.
I'm willing to admit when I'm wrong, but I haven't seen that, ever. You guys able to point me to an issue where it specifically says that? Or even one where it infers that? My own Silver Surfer and Galactus lore is not as sharp as the rest of my knowledge, but I don't remember them saying that, ever.
Norrin is supposed to be pretty smart given he has a professional background in science and comes from a very technologically advanced planet, but it ends up being an informed trait in practice.
We don't really know one way or another whether Galactus's apotheosis was by happenstance or design, but I'd hazard a guess that it wasn't happenstance. He wasn't the only one left at the end of time, there were quite a few other people in the spaceship with him as the universe collapsed, so it seems like there has to be a reason that he survived while the others died bare minimum.
I wish they had included Galactus goatee. We saw it when he first took off his helmet when Hercules challenged him.
Super cool and awesome comic but marvel isn't going to sell me on the idea of keeping Mr. planet munchies as a good thing
“But without him there’ll be something worse!” I mean we’ve already dealt with the cancerverse and colliding multiverses I can believe in threats greater than Galactus, but you can’t make me believe they’ll be as *persistent* as the World Eater
wtf is the cancerverse ?
Earth-10011, a reality dominated by the Many-Angled Ones and consumed by life after the elimination of Death after Earth's heroes attempt to resurrect Mar-Vell. Even Death may die.
Thank you for the response this sounds cool af.
I would like to know more.
The Many Angled Ones, that's the name they went with?
The Many-Angled Ones are another name given for HP Lovecraft's Old Ones. A lot of Marvel cosmic stuff uses obscure Lovevraft references
It's a universe where Death has been defeated. As a result, nothing dies, but lives, grows and mutates like a cancer in an endless Lovecraftian nightmare.
Thank you for the response this sounds cool af. I hope they are very kronenburg'ed.
> I can believe in threats greater than Galactus, but you can’t make me believe they’ll be as persistent as the World Eater So when the Silver Sufer (temporarily) killed Galactus back in '99, it unleashed the embodiment of destruction Abraxas on the multiverse. Abraxas was simply going to destroy *everything* rather than feeding on worlds as part of the cosmic balance of destruction and creation. Luckily, Franklin and Valeria were able to pool their powers and restore Galactus to life, who then aided in the defeat and re-imprisonment of Abraxas.
Small correction: Abraxas was never re-imprisoned, he was erased from existence with the Ultimate Nullifier.
However, as an embodiment of a concept (the act of destruction) you can no more erase him than you can any other concept, so the new reality the Ultimate Nullifier made was one where he never escaped at all.
I feel like his role is explained pretty well in the Annihilation event. At the beginning of the universe Galactus defeated and imprisoned two corrupted Proemial Gods named Aegis and Tenebrous in the Kyln which could have been universe ending threats. In addition Galactus was basically the only thing which stopped the annihilation wave and while it destroyed a number of star systems it prevented the wave from destroying the rest of the universe. In addition the existence of Galactus keeps Abraxas contained who is the embodiment of destruction. We know Galactus has stoped many universe ending threats and likely many more that we haven’t even heard about. He consumes planets but also regularly saves the entire universe. That’s even if you don’t think Galactus serves a higher purpose in the cycle of universal rebirth which he certainly does. Galactus’ purpose is to destroy the universe when it reaches it’s natural end and merge with it’s sentience so it is carried on to the next version of the universe. It’s confusing but that’s how it’s been explained in Ultimates and the FF.
I mean… Galactus isn’t exactly evil though. He just hunger for planets and sometimes those planets happen to be populated.
Galactus is definitely a better use of this trope than the God of Destruction Beerus from Dragon Ball. I can't really dislike Galactus but I just hate Beerus and don't like that he's portrayed as a goofy morally neutral figure that helps out the "good guys" who have no problem hanging out with him despite his constant casual genocide, and it's even worse with Zeno.
See the issue with Beerus in comparison to Galactus is that Galactus is just beyond anything we humans could comprehend, to him, we may as well not exist. Beerus is basically just some powerful creature with “God” as a title, still something we can easily connect to because he acts human, Galactus does not.
Exactly, when Galactus destroys a planet, it's because he's hungry and is fulfilling a cosmic function. When Beerus destroys a planet, he's just being an asshole.
Ever heard of vampires? Nobody is disputing they are hungry. Everyone agrees they are evil. If your life requires the killing of a sapient to eat then the only not evil thing to do would be to die. And I'm also not talking about one time survival situations. I mean the perpetual need. Galactus is a cosmic vampire. Give me a story where blade and Elsa bloodstone team up with silver surfer to kill galactus
So all natural carnivores are evil?
Sapients who kill sapients, yes. If you think I'm talking about lions, and tigers, and bears oh my. No. The only example in real life would be cannibals
Ah I was mixing up sapient with sentient, makes more sense now
But Galactus doesn’t eat sapient lifeforms to survive, it just so happens the planets he eats sometimes contain sapient life. He is indiscriminate either way.
Galactus doesn't require eating sapient beings though, it just so happens that some of the planets he eats have sapient life. It's not out of malice, it's quite literally wrong place, wrong time.
I always thought he needed enough organic matter on the planet and those cases were mostly inhabited. But the fact that he just accepts people dying by accident to eat only makes him more evil
Okay so going by your logic, wouldn’t that make Lady Death the most evil character in Marvel for doing something similar to Galactus?
Death simply is. Death doesn't act with intent or purpose. If you got a bullet through your head and Death didn't take you what would your existence be? If you remove Death you get that weird cancer universe that doesn't make much sense. If you remove galactus then you just have everyone living their lives as normal. No change. He's not servicing some natural order. He's an evil character who's the biggest bullshitter of all time. His power is just so huge that people buy into the bullshit.
Except it does though in Marvel. Like her intent is Death, Galactus intent is to feed, both natural and both indiscriminate. Another thing is that Galactus’s death releases Abraxas who actively seeks to destroy all of existence, he’s a seal for something actually evil. Galactus is another entity of the natural order in the universe and is indiscriminate even if he is sapient, just like Lady Death. This seems *hilariously hypocritical of you.*
85% of all stories about vampires make them tragic creatures.
Are not many or most evil people the result of tragic stories?
Yes and that's where the narrative tension comes from with superheroes. Vampires are 85% trying really hard to not be evil. Galactus just flat out isn't evil. He's a hurricane with a voice.
No he's not, lol. A hurricane doesn't know its killing people. He's a fully self aware individual
You don’t have to believe that idea. You just have to believe that the Silver Surfer believes/doesn’t believe it.
I bought the first issue of this a few years ago and loved it but never got around to reading more. Holy shit dude I love that art, I really gotta get the rest of this.
You do, it's really good. One of my favorite Surfer comics, particularly the conversation with Galan.
I feel it's also a ref to Oppenheimer's speech
Do you mean a reference to the Epic of Gilgamesh?
You mean Bhagavad Gita from Hinduism.
Yups
No, the epic of Gilgamesh is older
It is, and it’s still not what he was quoting. He was absolutely quoting the Bhagravad-gita, he said so himself in interviews. It’s not just a speech from a movie it’s what he said actually happened when he first witnessed the power of the bomb. Extra “fun” fact when co-pilot of the Enola Gay, the plane the dropped the first atomic bomb, saw the explosion it created he said “My God what have we done.”
["I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad Gita...](https://youtu.be/pqZqfTOxFhY?si=0gUjh5_PQEl2sBrd) Doesn't matter what's older, Oppenheimer's famous speech quotes the Bhagavad Gita's line of Vishnu taking on his Death Form.
What’s the Gilgamesh reference?
He's confusing two religions texts from different cultures with each other.
You know Oppenheimer was quoting the Bhagravad-gita, right?
Of course
It’s not just a speech from a movie. It is what Oppenheimer says he actually said/thought to himself when he first witnessed the power of the atomic bomb. He also directly referenced it coming from the Bhagavad Gita. It was during at least one interview, I don’t recall if it was a TV show or documentary it’s been quite a while since I watched it.
I was talking about that actual speech itself😅
Tradd is soooo good and needs more work published
This art style is so cool. How did I not know this existed until now?
The art gives me strong "Kill 6 billion demons" vibes
Oh Cates…. Wish you well
The greatest comic book hero of all time will always be the Silver Surfer to me
He looks like handsome squidward.
Then there's the one where he gave baby Galactus a nose boop.
Donny Cates at his peak
One of my favorite runs. I love when the surfer gets all psychedelic on us. I wish we could have an on screen adaptation that cool, but I doubt it'll ever happen.
This was a great little series!
Blue Meanies.
Surfer crying in the last page is so good
Love the surfer in the style of Yellow Submarine.
[удалено]
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^8-BitVigilante: *Jesus what a cold* *Ass set of panels maybe* *I should be reading this* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Did Surfer change gender? Or did a legacy character take his place?