Heralds of Galactus

Galactus
Galactus on the variant cover of Son of Hulk #14 (October 2009). Art by Mitch Breitweiser.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Fantastic Four #48 (March 1966)
Created by	Stan Lee (writer) Jack Kirby (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Galan
Place of origin	Galan: Taa Galactus: Cosmic Egg
Team affiliations	Heralds of Galactus God Squad Ultimates
Notable aliases	Ashta, Devourer of Worlds, The Monster of all Worlds, The hunger that does not cease, God of Oblivion, The Lifebringer, The Seeder of Worlds
Abilities	Reality warping Energy manipulation Matter manipulation Life-force manipulation Size manipulation Soul manipulation Cosmic awareness Telepathy Telekinesis Teleportation

Galactus is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Formerly a mortal man, Galactus is a cosmic entity who originally consumed planets to sustain his life force, and serves a functional role in the upkeep of the primary Marvel continuity. Galactus was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first appeared in the comic book Fantastic Four #48, published in March 1966.

Lee and Kirby had desired to introduce a character that broke away from the archetype of the standard villain, culminating in the creation of Galactus. In the character's first appearance in The Fantastic Four, Galactus was depicted as a god-like figure who feeds by draining living planets of their energy, and operates without regard to the morality and judgements of mortal beings. Galactus' initial origin was that of a space explorer named Galan who gained cosmic abilities by passing near a star, but writer Mark Gruenwald further developed the origin of the character, revealing that Galan lived during the previous universe. As Galan's universe came to an end, Galan merged with the "Sentience of the Universe" to become Galactus, an entity that wielded such cosmic power as to require devouring entire planets to sustain his existence. Additional material written by John Byrne, Jim Starlin, and Louise Simonson explored Galactus' role and purpose in the Marvel Universe, and examined the actions of the character 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.