Galactus is a Victim, not a Villain

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Galactus, known universally as the “Devourer of Worlds,” instills fear wherever his name echoes. His presence signifies the end for civilizations, making him one of the most formidable entities in the Marvel Universe’s grand tapestry. Empowering mortals like the Silver Surfer to serve as his Heralds, he seeks out new planets to consume due to an insatiable hunger that has resulted in the annihilation of countless worlds and lifeforms. Despite numerous attempts to destroy Earth, heroes such as the Fantastic Four, Avengers, and X-Men have managed to thwart Galactus. However, unlike other villains, Galactus doesn’t destroy worlds out of malice, but necessity.

Galactus is a primordial force of nature, so powerful that he can only be sustained by the energy he extracts from planets teeming with life. If he fails to consume planets, he will perish due to starvation. In this sense, Galactus is not inherently evil; rather, he plays a crucial role in maintaining the cosmic balance, much like the wolf that kills and eats prey – though the hunted may harbor different opinions.

Through numerous portrayals, Galactus is often depicted less as a malevolent antagonist and more like an impartial deity. As Ralph Ineson, who played Galactus in “The Fantastic Four: First Steps”, puts it, Galactus isn’t inherently evil. Instead, the circumstances of his origin and being suggest that he is something greater than just a relentless cosmic entity. Fundamentally, Galactus can be seen as a victim, bound by forces beyond his control, who unwillingly assumes the role of a destructive divine figure.

Galan: The Man Behind the God

A long time ago, before becoming the cosmic entity known as Galactus, destroyer of worlds, he was a human named Galan from the technologically advanced planet Taa. At that time, the Multiverse was nearing its natural end, causing all life to perish along with it. As his universe was the last one standing, deadly radiation from the dying Multiverse had killed most of Taa’s population. In desperation, Galan, a scientist and explorer, scoured what remained of the universe for a solution to save his people, but found none. With the realization that their deaths were imminent, Galan and the few remaining Taans agreed to his proposal: they would choose their own demise by flying into the heart of the universe. As they approached the end, everyone on board succumbed to radiation sickness until only Galan was left. He piloted the ship towards the center of the universe, prepared for an honorable death. However, instead of dying, he found himself transformed into a cosmic being with god-like powers, ready to preserve and destroy worlds as needed.

Just as the Multiverse was on the brink of extinction, Galan encountered a being – the Sentience of the Sixth Cosmos, a manifestation of the dying Multiverse. Being the last living entity in existence, Galan became one with this divine entity, marking the beginning of an endless cycle of death and rebirth. With the demise of the old Multiverse, a Big Bang ensued, leading to the creation of the current Multiverse. In the process, Galan ceased to exist and transformed into the mighty destroyer called Galactus.

The Tragedy of Galactus

The sadness of Galactus arises from being unwillingly merged with the Consciousness of the Sixth Cosmos, yearning for an honorable death but becoming the universe’s last survivor. He was forced to witness and inflict destruction on countless planets due to his instinct to consume worlds that ultimately corrupted him. Galactus frequently confesses to being haunted by the loss of his homeworld and the lives he’s ended across the cosmos.

Despite the fact that destruction and annihilation are essential for the universe’s growth, compelling a being who has already lost his own planet to destroy other planets is unimaginably cruel. The remorse or morality that Galactus may feel is overshadowed by the relentless hunger and unstoppable impulse to survive that he is compelled to fulfill. Galactus is as bound to his hunger as the laws of physics bind the cosmos. In rare instances, Galactus attempts to end his own life by starving himself, so as not to cause harm to others. However, whether persuaded by others or driven by his hunger, Galactus consistently resumes his role as an impartial devourer of planets.

Over vast spans of time marked by countless acts of genocide, Galactus has grown largely indifferent towards the beings he’s wiped out. To him, they are much like a deity might perceive: minuscule and inconsequential specks in comparison to the boundless Multiverse. This detachment allows him to disregard the unending pain and death he inflicts upon planets teeming with life, viewing them merely as his next sustenance. Apart from rare moments of remorse, Galactus no longer struggles against his appetite but instead welcomes it wholeheartedly.

Johnny Blaze, also known as Ghost Rider, tried using the Penance Stare on Galactus, but it had no effect because Galactus is immune to such power due to his lack of remorse for his actions. The Penance Stare usually makes a person feel the pain of everyone they’ve ever harmed, but Galactus’s hunger overpowered him so much that not even this stare could stir any guilt in him. Over time, Galactus transformed from a man driven to save his people into an emotionless entity serving the universe’s greater purpose. After losing his world and freedom, perhaps the most significant loss Galactus experienced was the loss of his conscience and the forgetting of what it meant to be human.

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2025-07-25 23:11