Today is “Alien Day,” and its time to celebrate. While Alien Day is a celebration designed to hype up the Alien movie franchise, the sci-fi/horror genre doesn’t have a monopoly on memorable alien beings.
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There are plenty of superhero characters who come from other planets, and while DC Comics‘ Superman may be the most iconic alien superhero character of all, the Marvel Universe has plenty of fan-favorites as well.
To celebrate “Alien Day,” ComicBook.com thought it was time to give Marvels aliens their due, so we’re counting down the five coolest aliens in the Marvel universe.
For the record, the line between alien and deity is pretty blurry when it comes to Marvel’s Asgardians, so we decided to leave them off this list. Don’t expect to see Thor hogging the top spot.
We also decided to leave the conceptual beings that make up the cosmic order of the Marvel universe off of this list. Galactus, Eternity, the Living Tribunal, and the rest are all fantastic creations, but they’re something a bit more than simple extraterrestrials.
And with that, keep reading to learn about the five coolest aliens in the Marvel Universe.
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5. Warlock
Warlock is a member of the techno-organic race called the Technarcy. The Technarchy survive by infecting other living creatures with a virus and then absorbing their life energy. Like other members of the Technarchy, Warlock is an adept shapeshifter.
The Technarchy are an extremely aggressively race, but Warlock was a “mutant’ born with compassion for others. He refused to battle his father, the Magus, and instead fled to earth, where he met the New Mutants.
Recognizing a kindred spirit, the New Mutants welcomed Warlock to Xavier’s School and made him a member of the team.He becomes best friends with the mutant Doug Ramsey, and a vital member of the New Mutants, shapeshifting to provide transportation or a heavy hitter in combat as needed. His innocence and exuberance also make him a lot of run in any story.
4. Beta Ray Bill
Beta Ray Bill is a member of the Korbinite race. When his galaxy was destroyed by Surtur, Bill volunteered to be turned into a powerful but monstrous-looking cyborg hero for his people. From his sentient ship Skuttlebutt, Bill led his people in a search for a new home.
The Korbinite fleet eventually entered Earth’s atmosphere and the Thor was summoned to defend the planet from what SHIELD assumed was an invasion. Bill battled Thor to a standstill until Mjolnir fell from Thor’s hand. Bill then became the first character outside of Thor’s pantheon to lift the mighty hammer, gaining the power of Thor in the process.
Bill and Thor were rivals for the hammer for a time, and Bill just barely defeated Thor for a second time in a final battle in the realm of Skartheim. However, Bill showed his true colors when he saved Thor from dying in that battle. Seeing Bill’s worth, Odin had a new hammer fashioned for him, christened Stormbringer. Since then, Bill and Thor have become friends and brothers-in-arms.
3. Rocket Raccoon
Rocket Raccoon was once a forgotten Marvel Character, appearing in only 10 comic books in the first 30 years after he was created.
All of that changed following the events of Annihilation: Conquest, when Star-Lord decided to put together a crew called the Guardians of the Galaxy.
Though he may look like a raccoon, Rocket is far more dangerous. He’s mostly known for a brash personality, and itchy trigger finger, and for favoring large weapons, but don’t be fooled. The bravado and bluster of his demeanor hide that he is actually a genius, especially when it comes to matters of war and working on spaceships.
Also, honorable mentions go to Rocket’s Guardians of the Galaxy teammates Drax, Gamora, and especially his partner Groot, any one of whom would be a worthy addition to this list.
2. Silver Surfer
The Marvel Universe was built on the concept of relatable, human characters. The Silver Surfer was one of the first characters to show that being relatable, and even being human, didn’t mean you had to come from Earth.
Jack Kirby created Silver Surfer as a cosmic traveler. He was introduced as the herald of Galactus, the World Devourer, and the power that his master had imbued him with made the Silver Surfer nearly unstoppable. Silver Surfer showed his true worth when he betrayed Galactus to save the Earth from destruction.
Many of the Silver Surfer’s earliest stories offer a gods-eye view of life on Earth. More than any other character, Stan Lee used the Silver Surfer to expound his own philosophical musing about life and humanity.
These days, Silver Surfer’s adventures read like Marvel’s take on Doctor Who, as he embarks on whimsical journey’s with his companion, Dawn Greenwood.
1. Thanos
There are few names in the Marvel Universe that evoke as much terror as
Though he grew up on Titan as part of the Eternal race, Thanos has the blood of the Eternal’s cousin race, the Deviants, and it shows in his physical appearance that was so terrible his own mother tried to kill him at birth.
Thanos was a peaceful child but became attracted to the concepts of death and nihilism as he grew up, and even fell in love with Mistress Death, the physical manifestation of death itself. This infatuation came to a head when, as an adult, Thanos killed his own family to impress Death.
Since then, Thanos has brought terror throughout the galaxy. Whether he’s trying to impress death by using the Infinity Gauntlet to unmake all life, or culling populations of entire planets simply because he can, Thanos is a force to be reckoned with through the Marvel cosmos.
