Marvel Reveals Major Change to Galactus

Marvel’s Galactus has started out as a mysterious cosmic force of nature, but over the years, we’ve seen his origin story steadily expanded throughout Marvel Comics lore. After finding out about Galactus’ true identity (Galan of Taa), and seeing what kind of different complex forms the world-devourer can take on (Lifebringer Galactus), the latest storyline of Marvel’s Thor series is adding yet another revealing chapter to Galactus’ background. The latest chapter of “The Devourer King”, makes a major reveal about the Galactus and his history with The Black Winter, the star plague that killed Galactus’ universe, and now threatens the Marvel Universe!

Warning – Thor #5 SPOILERS Follow!

In chapter 5 of “The Devourer King” Thor and Galactus try to stand united against The Black Winter. The evil entity appeared before Galactus could finish the five-course meal of special planets that will power him up, forcing the world-eater to hurriedly destroy the fifth world before Thor could evacuate it fully. Despite Thor’s anger, he and Galactus have no choice but to battle together, to keep the Black Winter from washing over them. Unfortunately, their combined power is still not enough, and the darkness ends up taking Thor.

Inside the Black Winter, Thor is forced to confront a living nightmare of some of the worst villains he’s faced (Surtur, Gorr, Malekith, Enchantress, Mephisto, The Serpent, Apocalypse, Dr. Doom – even classic evil Loki). Eventually, Thor uses his godly power cosmic to manifest an attack called a “God blast,” which is powerful enough to at least disorient the Black Winter and free Thor and Galactus from its grasp.

As the two odd-pair Marvel Cosmic figures stand ready for a final battle against the dark, The Black Winter takes a dark reflection of Thor’s form. The evil entity doesn’t attack; instead, he takes a decidedly different approach: talking. The Black Winter takes a moment for a quick clarification session with Thor, asking the Thunder God why he thinks The Black Winter has come to the Marvel Universe. When Thor says it is to consume the galaxy, he finds out that Galactus wasn’t entirely truthful with him. As it turns out, Galandidn’t escape The Black Winter and the death of his universe: he was spared by The Black Winter, and became Galactus to serve as The Herald of The Black Winter!

This reveal plays upon the long unanswered mystery of what happened to Galactus’ universe while retconning the “random act of cosmic fate” that allowed Galan to survive the Big Crunch and gestate into the being Galactus. Now we know there is a bigger design and purpose for Galactus’ existence, and it’s going to be fun to see what it means going forward – especially if he has to go back into service of The Balck Winter again.

Marvel’s Thor #5 is now on sale.