Exiles #87 introduced us to a Galactus with a slightly different role. Rather than a Devourer, he's a Life-Giver, restoring planets rendered lifeless by some blight that afflicts the universe. That notion has left me wondering just what that blight may be. It has to be some sort of active entity, because if it was something written into the natural laws of the universe - something that causes things to move to entropy or decay faster - then the universe would never have lasted long enough to form planets in the first place. So what's behind it all?
The obvious answer seems to be that whatever causes planets to have life in the Marvel-616 Universe, causes them to die in Marvel-552. Except I don't remember there being a force credited with that, which doesn't make sense. All the cosmic forces at Marvel (and probably DC, I just don't know about them) have counterparts. Mistress Love and Sire Hate. Lord Order, Master Chaos. Eternity and Infinity. The In-Betweener balances itself. Given their penchant for meddling, you could argue the Celestials are the opposite of the non-involved Watchers. And I recall someone arguing that Galactus was a necessary force in the universe (I want to say Reed Richards, but I'm not certain), that Big G serves a needed role. That being the case, there must be something that counters him.
Maybe the Celestials are the counter, because they tamper with life in ways which can improve their odds of survival? In that event, you could argue The Stranger was the Watchers' opposite number, seeing as he was always traveling around, grabbing people and things here and there, always mucking about.
If the Celestials are the life-givers in 616, and the "blight" in 552, that would explain why Galactus seems to be fighting a losing battle (given the statement that planets die faster than he can revive them). There are lots of Celestials, and only one Galactus. Outnumbered, therefore, overworked.
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As far as Galactus's duality goes, that depends on who you ask. In Silver Surfer v. 3 #...15, I think, Galactus and the In-Betweener fight and one of the main points is that the In-Betweener can't find the opposite of Galactus while Galactus maintains there isn't one.
In the early 100s of the series, Tyrant is depicted as Galactus's opposite, since he gains power from the existence of planets and Galactus gains it from destroying them.
Then there's Abraxas from Fantastic Four 500ish. And the Celestials are set up, if not as his opposite then at least as Galactus's enemies in Earth X.
I think the original idea was to have Galactus alone. Eternity/Infinity balanced out Death/Oblivion while Galactus sat between the two as Kirby's Shiva, the maintainer through destruction.
kanedoras: Thanks for the insights. I didn't know about any of that.
And seeing as Galactus is the survivor of the previous universe, that would make him kind of unique, so being without an opposite isn't that unlikely.
glboal warming perhaps?
orrr i can recall an early x-factor arc...(with the original 5 so wayy back)...they got trapped on a planet because the ship they had at the time was a celestrial ship(sp??) and also in the much loved hereos reborn.....the celestrials put judgment on the planets and if they fialed the planet was destroyed so they destroyed planets....so in the 552 universe they may still be doing that...and galactus is going behind them and fixing them....i also kinda rember that galactus ate the planets the celestrials had an "egg" in .as seen in earth x..sooo maybe in this reality hes the guy making the planets and the celestrials are eating them..where as in 616 they make the worlds and galactus eats them.
maybe??
gabesummers
gabe: Those are some pretty good theories, especially the egg one.
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