From An Abstract To An Evil Choo-Choo, What A Step Down

I want to talk about the Galactus Engine. It's a giant thing, looks sort of like a train with centipede legs, has Galactus' skull on the front. It burst through the Fault from the Cancerverse at the end of Thanos Imperative #2, and it's been slugging it out with regular Galactus and all the other high-level cosmic "Abstracts" since then.

The Silver Surfer said it's the Galactus of the Cancerverse, weaponized, which I'm guessing means this was done to Galactus, rather than it's the form he naturally took in that universe. I'd also guess Mar-Vell was behind it, but why? I can understand trying to shut Galactus down. It's a universe where no one will ever die, so they'll need all the habitable space they can get. Galactus devours worlds, including ones people could live on. So they stop him from doing that. It might take some time, but he can't kill them, and eventually he'd exhaust his energies and be overwhelmed. It raises two questions for me, though:

1) Was Cancerverse Galactus offered immortality before he was weaponized, or no? I could see Galactus rejecting the offer, recognizing the fundamental wrongness of a universe without death. That's even though he's clearly a survivor. Survived the death of his universe, keeps on going no matter how little he may enjoy what he does to survive. Still, he's been portrayed as a fundamental power in the universe, one who bridges the gap between Eternity and Death, maintaining a balance between them. That could make him either too powerful, or too aware of the risks in the offer to accept. Or perhaps no offer was made at all. He may have been regarded as potentially useful, but too dangerous to extend the Many-Angled Ones' gifts to.

2) At any rate, now he's an engine. What's he running on? What's the engine providing power for? The engine probably provides power to destroy their enemies. As for what it runs on, I wonder if Galactus can draw energy from things that can't die? I don't believe the freedom from death extends to actual planets, but what of the people on them? Would their bodies resist being broken down into the energy he consumes, or would their consciousness persist even after they were turned into pure energy? Galactus tried eating the Elders of the Universe once, after they tried killing him. He ate them even though they couldn't die, but it didn't take, and they escaped, though Death erased some of them from existence.

But since the inhabitants of the Cancerverse can't die, could they serve as an eternal fuel source for the Galactus Engine? He breaks them down, and draws some energy from it, but they regenerate, so he breaks them down and draws energy from them again, going on forever. In the end, it's just adding a middleman, because I'm betting it's the Many-Angled Ones that empower the folks, so it's probably their energy the Engine would be running on.

Trust Me, The Little Aliens Shift From Cute To Scary

When I reviewed Beta Ray Bill: Godhunter #3, I talked a bit about how, as he weakens, Galactus is drawn less and less impressively by Kano. Galactus is less frequently drawn in large panels that dominate the page, and even within the smaller panels he occupies, he can be dwarfed or otherwise overwhelmed by other things (be it Bill, or the I'than armada).

I also wanted to discuss the shift in art with regard to the I'thans themselves. Unfortunately, my camera doesn't want to connect to my computer anymore, so I can't transfer the photos I took of the relevant pages, and the Internet hasn't really helped me in my search. So it's time for the always popular Art Post With No Art! I'm sure it will work, though. After all, you all bought Beta Ray Bill: Godhunter, right? Well, you'll buy it when it's released as a trade, then you can come back, read the post and be like "Oh, Calvin was totally right about that!"

Issue #1, Page 13: We're introduced to the I'thians as one of their ships evacuates I'Than IX. Their ship is a crystalline design, a bit like an oddly shaped diamond. Our first glimpse of an actual I'thian comes in the next two panels, as the pilot describes their attempts to flee the planet without being killed by Stardust*. It's a furry critter, with big purple eyes, and the rings on the neck of its suit suggest an isopod (roly-poly, or pillbug) to me. When the pilot sees that his ship's been caught by Stardust, all he can do is lament that someone has to draw the short straw. If the ship has any defensive capabilities, the pilot doesn't consider them worth trying. Fortunately, Bill arrives, and battles Stardust, enabling the ship to flee to I'than Prime. The brief shots we have of the I'thans in this issue make them look small, and generally sort of helpless. In a panel shared by the ship and Stardust, the Herald takes up more space than the ship, and the two facial shots of the I'than sit above and below a much larger Stardust, as it issues its proclamation of death.

Issue #2 starts with that same ship arriving safely at I'than Prime, which is a lush, green world, with clear blue skies. The I'thans all wear brightly colored clothing, and are rendered as sort of cute, as the pilot describes his savior, making hand gestures to represent Bill's hammer and 'elongated face'. One of the I'thans remarks that thanks to Bill, they've evacuated without a single casualty, and isn't that lucky where Galactus is involved? Then Stardust arrives, and takes up 80% of Page 2 (or Page 3 if we're counting recap pages) with another proclamation: Galactus is on his way. All the I'thans can do is look upward in concern.

On Page 7, the I'thans reappear, sporting odd helmets, which cover one of their eyes with a red lens, as they open the vaults, all the vaults. The skies are orange now, as it's probably sunset, and wherever they are on their planet, it's dirtier, a dead space. By Page 11, the I'thans have a armada in space, driving the Surfer away from their world under the sheer weight of their fire. These ships are very different. An ugly ochre, or beige color, and rounded off, no edges. Oddly, the ships look less threatening than the one we first see, what with the lack of pointy surfaces, but unlike the crystalline ships, these do possess firepower worthy of challenging a Herald.

Bill and Skuttlebutt land on the planet, and the twilight has deepened, and again, the location is not green looking. The I'thans faces are shown in shadows throughout Page 13, and even though Beta Ray Bill should tower over them, they occupy roughly the same space in a panel, and in the final panel of page 13, Bill is a small figure in the background as the I'than walks away. Even their large purple eyes are drawn smaller, beadier, less "Aww, aren't they cute?" When Bill returns to inform them he's struck them with a plague to force them to leave their world, they still don't resemble themselves from earlier in the issue, but the shadows are largely gone, and Bill looms over them again. They've been rendered powerless once more, and the sky still has some orange to it (it's morning now, instead of evening), and the foliage is still an ugly brown, possibly because the planet will be destroyed soon (by Bill, so that Galactus can't feed on it)?

In issue #3, the I'thans make their first appearance on page 9 (not counting the shadowy outline of the armada on Page 6). The insides of their warships are all deep reds, compared to lighter yellows and greens with the crystalline ships. Page 9 has four panels of I'thans inside their ships, set on top of a full-page shot of their amassed forces. In ship design, their fleets remind me of the ships of the Annihilation Wave, though I can't say whether Kano and Gillen are purposefully making a callback to the army that nearly destroyed the universe. In the interior shots, there is at least one I'than with a clenched fist in every panel, save the last one, which is an extreme close-up on the leader's face. That face is almost entirely blacked out, except for that glowing red lens, and his clenched, smiling teeth. There is nothing sweet, friendly, or adorable about that creature.

When they attack Galactus on page 11, Galactus dominates the first panel (which extends vertically the length of the page, covering roughly 40% of the page), but subsequently, the I'thans rule the rest, with the first panel a shot of the I'than leader giving a command, the second showing the Heralds overwhelmed trying to halt the attack, and the third, showing the sheer numbers of ships brought against Galactus as they make it past the Heralds and open fire. In that last panel, the sun is behind them, though whether it's meant to be rising on the I'thans and their renewed militarism, or setting on Galactus, I don't know. Either way, the armada nearly obscures the sky, and takes up considerably more of that panel than Galactus.

The last time we see any individual I'thans is when Bill throws himself between them and Galactus. They'd unleashed some ring-weapon larger than Galactus that put him on the mat, and now that Bill is defying them, the I'than leader is nearly snarling as he orders all missiles fired. Everything falls apart shortly afterwards, as Bill destroys enough missiles that Galactus can feed on this uninhabited world, and get some strength back. At which point (on Page 17) we start with a panel of Galactus announcing he's fed, where he is one relatively small figure, against all those ships. But in panel 2, the status quo is restored with a close-up on Galactus' face, announcing his displeasure. Panel 3 is Galactus firing energy, and while he doesn't fill that panel, he's the only thing of significance in it. Panel 4 shows the aftermath, as the I'than ships are burning to nothingness, and Galactus stands before them, now looking much larger than any individual ship, having reasserted himself.

It's unclear what happened to the I'thans. Not all of them were fighting Galactus, as the Surfer had mentioned refugees at the start of the issue. As for the military, Galactus couldn't have destroyed all of them since Bill ordered Skuttlebutt to save as many as he could, fearing Stardust would kill them for daring to attack Galactus. Whether Skuttlebutt was successful, and whether Stardust did end up hunting them down and killing them, we don't know. On the whole, the I'thans and their world are portrayed as being pretty well off until Stardust arrives, and when they tap into their old ways, they become less friendly looking, and their world stops looking like such a paradise. There's also quite a few scenes set at sunsets or sunrises. I'm guessing these indicate, in order: the end of the I'thans years of seclusion, Bill's willingness to do anything to stop Galactus, and like I mentioned a couple of paragraps ago, either the end of the I'thans or the return of Galactus to prominence.

I'd say that Kano, Alvaro Lopez the inker, and Javier Rodriguez the colorist all do an excellent job, both at showing the wax and wane of Galactus, and the shift of the I'thans back to their old ways, and the destruction that portends.

* Stardust is one of Galactus' two current Heralds. Problem is, where the Silver Surfer is really mopey, Stardust is really nuts. It considers it an honor to be devoured by Galactus, and tends to hunt down and kill any inhabitants of a world Galactus eats that escaped. In the Stormbreaker mini-series, this included the Korbinites, Beta Ray Bill's people.

It's Important To Remember Who's Defining Terms Here

Spoilers for Beta Ray Bill: Godhunter #2.

At issues end, Bill finds he's no longer able to lift his mystic hammer, Stormbreaker. Since he made a point of telling Agent Brand in issue 1 that he's one of the few individuals deemed worthy of lifting Stormbreaker, one can assume his recent actions have rendered him unworthy. Since Odin enchanted the hammer, I guess it's his definition that determines things, and his definition strikes me as somewhat unusual.

Given the timing of it, it would seem that the line was drawn at how Bill convinced the I'thians to flee I'than Prime, rather than try to fight off Galactus and two Heralds. Bill's method was to use a nanoplague the Voidian weapons makers he captured in #1 to infect the I'thians, and withhold the antidote until they were safely away from there home.

OK, that's dirty pool to be sure, but I find it funny that's more ignoble than his decision to kill Galactus, considering people have been arguing Galactus is necessary to the universe since, what, the trial of Reed Richards back during Byrne's Fantastic Four*? But here's Beta Ray Bill, bound and determined to kill him, and surely Odin would have perceived Galactus' importance (assuming it's actually true).

Further, Bill isn't even trying to destroy Galactus in a manner of which I'd think Asgardians would approve. Rather than try and fight Galactus, he opts to destroy worlds before they can be devoured, starving Galactus. Kind of a cheap way to gain a victory, and one you'd think would be frowned upon by beings that prefer to settle things in honorable combat.

But no, it's the fact Bill was willing to do anything to save the I'thians from their own foolish confidence that was the deal breaker. Perhaps it's because the I'thians were prepared to die fighting for their home, as would befit a Viking (or Asgardian), and Bill forced them to run. Or maybe the loss of worthiness was a cumulative thing, and that was merely the last straw. I think it's interesting for what it says about the Asgardians**.

* It was Byrne himself who proposed that, wasn't it? He showed up at Reed's trial and argued Richards shouldn't be executed for saving Galactus because the Big G was vital.

** I wonder if there's also something there about how Bill is making a mistake being so focused on death, whether it's killing Galactus, or avenging his dead people, which is driving him to try this. Is it that he should be focusing on using his power to protect the living, rather than avenge the dead through killing? Because I don't believe Beta Ray Bill is actually concerned with protecting innocents nearly as much as he is with vengeance.

It's Not So Easy Going Back To The Way Things Were

While reading Nova this week, I had the impression that the Surfer is having a bit of difficulty getting used to being Herald of Galactus again. Sure, he tosses Nova around when our hero gets too close to the Planet Devourer, and he spouts the usual spiel about Galactus not interacting with lower beings, and how, as his Herald, the Surfer really shouldn't be talking to Rich either. Still, he keeps slipping out of character, only to catch himself mid-sentence.

On two occasions he starts to tell Nova something, only to stop and say he need not explain himself to Rich. His willingness to discuss why he seems different, or to explain how casually he can shield the ark ships from electromagnetic disruption, seems to be a holdover of the days when he routinely interacted with costumed heroes, having misunderstanding battles, followed by team-ups, and the like. That was his life for a long time, and even if he didn't find it entirely fulfilling (since the reason he rejoined Galactus was at least partially a lack of direction) it became a fairly regular occurrence, and so it wasn't out of the ordinary for him to explain what he was doing or feeling. In fact, given the Surfer's tendencies to zip around on his board bemoaning his fate (whether he's trapped on a planet of madmen, or otherwise separated from his love), the hard part was usually getting him to shut up.

Now though, he's back on the clock, and he's apparently serious about being a loyal Herald*, and that means he's supposed to follow Big G's lead, which means limited interaction with lesser beings, and that you do not explain your actions. He's supposed to be above all that once again, and he's at least trying to act like it. The fact that he's not entirely successful, that he keeps slipping into old habits, is something to keep in mind for the future.

Given the cyclical nature of comics at Marvel and DC, it's pretty much a given the Surfer will turn against Galactus again at some point. I find it unlikely that after all those years protecting lives that are inconsequential to Galactus, and now having helped Nova with a planetary evacuation, that he'll ever easily fall back into his ways from before he encountered Alicia Masters. Which could be bad for him, as Galactus figures the Surfer will turn against him someday, thus Galactus accepted Stardust back to serve as co-Herald alongside Silverado**. In the event he turns against Galactus, he's going to have to contend with perhaps the most fanatically loyal Herald Galactus has ever had, and if Galactus opts to remove the extra power he gave the Surfer***, well, that would be bad news for Norrin.

*Serious enough he has no qualms about leading Galactus to inhabited worlds.

**See Annihilation: Heralds of Galactus #1!

***In Annihilation: Silver Surfer #3 - Footnote Favoring Calvin!

Have You Considered An Appetite Suppressor?

Since freed of his imprisonment during Annihilation, Galactus has apparently been hungrier than ever. It's to the point that he's got two Heralds out looking for planets, when he isn't trying to devour powerful cosmic entities like Eon.

{Or was it Epoch? The one who guided Wendell Vaughn when he was Quasar. Really, that just seemed wrong, given Galactus' claims that he must survive because he's of cosmic consonance or whatever, but he turns around and tries to eat the being that gives us a Cosmic Protector. What a jackass.}

Now, according to the leader of Obrucen, he's even devouring the energy of stars {quote: Two stars went out. They didn't explode, they simply went out.} For now, I'll set aside the question of what good devouring a planet is going to do if two stars can't sustain Galactus for more than five days. So he's definitely eating more than he used to. I suppose it could be a natural process. Big G is getting older, the body don't work as well as it used to, just isn't as efficient as it once was. It's all very sad, when a once mighty force has to spend all his time eating, like Agent X that last year or so of Cable/Deadpool. Hopefully Galactus doesn't start wearing a sumo outfit.

I keep wandering off-topic, but I know that's why you all love me. The point of this was supposed to be how Galactus' increasing hunger reminded me of that Simonson Fantastic Four story where 30 years in the future Galactus is actually devouring the entire universe, because he's gotten so hungry. I wonder if the idea of making him need more energy was a nod to that, or if somebody figured they needed it to make him a more imposing threat once more. After all, the universe is a big place, and if he's able to feed on stars now, then he wouldn't need to eat as often, and so it'd be less likely he'd cross paths with one of Marvel's heroes. Plus, I guess he wouldn't need two heralds unless without some sort of escalation of his situation, although I like that he keeps Stardust around partially for the day the Surfer backstabs him, because Norrin will. He'll get one of his crises of conscience, and then he'll have to be dealt with.

It's All About The Balance

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.