Here’s How & Why Galactus Got His Powers

Galactus is known to be among the most iconic “antagonists” in the Marvel Universe, but also among the most powerful characters ever created. This colossal being packs enough power to devour whole planets, although the most recent version of the character hungers for knowledge. Despite being well-known, Galactus’ origins and the origin of his powers are shrouded in mystery. This is why we decided to shed some light on it. Let’s see what makes Galactus so supremely powerful and how he was created. 

Galactus got his powers from Sentience of the Cosmos when he was the only known survivor of his old Universe that went through “the Big Crunch,” due to the effects of the Black Winter. Effectively erasing everything from existence except him. The Sentience of the Cosmos granted Galactus Power Cosmic and transformed him into a colossal cosmic being that hungers for energy or knowledge. With Power Cosmic, Galactus is nearly-omnipotent, his only weakness being his hunger, which is an essential part of his character and something that he can’t ever truly escape. 

Now that we’ve covered the origin of Galactus’ powers, it’s time to explore it in a bit more detail. If you’re interested in more, stay with us and keep reading!

Who created Galactus?

Galactus was not originally from this Universe. He was born during the last “moments” of a dying reality in a previous universe on an extremely advanced planet called Taa. Taa-ans were an advanced race discovering many secrets of the Universe, and Galan’s mother was one of the best. 

Galan was born as artificially enhanced Taa-an, and his mother often neglected him, leaving him to his own devices. Galan was sort of a superhero for his race when he grew up due to his advanced physical attributes and keen intellect. This is why he will eventually be granted the most important mission of all, the mission to save his race and reality. 

The Sixth Infinity and all universes within it were extremely close to collapse and were scheduled to undergo the so-called “multiversal renewal cycle consumed by the Black Winter, whose primary purpose is to devour entire universes. 

When Ta-ans discovered that destruction was imminent, Galan was sent to travel to what was left of the Universe to find a solution. He failed to find one. 

When Galan returned to his home planet, he found only a few survivors, as the cosmic background radiation was becoming too strong due to the “Big Crunch” taking place. Galan proposed something radical. Instead of trying to avoid the unescapable, he proposed that they die a glorious death by traveling to the center of the destruction itself – the Cosmic Egg. 

The Cosmic Egg was a central point of the Universe, a mass of unorganized matter, radiation, and heat from which a new Universe would be born, as well as everything in it. The Taa-ans that were onboard never lived passed this point.

They all died due to extremely inhospitable conditions. Galan found himself dying but was approached by a mystical entity called Sentience of the Cosmos, who transformed him into Galactus and granted him his powers today, which he is known for. 

In the most recent storyline related to Galactus, it was revealed that his beginnings are slightly different and that he was, instead, approached by Black Winter, who chose Galactus to be its herald, devouring existence on a smaller scale contrary to his master.

Whatever origin story you prefer, the fact that Galactus was transformed from a mortal humanoid to a cosmic being remains. He was granted the so-called Power Cosmic, which allows him to alter reality and perform unimaginable feats of power. Galactus can never be truly killed as he performs one of the most vital functions important for the balance of the Universe as a whole. 

 What makes Galactus so powerful?

Galactus is extremely powerful due to the aforementioned Power Cosmic. Power Cosmic is a source of unlimited cosmic powers and grants Galactus several mind-blowing abilities. He can affect reality and change it, as it was proven in several instances. He can change his own size and bend space and time. Due to Power Cosmic, he can alter objects and even living matter on a molecular level, meaning that he can transform everything into anything. 

He also has cosmic awareness, meaning that he is aware of even the most subtle changes on a cosmic scale. He is omniscient and all-powerful. He can be harmed and killed but never permanently, as the nature of the Universe itself dictates that Galactus has to exist, and it’s only a matter of time before Galactus will rejoin the living. 

Although often perceived as a villain, Galactus cannot be considered to be one. He is necessary for the natural order of the Universe, and this is why he has unlimited cosmic power at his disposal. 

Galactus can grant a portion of his powers to others as well. If Galactus grants a portion of his powers to a lesser being, it results in the creation of a herald. Galactus’ most notable herald is Silver Surfer, who was previously a humanoid from a planet called Zenn-La. 

If Power Cosmic is granted to a higher being, it results in the creation of a Galactus-like being. It is heavily implied that Galactus himself is a herald of a cosmic entity of higher order called “Black Winter.”

What is Galactus’ biggest weakness? 

Galactus has one crippling weakness and quality that defines him in most of his stories, and that’s his hunger. Galactus constantly hungers, be it for energy or knowledge. To sustain his powers at acceptable levels, he needs to feed. The older he gets, the more often he has to feed. Older versions of the character had to feed every several hundred years. As he consumes more, his hunger expands. 

Galactus also felt bad for consuming worlds with sentient life. He actively avoided doing this, but after some time, and faced with extreme weakness, he was forced to change the rule a bit, no matter how guilty he ultimately felt. 

Even though Galactus currently devours knowledge instead of Worlds, the same rules apply. The hungrier Galactus gets, the weaker he is. Even though Galactus, even in his starved condition, presents quite a threat to worlds, he can be taken down by a character of cosmic origin. 

Galactus can also be depowered in such a state, and he will return to his “Galan form,” but it is only a matter of time before Power Cosmic finds him again and returns him to his “Galactus Form.” 

And this is pretty much it. If you have something to add, let us know in the comments below!

Liked this article? Join the community on Reddit for the latest Marvel & DC news!