Ego the Living Planet is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Thor #132 (September 1966) and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby.
Ego is portrayed by Kurt Russell in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 as the Celestial biological father of Peter Quill set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Video Ego the Living Planet
Publication history
Ego the Living Planet was initially introduced in the title Thor issue #132 (Sept. 1966), and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby.
Ego was created by Kirby during a phase in which he was fascinated with the universe. Ego, the alien Kree, and The Colonizers immediately followed the creation of Galactus, thus establishing Marvel Comics' own "space age mythology". As Kirby recalled in 1969, shortly after the character's debut, Ego's genesis came when:
I began to experiment ...and that's how Ego came about. ... A planet that was alive; a planet that was intelligent. That was nothing new either because there had been other stories [about] live planets but that's not acceptable. ... [Y]ou would say, 'Yeah, that's wild,' but how do you relate to it? Why is it alive? So I felt somewhere out in the universe, the universe ... becomes denser and turns liquid -- and that in this liquid, there was a giant multiple virus, and if [it] remained isolated for millions and millions of years, it would ... begin to evolve by itself and it would begin to think. By the time we reached it, it might be quite superior to us -- and that was Ego.
Ego returned as a protagonist in Thor #160-161 (Jan.-Feb. 1969), and made a guest appearance in #201. His origin is explored in Thor #228.
Following appearances in Fantastic Four #234-235 (Sept.-Oct. 1981) and Rom #69 (Aug. 1985), Ego had a recurring role in Silver Surfer vol, 3 #4-22 (1987-1989). The character returned in the 1991 Thor annual and issues #448-450 (June-Aug 1992).
Ego played a prominent role in the company-wide crossover storyline "Maximum Security", appearing in Avengers #35 (Dec. 2000); Maximum Security: Dangerous Planet (Oct. 2000); Iron Man #34-35 (Nov.-Dec. 2000); X-Men Unlimited #29 (Dec. 2000); Gambit #23 (Dec. 2000) and Maximum Security #1-3 (Dec. 2000 - Jan. 2001).
The character returned in Nova vol 4 #20-30 and Astonishing Thor #1-5 (Nov 2010 - July 2011).
Ego the Living Planet also appeared in the Oni Press Color Special.
Maps Ego the Living Planet
Fictional character biography
1960s
Ego once told Thor that he was the result of a scientist merging with a planet when that planet's sun went nova.
Ego began absorbing space vessels and even other worlds to survive, planning interstellar conquest. This behavior attracts the attention of the Rigellian Colonizers, who fear that the nearby Ego will consume their home world. They recruit the Thunder God, Thor, to defeat Ego. Accompanied by a Rigellian Recorder, Thor encounters Ego, who vows never to leave the Black Galaxy and renounced its plans of conquest, feeling humiliated by his defeat. Several months later, a weakened Galactus invades Ego's space and seeks to replenish his energy by consuming Ego. Thor aids Ego in battling Galactus and drives Galactus off. In gratitude, Ego allows its surface to become the new home of the Wanderers, a group of various alien races whose planets had been the very first to be devoured by Galactus billions of years ago.
1970s
The Rigellian Tana Nile took a sample of Ego's form, in the hope that this could be used to fertilize sterile worlds being considered for habitation. This act drives Ego insane, and it soon gives in to its primordial urges and absorbs the Wanderers, which causes Thor to side with a returning Galactus. Assisted by ally, Hercules and Galactus's herald, Firelord, Thor holds Ego off until Galactus attaches a massive starship engine to Ego's south pole, which drives the planet constantly through space and thereby prevents it from being a threat to other planets and populated sections of the universe.
1980s
Years later, Ego gains control of the engine and tracks Galactus to Earth, seeking vengeance. Unable to locate him, Ego attacks Earth. He causes massive destruction until finally stopped by the Fantastic Four. Horrified by the devastation, an unknown, reality-altering mutant known as L.R "Skip" Collins undoes the damage caused by Ego as well as all memory of it, excluding the memories of the Fantastic Four as they were off planet at the time, fighting Ego. The superpowered quartet attempted to defeat Ego by removing the power cell from one of the attached, propulsion engines, which the Thing attempts to throw into Ego's "brain". In response, an angered Ego attempts to counter with his remaining engines but, with one engine now deactivated, the other propels the now-out-of-control planet into the Sun, its gravitational pull breaking apart Ego's substance.
Ego, however, slowly reforms from a few surviving particles and repairs the propulsion unit. Ego then digests a number of Dire Wraiths to replenish its energy reserves, and battles the Spaceknight Rom.
Ego later joins the Elders of the Universe in a plan to destroy Galactus. Ego is sidelined before the confrontation when he is defeated by the Silver Surfer. Ego subsequently captures the Silver Surfer and attempts to consume his energies.
1990s
Ego attacks a Korbinite fleet and fights the hero, Beta Ray Bill. Ego reveals to Bill that Galactus's propulsion unit is driving Ego mad, and the fleet subsequently destroys the propulsion unit. A sentient bio-verse, initially described as "Super-Ego", then begins to consume Ego, but Ego eventually escapes.
2000s
Driven mad by the Supreme Intelligence, Ego lashes out at other planets, destroying them while trying to 'awaken' others like itself, until it is defeated in a battle with Professor X, the Silver Surfer and Cadre K. Ego is subsequently captured and sent to Earth as an "infant" in spore form. As Ego grows, it begins to consume the Earth, with the Supreme Intelligence intending to allow it to grow so that the Kree can take control of Ego and use it as a weapon against the rest of the universe. Quasar absorbs it to prevent this.
When Quasar dies during the Annihilation war, Ego was released back into the Universe, only to be approached by the Worldmind to join the new Nova Corps. Ego supplants Worldmind and brainwashes the Corps. Nova manages to defeat Ego and free Worldmind by lobotomizing the Living Planet. When Ego resurfaces his personality on his body, Nova stargates Mindless Ones into Ego's brain, causing pain to the Living Planet and forcing him to stargate away.
2010s
Ego learns he was one of two sentient bodies created by the Stranger for a science experiment, and that his brother Alter-Ego has been held in captivity by the Collector since birth. While Ego seeks a similar entity to itself, the Stranger has arranged for Alter-Ego to hate Ego, intending to learn through their battle if freedom or captivity breeds a stronger will. Alter-Ego is wounded and loses mass when Ego is forced to attack it in self-defense, but Thor intervenes before Ego can strike a killing blow. The remaining fragments of Alter-Ego become a moon of Ego, and the two begin to travel together as a family.
When Ego is infested by large insect-like creatures he hires Rocket Raccoon to eradicate them.
Galactus, changed into the Life-Bringer by the Ultimates, encounters Ego after regaining his strength after a battle with the new universal construct Lagos. Ego attacks Galactus as he journeys to his inner brain at the center of the planet, however loses control of his constructs, which realize that Galactus is not a threat. Ego then reveals that before his creation by the Stranger, his consciousness was that of a man named Egros, similar to Galactus' former self Galan. After formally meeting one another and putting aside their past animosities, Galactus uses his Life-Bringer abilities to form a body for the rest of Ego, who now calls himself Ego-Prime. Ego-Prime then joins Eternity Watch, a group Galactus has put together to deal with the First Firmament, the first iteration of all that is, who had chained Eternity.
Powers and abilities
Ego is a sentient planet who has control over its entire mass right down to the molecular level. It often transforms its surface into the appearance of a giant face to address powerful beings and can shape its terrain to suit the circumstances. It can use its own substance to extrude tentacles, organic sensors, plant-like growth, and create nearly infinite numbers of humanoid vessels for its consciousness, which he can command across interstellar distances. Ego can also shape its surface to appear as a dead, inhospitable world, or an idyllic, lush-green paradise to lure unwary space travelers to its surface, whom it promptly consumes. It possesses various internal features analogous to a living organism, such as large tunnels that have been compared to arteries, and the center of Ego's consciousness resides in a giant brain-like organ deep below its surface. It can heat up its internal temperature to burn and destroy life forms inside of it, and has both digestive organs, which it uses when absorbing living beings, and an immune system with which to create powerful antibodies to attack intruders on or below its surface.
It can also generate vast psionic energies that rival a hungered Galactus at their peak. At full strength, Ego can project blasts powerful enough to obliterate starships or destroy other worlds, and could read Thor's mind during his first appearance and scan his biological structure. It mainly communicates to others using telepathy, and his mental powers were how he commands the space engine that was previously implanted on his surface. If Ego depletes its energies to a level that is beyond its ability to replenish, it can renew its energy stores by tapping into stars or absorbing large numbers of living beings.
Additionally, Ego is exceptionally intelligent, although as its name suggests, it harbors an extreme superiority complex and can be emotional if thwarted. For a while, Ego was propelled through space via the engine Galactus implanted on its south pole, which allows it to travel at faster than light speeds and has virtually inexhaustible power. However, the device was later removed.
Other versions
Amalgam Comics
In the Amalgam Comics published jointly by Marvel Comics and DC Comics, Oa the Living Planet, an amalgamation version of Ego and DC's Planet Oa, was featured under the Amalgam Comics imprint in Iron Lantern #1, where he is the source of power for the Green Lantern Corps. Another version of Ego in the Amalgam universe appeared in Thorion of the New Asgods as Ego-Mass, an amalgamation of Ego and the Source Wall.
Exiles
Ego appears in Exiles #53 (December 2004). Set in the universe of Earth-4162, Ego implants the Seeds of Awareness in the Earth in an attempt to create another living planet. The Fantastic Four of this universe, along with the Exiles, are able to convince the now sentient Earth to oppose Ego. Blink kills Ego by teleporting a mining drill into the Living Planet's brain.
Marvel Adventures
Ego appears in Marvel Adventures: The Avengers #12 (June 2007), a series created for younger readers. In this story, Ego causes natural disasters on Earth when he arrives to woo Giant Girl.
Marvel Zombies 2
In Marvel Zombies 2, Ego is one of the last few survivors of a reality-spanning zombie rampage. However, he is found and eaten.
In other media
Television
- Ego the Living Planet appears in the Fantastic Four episode "To Battle the Living Planet", voiced by Kay E. Kuter.
- Ego the Living Planet appears in Silver Surfer, voiced by Roy Lewis.
- Ego the Living Planet makes a cameo in The Super Hero Squad Show episode "World War Witch". While Falcon was teaching Scarlet Witch how to drive the Helicarrier, they briefly stop and see Ego and his "children" crossing their path.
- Ego the Living Planet appears in the Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. episode "All About Ego", voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson. He later appears in the two-part episode "Planet Hulk" and "Planet Monster" Pt. 2.
Film
- Ego appears in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, played by Kurt Russell. Ego is portrayed as being Peter Quill's biological father. In the film, Ego is a Celestial and explains that he came into existence millions of years ago, and has learned to use his cosmic powers to manipulate the matter around himself to form things like an entire planet around his true form, as well as a human body to interact with sentient beings. However, being bored of immortality and disappointed with a universe full of inferior life, Ego decides to remake all worlds in the universe into extensions of himself, a plan that would require planted seedlings and the power of another Celestial to activate them. To achieve this, Ego mates with various species until a suitable offspring would be conceived to help put his plan into action. The only suitable offspring turns out to be Peter Quill, although he rebels and eventually helps destroy Ego when Quill learns that Ego killed Quill's mother in order to eliminate the distraction she might have posed to his plan.
Video games
- Ego the Living Planet appears in Lego Marvel Super Heroes, on the game's main menu screen.
- Ego the Living Planet appears in Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2. At the time when the heroes are planning to bring Knowhere to Chronopolis, Kang interferes by creating a portal for Ego to come through. While Ego plans to make Kang pay for his insolence, he also plans to make the heroes pay for their incompetence. After certain things are done, the portal that was bring Ego to Chronopolis closes as he plans to one day make Kang pay for his impertinence.
Music
American stoner metal band Monster Magnet recorded a song called "Ego, the Living Planet" on the album Dopes to Infinity.
Reception
In his 1972 book Outlaws of America, Author Roger Lewis argues that Ego the Living Planet reflected risks to civilization, humans and planet Earth that people were contemplating in the 1960s, when he was initially conceived.
In 2007 "Ego the Loving Planet", the story that ran in Marvel Adventures: The Avengers #12, featured Ego, and was praised by Ray Tate of ComicsBulletin for its simultaneous inventiveness and logical sense.
In August 2009, Time listed Ego as one of the "Top 10 Oddest Marvel Characters".
See also
- Mogo
- Boltzmann Brain
- Gaia (Foundation universe)
- Celestial (comics)
- Devil Dinosaur
References
External links
- Ego the Living Planet. Marvel.com
- Ego the Living Planet. Marvel Comics Database Project
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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