Heralds of Galactus

The Heralds of Galactus are a team that feature in Marvel Comics.

History

The Heralds of Galactus was the name given to beings empowered by the Power Cosmic to serve the World Devourer Galactus.

Among the first hunter seeker and herald to the devourer was a figure known as the Fallen One. Unlike future Heralds, this one was empowered by black matter that was the essence of the void. (Thanos v1 #11)

When Galactus threatened to consume Zenn-La, one inhabitant, Norrin Radd, offered to become the World Devourer's servant if Galactus would spare his homeworld. Galactus agreed and imbued Radd with the Power Cosmic, transforming him into the Herald known as the Silver Surfer. As Galactus' new Herald, the Surfer was dedicated to finding uninhabited but energy-rich worlds for Galactus to consume. (Silver Surfer v1 #1)

Searching for a suitable replacement for the Silver Surfer, Galactus eventually chose Gabriel Lan, the Xandarian captain of the Way-Opener, an exploration vessel, to become his next Herald. A member of the Nova Corps, Lan was brave and prone to wanderlust. He did not refuse Galactus' offer of immense power and unlimited freedom to travel the universe under his own power. Galactus gave Lan the Power Cosmic, transforming him into the Air-Walker. The Air-Walker served Galactus faithfully for years and even befriended the World Devourer. The Air-Walker eventually sacrificed himself to protect Galactus from a fleet of Ovoid warships. Galactus was weak from hunger and could not protect or resurrect Lan, but eventually managed to transfer his consciousness into an android duplicate of the Air-Walker. Unfortunately, Lan's personality and passion for exploration did not survive the process and the Air-Walker automaton was a hollow image of Galactus' former friend and ally. Frustrated, Galactus sent the Air-Walker automaton to Earth to convince the Silver Surfer to return to his role as Galactus' Herald, but the Air-Walker automaton was badly damaged in a subsequent battle with the Surfer and the Fantastic Four. (Thor v1 #306)

Galactus came to grow tired of the morality of Nova and after consuming a planet he decided to end her service to him. This saw him take an inhabitant of the destroyed world who was a court executioner called Morg with him empowered by the Power Cosmic to be his newest Herald that would destroy planets without remorse. (Silver Surfer v3 #70)

The Annihilation Wave had been given orders to capture the ex-Heralds of Galactus so that Thanos could unlock the secret of their cosmic power. However, following the death of one of the Wave's Queens, Annihilus rescinded the order and commanded his enforcer Ravenous to eliminate the Heralds. (Annihilation v1 #1)

The emergence of a new Star Brand led to three of the Heralds gathering in order to stop their rampage. Thus, the Silver Surfer, Terrax and Firelord came together as the Herald's Three and journeyed into the Shi'ar's Ravenstarr maximum security prison galaxy which was where the new Starbrand had awoken. During this time, they learnt that the Avengers and entered into the galaxy on a similar quest and the Herald's sought to stop them. (Avengers v8 #28)

Around this time, Galactus was badly wounded by the star plague known as the Black Winter which threatened the universe and he travelled to Asgard. Once there, the Heralds of Galactus gathered where the Silver Surer revealed the true nature of the threat. Thus, they sought to take the World Devourer to select worlds to empower him to fight this threat. However, Galactus believed that King Thor Odinson was tied to his demise and thus transformed the Asgardian into his newest Herald to aid him on this quest. (Thor v6 #1)

Overview

The Heralds of Galactus are ultimately subject to Galactus' will- he can revoke the Power Cosmic granted to them at will, and alter their minds as he sees fit.

Members

• Fallen One : a male who was the first Herald and empowered with black matter. (Thanos v1 #11)
• Silver Surfer : Norrin Radd was a male inhabitant of the planet Zenn-La who offered himself to Galactus to save his world and thus became the Silver Surfer. (Silver Surfer v1 #1)
• Air-Walker : Gabriel Lan was a male Xandarian who was transformed into the Herald known as the Air-Walker. (Uncanny Origins v1 #4)
• Firelord : Pyreus Kril was a male Xandarian who was transformed into the Herald known as the Firelord. (Uncanny Origins v1 #4)
• Terrax : Tyros of the planet Birj was transformed into the Herald known as Terrax the Tamer. (Fantastic Four v1 #258)
• Nova : Frankie Raye of Earth offered herself to Galactus in exchange for him sparing her world leading to her being transformed into the Herald known as Nova. (Fantastic Four v1 #244)
• Morg : an inhabitant of an unknown world that was empowered to become Morg the Executioner. (Silver Surfer v3 #70)
• Red Shift : (Galactus: The Devourer v1 #1)
• Stardust : Lambda-Zero was a member of the Ethereals that became the Herald known as Stardust. (Annihilation: Heralds of Galactus)
• Praeter : a human preacher from Broxton named Mike who volunteered to be transformed into a Herald. (Mighty Thor v1 #6)
• Anti-Man : (Ultimates v2 #12)
• Thor Odinson : male Asgardian who was transformed into the Herald of Thunder to help Galactus in the battle against the Black Winter. (Thor v6 #1)

Notes

• The Heralds of Galactus were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby where they made their fist appearance in Fantastic Four v1 #48 (March, 1966).
• Considering the number of Heralds Galactus has had since the Surfer, it seems likely Galactus had them before the Silver Surfer as well. Superman was briefly a Herald (between Morg and Red Shift) in Superman/Fantastic Four.

Alternate Versions

• In Fantastic Four v2 #10 (1997), an alternate world was shown known as the Heroes Reborn reality that was created by Franklin Richards. In this universe, a Herald of Galactus was shown named Plasma who stood alongside the Silver Surfer, Air-Walker, Firelord and Terrax the Tamer as they sought worlds for their master. After helping Galactus consume a planet, she was dispatched to Earth to prepare the way for it being consumed by her master.
• In one alternate timeline, Dazzler became a Herald of Galactus after Terrax. On Earth-952, where the Surfer remained with Galactus (who did drain the Earth), the Fantastic Four eventually replaced the Surfer, becoming his Heralds and consciences.
• In Last Planet Standing v1 #1 (2006), an alternate reality was shown that was the MC2 universe which was designated as Earth-982. In this future reality, a new Herald was shown who was a green-skinned alien known as Dominas the Wavemaster who sought worlds for his master Galactus. He was responsible for locating the Shi'ar Imperial Throneworld which led to its consumption by the World Devourer.
• In Ultimate Extinction v1 #1 (2006), an alternate version known as the Heralds of Gah Lak Tus appeared in the Ultimate Marvel reality designated as Earth-1610 in the Multiverse. Gah Lak Tus's Silver Men are silvery humanoids that appeared on Earth ahead of Gah Lak Tus. Considered as Gah Lak Tus' "antibody drones", the Silver Men were sent to induce suicide on a massive scale and destroying weapons used on Gah Lak Tus in order to minimize the possibility of an advanced resistance.
• In Marvel 2-In-One v1 #5 (2018), an alternate version of Galactus was shown where in this universe he arrived on Earth to consume it and killed the Thing of that parallel world. During his attempt, that world's Doctor Doom managed to take control of Galactus and merged with his body where he departed Earth to consume the rest of his universe. In this reality, he created his own versions of the heralds with these being dark-skinned versions of the Silver Surfer with features of Doctor Doom with these being referred to as the Heralds of Doom.

In other media

Television

• In Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, the Heralds made an appearance in the second season of the animated television series in the finale episode "Avengers Assemble". It was shown that they consisted of Terrax, Firelord, Air-Walker and Red Shift who assembled the machines to drain Earth of its life energy for their master. In this continuity, they were described as being non-living beings that were energy constructs that were destroyed by the Avengers.
• In Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. the Herald of Galactus appear in the episode "Galactus Goes Green". It's shown that Terrax serves as the reigning Herald who goes to Earth to summon his master though gets beaten in a fight with She-Hulk. Despite being defeated, Galactus comes to Earth but reveals he had no intention to consume the world but had sent Terrax in order to find his replacement without him being aware of this fact. As She-Hulk defeated him, he selects her to be the new Herald and when she attacks Galactus she gets transformed into the Emerald Empress.
• In Avengers Assemble, a Herald makes an appearance in the episode "Guardians and Space Knights". Galactus arrived on Earth and was prepared to feed on it when Iron Man offered his life as a Herald to find him an alternative. As a result, Tony Stark was empowered with the Power Cosmic and showed Galactus the planet of the D'Bari where he battled his Avenger compatriots and the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Films

• In Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, the Herald was referenced in the setting of the live-action film. The Silver Surfer served as the Herald of Galactus who arrived on Earth to summon his master to consume the world.

Appearances

• Fantastic Four v1:
• Thanos v1:
• Annihilation: Heralds of Galactus v1:
• Mighty Thor v1:
• Avengers v8:
• Thor v6:

External Links

• Marvel Database Entry
• Comicvine Entry

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