Ego the Living Planet
Ego the Living Planet is an entity that features in Marvel Comics.
Contents |
Biography
According to one account, it was the Stranger who was responsible for creating Ego and had fostered the Living Planet's many different origins. The undertaking was so great that he could not accomplish it alone which was why he went to the Collector to get a loan of various instruments and formulae that were in his possession. The Collector agreed but under the condition that the Stranger crafted two such Living Planets. One was Ego who was left free into the cosmos and the other was his twin Alter Ego who was kept as a prize in the Collectors Museum. This suited the Strangers purposes as he desired to see an eventual confrontation between the two living worlds where one was free whilst the other raised in isolation. (Astonishing Thor v1 #3) Both origins were revealed to had been true with the Stranger having caused the star to go nova with the scientist Egros eventually being transformed into Ego's core as his world was destroyed. (Ultimates 2 v2 #8) Alongside Ego was also born Id the Selfish Moon who was born in the Black Galaxy a long time ago. Whilst Ego sought to remain undiscovered, the smaller Id grew tired of this and sought fun with him moving through the galaxies where he fell into dementia that turned him from a being that sought happiness to one that desired destruction. (Deadpool v2 #34) In time, Ego also had a female offspring that orbited him this being known as Illa the Living Moon who orbited her father. (Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur v1 #20)
The High Evolutionary that there were a few Ego like living planets that must have all come from a larger mass that was a living bio-verse known as Super-Ego. (Thor v1 #450) One account of Ego's creation dated him as being born eons ago when he was a lifeless planet that developed an advanced humanoid civilization that focused on scientific advancement into space travel. Their world later suffered from the threat of destruction from their sun going nova leading tot he inhabitants looking to see shelter. They developed Project: Worldcore where they intended to seek shelter in suspended animation in the planetary core with this spearheaded by the civilization's chief scientist named Egros. However, Egros's calculations were wrong and his world suffered from the cataclysm before they could seek shelter. As they were consumed by the destruction of the nova, the advanced civilization were consumed in the fire but rather than die they underwent a transformation. As the people were used as fuel, the consciousness of Egros merged with the planetoid that transformed into Ego the Living Planet. (Thor v1 #228)
The damaged Xandarian Worldmind in an effort to protect itself sent out a cry that was received by Ego who offered the artificial intelligence aid. In reality, Ego had influenced the Xandarian Worldmind and sought to take control of it. (Nova v4 #25) It later empowered Ego and used the Living Planet as a housing for its intellect. It intended to use Ego to be the mobile headquarters for the reborn Nova Corps with the planetoid being referred to as Nu-Xandar. (Nova v4 #21) Initially, Richard Rider believed that the Worldmind had gone rogue but it was due to housing the Nova Force along with the various stresses that it experienced that led to it falling under Ego's control. Rider through the Quantum Bands managed to enter the Cerebral Chamber where he took back the Nova Force and temporarily lobotimised Ego. This freed the Worldmind from the Living Planet's control with it expected that Ego would eventually recover but that the Nova Corps could continue to use the planetoid as a temporary headquarters. (Nova v4 #25) When Monark Starstalker attacked the Nova Corps, he utilised a personal nano-cloud that infiltrated the systems of the Worldmind causing it to lose control and disrupting its attempt at retarding Ego's regeneration. (Nova v4 #29) As a result, Ego began to awaken and began to attack the Nova Corps forcing them to abandon Nu-Xander for the Xandarian patrolship Resolute Duty. (Nova v4 #30)
The Stranger later appeared to Ego and informed him of his long lost twin Alter Ego who resided in the Collectors cosmic museum. He supplied coordinates to the Living Planet whilst also tricking Thor into the tesseract cell that he broke when escaping. This freed Alter Ego who was similarly informed on his twin's existence with the two planetoids heading to one another with both looking to be unique. (Astonishing Thor v1 #3)
During the First Firmaments assault, Galactus as the Lifebringer later arrived on Ego with the Living Planet attacking his old foe but was unaware of the change in his ancient enemy. Galactus transformed into his mortal form of Galan of Taa where he used his power to travel harmlessly to Ego's core where he showed his peaceful intent. He declared the two were brothers and were needed to fight in the coming war to save Eternity. Thus, Ego grew himself a giant body and joined the ranks of other cosmic beings to become the Eternity Watch as they sought to battle the First Firmament. (Ultimates 2 v2 #8)
Sera and the Ravagers made a pact with Ego whereby they could use his surface as a safe haven for a band of refugees that were being targeted by pirates. However, the pirates used a device that was influencing his moon causing Ego to react erratically. The raiders were driven off and the machine was destroyed thus letting Ego and his moon return to normal. In the aftermath, he agreed to continue housing the refugees but told the Asgardians that they had to leave as they had a dangerous weapon that could threaten them all which was why they needed to depart. (Asgardians of the Galaxy v1 #7)
Overview
Personality and attributes
It was claimed by the Stranger that when he created the Living Planet that he instilled within him his maker's own character and force of will which was why he became known as Ego. (Astonishing Thor v1 #3)
It was noted that Ego had long been susceptible to the whims of his moon. (Asgardians of the Galaxy v1 #7)
Powers and abilities
On the surface, there was a seemingly a hair-line on the living planet but these were actually organic filaments that absorbed cosmic rays and solar energy. There were several cranial vents underneath this area that allowed for deeper access into the planetoid. The core of Ego was his brain that was referred to as the Cerebral Matrix. He was stated to old a greater level of cosmic awareness than that of Quasar who was the wearer of the Quantum Bands. (Nova v4 #24)
By reforming bioversal molecules, Ego was able to reshape matter into any form he desired allowing him to replicate other organisms from he thoughts of other beings. (Thor v1 #133)
Through his powers, he was able to induce psysiological inter-change within his own anti-bodies to transform them into a humanoid form of life as part of an endless army of bio-versal creatures. These Anti-Bodies were bioversal beings that could be based on another being as a template for Ego's purposes. (Thor v1 #133) Another construct he created were smaller hand sized versions of himself that were referred to as Ego-Drones that served as antibodies. (Nova v4 #30)
With added power, Ego was able to fashion an entire giant body beneath his world shaped head with this form being referred to as Ego-Prime. (Ultimates 2 v2 #8)
Notes
- Ego the Living Planet was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby where he made his first appearance in Thor v1 #132 (Sept 1966).
In other media
Television
- In Fantastic Four, the character made an appearance in the episode "To Battle the Living Planet" where he was voiced by actor Kay E. Kuter. He was described as being a living world who attempted to ravage the galaxy thus attracting the attention of Galactus. A battle would occur between the two evenly matched opponents with the stalemate being broken by Galactus who placed an engine on Ego and sending him into the deep void of space. At some point, Ego would manage to subvert control over the engines and use the as a propulsion mechanism to direct his travels whereupon he sought to get revenge against Galactus. This saw him follow the trail of dead planets in Galactus's wake leading him to approach Earth that had survived the World Devourer with the Living Planet believing the third world in the Sol system being allies of his foe. His approach attracted the attention of Thor who went into space to battle Ego with this being a conflict that the Asgardian lost but he would manage to summon the Fantastic Four. When the Fantastic Four were on Ego, they learnt of the engine being of Galactus's creation and with Thor's help Reed Richards travelled to get the aid of the World Devourer. At the same time, the Living Planet was attacking the remaining members of the Fantastic Four with the Invisible Woman having the Thing take a power cell deep into Ego to detonate it by his brain. Galactus would agree to help Mr. Fantastic in exchange for being freed from his vow to spare Earth and with Thor's power aiding him he managed to destroy Ego when the Thing detonated the power cell.
- In Silver Surfer, Ego featured in the animated television series where he was in the second part of the pilot episodes where he was voiced by actor Roy Lewis. He was shown as a living world unlike any in the known universe. At some point, he encountered the Mad Titan Thanos who threatened Ego's existence and forced him into servitude. The Living Planet was sent to appear as an idyllic world on the path of the Silver Surfer and attract the Herald of Galactus to Ego's surface. Once there, Ego was tasked with entrapping Surfer keeping him on the surface until Thanos arrived though the Mad Titan managed to stop the Herald from escaping. This caused Thanos to threaten to punish Ego after he began to probe the mind of the Silver Surfer during his search in finding a weakness in Galactus. After finding out Norin Radd was an inhabitant of Zenn-La, the Mad Titan fled with Ego freed from his control and despite the Surfer claiming he would summon Galactus the Living World responded that he had means of hiding ad disappeared.
Films
- In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, Ego the Living Planet appeared in the live-action film set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe where he was portrayed by actor Kurt Russell. He was a Celestial that were primordial immortal entities of great cosmic power that had the ability to manipulate energy and matter on an atomic level. Ego was immortal so long as the light from deep within his planetary core remained. Initially, he manifested at the hands of unknown forces millions of years ago where he was a brain-like structure until he mastered his power to grow a body around him that formed a planetoid. After his formation, he became lonely and sought other forms of life and managed to form a humanoid body on his surface that went out into the universe. During these travels, he encountered other species and became disappointed in life and instead envisioned a future where he could spread his bio-mass across all worlds that would become him. Such a plan was called the Expansion and involved him planting Ego seeds on these various worlds that would grow upon the unleashing Celestial energy. However, such energy was greater than what he could produce and he needed at least another Celestial. Thus, he began using his humanoid avatar to mate with women across the universe in order to produce a child that inherited his Celestial power. He hired the Ravager Yondu Udonata to abduct these children which he tested but the all died and their remains were hidden deep beneath the surface of his world. At some point, one world he encountered had a larvae that birthed Mantis which he adopted as a child who lived on his surface and used her empathic powers to calm him. Ego afterwards went to Earth where he fell in love with Meredith Quill and their union birthed a child named Peter Quill though Ego had departed the world as his avatar could not survive long far from his planetary body. Ego loved Meredith but was dedicated in achieving the Expansion and thus implanted a tumour in her body that led to her death. He then had Yondu abduct Peter to bring the boy to him but the Ravager did not complete his task as he kept the child with him. For years, he sought out his child and later learnt that his son Peter Quill who operated as Star-Lord had survived contact with an Infinity Stone that only a Celestial could do. Thus, he concluded that Star-Lord had inherited his Celestial power and sought to use him to bring about the Expansion.
Appearances
- Thor v1:
- Astonishing Thor v1:
- Nova:
- Ultimates 2 v1:
- Asgardians of the galaxy v1:
External Links
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