Ego
AKA: The Living Bioverse
First Appearance: Ego made a dramatic last-panel cameo in Thor 132, with Thor 133 as its first full-blown appearance.
What's Its Problem? Ego spent an eternity lurking in the Black Galaxy studying the universe beyond its particular stretch of dark space. Permitting Thor to pass unchallenged into the Black Galaxy, Ego tried to use him as a template for invading anti-bodies, thinking to expand into the rest of the cosmos; the Thunder God quickly forced the Living Planet to grasp the concept of defeat. Working with Thor, Galactus sent Ego into inter-stellar space by attaching a Siderial Propulsion Unit (patent held by J. Kirby) to the planet's south pole. Ego gained control of the unit and, seeking revenge against Galactus, tracked the big G to Earth, where the Living Planet was all-but blown to smithereens by the Fantastic Four in FF 235 (hey, they beat back Galactus; a mere living planet is going to take them more than a single issue?). During Silver Surfer 22, Ego found that the massive quantities of energy required to run the propulsion unit forced it to consume others in order to continue to exist; in short, it became very like Galactus, cruising around the galaxy looking for cosmically-powered snacks to sustain itself.
Powers: The Living Planet has called itself an Elder of the Universe, and perhaps it is; although Galactus was first to come to awareness in this universe after a portion of him survived the destruction of the last, Ego may well have been the second. Ego has the Universe's most massive intellect, and with it all the inherent abilities one might suspect that a really, really big brain would possess: psychic powers beyond comprehension, the ability to shape the terrain of the planet with but a thought, and even the ability to mentally create "anti-bodies" to repel invaders (or to become invaders, if Ego feels like doing a little colonizing).
Favorite Quote: "What madness do you mouth? You are but a single being -- and I a World Entire!" (Thor 161, to the rather hungry planet-eater Galactus. Sigh -- no one writes mythos-speak like that anymore, eh?)
Heroes It Keeps Running Into: Thor was Ego's first re-occurring target. Ego has also gone against the space knight, Rom, and really cheesed off the Silver Surfer by trying to consume him (and his cosmic energy) whole. Galactus, however, is Ego's natural enemy; repeated duels have resulted in near-death experiences for each of the over-sized cosmic beings. It has been a while since the last confrontation, so the Marvel Universe may be due for a battle of truly epic porportions soon...
People Who Think It's Not So Bad: Ego has little use for "people," per se; it usually considers organisms less bulky than itself as microbes to be eradicated, and once hatched a plan to replace all such "microbes" in our galaxy with anti-bodies using Thor's genetic information as a model. It has reproduced, sort of; a piece of it broke off, obtained sentience and proclaimed itself the "son" of Ego, Ego Prime. The Living Planet could have cared less about its offspring. It was even totally indifferent when it found itself the last of the Elders of the Universe; all it really cared about at the time was what (or whom) it was going to have for lunch!
Most Despicable Act: Offering a home to the galactic Wanderers (who were under the protection of Thor) after Galactus destroyed their own world, and consuming them as soon as Thor's back was turned. Small wonder that Ego met its greatest travails (and possibly its demise) in Thor's old mag.
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