Ego the Living Planet

Publication history

Jack Kirby brought Ego the Living Planet to life in The Mighty Thor #132, dated September 1966. The character was Kirby’s way of digging into his own wonder at the vastness of space. Ego arrived right after Galactus, helping to build Marvel’s own brand of cosmic mythology. The first look at Ego, on the final page of that issue, was a full-page splash panel made from a photo collage.

Kirby had used photo collages for years, but this one—showing a human face layered over a lumpy, chaotic planet—was later called his most effective and weirdest work yet. Ego came back as a main player in Thor #160–161 from early 1969, popped up again in issue #201, and got his origin story in Thor #228.

He showed up in Fantastic Four #234–235 in late 1981, then in Rom #69 in August 1985. From 1987 to 1989, Ego had a regular role in Silver Surfer vol. 3, issues #4 through #22.

He returned for the 1991 Thor annual and issues #448–450 in mid-1992. The character took a big part in the crossover event Maximum Security, appearing in Avengers #35, Maximum Security: Dangerous Planet, Iron Man #34–35, X-Men Unlimited #29, Gambit #23, and the three-issue Maximum Security series from late 2000 to early 2001. Later, Ego came back in Nova vol.

Fictional character biography

Ego once told Thor that his existence resulted from a scientist merging with a planet when that planet's sun went nova. Inside the Black Galaxy, Ego began absorbing space vessels and other planets to gather strength, attracting the attention of the Rigellian Colonizers, who feared he would consume their homeworld. They asked Thor for help, and accompanied by a Rigellian Recorder, Thor encountered Ego, who forced him into his body and created Anti-body minions to attack him, intending to test their strength and send them across the universe to conquer other worlds.

Thor fought them off and stunned Ego with a powerful storm, and Ego vowed never to leave the Black Galaxy. Months later, a weakened Galactus invaded Ego's space to replenish his energy by consuming Ego, but Thor aided Ego in battling Galactus and drove him off. In gratitude, Ego took in the Wanderers, a group of alien races whose planets had been devoured by Galactus. The Rigellian Tana Nile took a sample of Ego to fertilize sterile worlds, which drove Ego insane; he absorbed the Wanderers, causing Thor to side with a returning Galactus.

1980s

Assisted by Hercules and Firelord, Thor held Ego off until Galactus attached a massive starship engine to Ego's south pole, driving him constantly through space. Years later, Ego gained control of the engine and tracked Galactus to Earth, seeking vengeance. Unable to locate him, Ego attacked Earth, causing massive destruction later undone by a reality-altering mutant. The Fantastic Four attempted to defeat Ego by removing the power cell from one of the propulsion engines, which the Thing attempted to throw into Ego's brain; an angered Ego countered with his remaining engines but was propelled into the Sun.

Ego slowly reformed from surviving particles, repaired the propulsion unit, digested Dire Wraiths to replenish energy, and battled the Space Knight Rom.

In other media

Ego the Living Planet first appeared in a Fantastic Four cartoon, voiced by Kay E. Kuter. He later showed up in the Silver Surfer series with Roy Lewis providing the voice, and made a brief cameo in The Super Hero Squad Show. In Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H., Kevin Michael Richardson voiced him, and this version was controlled by a smaller being called Little Ego, who needed a connection to the planet to survive. If someone else took over the host planet, it would change to look like that person's head.

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Kurt Russell played Ego, who claimed to be a Celestial and was the father of Peter Quill and Mantis. He formed himself millions of years ago, using cosmic powers to shape matter into a planet around his core and creating a humanoid avatar to talk to others. Bored with living forever and disappointed by what he saw as lesser life, he decided to remake the universe by planting seedlings on different worlds. In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, he found Quill and explained that he needed another Celestial's power to activate those seedlings.

He had mated with many species to produce a child with his power, and Quill was the only one who inherited it. Quill turned against him after learning Ego killed his mother, and with the Guardians, he destroyed Ego.

Alternate timeline versions of Ego appeared in What If...?, also voiced by Russell. Ego was in Lego Marvel Super Heroes and Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2, where the MCU version became a playable character through the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 DLC. The American rock band Monster Magnet wrote a song called "Ego the Living Planet" for their album Dopes to Infinity.

Did You Know?

• Two characters based on Ego appear in the Amalgam Comics universe: Oa the Living Planet and Ego-Mass.
• In Marvel Zombies 2, Ego is one of the last survivors of a zombie rampage but is found and eaten.
• In August 2009, Time listed Ego as one of the Top 10 Oddest Marvel Characters.