One of the most powerful beings in Marvel continuity,Galactusis the Devourer of Worlds - a cosmic force of destruction whose endless hunger forces him to drain the energy from populated planets. WhileGalactus appears human to humans, he has no ‘true’ form, and is actually an energy being channeled via a cosmic suit of armor made by his own hand. Despite that fact,even Galactus has relatives, with several godlike beings calling him ‘brother’ and even ‘father.’
Born in the Sixth Cosmos (the sixth cycle of Marvel’s multiverse),Galactus was originally a genius scientist known as Galan of Taa. Despite his godly transformation, some of Galan’s humanity survives, meaning that not only does Galactus have family, he also has familyconnections.
Here are the ten most powerful beings who are related to Galactus in Marvel continuity, plus some bonus mentions who didn’tquitequalify, but still have important links to the Devourer of Worlds.
10 Most Important Planets Destroyed by Galactus (That Permanently Changed Marvel Lore)
Galactus has changed the galactic order many times over by destroying crucial planets, with his actions rippling out across the universe.
10Aala - The Wife of Galactus
The Biggest Unanswered Question in Galactus' Lore
At the bottom of our list - mostly because almost nothing is known about her - is Galactus' former wife Aala. In 2011’sMighty Thor Vol. 2 #4(from Matt Fraction and Olivier Coipel), Galactus and Odin clash, with each manipulating the other’s memories in order to distract their foe from the battle.Odin brings back memories of Galan’s wife Aala, who is clearly pregnant.This is the only time that fans have seen Aala, and even then it’s only for a few panels.
Galan became Galactus during a voyage to try and save his universe, but only after most of his planet’s population had already perished. So far, fans have assumed that Aala died prior to Galan’s voyage, like most of the people of Taa. However, in a world packed with time travel, teleportation and resurrection,Aala could well make a return at some point.
9Gus - The Son of Galactus
Damage Control Debuted Galactus Always-Hungry Som
Appearing in the pages of Adam F. Goldberg, Hans Rodionoff and Will Robson’sDamage Control Volume 4, Gus is a new hire to the titular company, who clean up after superhero battles. Hapless and clumsy, Gus is characterized by an insatiable appetite that’s explained once the Silver Surfer arrives to reveal thatGus is the son of Galactus himself.Gus is actually a sliver of Galactus' helmet that, after being separated from the Devourer of Worlds, gained sentience.
So far, Gus has no superpowers in Marvel lore, however he’s only appeared sparingly. His incredible appetite hints he may have hidden depths that fans have yet to see.
Galactus' Forgotten Origin Is a Better Fit for MCU Than the Original, Turning Existing Lore into His Backstory
Galactus is about to make his debut in the MCU, and when he does, Marvel Studios would be wise to adapt his forgotten origin, not his original one.
8The Tapeworm Cosmic - Galactus' Grandchild
Marvel Revealed How Galactus' Species Reproduce
Galactus' powerful daughter Galacta appears later on this list, but her ‘tapeworm’ deserves consideration by itself. In 2010’sGalacta: Daughter of Galactus(Adam Warren and Hector Sevilla Lujan), Galacta discovers that there is a parasitic being living within her,siphoning off her Power Cosmic- the all-powerful energy controlled by Galactus and his immediate family. Galacta appeals to Galactus for a solution, only for him to inform his daughter thatthe ‘tapeworm’ isn’t a parasite - it’s a fetus.
It turns out that Galactus reproduces by budding off separate energy beings, which feed on their ‘host’ until they’re ready to emerge as a child of his (incredibly rare) species, and Galacta was once a ‘tapeworm’ herself. Since the story ends with this revelation, fans have yet to see what came of the tapeworm cosmic.
7Taaia - Galactus' Mother
The Scienceer Supreme of the Sixth Cosmos
In Al Ewing and Javier Rodriguez’sDefenders Vol. 6, a group of heroes including Doctor Strange and Silver Surfer travel back through each prior version of Marvel’s multiverse. In the Sixth Cosmos, they encounter Taaia - an adventurer and quasi-superhero known as a ‘Scienceer.’ Taaia joins the team, wielding an advanced suit that can create energy weapons on demand. While traveling with the Defenders, she temporarilybonds with the Phoenix Force, becoming one of the most powerful beings in the multiverse.
Sadly, Taaia gained extensive knowledge of the future while traveling with the Defenders, making it impossible for her to return to her own time. Currently, she’s living in Marvel’s presence, allied with fellow science-adventurer the Blue Marvel.
X-Men Officially Settled the 4 Most Powerful Beings in the Marvel Universe
X-Men has officially clarified the four ultimate forces in the Marvel Universe, from a godlike AI to the Devourer of Worlds himself.
6The Universal Abstracts - Galactus' Cosmic Siblings
Galactus Counts Death, Eternity and More as Family
As the Devourer of Worlds, Galactus embodies the cycle of creation and destruction, playing a key role in the structure of reality. He’s far from alone in this, with many otherbeings such as Eternity, Infinity, Master Order, Lord Chaos, the In-Betweener, The-Powers-That-Be and Death herself. Each of these beings both represents and governs a vital force of creation, with Galactus addressing them as his cosmic siblings. Due to the many lives he’s taken,Galactus seems to feel particularly close to Death, calling her,“My sister, daughter, mother and my wife."(InFantastic Four #257, from John Byrne.)
5Galacta - The Daughter of Galactus
Marvel Rivals Has Turned Galacta into a Star
Galacta, aka Gali, started out as a gag character in 2009’sMarvel Assistant-Sized Spectacular. The comic used the framing device of the Marvel Office’s assistants pitching their own story ideas, with Galacta created by Adam Warren and Hector Sevilla Lujan. However, Galacta was later canonized, and her short story expanded into a full adventure.Galactua refuses to eat planetslike her father, instead preying on harmful cosmic life that makes it to Earth.
She has immense godlike powers, though less than her father due to her subsistence diet. However, she still possesses cosmic awareness, teleportation, energy control, and various other abilities. Outside her debut,Galacta existed in relative obscurityuntil the release of 2024’sMarvel Rivalsgame, which shows her helping to guide various characters through the Timestream Entanglement.
4Tyrant - The Spawn of Galactus
Thanos Barely Survived Fighting Galactus' Son
Galactus has transformed many mortals into ‘heralds’ to serve his will, but one of his first efforts to this end created something far more powerful. A living machine, Tyrant was created using Galactus' Power Cosmic and advanced technology,imbuing his ‘spawn’ with the same level of power as the Devourer himself. Sadly, Tyrant became obsessed with conquest, leading Galactus to strip him of his power in a battle that destroyed entire galaxies. Galactus then put his creation into exile in the furthest reaches of existence. Tyrant debuted in Ron Marz and Ron Lim’sSilver Surfer Vol. 3 #81.
So far, Tyrant is the only one of Galactus' offspring who appears to have been created deliberately, with Thanos branding him"the First Spawn of Galactus.”
All 15 Ways Galactus Has Been Beaten in Marvel Canon
Which Marvel characters were able to defeat Galactus? How were they possibly able to survive against the Devourer of Worlds? Let’s find out now…
When he eventually returned, Tyrant was far less powerful, but had spent time preparing to defeat his father. Tyrant developed an arsenal of godlike weaponry, as well as equipment which allowed him to feed on the superpowers of others. Tyrant defeated a group of cosmic heroes including Silver Surfer, Gladiator, Beta Ray Bill and Terrax.He also fought Thanoswho - despite using Tyrant’s own technology to enhance his powers - was forced to retreat. Tyrant was seemingly killed using the Ultimate Nullifier, but has returned since as a consistent threat to the entire galaxy.
3Antithesis - Galactus' Cosmic Opposite
Marvel’s Cosmic Forces Each Have an ‘Anti-Sibling’
In order to balance the cosmos, each of Marvel’s Universal Abstracts have an opposite number. While several beings have been theorized as Galactus' opposite, most notably the In-Betweener, fans met the real deal in 2020’sFantastic Four: Antithesis, from Mark Waid and Neal Adams. Cosmic opposites are kind of anti-siblings - cosmically entangled but existing in constant opposition, with other examples including Sire Hate & Mistress Love and Master Order & Lord Chaos.
The Antithesis hails from the Negative Zone, and while Galactus destroys, the Antithesisspreads.The Antithesis traveled the galaxy ‘feeding’ energy to various worlds, with anyone touched by its influence becoming part of a dark army under its control.An alliance betweenGalactus and the Fantastic Fourmanaged to send the Antithesis back to the Negative Zone, but it’s still out there, with even its true name still unknown to fans.
2Gah Lak Tus - Galactus' Other Self
Galactus Merged With His Ultimate Universe Variant
Every Marvel character has alt-reality variants, but Galactus has had the incredibly rare experience of merging with another universe’s Devourer of Worlds. 2006’sUltimate Extinctionintroduced a wild new version of Galactus, with Warren Ellis and Brandon Peterson reimagining the humanoid villain as a gigantic fleet of planet-destroying drones known as Gah Lak Tus. In 2013, the originalGalactus found himself transported to the Ultimate Universe, whereGah Lak Tus recognized him as its other self, and the two bonded on the biological level.
While some variants are as different from each other as any two random people, the Gah Lak Tus swarm immediately recognized and bonded with Galactus, with the two working together until the drones were destroyed by Captain Mahr Vehl. Of course, in the great wide multiverse, there must beotherGalactus variants out there who recognize the original as a quasi-sibling.
1What-Can-Be/What-Must-Be - Galactus' Ancient Ancestor
The First of Galactus' Species
When the Defenders took their trip back through previous versions of Marvel’s cosmos, they eventually arrived in the Fourth Cosmos. This cycle of multiverse was populated by ‘archetypes’ - living ideas that act as the conceptual forefathers of the heroes and villains Marvel fans know. One of the most powerful of these beings was What-Must-Be - aprimal force of destructionthat resembled Galactus' basic design and color-scheme. Thankfully, this terrifying villain had an alternate, heroic form known as What-Can-Be.
These twin beings are the beginning of Galactus' line, representing concepts that would become more complex and sophisticated with each iteration of the multiverse. The dual nature of this being representsGalactus' own ability to become the Lifebringer. This alternate, golden form allows Galactus to reverse his powers, seeding life on previously destroyed worlds.
Even Galactus Admits He’s Scared of Marvel’s Most Powerful Villain
Even the mighty Galactus, Devourer of Worlds and master of the Power Cosmic, fears one specific Marvel villain who could erase him with a thought.
Honorable Mentions
The Sixth Cosmos -The being that is implied to have created Galactus. Each Devourer of Worlds is created by the death of the reality in which they were born, but fans have never actually seen the Sixth Cosmos create Galactus.
Omnimax -The Galactus before Galactus. The Devourer of Worlds of the Sixth Cosmos (and a closer descendant of What-Can-Be/What-Must-Be),Omnimax was opposed by Taaiaand fulfilled the same cosmic role as Galactus. Currently, there is no word for the relationship between beings who have fulfilled the same cosmic role.
The Black Winter -The Devourer of Universes, and the being which destroyed Galan’s home universe and seemingly helped him become Galactus. Galactus pledged himself as the Black Winter’s herald, but allied with Thor to destroy the cosmic predator when it came to collect.
Those are the most powerful Marvel characters who are related to Galactus, from his powerless son and wife to one of the defining archetypes that shaped the Marvel Universe as fans know it. Which ofGalactus’relatives did you already know about, and are there any we missed? Let us know in the comments section below.
