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Who is Ego the Living Planet, Anyway? A Guide to Ego in the Marvel Universe


This past weekend, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 rocketed into theaters, giving audiences their first live-action look at a number of classic Marvel characters. From Mantis to Stakar to Ayesha, the cosmic side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is really beginning to take shape, but perhaps the biggest introduction is Ego the Living Planet, played by Kurt Russell.

However, the version of Ego that appears on the big screen has some significant differences from his comic book counterpart, so we here at Epicstream thought it might be worthwhile to take a look at Ego from the perspective of the source material. So who is Ego the Living Planet, anyway?Here is your guide to Ego in the Marvel Universe:

  1. Creation

    Ego the Living Planet was initially introduced in The Mighty Thor #132 (September 1966) and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. In this issue, Thor made a deal with the alien race known as the Rigellians, who were threatening Earth. If he could save the Rigellians’ home world from being devoured by Ego, they agreed to leave Earth alone. Naturally, the God of Thunder was victorious, convincing Ego to remain in the Black Galaxy and thus saving both Earth and Rigel from destruction. Ego’s creation came at a period in time where Lee and Kirby were largely focused on expanding Marvel's cosmic universe. In fact, this was also the timeframe where characters and concepts such as Galactus, the Inhumans, the Kree Empire, and the Guardians of the Galaxy (of course) came to be, mirroring Kirby's interests in experimental evolution and higher life forms.

  2. Origin And Background

    Within the Black Galaxy, one mass developed in a manner far different from the others. Evolving over millions of years, it grew to the size of a planet and developed intelligence and consciousness, along with the ability to shift its mass by its own will. This planet soon became known as “Ego, the Living Planet.” Through evolution, Ego developed organ-like masses under its surface, one of which is similar to a brain. Other origin stories claim that Ego formed naturally, as like any other planet, but was granted sentience by the Super-Ego, a semi-sentient, bioverse-style lifeform that was later destroyed by the Celestials. However, over time, it was revealed that Ego's consciousness was actually given to him by the Stranger and not naturally, as originally theorized. In fact, a second world was also created known, this one known as Alter Ego, but it was given to the Collector, and the Stranger planned to one day pit his two creations against one other to see which was the most formidable. Ego's creation was also allegedly accompanied by that of Id, the Selfish Moon.

  3. Powers And Abilities

    Ego is a planet-sized entity that has immeasurable intelligence, as well as incalculable strength. Its stamina and durability are god-like, and it can fly through space at warp speed (by exceeding 99% of the speed of light {186,000 miles per second}, Ego can access the hyperspace dimension where velocity is not limited by the speed of light). As a “living planet, “ Ego has total control over its total mass down to the molecular level, meaning it can shift its surface to appear as if it had a giant face, or even grow enormous tentacles. It can make itself look like either a paradise, as a means of luring unsuspecting travelers to their doom or simply as a barren wasteland. Just like in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Ego can also use its mass to create plant-like growths or humanoid bodies to serve as vehicles for its consciousness. Ego has an internal organ system that consists of giant tunnel-like arteries, a brain-like organ that is buried deep within its surface, and digestive organs to process the living beings it absorbs. Ego also has an immune system that will attack any entity that tries to resist absorption. Ego has vast mental powers that allow it to tap into energy sources such as the stars, and by absorbing other living entities, it’s able to use that power for itself. It also has extreme telepathic abilities that are effective over vast interstellar distances. Additionally, Ego possesses knowledge over alien technology that is far more advanced than that of the Earth's.

  4. It’s Not A Hero Or A Villain

    Upon its inception, Ego’s interactions with characters such as Thor positioned it as more of a cosmic curiosity rather than an outright villain. In fact, Thor even lent a helping hand when Ego was attacked by Galactus. Seeing Galactus as a the greater danger, the God of Thunder prevented him from consuming Ego, and in return, the Living Planet allowed it’s surface to become the new home for an alien race known as The Wanderers. However, Ego would eventually consume them, thus nullifying the kindness of the act. Since then, Ego has tried to assist the Elders of the Universe in destroying Galactus, fought Beta Ray Bill, waged war with Thanos, and even took command of the Nova Corps.

  5. The MCU’s Version Of Ego

    Obviously, it doesn’t take a hyper-intelligent, sentient planet to realize that the version of Ego portrayed by Kurt Russell in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is worlds different from his comic book counterpart. However, both do share the ability create human-like projections of themselves, and both share the inherent loneliness that comes from being the only one of your kind, so perhaps they’re not so different after all. 

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