When Galactus Returns!

The mid-1974 Mighty Thor story arc by Gerry Conway which introduces the third herald of Galactus, Firelord, to the Marvel universe* is a true classic and arguably one of Conway's best, though it sends a few mixed signals as to what the actual focus of the tale is meant to be.  Firelord's debut issue actually begins by picking up the action with the conclusion of a life-or-death battle between Thor and the Destroyer, which would technically make Firelord's issue Part 2 (as Conway makes clear at the issue's conclusion). But by the time Firelord makes the scene, the Destroyer has been dealt with and is at that point all but forgotten about, while the focus turns to Firelord's arrival on Earth and just why he's sought out Thor--though tempers would clash between Hercules and Firelord before the answer could be explored. Then of course Firelord summons Galactus, which then shifts the focus to the threat that Galactus presents to Earth--or does he? In short order, it's then revealed that Galactus is the one who has come to Earth seeking Thor--and after Galactus has explained the situation to both Thor and Hercules, the four of them set out to deal with none other than Ego, the Living Planet, who has apparently gone mad.

"Phew!" you're thinking, "that has to cover all the bases." Not quite. Would you believe you're also treated to an epic within an epic--the never-revealed origin of Ego?

But in Part 1--er, Part 2--the Destroyer has already been put on the back burner (so to speak) by the issue's cover, which of course spotlights the character who really heats things up for not only our heroes, but perhaps for the entire planet Earth.

*Second herald, if you're not counting the malevolent, sadistic robot, Gabriel--yet Firelord would beg to differ with you that Gabriel didn't deserve his rightful place as Herald #2.



First, however, there's the cliffhanger from the previous issue: Thor at the mercy of the Destroyer, his hammer seized and his change to the vulnerable Donald Blake imminent. Given how often Odin's deadliest creation has been dealt with by Thor in the past in one way or another, and how the arrival of Firelord has all but stolen the Destroyer's thunder, it's admittedly difficult to bite our nails at Thor's predicament, even with Thor himself all but throwing in the towel.

Suffice to say that Thor survives, particularly when Hercules arrives with the unconscious mortal whose spirit has animated the Destroyer and, once reclaimed, renders the Destroyer inert once more. As important as Odin considers the Destroyer to Asgard, you'd think he'd be more diligent about keeping it from falling into the hands of hapless mortals.

With the Destroyer dealt with at least for now (left to lie prone at the waterfront, mind you, just waiting for another hapless mortal to come across it--but we'll have to wait until Part 5 to cross that bridge), there's no further delay in checking in with this story's main event:  the arrival of Firelord, the second herald of Galactus to be created by artists John Buscema and Joe Sinnott and every bit as distinctive in appearance as Gabriel.

With only two years having passed since the introduction of Gabriel, Conway pushes the envelope a bit with Firelord, who's apparently been in operation long enough to be "feared on a thousand worlds" as well as both "hated and loved" by those he's encountered. That would either make him by far the most efficient and well-traveled of Galactus' heralds, or indebted to Conway as his unofficial publicist who's supplied him with a built-in reputation he hasn't had nearly enough time to establish.

Nor has that rep apparently reached our solar system, or, for that matter, the halls of either Asgard or Olympus, since on Earth he's regarded as an intruder by not only this hospital's staff but also by a very put-out Olympian who does the unthinkable in violating Firelord's personal space.

Having an aversion to being touched is an unusual bit of characterization Conway adds to Firelord, if "aversion" is the right word. In Firelord's case, his reaction seems almost aristocratic, with no small amount of arrogance. You and I probably don't know that many people who react to being touched by savagely backhanding someone who's made the mistake of laying hands on them. At any rate, Firelord has affronted the wrong person with his outrage--a god whose own temper and power make him the last person to get on the wrong side of.

The brawl has obviously had a devastating effect not only on the well-being of the hospital patients, but also on Blake, whose walking cane has been lost and who cannot transform to Thor without it. As you can imagine, the timing is unfortunate, to say the least--for without Thor present to separate the combatants and bring a halt to the hostilities, the fight between these two can only escalate.

Fortunately, any passers-by on the street are more concerned with staying clear of falling glass and rubble than they are with adopting a finders-keepers attitude with a walking stick dropping into their midst--and so Thor makes the scene just in time to avert serious injury for the falling Hercules. But as both discover, the greater danger awaits, when Firelord fulfills his mission at last.

It's not the first time that Odin has jumped to the wrong conclusions, either about Thor or in regard to other matters. Here he does both--which is truly stunning, considering how he once spent a great deal of effort in determining the reasons behind Galactus' existence and his purpose in the scheme of things. Now he concludes that Galactus "hates" the planet Earth and returns to consume it out of some grudge he holds--a hasty enough deduction on its own, yet Odin never pauses to consider why Firelord has sought out Thor for his master.

It's rather shocking that, out of all the characters here, it's Galactus who will prove to be the voice of reason--but that's just how things are shaping up, as we move into Part 3 of this story.

Those reasons Firelord speaks of aren't yet revealed when Galactus receives Firelord's signal in deep space, with Conway up until now having steadily built up anticipation in the notion that Earth is yet again about to face its ultimate crisis--the return of Galactus, and the very real possibility that the planet is doomed. Indeed, with his words, Galactus seems resolved to finally consume the Earth's life force--but there appears to be more than meets the eye here. There is danger, that much seems certain--but is it from Galactus, or from an even greater threat?

Over half of Part 3 spends its time maintaining the pretense that the people of Earth prepare to face their doom with the imminent approach of Galactus. Thanks to a reporter on the scene of Thor's encounter with Firelord, word soon spreads to that effect through the media, and fear and dread grip the public--which throws a damper on Thor's plan to head off Galactus in space and thus avoid widespread panic. In the interim, Blake brings Hercules up to speed on the circumstances of Galactus' first visit to Earth, as well as the involvement of both the Watcher and the Silver Surfer in heading off the threat--and Hercules also learns of Thor's direct clash with Galactus, a battle which resulted in Galactus' retreat from his attempt to consume Ego but which was otherwise inconclusive.

That leaves everyone on Earth hanging by a thread in the days before the time arrives for Conway and Buscema to finally draw back the curtain on Galactus' return to Earth. (If Galactus is in such a hurry to meet with Thor, why pause for days before arriving on Earth? Most likely, to lend further weight to Conway's red herring.)  But even though the human race reacts as if its time has finally run out, Thor discovers that both Firelord and Galactus have only traveled to Earth as a means to an end--only this time, that end will have nothing to do with the fate of Earth, at least directly.

More than once, Conway has brought up the baby elephant in the room--the fact that in his prior appearance on Earth, Galactus was tricked by Reed Richards into crossing over in the Negative Zone, thereby assuring that he would never menace Earth again. Yet here he is once more, with no reason given for why he's not only returned to our dimension (which would unfortunately remain a mystery) but also made a point of returning to Earth. We can piece together the chain of events to an extent, and assume that Galactus returned from the Zone and for whatever reason made another attempt to consume Ego soon thereafter; but though his prior attempt saw him on the verge of triumph before Thor's intervention, this time it's Ego who not only prevails against Galactus but humiliates him in the process. And all the while, Galactus senses from Ego's cryptic words that the Living Planet now represents a danger to the entire universe.

As Firelord rejoins his master, Thor begins putting his own pieces of the puzzle together, recalling when the Rigellian colonizer known as Tana Nile conducted an experiment on Ego which may have inadvertently been responsible for the danger that Thor and the others journey to confront.

Indeed, Ego wastes no time in attacking Galactus' ship on approach--and though both ship and crew survive to reach the surface (paving the way for Part 4), Thor, Hercules and Firelord must somehow penetrate the depths of Ego in order to reach its core intelligence and put an end to its threat. It's here that artist Rich Buckler steps aboard to finish the saga--yet you'll find Part 4 something of a placeholder issue, with Thor and the others facing a number of bizarre threats beneath the surface, and, unfortunately, no shortage of swiping in Buckler's panels which are terribly distracting and do little to keep the story on track.

And so it's Part 5 where we'll rejoin this ambitious tale, as we learn not only what Galactus has been up to while the others take the battle directly to Ego, but also finally discover the details of Ego's creation, thanks to the unexpected avatar which Conway will adopt as our guide. When all is said and done, we'll perhaps find ourselves asking:  Has Ego been driven mad with power--or with grief? And in the end, will it matter?

NEXT:

The Beginning--And The End!

Mighty Thor #s 225-226 Script: Gerry Conway Pencils: John Buscema Inks: Joe Sinnott and Mike Esposito Letterers: John Costanza and Artie Simek