Ego, The Living Planet - Thor Vol. 1, No. 160-161 & 226-228 Since Galactus devours planets capable of sustaining life and Ego is a living planet, these two cosmic heavyweights are natural enemies. Ego had long hidden himself from the World Devourer, but Galactus passed too close one day by sheer coincidence and Ego attacked him with bolts of force from his location within the Black Galaxy. Ego and Galactus traded energy bolts for a while. The combatants appeared to be evenly matched, but then Galactus gained the upper hand by hurling comets at the Living Planet. At that point, the battle attracted Thor's attention. Knowing Galactus by reputation, Thor decided to side with Ego. Thor erected a special stand to house his hammer, through which he then projected cataclysmic surges of Asgardian energy which hurt even Galactus. Galactus was forced to retreat, and thus Ego was saved. A few years later, circumstances forced Galactus to try once again to subdue the Living Planet and feed on it's energies. This time, Ego attacked with such sheer ferocity that Galactus was caught flat footed. As Galactus fled from Ego's onslaught, Ego boasted that the Universe itself would soon cower before him. Galactus retreated to Earth to enlist the aid of Hercules and Thor, then journeyed once more to do battle with the Living Planet. The World Devourer dispatched Thor, Hercules, and his herald Firelord to Ego's surface, where they learned that Ego had gone mad after eons of suppressing the memories of his origin – the entire population of his planet had died while he became the Living Planet. While the heroes kept ego occupied, Galactus attached a massive propulsion unit to him, propelling the planet on a course through the Universe which would keep him out of harm's way. Comments: In the early days of Marvel Comics, the gods of Asgard were the most powerful beings in the Universe, but as time, writers, and storylines progressed, the power of the cosmic beings of the Marvel Universe began to eclipse that of Odin and his children. This is why Thor's attacks early on in Thor #160-#161 hurt Galactus, when today the World Devourer would simply ignore them.

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