With Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 on the horizon and The Eternals having released both physically and digitally on Disney+ there may not be a more prime time to dig into cosmic Marvel. The phrase “Cosmic Marvel” refers to stories in the Marvel Universe that detail or involve high-concept science fiction and otherworldly entities.
Many writers have contributed to this realm of the House of Ideas over the decades, though many of the most important cosmic characters have yet to make their big-screen debut. As a refresher for old fans and a guide for the new, the following has been compiled to make the intimidating history more palatable.
10 What Are The Many Contributions Of Jack Kirby?
No one writer has had as big an impact on the cosmic worlds of Marvel than the king himself, Jack Kirby. Kirby’s cosmic interests come from a variety of sources, but the one that more often than not comes through clearly in his work is Chariots of the Gods? Unsolved Mysteries of the Past by Erich von Däniken.
While it’s not likely that Kirby himself believed in the theory of space aliens being mistaken for gods by ancient cultures, its impact on his work is undoubted. Kirby’s additions to Marvel cosmology are too numerous to list, but the highlights are easily the foundational concepts of Galactus the world eater and the Celestials as well as the general look of what Cosmic Marvel would be. Any cosmic writer stands on the shoulders of the King.
9 What Are The Many Contributions of Jim Starlin?
Jim Starlin is second only to Jack Kirby in terms of his contributions to Marvel cosmology. Some of his greatest creations are already well known to film fans such as Gamora, Drax, and the Mad Titan Thanos. Not too long from the writing of this article, MCU fans will also meet Adam Warlock who is often depicted as either the main protagonist or guiding force in Starlin’s stories. Starlin’s love of cosmic tales would be most clearly seen in his three-part epic Infinity Trilogy comprised of Infinity Gauntlet, Infinity War, and Infinity Crusade.
8 What Are The Best Classic Cosmic Stories?
The very first cosmic tale any fan should read is The Galactus Trilogy which occurred in Fantastic Four #48 – 50. By Stan Lee and Kirby this tale introduced Galactus, Silver Surfer, and the Watcher. Other tales more than worth the read are the Kree–Skrull War by Roy Thomas, Sal Buscema, Neal Adams, and John Buscema which saw the two interstellar empires clash with the heroes of Earth caught between as well as the aforementioned Infinity Trilogy. For X-Fans there’s no better place to look than the still yet to be properly adapted Dark Phoenix Saga by Chris Claremont and John Byrne. There’s obviously the famous Secret Wars event by Jim Shooter, Mike Zeck, and Bob Layton as well as The Korvac Saga by Shooter with legendary artist George Pérez. However, arguably the best classic cosmic tale has to be The Death of Captain Marvel by Jim Starlin.
7 What Are The Best Modern Cosmic Stories?
For modern stories, Secret Invasion by Brian Michael Bendis and Leinil Francis Yu is a great place to start. When an Avenger is killed only to then be revealed as a Skrull a McCarthy-like fervor spreads across the superhero community as trust plummets to an all-time low. This story is also being adapted for Disney+ with Samuel L. Jackson starring as Nick Fury and Ben Mendelsohn as Talos. Planet Hulk by Greg Pak, Carlo Pagulayan, and Aaron Lopresti is another fantastic tale where the titular green goliath is rocketed into space and must survive in a gladiatorial arena. Think John Carter of Mars meets Gladiator. Last and certainly not least is 2005’s Annihilation event which was written and created by a small army of Marvel Comics talent. This space opera epic not only refined Cosmic Marvel for the new millennium but also led to the formation of the modern Guardians of the Galaxy in its sequel series Annihilation: Conquest.
6 What Does It Take To Be Considered A Cosmic Entity?
The rules of what defines a cosmic entity, as with most things in comics, are vague and ill-defined. Largely reliant on whoever is writing the story at any given moment the most obvious throughline seems to be the immense power. Much like other long-running fictional universes, the biggest crutch to Marvel Cosmology is escalation. There always needs to be a bigger fish and after 60 years what used to be beyond comprehension seems mundane and pedestrian. Generally, a cosmic entity is any being that wields immense power on a scale of notoriety for other cosmic beings. If Galactus doesn’t care about it, then it’s probably not on his level.
5 What Objects And Abilities Do Cosmic Entities Oversee?
Many items, objects, and sources of power have connections to greater cosmic beings in the Marvel Universe. Symbiotes like Venom, for example, were once thought to just be another alien race that existed out in the cosmos. It wasn’t until Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman introduced Knull that their backstory became much more closely tied with the greater cosmological hierarchy.
The most famous ability or power to be wielded by a Marvel character that has its roots in the cosmic is easily the Crimsom Gem and Bands of Cyttorak. The Bands are often used by Doctor Strange to entangle his foes whereas the Gem is what bestowed the power of the Juggernaut onto Cain Marko. Cyttorak wouldn’t make his first full appearance until 1991’s Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #44 by Roy Thomas and Geof Isherwood.
4 When Do Regular Characters Become Cosmic Entities?
There are many cosmic forces that use regular people as hosts. The most famous is easily the Phoenix Force which while usually inhabiting the body of Jean Grey, has by now possessed just about every single X-Men of note.
However, a lesser-known cosmic force is that of Captain Universe and the Enigma Force. The good Captain first appeared in Micronauts #8 by Bill Mantlo and Michael Golden, but would soon be folded into the greater Marvel Universe proper when the Enigma Force started bonding with superheroes such as Hulk, the Fantastic Four, and even Spider-Man, bequeathing them all celestial power.
3 Do Cosmic Entities Date?
Romance is a surprisingly common thread when it comes to cosmic level stories, however, it’s fitting considering the space operatic nature they entail. The most famous example is easily the attempts by the Mad Titan Thanos to win the affection of Death. Much of Infinity Gauntlet is comprised of Death giving Thanos the cold shoulder, making his attempts to make her fall for him seem about as petty as an internet “nice guy”. Death would later go on to have a longstanding relationship with Deadpool, but both would be kept apart due to Wade Wilson’s near-limitless healing factor.
2 Where Does The Beyonder Fit In?
The Beyonder, having first appeared in the original 1985 Secret Wars, is to put it lightly… complicated. His or rather its origins have been retconned dozens of times, but the most current and so far most lasting backstory is as such. The being known as The Beyonder is actually a very young member of a greater Beyonder race who manipulates the multiverse to their whim. He was dragged to Earth in a tachyon beam accident and after spending a great deal of time watching its inhabitants he began the Secret Wars. The race would be killed by Doctor Doom and kickstart 2015’s Secret Wars which to this day is one of the greatest company wid crossover events ever released.
1 Who Is The One Above All?
Above all other beings, above the likes of Eternity, Infinity, and the Celestials, there is The One-Above-All. First created by Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo in Fantastic Four #511, the being appeared to the titular super-team looking just like Jack Kirby. The One-Above-All explains that they appear in different forms to different people and as such have never looked the same in each of his depictions. The One-Above-All is the closest thing to a capital “G” God that the Marvel Universe has, and unfortunately much like Satan, they have their own dark double.
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