Summary
Galacta, the daughter ofGalactus, does not exist in the mainstreamMarvelUniverse – but with her prominent role in an upcoming video game,Marvel Rivals, fans are more curious about the character than ever, meaning it is not out of the question that she could find her way into canon.
The character of Galacta appeared only briefly in Marvel Comics, making it something of a surprise that she is set to be featured in a crucial role as a non-playable character inMarvel Rivals, a fighting game which pits characters from across the Marvel Multiverse against one another.
On an episode of theBattle of the Atompodcast, Marvel Editor Jordan D. White, who originally pitched the character concept that evolved into Galacta, stated that he originallyintended Galacta to be a part of the Earth-616 Universe, Marvel’s official canon timeline, but was ultimately overruledby Senior Editor Tim Brevoort.
The ‘Baby’ Form of Galactus' Species Reveals How Disturbing They Actually Are
Galactus was introduced to Marvel lore as an ineffable god, but his many secrets have only made him more mysterious and fascinating.
According To Marvel, Galactus' Daughter GALACTA Is Officially Non-Canon
Her Return InMARVEL RIVALSCould Change That
[Galacta’s] return inMarvel Rivalsmakes it likely that the publisher will do more with her in the near future – possibly even bringing the daughter of Galactus into the mainstream continuity.
Galacta’s role inMarvel Rivalsis a major step for the character, who appeared in just two Marvel Comics stories, released in 2009-2010. Introduced in the anthology issueMarvel Assistant-Sized Spectacular#2, the character was subsequently given her own one-shot,Galacta: Daughter of Galactus#1, before fading into obscurity.Both issues were established as being non-canon, taking place on Earth-610102, her timeline’sdesignation in the Marvel Multiverse. In the decade-plus since, both Multiverse stories and legacy characters have become increasingly popular – meaning the time is ripe for Galacta’s return.
While Galacta’s current official status may be as a non-canon character, her return inMarvel Rivalsmakes it likely that the publisher will do more with her in the near future – possibly even bringing the daughter of Galactus into the mainstream continuity. Multiple popular Marvel characters have originated outside ofthe Earth-616 Universe, before finding their way to official status, and Galacta could very well be poised to be the next. The character’s noveltake on her father, Galactus, and her committment to being a hero rather than a Devourer of Worlds offer massive potential for even further storylines.
TheMarvel Assistant-Sized Spectacularwas a two-issue anthology special, in which Marvel’s Assistant Editors were given free reign to tell whatever stories they wanted. Editor Jordan D. White conceived of the character that became Galacta as part of this project, and collaborated on bringing the character to life with his chosen creative team.
Marvel Editors Disagreed Over Galacta’s Canon Status
Jordan D. White Advocated For Her Place In The Mainstream
[Jordan D.] White admitted that he initially planned for Galacta to exist in the Earth-616 continuity, before Senior Editor Tom Brevoort stepped in to make the call that the freshly-conceived-of heroic daughter of Galactus would be non-canon.
Though Galacta’s appearances are recognized as taking place inan alternate Marvel continuity, Marvel Editor Jordan D. White has stated that he originally intended for the character to be fully canon. In fact, Galacta’s canonicity was apparently a minor point of contention behind the scenes at Marvel. In an appearance on theBattle of the Atompodcast, White explained the character’s origin in detail, describing how he pitched the concept to writer Adam Warren, who subsequently developed the character alongside artist Hector Sevilla Lujan.
Galacta: Daughter of Galactus#1(2010)
Notably, White admitted that he initially planned for Galacta to exist in the Earth-616 continuity, beforeSenior Editor Tom Brevoort stepped into make the call that the freshly-conceived-of heroic daughter of Galactus would be non-canon.According to Jordan D. White:
Galacta might also be the first fight between me and Tom Brevoort, because when people asked me, I was like, “of course she’s in continuity,” and Tom Brevoort was like, “absolutely not.” He was like, “absolutely not, she is not in continuity.”
With Brevoort’s decision, Galacta was relegated to a “side story.” In a way, this might have opened up the potential of future Galacta stories, allowing them limitless flexibility, though it can also be argued that this kept her from having the opportunity to make an impact on the mainstream Marvel Universe.
Whatever the case may be, Galacta did not appear again for nearly fifteen years, making her an obscure but exciting character to be included in a major Marvel video game adaptation. Certainly, Galacta’s role inMarvel Rivalswill go a long way toward determining how much of the audience she is able to win over, but considering Marvel’s commitment to producing comics that have a degree of synergy with their other multimedia products,it is entirely reasonable to think that Galacta will grace the page once more in due time, whether in mainstream Marvel continuity or not.
The Return Of Galacta Heralds The Recognition Of Her Massive Potential
A Heroic Galactus Variant
Whether she exists in the mainstream Marvel Universe, or in her own proprietary timeline, Galacta represents a character with a great deal of potential that the publisher has let languish on the shelf for far too long.
As depicted in her limited appearances, Galacta was an upbeat, uptempo character, given a distinct voice by writer Adam Warren and a stand-out visual aesthetic by artist Hector Sevilla Lujan. Both her introductory tale inMarvel Assistant-Sized Spectacular#2 and its follow-up inGalacta: Daughter of Galactus#1 are energetic stories, packing a remarkably dense amount of character development into limited page space. Equally fascinating, the story offers a unique angle on Galactus' familiar lore, and role in Marvel Comics, making several contributions that would have a notable impact if integrated into official continuity.
Galacta offers a unique opportunity, as the character affords authors the opportunity to write a more humanized take on Galactus, without taking away from theterrifying grandeur of Marvel’s first cosmic villain.Galacta: Daughter of Galactusin particular injects effective pathos into the father-daughter relationship between the two, as Galacta’s struggle to connect with her distant paternal figure coexists with her resolute desire to reject his unfeeling, antagonistic nature. This dynamic could absolutely stand to be explored further, especially from Galacta’s side.
In effect, whether she exists in the mainstream Marvel Universe, or in her own proprietary timeline, Galacta represents a character with a great deal of potential that the publisher has let languish on the shelf for far too long.Her inclusion inMarvel Rivalssignifies generally that even the deepest-cut character is never permanently out of commission at Marvel, and specifically that someone recognized her full potential had not yet been tapped. Now, it remains to be determined how and when that will compound into further comic book appearances for Galacta.
Galacta Could Return To The Comic Book Page Sooner Rather Than Later
Better Late Than Never
It is worth it for readers to know how close Galacta came to existing in the mainstream Marvel Universe, if for no other reason that it elucidates the razor-thin divide between canon and non-canon.
Fans should anticipate thatMarvel Rivalswill receive some tie-in material, in the form of comic book one-shots focusing on its primary characters, or an accompanying miniseries to expand on its plot. If this turns out to be the case, Galacta is almost certain to appear. Further, the game’s success may very well lead Marvel to revisit where the character left off inGalacta: Daughter of Galactus#1 – which ended on the shocking cliffhanger reveal that Galacta was, in fact, “pregnant” with the latest generation of her and Galactus' cosmic race.
In any case, it is worth it for readers to know how close Galacta came toexisting in the mainstream Marvel Universe, if for no other reason than it elucidates the razor-thin divide between canon and non-canon, a distinction that is easily surmountable under the right conditions. While Galacta operating in the Earth-616 timeline would be an exciting jump for the character,the important thing fans should hope for is thatMarvelproduces more comics featuring the under-used, but highly exciting, daughter ofGalactus.
Source:Battle of the Atom
