Galactus Admits There Is One Planet He Doesn't Want to Eat And It's Definitely Not Earth

WARNING! Spoilers for What If...? Galactus Transformed Gambit? #1Galactus' reputation as an evil god precedes him in Marvel lore, due in large part to his consumption of planets without any consideration for the mortal lives they contain. Now, Galactus has revealed that there's one planet he would never eat, calling his presumed heartlessness into question. Galactus' attachment to a certain world defies his standard characterization, hinting that there's more to him than meets the eye.

What If...? Galactus Transformed Gambit? #1 by Josh Trujillo, Manuel García, Ceci de la Cruz, and Travis Lanham takes place in an alternate version of reality where Galactus appoints Gambit to be his new herald. While most heralds of Galactus are given the task of scouting planets for him to devour, Galactus has a different mission in mind for this X-Men hero.

What If Galactus Transformed Gambit 1 Galactus tells Gambit to steal a planet for him — What If...? Galactus Transformed Gambit? #1

Rather than searching for a planet to eat, Galactus enlists Gambit with stealing a planet he intends to keep. This planet turns out to be the home of Galactus from before his World-Eater transformation, and his affection for it unveils the humanity beneath his surface.

Galactus' Home Planet Is the One World He Would Never Consume

Even After Becoming a God, Galactus Still Cherishes His Former Home

Gambit's cosmic heist on Galactus' behalf leads him to the Collector, who explains the backstory of the planet in his possession. This world is known as Planet Taa, the former home of Galactus - or, as he was then called, Galan. The Collector describes Taa as "the only world the devourer of worlds ever cared for", a fascinating subversion of Galactus' disregard for planetary life. Now, Taa is long gone, so the Collector claims to own a replica of it that he hides from the god out of spite. Galactus has destroyed countless planets, yet he makes a major exception for Taa by trying to salvage it.

Gambit succeeds in procuring Taa from the Collector's wares and brings the miniature planet to his master. However, all is not as it seems, and Gambit soon reveals that the Collector has conned Galactus. According to him, the version of Taa that the Collector owns is a fake rather than a true recreation of the lost world. He'd tricked Galactus into thinking it was genuine as an elaborate ruse, though the cosmic entity is far from amused. Galactus subjects the Collector to a life sentence on the false Taa, then is left to mourn the one planet he truly cares for.

Galactus' Memories of His Home Haunt Him, Despite How Much He's Changed

Deep Down, Galactus Retains Certain Aspects of His Mortality

Galactus' face floating in space, surging with cosmic power.

Galactus may be a tyrant whose power transcends most of Marvel's heroes by a horrifyingly wide margin, but at his core, there is a soul within him. Prior to becoming the destroyer he's known as today, he was an ordinary man on Taa. Galan's upgrade to become Galactus changes him in irrevocable ways as he dedicates himself to procuring energy by dooming worlds. Still, the fact that he continues to cherish the planet he once called home proves that Galactus isn't as cold as his exterior suggests, despite the lack of humanity he displays in his universal conquests.

What If...? Galactus Transformed Gambit? #1 is available now from Marvel Comics.