EGO

 

EGO

Real Name: Ego

First Appearance: The Mighty Thor (Vol. 1) #132, September 1966

Powers: Ego the Living Planet originated like any other planet, coalescing over millions of years from cosmic gases and dust. But unlike any other known planets, Ego developed consciousness and intelligence. Ego's sentience is not the result of the fusion of the essence of a superhuman being with the planet, as the goddess Gaea fused her own essence with the biosphere of planet Earth. Nor is it true, as Ego once caused the Asgardian god Thor to believe, that Ego was created through the fusion of a planet with a humanoid being's consciousness. Rather, Ego's consciousness evolved naturally within the planet itself, apparently through a process similar to that which enables certain stars to achieve consciousness, Ego existed within the so-called "Black Galaxy," which is probably actually a dark nebula near or within the Milky Way Galaxy.

Ego has been called a "bioverse." Every part of its substance, including its atmosphere, is "alive" inasmuch as it is animated and controlled by the consciousness of Ego. The exact composition of Ego is unknown, but much of the planet's surface, at least, seems to be composed of organic molecules. The planet possesses various internal features which have analogues to parts of living Earth-based organisms. For example, its interior contains tunnels which have been compared to arteries, and the center of Ego's consciousness resides in a brain-like organ deep below its surface. Ego can absorb humanoid-sized living beings into itself and "digest" them in internal areas similar to an Earth beings stomach, using its own analogues to digestive fluids. Just as an Earth organism creates one-celled antibodies to attack foreign substances in its bloodstream, Ego creates humanoid sized anti-body like beings from itself to attack intruders on or beneath its surface. In its encounters with humanoids, Ego has caused the "antibodies" to take semi humanoid form.

Ego generates vast psionic energies which, at their peak, rival those of Galactus. If Ego depletes its energy below a level that it can’t replenish by itself, it can help renew its energy stories by tapping outside sources, like stars, or absorbing the life forces of large numbers of living beings. At full strength, Ego can use its psionic energy to obliterate starships. Ego can also control its own substance psychically down to a molecular level. Thus, Ego can transform its own surface to resemble a gigantic face, to reach out into space with gigantic tendrils, or to become an idyllic world resembling the most beautiful areas of Earth. Ego can create humanoid beings with great powers out of its own surface and, it claims, command them across interstellar distances. Ego communicates with other beings telepathically.

Ego has used Its great psionic powers to command the immensely powerful sidereal propulsion unit installed at its south pole by Galactus. The unit can propel Ego in and out of hyperspace at vast speeds, and apparently has virtually inexhaustible power. However, for some reason, Ego cannot relive the unit.