Marvel helped evolve superheroes past the godlike icons of DC, bringing all-new facets to superhero comics. Sci-fi was a big part of the comic industry throughout the ’50s and ’60s, and Marvel was on the forefront of cosmic characters. Fantastic Four was the home of Marvel superhero sci-fi, and created many characters and concepts that would become extremely important to cosmic Marvel. Cosmic Marvel is one of the more interesting portions of the Marvel Universe. It’s full of powerful spacefaring heroes and villains, their trials and tribulations bringing superhero stories to an all-new level. Cosmic Marvel pushed the envelope in the ’70s, when creators like Jim Starlin (a name you’ll be seeing a lot throughout this list) created characters and concepts that would lead to some of the most defining Marvel stories of all time. From Infinity Gauntlet to Annihilation, cosmic Marvel has been the source of many of the publisher’s most beloved stories.
Cosmic Marvel is full of epic characters, but some of them are more important than others. They’ve played a huge role in the history of the Marvel Universe, with powers unlike anything more Earthbound heroes have encountered. Cosmic Marvel is defined by many iconic characters, each one playing a role in why the best cosmic Marvel comics are the best cosmic comics of all time. These eight cosmic Marvel characters are the most important, each of them making cosmic Marvel the amazing place that it is now.
When people think of Captain Marvel nowadays, they’re mostly thinking of Carol Danvers, but there would be no Carol Danvers without Mar-Vell, the original Captain Marvel. The Kree soldier, armed with the Nega-Bands, went to Earth and helped fight against his own people’s invasion, getting his own solo book. Captain Marvel was vital to the cosmic Marvel revolution of the ’70s, battling Thanos and other cosmic threats. Jim Starlin told the best Captain Marvel stories, and even gave him the story that killed him in The Death of Captain Marvel, which would become the first in a line of oversized Marvel graphic novels. Captain Marvel began a legacy that lasted til this day, his legend being carried on by the heroes and villains he touched. Even Thanos came to like and respect Captain Marvel, which really tells you everything you need to know about the character.
Gamora is the link between multiple generations of cosmic Marvel heroes. She first appeared in Strange Tales #180, joining her fellow Starlin creations like Adam Warlock, Pip the Troll, and Thanos. She was taken by Thanos after he destroyed the majority of her race, and was trained by the Mad Titan to become the most dangerous woman in the universe. She ended up in the Soul Gem, and would get out with Warlock and Pip in order to battle Thanos during Infinity Gauntlet, becoming a key part of the newly burgeoning cosmic Marvel of the ’90s. This iteration of cosmic Marvel would fade away as well, but she would also be in the next rebirth of cosmic Marvel during Annihilation, joining the Guardians of the Galaxy, where she would become more popular than ever. Gamora isn’t anywhere near the most powerful cosmic Marvel characters, but one can’t deny just how important she’s been to cosmic Marvel. Her relationship to Thanos would have been enough, but the fact that she’s played such a big role in making cosmic Marvel popular earns her a spot on this list.
Annihilus is one of the many Stan Lee/Jack Kirby creations that laid the groundwork for what cosmic Marvel would one day be. Annihilus’s home was the Negative Zone, and the insectoid conqueror was armed with the Cosmic Control Rod, a weapon that gave him great power as well as allowing him to control beings’ minds, allowing him to create a massive army. Annihilus was constantly trying to invade the regular universe, but the Fantastic Four were able to stop him every time. What really made Annihilus important to cosmic Marvel, though, was his place as the catalyst behind Annihilation. Annihilation came out around the same time as Civil War, and was overshadowed by that event, but is considered by many to be way better. Annihilus was the mind behind the Annihilation Wave, and his threat was the one that Nova, the Silver Surfer, Ronan the Accuser, Drax the Destroyer, and the Guardians of the Galaxy faced. Cosmic Marvel was going through one of its fallow periods before Annihilation came out — they usually coincided with those times that Jim Starlin wasn’t at the publisher — and that story played a massive role in reminding everyone just how awesome cosmic Marvel could be. Annihilus helped make all of that possible.
What many consider cosmic Marvel didn’t start until Jim Starlin took the disparate pieces of Marvel sci-fi and brought them together. However, there wouldn’t ever be a cosmic Marvel without the Fantastic Four. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s creation is possibly the greatest science fiction comic in the history of the medium, introducing multiple corners to the Marvel Universe that would get explored even more in the years to come. The Fantastic Four discovered the Skrull, broke through to the Negative Zone, and battled multiple universal conquerors. They were the first Earth heroes to deal with Galactus, and characters like the Silver Surfer and Adam Warlock all first appeared in Fantastic Four books (more on them later). They learned about the existence of Uatu and the Watchers before anyone else did. The Fantastic Four’s adventures planted the seeds of cosmic Marvel, and have been there ever since, their intergalactic/interdimensional allies and enemies taking them to new places.
Galactus is basically what would happen if H.P. Lovecraft got to create a comic book character. Galactus is the definition of cosmic horror — a force so powerful that nearly every mortal being other than his Heralds is beneath his notice. Galactus’s first appearance in the Fantastic Four classic “The Galactus Trilogy” changed the Marvel Universe, as he would become the first of many cosmic beings that would define cosmic Marvel. Galactus also brought with him one of cosmic Marvel’s most important characters, the Silver Surfer, and was responsible for the existence of powerful Heralds like Firelord and Terrax. Galactus was a new kind of character in the Marvel Universe, and his existence gave cosmic Marvel one of their literally biggest stars. Galactus is one of the most powerful forces in existence, able to chew up Celestials and spit out stardust. Galactus is one of the key characters in cosmic Marvel. While there have been more powerful cosmic beings introduced — Eternity, the Living Tribunal, the One Above All, the One Below All — none of them have played as pivotal a role in making cosmic Marvel as unique and popular as Galactus has.
The Silver Surfer was the first major solo star of cosmic Marvel. Stan Lee apparently loved writing dialogue for the Silver Surfer, or so the legend went, and fans loved him because of “The Galactus Trilogy”. The Silver Surfer decided to help Earth against Galactus and was trapped in Earth’s atmosphere by the cosmic giant, appearing in books like The Mighty Thor and various Silver Age Marvel anthology titles before getting his own solo book in 1968, three years after his debut, and would join the Defenders in the early ’70s. Silver Surfer would get various solo titles throughout the ’80s, including the brilliant Silver Surfer: Parable, from Lee and French artist Moebius (it’s amazing and you should check it out). Silver Surfer would get another solo series in the late ’80s, and when Jim Starlin came back to Marvel after spending some time at DC, he would begin the build-up to Infinity Gauntlet there, in the months leading up to Silver Surfer (Vol. 3) #50. Silver Surfer was the standard bearer of cosmic Marvel, and when Starlin left, Ron Marz took the book over, giving Silver Surfer fans even more great adventures. Silver Surfer would disappear with the rest of cosmic Marvel, and appear again during Annihilation, getting another solo series from Dan Slott and Mike Allred that is considered one of the best Surfer comics ever. While he’s never been as important to cosmic Marvel as he once was, Silver Surfer will always be a vital part of the history of cosmic Marvel.
Adam Warlock first appeared in Fantastic Four #66-67, created to be the perfect man by the Conclave and first known as Him. He’d soon become known as Adam Warlock and was taken over by Jim Starlin. Starlin’s entire cosmic Marvel universe began to revolve around Warlock, with Pip the Troll (he honestly almost made this list, but that would have been more out of personal esteem than his worth), Gamora, Thanos, Drax the Destroyer, and Thanos, along with non-Starlin creations like High Evolutionary and Captain Marvel. Warlock would battle against the most powerful cosmic threats, possessing the Soul Gem, and proving that his appellation of the “perfect man” was fitting. Adam Warlock battled against his evil future self the Magus, and eventually ended up as a soul in the Soul Gem, where he would stay until Infinity Gauntlet. Warlock formed the core of the anti-Thanos force, and was able to get the Infinity Gauntlet after Nebula took it off the Mad Titan. Warlock would get a team book, Warlock and the Infinity Watch, and played a big role in all of Starlin’s ’90s cosmic Marvel stories. That would eventually end, and he’d show up again post-Annihilation, working with the Guardians of the Galaxy. Adam Warlock even made his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut thanks to his relationship to the Guardians, although he was a very different kind of character in the movie.
Thanos has become the key to cosmic Marvel multiple times over the years, and serves as Jim Starlin’s greatest creation. Thanos became one of the chief villains of Starlin’s ’70s cosmic Marvel books, battling Adam Warlock and the original Captain Marvel. His battles against cosmic Marvel’s two biggest heroes made him something of a star for a certain kind of Marvel fan, and he would die after trying to use a Cosmic Cube to kill half the universe for Mistress Death. She’d eventually resurrect him, and reveal to him the existence of the Infinity Gems, which would lead to Thanos Quest and the Marvel classic known as Infinity Gauntlet. Infinity Gauntlet made Thanos a star for an entire new generation of Marvel readers, leading to Thanos becoming the big bad of the first three Phases of the MCU. Whenever cosmic Marvel gets popular, Thanos is there, and he’s become synonymous with cosmic Marvel.
Who do you think are the most important cosmic Marvel characters? Sound off in the comments below.
Marvel helped evolve superheroes past the godlike icons of DC, bringing all-new facets to superhero comics. Sci-fi was a big part of the comic industry throughout the ’50s and ’60s, and Marvel was on the forefront of cosmic characters. Fantastic Four was the home of Marvel superhero sci-fi, and created many characters and concepts that Read More