In the first issue of ‘Hunger’ in this four issue mini-series, we jumped right into where the close of ‘Age of Ultron’ #10 left us off. That is, Galactus being in the Ultimate Marvel universe. While he wasn’t in the issue for that extended period of a time (a whole 5 pages), we did get to see the pure fear on the faces of the Kree and Chitauri of this universe as Galactus merged with The Gah Lak Tus swarm. The swarm is kind of the Ultimate Marvel equivalent of the jolly purple giant in that it feeds on worlds.
In this issue we see Rick Jones try to power up on the command of The Watcher and really just start messing with Galactus’s day. Things don’t work too well and the swarm gets to him when all of a sudden, he is pulled to safety by none other than the Silver Surfer! Well the Ultimate Marvel version of him that is. While they start to talk to begin to figure out what is going on, Galactus summons the Surfer to speak with him and Rick Jones returns to the Kree fleet only to find out something even worse is happening.
They have a plan on how to deal with the monster they are now confronted with. They are going to cause the sun that they are orbited around to go super nova and destroy him. As Rick goes to attempt to save the Surfer, we see that they are actually attempting to come to an understanding. As Rick insists they leave, the Surfer drags them both to safety from the sun’s supernova by returning them to Earth.
Galactus? Yes he pretty much just draws power from the supernova and nothing happens to him. While anyone from the standard Marvel universe would know that such an all-powerful being wouldn’t be harmed, these poor Kree from the Ultimate Universe only had the swarm to compare him too. They underestimated him. Greatly.
As Rick and the Surfer try to plan their next move, it quickly becomes obvious that they brought along company with them to Earth. Part of the swarm itself hitched a ride and while it plans on replicating itself by devouring the Earth, it most likely just lit up a beacon on the sky for Galactus himself.
With only 2 issues left, it could only be a matter of time before he started to make his way to the one planet that is ever able to defy him.
Unlike the standard Marvel Universe, the heroes here are broken and scattered. Their numbers in both super human and mutant alike are dwindling and number nowhere near what would usually be guarding the Earth from a galactic threat. Factor in that Reed Richards is stark raving mad, doesn’t have an ultimate nullifier and currently almost has a working Infinity Gauntlet? Well, things could come to an interesting head as the series meet up. I suppose we’ll see how the next few issues of ‘The Ultimates’ play out in conjunction to this one.
The very need for Reed to possess the Gauntlet, according to ‘Kang”, might be to drive Galactus back to the standard universe? We just don’t know and with 2 issues left I have a feeling it’ll be a bit before we find out!
Final Score:
HUNGER #2
Writer: Joshua Hale Fialkov
Artist: Leonard Kirk
