Power Cosmic II
BigG > Mad Celestial Host
Originally posted by Digi
This well fed/hungry stuff is mostly a forum invention. We don't really have levels for him...ever. Nor definite feats that we can attribute to each level. Especially "full power." There might be 1-2 "hungry" feats, but the very idea of full power is some sort of myth that's never been substantiated. Galactus is Galactus. To pretend that he jumps wildly based solely on hunger is a bit naive. He's got good and bad showings like everyone else, but is basically always the same character.
Originally posted by Digi
Like I said, it's mostly a construction of the forum community. There's 1-2 obscure, vague feats that people have extrapolated into meaning way too much for the sake of a shared vocabulary on the forums. Be careful with such things.Like the Eternity comment that was mentioned. One idle comment about a character with decades of history, and it's become a full-on power level for Galactus on the forums. We know he can fluctuate somewhat, we do have evidence of that in spades, but if anyone tells you exactly where Galactus is power-wise at certain sustenance levels, they're deluding themselves. There are not concrete levels, and likely far less deviation between his best and worst than most would state.
I disagree with this. To some degree it's a forum "invention" in so far as a qualified state--like "Sun-dipped" Superman, "Insane" Thor, "Worthy" Juggernaut, etc.--but unlike the aforementioned, his power is supposed to fluctuate. Hence I would use the term "forum invention" less than I would apply "forum observation." But if you want to strictly use it in the sense of the vs. forum, then yes "hungry"/"fed"/"well fed" etc. are all forum inventions, but they have to be, because in order to adhere to the forum rules, which state
It is also assumed that the characters fight at their optimum levels of ability - not explicitly weakened or unusually powered up for those who have variable power levels.
(yeah, obviously you know the rules. I'm just posting here to illustrate my point)
then we clearly need to distinguish between a Galactus that IS explicitly weakened (hungry at the onset of the story/battle) and one that is not. So it may be an "invention," but it's the result of properly portraying the character in the context of board rules.
Godhunter is a perfect, simple example. Almost the entire story, he is literally in a dire, hungry state. That's hungry Galactus. No invention there. He is so weak that it gets to the point were a huge armada of starships WILL kill him. However, he feeds on the planet, and then, with literally a gesture, destroys the entire armada. The same armada that Galactus was running from, the same armada that had sufficient firepower to completely overwhelm 2 heralds of Galactus at the same time. That armada is gone with a wave of his hand. That's fed Galactus. By forum rules, that's the Galactus that should be used in every vs. fight. Not explicitly over-powered/"full power" nor weakened/"hungry"
That distinction is lost by many, many posters here on the vs. forum. There are certain individuals who have trolled threads involving Galactus in the past (I won't name them, we all know who they are) and bring up "low" showings. For example (not calling you a troll, Damborgson)
Originally posted by Damborgson
to his low showings: getting knocked over and out by strange, getting abused by Thor, getting launched by Thanos and the exerting himself breaking his shields enough to the point where he became hungry etc...
I argue that these showings aren't appropriate for a vs. battle. Why? Because Strange crippling him with the images of Ikkon spell, cap bashing him with his shield, thor using a hammer blow from mjolnir, thing punching him out, etc. all (or almost all) happened in a single issue where Galactus was near death. Do we use "near death" Galactus in a forum battle? No, we don't. Yet some people continuously bring up those "low showings" as evidence in feats. I counter with, why are you assuming Galactus is hungry at the onset of the contest? When does it ever state in the rules that we need to assume the character is at his weakest levels? That's why the forum has created these "hunger level categories" for Galactus.
Because more than any other comics character, Galactus will appear, more often than not, at an "under-powered" state: hungry. And it's actually quite easy to determine feats that can be attributable to each level. It's easy because any feats surrounding a planet Galactus has come to consume are automatically "hungry" Galactus feats. I don't think that's anyone's invention. It's cut and dry and clear as day: Galactus is weak/weakened, and then this is what happens in the story, x, y, z. Galactus and the Phoenix Force both acknowledge that Galactus is weak due to hunger; after the fight, Galactus says their battle left him so depleted he is near death. Thus the entire contest is Galactus "hungry." The extrapolation occurs when we say "hungry Galactus fought the Phoenix Force, and eventually could no longer continue. What can a Fed Galactus do?"
There are even moments we know G is between feedings, since it's explicitly mentioned, like in the issue where G confronts Agamotto.
Now, I will state that while a "hungry" Galactus is easily identified, and a "near death" Galactus identified as well, a one that is "well-fed" is less common. Not absent, just less common.
The point I am making is this. For everyone that loves to bring up low showings for G (yes, I know there are plenty), how many of them are when he is hungry, or near death? How many are of him at least fed? You'll find the former far, far, far outnumber the latter. It's a built in plot device for writers to use; like Doombots, but even more convenient.
And that's what the forum battles do, strip out the BS like plot induced stupidity and under-powered states of character.
A lot of people conflate "normal" Galactus with his "normal" appearances. Well, his "normal" appearances are more often than not, when he is "abnormally" under-powered. Stories can't be told when Galactus waves his hand and makes guys like Cap and Iron Man disappear forever. So he's always hungry. Galactus eventually will get hungry, yes. But it's what he can do while he's not in a weakened state is the question that should be asked.
In a 2 horse race, yeah, one of the horses might fall 50 yards behind by the very end of a long, long race; conversely, that same horse could finish 50 yards head.
But there's a very clear difference between a horse being badly outperformed by 50 yards in the critical moments of the race, and starting the race off with 1 horse 50 yards behind.