Terrax the Tamer

Terrax is a cosmic villain from Marvel Comics. He's one of the former heralds of Galactus and introduced in Fantastic Four #211. He later becomes an enemy of the Avengers, Silver Surfer and the Guardians of the Galaxy.

The character first appears as an alien named Tyros, the ruler of the city-state of Lanlak on the planetoid Birj. Galactus selects Tyros as his next herald, but first wishes for the Fantastic Four to humble him. In return the cosmic entity agrees to travel to Earth to aid the heroes against a new threat, the Nova (Richard Rider) villain Sphinx. Tyros is defeated, and brought before Galactus, who changes the petty tyrant into Terrax the Tamer. His minor control over stone was augmented to an incalculable degree. Now, he could affect all matter of rock and stone on nearly a planetary scale. His body was changed so that it would withstand the vacuum of space. Finally, Galactus gave Terrax a weapon called the cosmic axe capable of generating waves of cosmic force. Terrax travels with Galactus to Earth, and while his new master battles the Sphinx, attacks the Fantastic Four - still resenting the heroes for their role in his transformation. Terrax, however, is tricked and defeated by the, and leaves with a victorious Galactus.

As Galactus's new herald, Terrax found more worlds for his master than any of the previous heralds. Terrax likened the discovery of new planets to the feeling of conquest. On several occasions, Terrax annihilated large segments of the population himself using his cosmic powers. As Galactus had hoped, Terrax's lack of morality made him a successful herald. But whereas Galactus's other heralds had a sense of loyalty to their master, Terrax had none. Indeed, he served Galactus out of fear for his master's power, but even conquered that fear on several occasions to defy Galactus' wishes. Shortly after being transformed into Galactus' herald, Terrax fled from his master and overthrew the ruling body of a small-unnamed planet. He enslaved the entire population and set himself up as the planet's deity. Huge segments of that world's people died erecting temples and cities to glorify Terrax. Terrax planned to use the survivors of his reign as the first wave of a planned universe conquering army. But before Terrax could proceed any further, Galactus summoned his herald. Fearful of his master's wrath, Terrax hid in a black hole.

This time, he went to Earth. Utilizing his power, Terrax levitated the entire island of Manhattan into earth orbit and used the lives of its millions of inhabitants to bargain with the Fantastic Four. To spare Manhattan, Terrax demanded that they destroy Galactus by attacking his ship. Galactus had by now realized that his herald had become a liability to him, Returning Manhattan to Earth, Galactus stripped Terrax of his cosmic power and the transformed alien was sent hurtling from the top of the World Trade Center down to the street below. Although seriously injured, Terrax's alien physique enabled him to survive the fall. An unidentified passerby took Terrax's broken form, unknown to both the Fantastic Four and the Avengers, who were present at the site, to a nearby hospital. He remained there for several months in a semi comatose state.

Terrax features in the nineties comic series of the Silver Surfer when asked to join his fellow Heralds against the threat of Galactus' latest Herald, Morg. After Morg's defeat, Terrax claims the character's axe. Morg eventually wishes to retrieve his weapon and battles Terrax until both are briefly captured - together with several other extraterrestrial characters Beta Ray Bill and Gladiator (Kallark) - by the cosmic overlord Tyrant. Terrax guest stars in the limited series Cosmic Powers, in which Tyrant is confronted and thwarted by the Titan Thanos.

Terrax appears in the storyline Annihilation, being initially captured by the forces of Annihilus before escaping with Paibok the Power Skrull. Terrax later finds a world ruled by the Space Parasite, whom he eventually kills. On discovering that the inhabitants are content to live in subservience, he flies into a rage and destroys the planet.

Terrax later returns to his birth planet Birj where he's approached by one member of the Nova Corps, who had come to give a warning to Terrax and is helping in the evacuation of the planet. Terrax briefly fights him and refuses to evacuate the planet. Nova runs away as the threat he warned Terrax about arrives. As Nova leaves the planet, he sees the Phoenix Force completely consuming the planet Birj on its way through the universe, taking Terrax and all its population with it.