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- NOTE: This article is about the incarnation of Ego the Living Planet from the Marvel Cinematic film series. The mainstream version can be found here: Ego the Living Planet.
| “ | Ego: [Peter starts to look doubtful after Ego's speech about his plans] What is it, son? Quill: My friends... Ego: Now, well, you see, that's the mortal in you, Peter. Quill: Yes... Ego: We are beyond such things. Quill: Yes... Ego: Now-- Quill: But my mother... you said you loved my mother. Ego: And that I did. My river lily who knew all the words to every song that came over the radio. I returned to Earth to see her three times. And I knew if I returned a fourth, I’d never leave. The Expansion… the reason for my very existence would be over, so I did what I had to do. But... it broke my heart to put that tumor in her head. Quill: [Quill snaps out of his trance and Ego's influence] What? Ego: Now, now, all right, I know that sounds bad-- |
„ |
| ~ Ego expressing his love for Meredith and revealing the reason for her death which shocks Peter just a after question he gets from Peter and just before he infamously shoots him with his blasters - his most infamous and famous quote of the movie. |
| “ | I told you… I don’t want to do this alone. You cannot deny the purpose the universe has bestowed upon YOU. It doesn't need to be like this, Peter. Why are you destroying our chance? Stop pretending you aren't what you are! One in billions. Trillions. Even more! What greater meaning can life possibly have to offer?! | „ |
| ~ Ego's villainous breakdown to Peter. |
Ego the Living Planet is the main antagonist of the 2017 Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the second installment in James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy.
He is an egotistical and omnicidal Celestial who desires to expand himself over the entire universe, which would mean the destruction of all life in it. Like Ronan from the first film, this version of Ego is far crueler, more malevolent and a much bigger threat than his mainstream comic counterpart ever was. Not only is he the arch-nemesis of Peter Quill and the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy, but he is also Quill's biological father, as well as that of his servant Mantis.
He was portrayed by Kurt Russell, who also played Stuntman Mike in Death Proof. Aaron Schwartz was his body double as his younger self. His alternative form was briefly portrayed by David Hasselhoff, who also played Garthe Knight in Knight Rider.
Personality[]
| “ | I tried so hard to find the form that best suited you, and this is the thanks I get? You really need to GROW UP! I wanted to do this together, but I suppose you'll have to learn by spending the next thousand years as a BATTERY! | „ |
| ~ Ego to his son Peter Quill after telling Peter how he killed the latter's mother and revealing his true nature. |
Ego initially appears to be very sympathetic and kind, a loving father and lover as well as affable towards those who know him, but as his true intentions are revealed, the monster inside him comes to the light. He is a very violent, immature, selfish, cold, dangerous, and horrifyingly ruthless monster. He is very good at hiding his true goal; the latter never bothered to even act politely, and while the Accuser was driven by pure hatred, Ego is rather driven by a life's purpose.
He has no qualms about killing his own children; he also believes his form and intelligence is the only one that should rule the galaxy. This stemmed from his disillusionment over life he encountered, which he considered inferior and not up to his standard of species perfection, which made him consider expanding his own power by transforming the galaxy into extensions of himself and his progeny as the only meaning of his eternal life. The countless years of loneliness he has endured did not help this matter.
Ego also strongly believes that friends, family or emotional connections are worth little compared to his end goal of the Expansion as well as the fact that, unlike the Celestials, they will die out eventually. His God complex prevents him from seeing the entire extent of the evil he has done throughout millennia, and he sees his actions as necessary for his plan rather than evil despite being well aware of how said actions hurt others. He is convinced that mortals are useless to the universe and that he is absolutely sure that his son will agree with his plan. This arrogance also makes him think he is the most powerful being in the universe and that nobody can reach his power, even believing it will take to Peter several millions of years of learning to master it. Ironically, despite completely disregarding mortal life, when it becomes clear to him his death is imminent, Ego is absolutely frightened.
As a manipulator, he usually presented himself as a charming and respectable person, and hides his true nature by acting welcoming, friendly, and even humble, such as calling his planet no smaller than Earth's moon and stating himself as a god "with a small g" and other friendly facades. When Ego met with the women he impregnated from different planets, such as Meredith Quill, he came off as an otherworldly traveler who only wishes to learn more about other species. However, he later describes himself as alternately "the sailor" and "the sea" from a song Peter's mother loved, demonstrating Ego's belief that he is the only thing that matters in the universe, at least from his perspective.
Upon meeting with the Guardians of the Galaxy and his son, Peter Quill, he posed as a cocky albeit wise father, sharing Quill's sense of humor and love of pop culture references to lull him into a false sense of security and eventually unlock his Celestial abilities. Even with his manipulative and charismatic attitude, Yondu Udonta ruthlessly remembers Ego as a "jackass" when he was hired by him, once he realized Ego killed the previous children. Though not fully aware with how dangerous Ego can be, Yondu knows that bad things will happen to Quill had he reunited with his father, prompting him to adopt him as his son instead of giving him to Ego.
Despite all of that, Ego seemingly fell in love with Earthling Meredith Quill. He went to visit her three times until it got in the way of his plans to transform the universe, so he "reluctantly" put a tumor within her brain to kill her. However, he soon forgot about the supposed love he had for Meredith, with Ego trying to explain to Star-Lord that killing Meredith sounds bad but it wasn't really a bad action. In addition, his way of killing her in a very painful death makes his supposed love for her very questionable. On the other hand, the fact that he needs Mantis' help to sleep implies that, for all his horrific actions and callousness towards mortal life, deep down he still felt guilt for his actions over the millennia or at least, indicating that he's always stressed about his plan possibly failing.
However, one could also say that he only did it because he wanted to control her as she mentions that he treated her like a pet. Ego also had a degree of fondness for Quill because he was a Celestial like him thus could help with his plan. He never outright lies to Peter about anything, but he does pick out specific things to tell him and when to tell him. Ego also still cared for his son before his betrayal, and instead of immediately taking his son's energy the first chance he had, preferred to get to know his son and openly told him that he wanted to rule the universe together and didn't want to live alone, until Quill turned against him and forced his hand. This led Ego to lose all care for Star-Lord because he had no problem turning Star-Lord into a battery for a thousand years so he can start his cataclysmic plan, and on the way, losing all guilt that he could have.
Ego's relationship with his daughter, Mantis, was heavily tainted by his narcissistic and abusive personality. Ignoring the importance for raising her to survive in the universe, Ego treated her more like a "flea with a purpose" (i.e. a pet) by not letting anyone else reside on his surface prior to meeting the Guardians. Furthermore, given her lack of social skills, it is likely that Ego didn't even care about her enough to teach her the basics of mortal life.
Powers and Abilities[]
Planet Form[]
- Celestial Physiology: Ego is a Celestial, a powerful being with vast matter and energy manipulation abilities, thus are considered to be the oldest race in the universe long before the dawn of creation started.
- Nigh-immortality
- Molecukinesis
- Ergokinesis
- Corporikinesis
- Planetary terraformation
- Vitakinesis
- Photokinesis
- Manipulation
- Influential charisma
- Immense knowledge
Avatar Form[]
- Superhuman strength
- Regenerative healing
- High-speed flight
- Superhuman durability
- Shapeshifting
Relationships[]
Family[]
- Peter Quill/Star-Lord - Son, Pawn, Attempted Victim, and Arch-Enemy
- Mantis - Daughter, Enemy, and Attempted Victim
- Thousands of unnamed Offspring † - Children, Attempted Pawns, and Victims
Enemies[]
- Nebula- Attempted Victim
- Ayesha
- The Ravagers
- Yondu Udonta † - Former Employee turned Enemy and Indirect Victim
- Kraglin Obfonteri - Former Employee turned Enemy and Attempted Victim
- The Guardians of the Galaxy
- Peter Quill/Star-Lord
- Gamora † - Attempted Victim
- Drax - Attempted Victim
- Groot - Killer and Attempted Victim
- Rocket Raccoon - Killer and Attempted Victim
Quotes[]
| “ | Ego: After all these years, I've found you. Peter: Who the hell are you? Ego: I figured my rugged good looks would make that obvious. My name is Ego, and I'm your dad, Peter. |
„ |
| ~ Ego meets his son, Peter Quill, and the Guardians of the Galaxy for the first time. |
| “ | Soon, Peter, we will be all there is. So stop pissing me off! | „ |
| ~ Ego as his planetary form, attempting to kill the Guardians. |
| “ | Who in the hell do you think you are?! | „ |
| ~ Ego to Quill, after the latter shot him with his Quad Blasters. |
| “ | For the first time in my existence, I am truly NOT ALONE! | „ |
| ~ Ego's wrath about his loneliness. |
| “ | Ego: But... it broke my heart to put that tumor in her head. Peter: (blankly) What? Ego: Now, all right... I know that sounds bad. (Peter angrily starts shooting Ego and blowing his form to pieces) Who in the hell do you think you are?! Peter: YOU KILLED MY MOTHER! Ego: I tried... so hard... to find the form... that best suited you... and this is the thanks I get? You really need to grow up. |
„ |
| ~ Peter and Ego, as he reveals that he had killed Meredith as well as transforming David Hasselhoff in the process. |
| “ | Peter: I'd like to believe all of this, I really would. But you left the most wonderful woman ever to die alone! Ego: I didn't want to leave your mother, Peter! If I don't return regularly to my planet and the life within it, this form will wither and perish! Peter: Then why didn't you come back? Why did you send Yondu, a criminal of all people, to come and fetch me? Ego: I loved your mother, Peter! I couldn't stand to set foot on an earth when she wasn't living! You can't imagine what that's like! Peter: I know exactly what it feels like! I HAD TO WATCH HER DIE! |
„ |
| ~ Ego and Peter having conflict. |
| “ | I wanted to do this together. But I suppose you'll have to learn by spending the next thousand years as a battery! | „ |
| ~ Ego, after trapping Peter. |
| “ | My life, my love, my lady is the sea. Peter, this is the sea. | „ |
| ~ Ego, as he smashes Peter's Walkman. |
| “ | I told you. I don't want to do this alone. You cannot deny the purpose the universe has bestowed upon you! | „ |
| ~ Ego, while reforming his human form and trapping Peter. |
| “ | Come now, Peter. I know this isn't what you want. What kind of father would I be to let you make this choice? | „ |
| ~ Ego attacking the Guardians. |
| “ | Ego: Stop. Stop. Listen to me. Listen to me! You are a god. If you kill me, you’ll be just like everyone else. Peter: What’s so wrong with that? Ego: NOO!!! |
„ |
| ~ Ego foolishly trying to persuade Peter to stop the bomb from killing him, also his last words. |
Trivia[]
- Ego is perhaps one of the most dangerous villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, being one of the few to surpass Thanos in this regard. Thanos only wanted to kill half of the universe so the other half would thrive, while Ego wanted to assimilate the entire universe into himself. However, while Thanos did succeed in his plans in Avengers: Infinity War, Ego did not.
- In the comics, Ego is not a Celestial, but rather an Elder of the Universe, like the Collector and Grandmaster. He has been an enemy of Thor and the Nova Corps for a long time.
- In the comics as well as the 2015 animated show based on Guardians of the Galaxy, Peter Quill's father is a completely different character named J'son of Spartax. According to James Gunn, the reason for this change was simply because he didn't like the character, stating: "I just don't like the character [J'son] very much, I also thought it was too much like a Star Wars thing because of the royalty and all of that." Concept art for the movie refers to Ego as J'son to hide the reveal.
- According to James Gunn, he had already planned who Peter's father would be since the development of the first movie. The only other people that knew were Kevin Feige, Michael Rooker and Sean Gunn.
- Ego's human appearance is based on Ord Zyonz, the Gardener, one of the Elders of the Universe and the keeper of the Time Stone before Thanos.
- Ego was the second Celestial to appear in the MCU (the first one was Eson the Searcher, following Arishem the Judge).
- Ego's death is an ironic echo of how he chose to kill Meredith Quill. While Meredith gradually died from a brain tumor that was deliberately put into her skull, Ego had his brain destroyed by a bomb powered with the Sovereign's batteries.
- Ego's love for the song "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" stems from the Celestial viewing himself as the sailor who is supposedly singing the closing refrain. Ego feels that he doesn't have time for weaker beings like Star-Lord and Meredith, just as the sailor feels that he doesn't have any time for the woman with whom he begins a love affair.
- Although Ego's comic book counterpart was never particularly nice or heroic, he was a relatively harmless joke character when anyone except Jack Kirby wrote stories featuring him. Prior to his appearance in Ultimates 2 fighting alongside Galactus, most stories had ridiculous plots such as the Hulk fighting monstrous acne on his surface or Rocket Raccoon de-lousing his hair. Here, he is a spiteful, selfish, sociopathic, egotistical, omnicidal maniac who is willing to murder anyone who interferes in his goal, whether it is Peter's half-siblings for not inheriting Celestial powers, or Meredith Quill for triggering the romantic feelings that he considered a hindrance. Ego's "Expansion", which involves consuming every habitable place in the universe, is presented as a completely serious threat for killing all other life forms in the process. Much like Ronan, Ego is hence markedly more malicious in the Marvel Cinematic Universe than in the original comics.
- Ego's plan to terraform a planet to wipe out life is similar to Ultron's, except Ultron only tried to wipe out an entire planet while Ego tried to wipe out the entire universe. Also, unlike Ultron, who started out with good intentions, Ego lacked any good will from the moment he started his plan.
- Despite being a Celestial, Ego is an aberrant compared to other members of his kind. To elaborate, the one in previous film and Eternals revealed Celestials typically adapt planet-sized humanoid form as opposed of sentient planet-like being.
- Ego, from a behavioral point of view, is a malignant tumor. He infects planet with seeds and when these seeds are activated, they grow and kill everything on their way.
- Ego's brain originally beats like a normal heart but after Groot activates the bomb on him, he begins beating much faster, clearly showing his fear of his imminent death.
- Ego has some Satanic elements. Meredith described him as an "angel, composed of pure light" and the name Lucifer means "light bringer". Like many representations of Satan, Ego is charismatic and egotistical, corrupts both Yondu Udonta and Peter and is willing to destroy many lives if that benefits him.
- Kurt Russell, who played Ego, is the father of Wyatt Russell, who also played another character in the MCU, U.S. Agent.
- Matthew McCounaghey was originally offered to play Ego, but turned down the offer due to having already signed to play Randall Flagg in The Dark Tower.
External Links[]
- Ego on the Pure Evil Wiki
- Ego on the Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki
- Ego on the Marvel Wiki
- Ego on the Marvel Movies Wiki
- Ego on the Disney Wiki
- Ego on the VS Battles Wiki
