Summary

• Galactus' newest Herald is from the Ultraman Universe, making Zarab one of the most powerful yet.
• Reed Richards sent Galactus to the Ultraman Universe to protect Earth from the cosmic villain, which is how Galactus met Zarab and made him his strongest Herald.
• Alien Zarab's powers have been heightened by the Power Cosmic, making him a major threat to Ultraman and the Avengers.

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Ultraman x Avengers #1! Galactus’ new Herald might be his most powerful yet. And the most interesting part? This Herald isn’t even from the Marvel Universe, but is rather an established villain in an entirely separate franchise: Ultraman.

In Ultraman x Avengers #1 by Kyle Higgins, Mat Groom, and sco Manna, Miles Morales’ Spider-Man has been sucked through an interdimensional portal into the Ultraman Universe, and before long, the entire Avengers team finds themselves in this reality as well. The reason for this ‘Marvel invasion’ is that Reed Richards used one of his devices to send a deadly cosmic villain to another dimension in order to protect the Earth - and that villain was Galactus.

This issue opens with Galactus invading a planet in the Ultraman Universe following his exile from the Marvel Universe. It was there that he found someone who proved strong enough to stand against him in defense of their world, and while they didn’t stand a chance against the Devourer of Worlds, Galactus still respected their gumption, and decided to reward one member of this alien species with an offer. Galactus would spare their world if they agreed to be his Herald in this new universe. The alien accepts the offer, and that alien is Zarab.

Alien Zarab is a Classic Ultraman Villain, & Galactus Made Him Stronger than Ever

Alien Zarab is an extraterrestrial from the Planet Zarab with a number of incredibly powerful abilities, and an inherent drive to use those powers to conquer and/or destroy other worlds. As shown in the original Ultraman continuity, Zarab has the power to mimic others in the form of illusion casting and apparent shapeshifting. Zarab can also increase his size, which makes it possible for him to mimic Ultraman himself. Alien Zarab also possesses the ability to create sonic blasts, energy projection, and teleport, just to name a few.

In short, Alien Zarab is a major threat to Ultraman and, indeed, the entirety of Planet Earth. And now, he’s been made even stronger thanks to Galactus offering him the Power Cosmic. As a Herald of Galactus, Zarab not only can mimic someone’s appearance, but also their powers, with no disparity between Zarab and the original. Not only that, but the aforementioned powers unique to Alien Zarab are also infinitely heightened, with the addition of Power Cosmic manipulation as exhibited by past Heralds of Galactus at Zarab’s disposal as well.

Ultraman’s Alien Zarab Proves 1 MCU Antihero Would Be a Perfect Herald of Galactus

Taskmaster’s Mimicking Ability with a Power Cosmic Upgrade Would Make Them a Zarab-Level Herald

The one aspect of Alien Zarab’s powers that saw the greatest Power Cosmic upgrade was his ability to mimic those he was fighting. So, if the Power Cosmic made Zarab’s mimicking power so unstoppable, it stands to reason that the same could be done for Taskmaster. Taskmaster can copy anyone’s fighting style, weapons skills, and (to an extent) superpowers. If they got the same Power Cosmic upgrade as Zarab, and could effectively become the person they were mimicking, Taskmaster would be a perfect Herald of Galactus - which is something Marvel should consider for the character’s MCU future.

While Alien Zarab’s power implies that Taskmaster could be an equally deadly Herald of Galactus, that theory has yet to be tested. Therefore, at the moment, Zarab stands on his own as being perhaps the most powerful Herald Galactus has ever created, as he has the same powers as any other Herald, with the additional benefit of having his already powerful abilities amplified to a cosmic degree.

Ultraman x Avengers #1 by Marvel Comics is available now.