SPOILER WARNING: This article discusses major events from "Ultimates" #2, in stores now.

Since his debut in 1966's "Fantastic Four" #48, the planet-devouring entity known as Galactus has been a cornerstone of the Marvel Universe's pantheon of cosmic beings. And while his insatiable hunger has left a wake of death and destruction in his path as he scoured the universe in search of sustenance -- with more than one visit to Earth -- ultimately, he was performing a service crucial to the survival of the Marvel U.

Until now. In this week's "Ultimates" #2, written by Al Ewing with art by Kenneth Rocafort, Black Panther, Blue Marvel, Photon and the rest of the newly-formed team execute a plan to change the very nature of Galactus. Through the creative use of Iso-8, a new, reality-warping substance discovered following the events of "Secret Wars," the team has managed to flip the script on a being whose existence stretches back to the Big Bang and beyond, to the universe that existed prior to this one.

"[Iso-8 is] a new form of Neutronium, a super-substance the Blue Marvel's been experimenting with for almost as long as he's been in the Marvel Universe," Ewing told CBR in a recent interview. "Iso-8 seems to have a certain amount of cosmic power baked in, and the Iso-Sphere -- the concentrated collection of ["Contest of Champions'"] Battlerealm's supply of it -- makes the all-powerful Cosmic Cube look like a party popper."

A party-popper, indeed. In combining their powers, Galactus' original "birthing chamber" and Iso-8, the Ultimates have transformed the death-delivering Galactus into his polar opposite -- an entity that restores life to dead planets. For the first time, Galactus no longer hungers -- he dreams of life.