Iron Man Just Knocked Out a Herald of Galactus All by Himself

WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Iron Man #1 by Christopher Cantwell, CAFU, Frank D'Armata and VC's Joe Caramagna, on sale now.

Iron Man isn't generally considered one of the Avengers' heavy-hitters. Although the armored Avenger has created some powerful suits over the years, Tony Stark's true power has always been his genius intellect.

Recently, however, Stark performed an impressive feat of strength: single-handedly defeating Terrax the Tamer.

In the beginning of Iron Man #1, Stark crashes through a glass window with Terrax firmly in hand. Stark seems to have the battle well under control. Indeed, as Iron Man continues to shove Terrax through several buildings, he even has the time to multitask.

Stark checks in with B.O.S.S., his personal A.I., making sure that he can successfully sell his shares at Stark Unlimited and re-invest appropriately. All the while, Terrax screams at the armored Avenger, calling him an "aluminum parasite." Stark pays no attention to the alien, flying him out into space while continuing his conversation with B.O.S.S.

Confused, Terrax demands to know who Stark is talking to. Before he can get an answer, Terrax is blasted through a satellite by Iron Man, evidently flying out of the Earth's solar system. In the span of two pages, Iron Man easily disposes of Terrax, without any special suit of armor.

Considering Terrax's history, Stark's feat is certainly impressive. Terrax is known for dealing with plenty of powerful heroes, especially as a herald of Galactus. At times, Terrax has defeated the entire Fantastic Four on his own. The former herald has also taken on several powerful alien beings, such as Drax the Destroyer. Terrax even held his own against the Silver Surfer, another herald of Galactus imbued with the power cosmic.

Despite their similar power sets, Terrax is known to be far more ruthless than the Surfer. During his time as Galactus' herald, Terrax proved to be deadlier than any of his predecessors. Terrax would annihilate much of a planet's population himself before Galactus consumed the world. Terrax's rebellion against his master also made him considerably dangerous. For example, he once broke away from Galactus and enslaved a small planet for himself. On this world, Terrax became a god, for whom the people erected temples and entire cities.

Additionally, Terrax has gone to considerable lengths to achieve his goals. In Fantastic Four #242 by John Byrne, the former herald used his geokenetic powers to lift the island of Manhattan into Earth's orbit. Terrax then held the city hostage until the Fantastic Four defeated Galactus for him.

Terrax's power of geokenesis is a serious threat, even without the power cosmic. Originally, Terrax was a mutant from the planet Landlak. The alien's ability to manipulate rock and earth molecules comes naturally to him. With the addition of the power cosmic, however, Terrax's powers are greatly enhanced.

Terrax can move large planetary masses at great speeds. With his cosmic enhancements, Terrax can also geokenetically cause earthquakes, create chasms and levitate large masses of land. The power cosmic also provides Terrax with several other enhancements, including greater strength, speed and durability. Like all of Galactus' heralds, Terrax is also capable of flight.

One special gift that sets Terrax apart from the other heralds is the cosmic axe bestowed upon him by Galactus. This axe creates waves of destructive force and impenetrable force fields, also greatly enhancing Terrax's natural power. Given Terrax's impressive history and power-set, it's quite surprising that Iron Man managed to defeat him so easily.

The new Iron Man series is certainly raising the stakes for the armored Avenger's capabilities, considering how easily he dispatches Terrax, a cosmic-level threat.

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