| Cosmo the Spacedog | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Nova vol. 4 #8 (Jan. 2008) |
| Created by | Dan Abnett (writer) Andy Lanning (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Cosmo |
| Species | Golden Retriever–Labrador Retriever mix |
| Place of origin | Earth |
| Team affiliations | Guardians of the Galaxy Knowhere Corps Pet Avengers |
| Abilities | Various psychic abilities |
Cosmo the Space-dog (Russian:Космо,romanized: Kosmo) is a character appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. Cosmo, a telepathicSoviet space dog, is the security chief of the space stationKnowhere and a member of theGuardians of the Galaxy.[1] The character was created byDan Abnett andAndy Lanning as a reference toLaika and first appeared inNova vol. 4 #8 (Jan. 2008).[2]
A female version of Cosmo the Spacedog appeared in a cameo role in theMarvel Cinematic Universe filmsGuardians of the Galaxy (2014) andGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), as well as in theDisney+ animated seriesWhat If...? (2021). She is voiced byMaria Bakalova inThe Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022) andGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023).[3]
Cosmo was aSoviet space dog during the 1960s. He was launched into Earth's orbit by theSoviet space program as part of an experiment but was lost in space, arriving inKnowhere and at some point being mutated by cosmic rays. Now a telepath, he eventually came to serve as the station's security chief. Cosmo met a distraughtNova (Richard Rider) shortly after he witnessed Suspensor turn into a zombie. He tells Nova that he is on Knowhere, a city located within the severed head of a giantCelestial. Beings from all over the galaxy come to Knowhere waiting for the end of the universe. When the Luminals bring something in a large box, the city's population has to go into hiding. The Xandarian Worldmind then informs Rider that he had deciphered the writing on the wall, which is a countdown to a timer.[4]
Suspensor attacks them and Nova is forced to kill her in self-defense only to have her allies Cynosure, Crater and Discharge blame him for her death. Unable to fight the three aliens, he retreats and discovers a talking dog. However, Cosmo gained Nova’s trust and friendship, and the two set out to find the fiend responsible for all the recent deaths on Knowhere. Cosmo brought Nova up to speed on when the events started, and the Xandarian Worldmind added any data he had at his disposal.
Cosmo was mainly concerned with the safety of the remaining citizens of Knowhere who were safely hidden away in a dimensional envelope he wore on his collar. It was not long before Cosmo and Nova were ambushed by more zombies including the surviving members of Suspensor's former team; the Luminals, and determined that the creature known asAbyss was behind the mayhem. Together, they fought off the attacks, and sealed Abyss inside his prison.[5]
Cosmo then charted a course to the birthplace of thePhalanx, the planet Kvch, in hopes that he can find a way to cure himself of theTransmode Virus that is slowly killing him. Then, alarms were triggered when a murderousGamora andDrax the Destroyer (now under the control of the Phalanx) slaughtered many residents in search of Nova. Cosmo arrived too late to stop them before they could follow the same path as Nova through the Continuum Cortex.[6]
Peter Quill's original Guardians of the Galaxy team operated out of Knowhere for some time, thus dragging Cosmo into many of their adventures. During one such adventure, Cosmo and the Guardians bounce around the time stream in an attempt to stop The Fault, a tear in the universe, from eliminating all of reality. During this adventure, Cosmo is de-aged into a puppy.[7]
DuringThe Thanos Imperative storyline, the true nature of the Fault began to reveal itself and the corrupted beings of the Cancerverse began their invasion. The Guardians of the Galaxy allied with Thanos to stopMar-Vell. In the end, the team disbanded, losingAdam Warlock,Phyla-Vell, Drax and their leaderStar-Lord. But before he died, Star-Lord left Cosmo with the task of trying to collect the greatest heroes in the universe to form a band of Annihilators, the team Star-Lord believed was what the Guardians of the Galaxy should have been. One by one Cosmo convincedSilver Surfer,Gladiator,Beta Ray Bill,Quasar, andRonan the Accuser to team up and protect the universe together, as was Star-Lord's final wish.[8]
Cosmo was seen injured after Captain Skaarn's takeover of Knowhere.[9] Skaarn had poisoned Cosmo and shot him with something that dampened Cosmo's psychic telepathy. Using the Nova Force,Nova (Sam Alexander) tried to push the poison out of his body. In the process, he found the foreign body inside of Cosmo and removed it, saving his life.[10]
Cosmo is seen with several new Knowhere enforcement allies called the Knowhere Corps. They assist him in capturing a violence-loving gangster called Yotat.[11]
In addition to a dog's standard enhanced sense of hearing and smell, Cosmo haspsionic abilities, including high-leveltelepathy andtelekinesis. He has shown to be capable of creating defensive shields strong enough to deflect energy blasts, as well as project mind blasts of tremendous force. His exact power levels are unknown, but he has shown to be strong enough to take on a being such asAdam Warlock by himself, and powerful enough to unleash a telekinetic blast able to disable two separate teams of super-humans.
In addition to these abilities, Cosmo seems to have a considerably extended lifespan as well — especially for a dog since he has been around since the time of theSoviet Union.
An alternate universe variant of Cosmo from Earth-97161 appears inGuardians Team-Up #5.[12]
An alternate universe variant of Cosmo from Earth-6160 known asCosmo Starstalker appears in theUltimate Universe. This version is female, originates from the 61st century, and sports a cybernetic leg.[13]
A gender-flipped version of Cosmo the Spacedog appears in media set in theMarvel Cinematic Universe, physically portrayed by dog actors Fred and Slate and voiced and motion-captured byMaria Bakalova.[14]
Cosmo the Spacedog appears inGuardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout! as part of an exhibit in theCollector's museum.