| Gabriel Lan Air-Walker | |
|---|---|
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | (Robot form):Fantastic Four #120 (March 1972). (Real form):Thor #305 (March 1981). |
| Created by | Stan Lee (writer) John Buscema (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Gabriel Lan |
| Species | Xandarian |
| Place of origin | PlanetXandar in the Tranta System, Andromeda galaxy |
| Team affiliations | Heralds of Galactus Nova Corps |
| Notable aliases | Air-Walker |
| Abilities | |
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Air-Walker (Gabriel Lan) is a character appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. Created by writerStan Lee and artistJohn Buscema, the characterfirst appeared (inandroid form) inFantastic Four #120 (March 1972).[1] Lan is a former member of theNova Corps who becameGalactus'herald.[2][3] Following Lan's death, a robotic duplicate was created to house his consciousness.[4]
Gabriel Lan debuted inFantastic Four #120 (March 1972), created byStan Lee andJohn Buscema.[5] He later appeared inFantastic Four #211 (October 1979),Captain America #249 (September 1980),Thor #306 (January 1981),Dazzler #10 (December 1981),[6] andSilver Surfer vol. 3 #41 (September 1990).
Gabriel Lan is a member of theXandarianNova Corps and the captain of the diplomatic and exploratory spaceshipWay-Opener. Returning from a mission in space, theWay-Opener was confronted byGalactus, who abducts Lan and offers to transform him into aherald, in a similar fashion to theSilver Surfer.
A willing Lan accepts and becomes the Air-Walker.Pyreus Kril, theWay-Opener's officer and Lan's friend, becomes obsessed with finding Galactus after the abduction. Lan becomes devoted to Galactus, and the closest thing he has to a friend. On one journey to seek a planet for sustenance for Galactus, he battles the alien Ovoids, who kill Lan, but Galactus transfers a portion of his soul into an android body.[7]
Dissatisfied with the android, which lacks Lan's personality, Galactus sends it to Earth to re-enlist the Silver Surfer as his Herald. The Air-Walker encounters the Fantastic Four, and is then defeated by the Surfer, who guesses at the android's true nature.Mister Fantastic reprograms Galactus' ship to take him to theNegative Zone, where he will have an abundance of worlds to consume.[8] The remnants of the Air-Walker are found by the villainMachinesmith.[9]
The android eventually repairs itself and reactivates. Believing itself to be the original Gabriel Lan, the Air-Walker attempts to find the Surfer, but encountersThor. The Air-Walker's ability to wield Thor's hammerMjolnir reveals its non-human nature, and Thor destroys the android.[10] Another of Galactus' former Heralds, Firelord, learns of the battle and confronts Thor. Firelord reveals that he was once Pyreus Kril, and eventually located Galactus' vessel and confronted the entity. Galactus agreed to reveal Lan's fate on the condition that Pyreus serve him as his latest Herald. Firelord then returns to space with the remains of the android.[11]
Firelord and the Surfer eventually revive the android to aid in a battle againstMorg,[12] who completely destroys the Air-Walker.[13] A version of the Air-Walker and Firelord aid theNew Warriors against a threat from the planetXandar.[14]
Lan's consciousness is then absorbed into the computer of Galactus' ship, where he directs Galactus to uninhabited worlds. He is later restored to physical form and battles the Annihilation Wave alongside his fellow Heralds, but is destroyed once again.[15][16]
Air-Walker wields thePower Cosmic, which gives him superhuman physical abilities, mastery of the electromagnetic spectrum, immunity to the conditions of space, and the ability to travel faster than thespeed of light. He graduated from the Xandarian Nova Corps Academy, and in addition to a thorough knowledge of combat, has knowledge of advanced alien technology and space navigation.
Air-Walker also wields the Bow of Gabriel, a powerful weapon which can terraform whole worlds.[17]
The android version of Air-Walker appears to possess all the same abilities, in addition to a unique self-repair system and a homing beacon.
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