Profile of Gabriel,
the Air Walker

Died in: (robot form) Fantastic Four 121 (first series) Thor # 306 (First series), 306 (Airwalker died sometime prior to his first appearance on earth)
Ressurected in: (robot form) Thor # 305 (first series), (robot form again) Silver Surfer # 73
Origin: Thor # 306

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA

Real Name: Gabriel Lan
Occupation: Former Starship captain, former herald of Galactus
Identity: Unknown to general populace of Earth
Legal Status: Citizen of Xandar
Former aliases: Nova Centurion
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 210 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: White
Place of Birth: Xandar, planet in the Tranta system, Andromeda Galaxy
Place of death: Interstellar space between Sekar and Janstak systems, Milky Way Galaxy Group
Affiliation: Former member of the Nova Corps
Powers: The original Air-Walker possessed the vast power cosmic that Galactus granted to all of his heralds upon their initiation (see Firelord, Morg, Nova, Silver Surfer,Terrax). His body resructured to be a living battery for cosmic energy, the Air-Walker could utilize cosmic power for a variety of effects: heat, concussive force, magnetism, electricity, ect. Unlike most of the other heralds, the Air-Walker utilized his cosmic energy without an accompanying visible manifestation (such as Firelord's "cosmic flame"). The Air-Walker could also use his energy to rearrange molecules, although he never became adept at it as did the Silver Surfer. The cosmic energy augmented his strength, endurance, and durability. At maximum exertion, the Air-Walker could match the strength of the Thing. He could use his cosmic powers to peak capacity for several Earth-months without resting before fatigue or the need to dream would begin to impair his functions. His skin was treated to be immune to virtually all the conventional rigors of space. It took a force greater than the cosmic force invested in him by Galactus to kill him. The Air-Walker did not need to eat or breathe since he absorbed life-maintaining cosmic energy through his cells.

The Air-Walker could fly through space at hyper-light velocities. While moving through planetary atmospheres, he would curtail his speed so as not to cause catastrophic side effects. The Air-Walker did not employ such conveyances as the Silver Surfer's Surfboard or Firelord's batton in order to travel; he apparently traveled and navigated by his own power.

PARAPHERNALIA

HISTORY

Gabriel Lan was the captain of the Xandarian explorer-ship Way-Opener, whose mission was to seek out and establish peaceful relationships with neighboring alien civilizations. Lan had previously distinguished himself in Xandar's military, The Nova Corps, and welcomed his appointment to an explorer-ship since he was filled with wanderlust and love of open space. Returning from his seven year tour of duty, Lan neared his home solar system when a spherical craft of an unidentified nature approached. A teleport-beam took Lan from the bridge of the Way-Opener and brought him aboard the spherical ship into the presence of the world-devourer Galactus. Galactus announced that he was looking for a new herald to replace the defected Silver Surfer, and having scanned Lan's mind, deemed him an appropriate candidate. Hearing Galactus's offer of vast power and unlimited travel, Lan readily accepted and was transformed by a tiny fraction of Galactus's cosmic might into the Air-Walker, second of Galactus's great heralds.

Voluntarily putting all thought of his former life behind, the Air-Walker served Galactus faithfully for years, seeking out new worlds to suit his master's appetites. He came to befriend Galactus, and would pass long hours listening to Galactus's tales of the wonders and mysteries of the universe. One day after he had found a new world for Galactus to drain and was returning to Galactus's ship to tell him of it, the Air-Walker saw a fleet of warships in battle formation approaching. The ships contained members of the Ovoids, a highly advanced civilization, who feared Galactus's presence so close to their star system. The Air-Walker launched an attack on the Ovoid fleet and was struck down by Ovoidian weaponry designed to slay Galactus himself! Because Galactus was weak from hunger, he was unable to retaliate with full force and decided to retreat from that space sector. His power still at a low ebb, Galactus could not afford to give up any of his personal energy to resuscitate the dying spark of life in his faithful servant. However, once he had renewed himself, Galactus transferred the consciousness of the herald who laid down his life for him to a perfect robotic replica. Still, there was something intangible missing from the replica, a vitality, a passion for the mysteries of space that Galactus had liked in the original Air-Walker. Therefore, Galactus determined to dispatch the Air-Walker robot to Earth to reenlist his original herald, the Silver Surfer. The Surfer declined Galactus's invitation, however, and in battle with his new messenger, destroyed the Air-Walker robot. Galactus grimly abandoned both the Surfer and the defective Air-Walker robot.

The Air-Walker robot was taken into custody by the robots of the Machinesmith, who sought to repair the robot but could not understand his alien circuitry. The Machinesmith did manage to accidentally activate the Air-Walker's self-repair functions, however, and after several months, the Air-Walker regained its artificial consciousness. Seeking a rematch with The Silver Surfer, the Air-Walker instead attracted the attention of the thunder god Thor. Thor damaged the robot in battle, apparently destroying its self-repair circuitry. The Air-Walker's remains were taken into custody by Galactus's third herald, Firelord, a colleague and friend of Gabriel Lan, the original Air-Walker. Firelord buried the robot's remains on an asteroid in the Tranta system near Xandar, with a cosmic flame marking his grave.