History

The bow once belonged to it's namesake holder, Gabriel-Lan of Xandar. With a single bolt fired into a planets core the bow and it's user could unleash a kind of terraforming wave known as the Dark Tide. Which would transform and enrich the various attributes of the world into hyper-nutrition for when Air-Walkers master Galactus would make his entrance to consume it. At an unknown date the Bow disappeared from local view, until it fell into the hands of Emperor Attican. Whom, after a mere seven years, went to work using the device to expand his interstellar empire. Having used to Bow to alternate and transform billions to trillions into loyal followers who now serve willingly under his banner.

Creators

The artifact was created by writer Derek Landy and penciler Carlos Magno.

Function

The bow harnesses the ambien cosmic energies of the universe in order to fabricate arrows which geophysically change both inhabited worlds and the thriving racial forms which evolve on it. Changing the planetary substance and minerals into flavorful elements which accentuates Galactus's pallet, as well as psychophysiologically alters the planets various species in a way that makes them docile or veracious as dependent on the user of the Bow's desires.

Either transforming a peaceful planet of farmers, traders and cattle herders into docile sheep themselves whom do nothing to resist the world eater feeds upon them. Or into hideous monstrosities with new mutagenic abilities and mined slaved loyalties for better serving under their new master.

Gabriel's bow never misses it's mark and it's bolts fly faster & faster the further along a line of targeting it travels. It's arrows are made of a rare xenomineral called Onducium, a form of programmable metallic matter which can be input with the various marker statistics of their intended aim. That being biological information, coordinates and operational directives. Once fired into a planets core, the Dark Tide immediately goes to work by reshaping everything on the planet; from its atmosphere, soil, architecture and adjacent life forms to whatever it's handler wishes them to become.