Korg was one of the Kronans who were repelled by Thor when the Kronans attempted to invade Earth. Upon fighting Thor, the Kronans assumed that the god was merely an average being of the planet and fled. Sometime during his travels, Korg and his brother Margus were captured by the Sakaar Empire and implanted with obedience slugs to ensure their loyalty. Korg was one of the survivors of the Maw Gladiator Training School, and was paired with the Hulk and several others in a gladiator team. In their first battle, the Hulk forced Korg to kill Margus, who had been driven insane. Korg was anguished, but got over his brother's death and eventually developed a friendship with the Hulk. Korg was freed by the Silver Surfer after fighting in the Imperial Arena in a bid for the Emperor's favor.