Warning! Spoilers for Thor #6 and Fantastic Four: Antithesis below
One of Marvel’s most powerful villains, Galactus, has fallen – for the second time in recent weeks. In Fantastic Four: Antithesis, the issue ends with a shocking moment where Silver Surfer crashes to Earth and reveals Galactus is dead. This comes just a few weeks after Galactus was also killed in main Marvel continuity in Thor.
Galactus first appeared in the iconic “The Coming of Galactus” in Fantastic Four #48 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The massive cosmic being feeds on planets to sustain his hunger and has previously used Silver Surfer as his Herald to find planets to feast upon. With the Power Cosmic at his disposal, Galactus is not only one of the biggest Marvel villains, but he’s one of the strongest. However, in recent Marvel stories, Galactus has met his end not just once, but twice.
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In last week’s Thor #6 by Donny Cates and Nic Klein, Thor rebelled fully against Galactus and killed the massive cosmic entity with a powerful blast. The God of Thunder redirected his energy to also take down the Black Winter. In that case, Galactus’ death took place in the main Marvel Comics continuity. However, in the brand new out of continuity story Fantastic Four: Antithesis by Mark Waid and Neal Adams, Galactus is also said to be dead. The book ends with Silver Surfer slamming down to Earth and tells the Fantastic Four that he came “for help…” and that “it did this to… me.” When asked why Galactus couldn’t help him, Silver Surfer dramatically responds “Galactus is DEAD!”
While it’s hardly surprising anymore to see a villain – even as strong as Galactus – perish in the pages of Marvel Comics, the timing is bizarrely fitting. Both Thor and Fantastic Four: Antithesis take place in two different universes, as the latter isn’t based in current continuity. Yet, within a week from each other, both issues decided to kill Galactus off. It’s quite a coincidence.
Besides continuity, there is a major difference between Galactus’ deaths that are worth pointing out. While we see the cosmic giants’ death in Thor, readers are left to trust Silver Surfer’s declaration. Its possible Surfer is telling the truth, but it’s also not farfetched that he might have been tricked or is bending the truth. The final panel doesn’t explain the reason for Galactus falling but it’s clear that in Fantastic Four: Antithesis, something bad (or possibly worse) is coming. If something or someone can kill Galactus, that’s bad news for everyone Earth.
