The Mad Titan Galactus are two of Marvel's most powerful and most feared villains, but that doesn't mean they consider each other allies. In fact, the two cosmic powerhouses have a long history of clashing with each other, leading to Galactus insulting the Infinity Gauntlet's former owner.
In Ryan North, Erica Henderson, Chris Giarrusso, Rico Renzi and Clayton Cowles' Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #4, the titular hero meets the World-Eater. Due to her uniquely chipper attitude, Doreen Green is the first person to ever greet Galactus as an equal, rather than a terrifying god of destruction, piquing his interest
The two have a short discussion in which Squirrel Girl mentions that she once beat Thanos in a fight, with Galactus replying, "Thanos is a fool." The insult showcases how Galactus sees his fellow villain, but it's also a subtle dig at one of the biggest retcons in Thanos' long history.
2002's Infinity Abyss tried to erase Thanos' biggest losses from Marvel continuity, but Squirrel Girl gets the last laugh.
After 33 Years, I FINALLY Understand How the Infinity Gauntlet Makes the Stones More Powerful (Thanks, Thanos!)
The Infinity Stones are omnipotent, so why does Thanos always insist on trying to embed them in his Gauntlet? The Mad Titan finally explains.
Galactus Has Every Reason to Hate Thanos
Thanos Is One of the Few to Beat Galactus (& He Did It Easily)
Galactus is one of the fundamental forces of the Marvel Universe, and yet he's been humbled by Thanos in the past. When Thanos claimed the Infinity Stones in 1991's The Infinity Gauntlet, Galactus and several other cosmic beings attempted to stop him. Sadly, their barrage of energy wasn't enough, and Thanos imprisoned them floating above his throne, showcasing his new level of power. Galactus did manage to get revenge in Thanos: Epiphany, where he utterly destroyed Thanos in battle once the Mad Titan no longer had the Infinity Stones at his disposal.
It's therefore no surprise that Galactus dislikes Thanos - indeed, when Squirrel Girl tells him about beating the Mad Titan, he laughs and exclaims "What a tool" - but his choice of the word "fool" is still interesting. Thanos has had some major successes over Marvel history, but he's also suffered some major defeats. Thanos' plans have gotten ahead of him many times, leading to him damaging the fabric of reality and even confronting a future version of himself who, despite killing all other life, filled him with shame.
Galactus' personable discussion with Squirrel Girl isn't actually out of character - there are just very few mortals he's willing to engage with. Marvel hero Quasar maintains a friendly relationship with Galactus, describing him in 2019's Guardians of the Galaxy Annual as "just this guy, you know?"
Reed Richards Stealing Galactus' Powers Finally Revealed How to Beat the World-Eater Forever in a Wild Transformation
Reed Richards finds a perfect - but dangerous - strategy to take down Galactus for good, and it involves taking his cosmic powers for himself.
Thanos' longtime nemesis Adam Warlock would likely agree with Galactus' assessment of the Mad Titan, having argued in the past that Thanos subconsciously believes himself unworthy of victory and always provides his enemies the tools they need to defeat him because of it. And while Thanos' obsession with Death is imposing to mortals, more long-lived beings see it as pathetic, with Thanos' grandfather Uranos criticizing him for "that strange schoolboy crush on your cosmic betters."
While Marvel fans are used to seeing Thanos portrayed as a terrifying force of nature, it's interesting to see someone like Galactus treat him with disdain. For all his genius and power, Thanos has achieved none of the goals that truly matter to him, and he's often defeated due to his own oversights - for example, transcending his physical form in Infinity Gauntlet and thus leaving the Stones unprotected. This insult is also more loaded than it seems thanks to the actual context of Squirrel Girl beating Thanos.
Galactus' Insult Is a Sly Nod to a Huge Thanos Retcon
Thanos' Creator Erased His Biggest Defeats from Canon
Following Infinity Gauntlet, the late '90s weren't kind to Thanos, with some major losses to Thor, the Avengers, and even Marvel's Tarzan-alike character Ka-Zar. These stories were told by creators other than Thanos' creator Jim Starlin, and when Starlin returned to Thanos in 2002's Infinity Abyss, he 'fixed' the losses his character has accrued. The story reveals that Thanos cloned himself multiple times, creating the 'Thanosi' - less powerful versions of the Mad Titans who it's 'revealed' were the actual beings defeated by the Avengers and Ka-Zar.
Fast-forward to 2005's GLX-Mas Special (Dan Slott and Ty Templeton), and the issue includes a gag where the narrative cuts to Squirrel Girl, who has just taken down Thanos and "saved the entire multiverse." The story even has the Watcher present, who explicitly confirms Squirrel Girl beat "the one, true Thanos, and not a robot, clone or simulacrum." The joke is a nod to the Thanosi, and Starlin's attempt to erase Thanos' past defeats.
2015's Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #4 can therefore be seen as rubbing salt in the wound, by once again ratifying the fact that Squirrel Girl beat Thanos, and even having Galactus throw shade at the Mad Titan, branding him a "fool." While Unbeatable Squirrel Girl is definitely a comic that made fun its main focus, it was also an opportunity to show Galactus' casual opinion of Thanos and confirm that despite their history of cosmic villainy, there's absolutely no love lost between them.
Hailing from the planet Titan, Thanos is a primary antagonist throughout the canon of Marvel Comics. First appearing in The Invincible Iron Man, Thanos is a powerful and calculating warlord primarily concerned with earning the affection of Death herself. In many of his tales, Thanos seeks to gather the six infinity stones in order to lay waste to half of all life in the universe.
