Even in a world populated by superheroes and literal gods, Fantastic Four manage to beat him back when his attentions turned to Earth? With the appearance of the World Eater in Marvel's recent teaser trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the big G's history is more important to Marvel fans than ever.

Galactus stomped onto the scene in 1966's Fantastic Four #48, from Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, with the remit of representing a new kind of villain. Rather than being a despot like Doctor Doom or an evil genius like the Mad Thinker, Galactus was a godlike entity unmoved by human morality. Galactus must absorb the energy from populated worlds, swatting aside any resistance to ensure his own survival.

Due to their close-knit hip and small team roster, the Fantastic Four don't generally pack the same punch as the X-Men or Avengers. What they do have going for them is Reed Richards' genius intellect, with Mister Fantastic able to create unique gadgets and weapons for any possible situation. Surprisingly, however, it wasn't brains or brawn that took out Galactus. Instead, it was their ability to welcome people into their family.

How the Fantastic Four Beat Galactus

The Story Was a New Direction for Superheroes at the Time

The Fantastic Four first learn about Galactus from their old ally the Watcher - a near omnipotent being who observes everything but has taken a vow never to interfere. The Watcher breaks that vow in Fantastic Four #48, using advanced technology to try and hide Earth from the Silver Surfer - the incredibly powerful 'herald' who searches out targets for Galactus, allowing his master to conserve energy.

The FF do everything they can to defeat Galactus in Fantastic Four #49, but the villain all but ignores the Thing's strength and the Human Torch's fire. Eventually, by working together, the FF manage to irritate Galactus enough to get his attention, only for him to release a robot called a Punisher (no relation to the gun-toting vigilante Frank Castle) to fight them off. The tide only turns due to two events. First, the Watcher enhances Human Torch's powers and guides him to a mysterious device aboard Galactus' ship. Meanwhile, the Silver Surfer - injured in battle against the Fantastic Four - meets family friend Alicia Masters and is persuaded that humanity deserves to survive.

While the Surfer can't defeat Galactus, his attack does give Human Torch enough time to return, arming Reed Richards with 'the Ultimate Nullifier' in Fantastic Four #50. The device remains the most powerful weapon in Marvel lore, and can instantly destroy the universe when activated, limited in scope only by the iron will of its . Under threat of total destruction, Galactus solemnly vows to spare Earth and never return, prompting Reed to hand over the weapon.

Marvel's Galactus Trilogy Had a Major Impact

Fans and Superheroes Were Never the Same

Galactus' arrival on Earth had several immediate consequences in Marvel lore - to punish Silver Surfer for turning against him, Galactus exiled him to Earth, trapping him on a single planet. The Thing was also thrown into misery and turmoil, believing that Alicia Masters' connection with the Silver Surfer had destroyed their own chances of romance. And of course the Watcher had shockingly broken his vow, taking a direct hand in the actions of mortals, and setting him at odds with the rest of his species.

While it's a short story by today's standards, 'The Galactus Trilogy' was meant to feel like a weighty epic - one in which the heroes face a villain they literally cannot defeat and manage to survive by establishing a stalemate. The story achieved its goal, and ushered in a new type of all-powerful villain to superhero fiction. It's also a story that uniquely suits the Fantastic Four - a committed family who manage to turn away a hungry god because of the bonds they're able to forge with crucial allies.

How Will the MCU Adapt Galactus' Defeat?

The Ending Stalemate Wasn't Made for the Big Screen, But Maybe That's a Good Thing

In the decades since, the lore around Galactus, the Silver Surfer and the Ultimate Nullifier has grown, but the Devourer of Worlds remains defined by his first, definitive story - a villain who is too powerful to be beaten, establishing a clear line beyond which superhuman powers aren't enough to forcibly win the day.

It will be interesting to see how the MCU adapts this story, and which elements of the comic it retains. By Fantastic Four #48, fans were used to seeing the Fantastic Four win the day month after month, so their stalemate with Galactus offered something truly different, both to the 'First Family' and to superhero comics in general. The story is relatively sobering in how clearly it communicates that Galactus is a force that can't be removed from the galaxy, even by the best-meaning heroes.

That message would be surprisingly heavy for the team's MCU debut, especially in a movie genre that is known more for its slugfest endings than for weighty cosmic stalemates where the villain bitterly walks away. The 1960s setting may help set up this kind of conclusion, but fans will only really find out how the MCU plans to handle Galactus when The Fantastic Four: First Steps hits the big screen on July 25, 2025.