You’d expect Galactus to hang out with the Fantastic Four the most, but he has a long history with Thor.
Thor #160 (1969)
by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
I am kind of disappointed that the title is “And now, Galactus!” instead of “SUDDEN GALACTUS!”.
This is a VERY long and VERILY complicated storyline, so I will necessarily need to focus on the Galactus stuff.
Thor is hanging around the alien Tana Nile, who brings him into contact with Galactus.
For the first time, we meet a survivor of a planet that Galactus has eaten.
Planets eaten by Galactus: 2
We also see the results of Galactus’s actions, and it’s not pretty.
I mean, it’s a GORGEOUS Jack Kirby page, but you know.
Galactus is around looking for… something. We don’t learn what it is for a bit, but it’s not his next meal.
It’s a pity that Kirby doesn’t give him his amazing square pupils from the original trilogy, but at least he’s not giving him human eyes.
Whatever Galactus was looking for, it’s attacking him now.
And he decides to investigate in his adorable tiny ship! I mean, it’s huge for humans, but that can’t be comfortable for Galactus.
And now we learn what Galactus was looking for: a terrible Kirby collage of Ego, the Living Planet.
Ego collages are nothing new to Kirby: this was his first splash page, back in issue 132.
It’s just as terrible.
Well… actually, let me rephrase that.
As far as Kirby collages go, they are both kind of neat.
So why do I complain? Because IT’S JACK KIRBY: getting a bit ahead, just look at the NEXT splash page he gives to Ego!!!
Can you SERIOUSLY tell me that the collages are BETTER than what Kirby could draw!?!?
These collages are a terrible waste of Kirby’s unparalleled artwork.
They are BENEATH HIM, they make the comic look unprofessional, they clash with the rest of the artwork, and if Kirby wasn’t considered untouchable they would be rightfully mocked.
The Rigellians (Tana Nile’s people) have decided that Galactus is such a threat that they need to send Thor to deal with him, together with the always amazing Recorder robot.
We also meet the Wanderers, originally called the Archeopians: survivors of the FIRST planet Galactus has ever eaten.
They certainly are a resourceful bunch: according to several later stories, Galactus has been eating planets for SEVERAL BILLION YEARS.
Planets eaten by Galactus: 3
I suppose it was inevitable that the guy who eats planets would some day meet the living planet.
And Ego is QUITE the powerhouse: the battle ends up destroying a nearby… planet? moon?… and stranding Thor in space.
Thor #161 (1969)
by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
Of all the ways this battle could have played out, a staring contest wasn’t my first guess.
Thor is saved by the Wanderers from another totally necessary collage.
The battle continues. Up to this point we didn’t know all that much about Galactus, so the idea that Ego could actually defeat him was more than plausible.
Once the battle endangers the Wanderers, Thor decides to intervene with one of his best splash pages EVER.
He gets SO mad, actually, that he even hurts Galactus… just enough to revert to human eyes.
Still… IT’S GALACTUS.
He doesn’t even need pants to defeat Thor.
At least until Thor unleashes the full power of his hammer McGuffin Mjolnir, which for some reason requires a stand built by the Wanderers.
And within an “astro-second”… whatever that means… this is effective enough to DEFEAT GALACTUS.
Future references to this story will justify this moment by saying Galactus was nearly starved to death at this point, but there is no other way to put it: Galactus straight up LOST.
This is such a rare occasion in this era that it warrants its own counter.
Times Galactus has been beaten in a fight: 1
Planets Galactus failed to eat: 4
(I know Ego was later retconned into not being a planet, but he is at this point. And the retcon is dumb so I’m still counting him)
And we get a happy ending: Ego rebuilds its surface to be a paradise for the Wanderers, and will serve as their new home.
Ego will show up again without mention of the Wanderers.
But in 1981, in the MASTERPIECE that is Fantastic Four #235, we learn that Ego just ate them.
Great job, Thor.
Thor #162 (1969)
by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
There’s something funny about the title “Galactus A’Borning!”; somehow I don’t think it fits his Shakespearean speeches.
Odin is keeping an eye on Galactus, who found a different planet to eat.
Planets eaten by Galactus: 4
Odin then proceeds to give Thor a history lesson, showing him the first sighting of Galactus.
This is suitably cosmic and epic… but the idea that Galactus is as powerful as Odin is a bit undercut by the fact that he was soundly defeated by Thor IN THE PREVIOUS ISSUE.
Thor #167 (1969)
by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
Thor is busy with other plots for a while, and we don’t see the Big G until five months later.
Just the time for a cameo and a quick snack.
Planets eaten by Galactus: 5
Thor #168-169 (1969)
by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
And now we have reached the part of the Galactus chronology that I already reviewed.
I’m not going through these again.
But of interest for this retrospective, I am NOT including in the counter the fact that the birth of Galactus could have been prevented by a Watcher.
Because this particular watched is NOT Uatu, who at this point has interfered with Galactus only once.
Times the Watcher has interfered to stop Galactus: 1
Historical significance
#160-162: 4/10
#168-169: 10/10
Other than establishing the Galactus-Ego feud, and the fact that the first world eaten is occasionally namedropped, the first issues are not all that important.
The first version of the origin of Galactus, on the other hand, is still mostly applicable.
Silver Age-ness: 10/10
Peak Marvel Silver Age.
Does it stand the test of time?
#160-162: 10/10
#168-169: 7.5/10
Putting this out first: this part of the run is AWESOME and mandatory reading for any true Marvel fan. However I found the earlier issues to be FAR more focused; there are subplots sure, but Thor tends to stick to one. Later this almost becomes “ADHD: The Series” because the plot simply can’t be bothered to stay in one place long enough before it’s hijacked by something new.
Which, again, is typically something AWESOME, but it is distracting.
I originally gave #168 a 8/10 and #169 a 7/10, so let’s split the difference.
Planets eaten by Galactus: 5
Planets Galactus failed to eat: 4
Times Galactus has been beaten in a fight: 1
Times the Watcher has interfered to stop Galactus: 1
Times Galactus has threatened to eat the Earth: 2
And that was the last Galactus saga with Jack Kirby providing the pencils and, with almost complete certainty, at least 99% of the plot.
It’s not the last time we will see Kirby in the retrospective, as the 1978 special WILL be covered.
But for the most part… we’re done with the GOOD Galactus stories for a while, because the next batches will include several disappointments.