This is a big one: we’re going to have a look at the chronological appearances of everyone’s favorite planet-muncher with a weird hat, Galactus himself.
The cutoff date is 1982, for two reasons: it has personal significance to me, but more importantly it will mark the end of a surprisingly long stretch of embarrassing appearances.
A category that DEFINITELY doesn’t include what is by far his most well-known story: the Galactus Trilogy.
This is going to be a challenge for me: will I manage to find anything new to say about one of the most celebrated trilogies in comic book history?
Fantastic Four #48 (1966)
by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
Well I don’t recall anyone else pointing out the Watcher is wearing weird shoes.
While this is indeed the first chapter of the trilogy, a surprisingly large part of the issue is actually the conclusion of a previous storyline involving the Inhumans.
By its conclusion, the secret city of the Inhumans is isolated from the rest of the world by an indestructiblecitation needed barrier.
Since this separates the Human Torch from his beloved Crystal, it will lead to a subplot about him trying to free her that will last approximately 174 issues.
Okay technically it’s just 11 issues before the barrier is destroyed and 14 before they’re officially back together, but it certainly FELT longer.
But let’s move to the subject of this chronology, where we see someone we should call the Silver Surfer “for want of a better name”.
A necessary tangent here… yeah as you probably suspected, this is going to a LONG review.
The Silver Surfer is explicitly a Jack Kirby creation:
My conception of the Silver Surfer was a human being from space in that particular form. He came in when everybody began surfing—I read about it in the paper. The kids in California were beginning to surf. I couldn’t do an ordinary teenager surfing so I drew a surfboard with a man from outer space on it.
JACK KIRBY
Kirby has similar claims about Galactus that I will examine later, and I find that he’s stretching things a bit with those… but when it comes to Silver Surfer, Stan Lee had no trouble admitting Kirby just added him to the story.
Jack spent the next few weeks drawing the first 20-page installment. When he brought it to me so that I could add the dialogue and the captions, I was surprised to find a brand-new character floating around the artwork — a silver-skinned, smooth-domed, sky-riding surfer atop a speedy flying surfboard. When I asked ‘ol Jackson who he was, Jack replied something to the effect that a supremely powerful gent like Galactus, a godlike giant who roamed the galaxies, would surely require the services of a herald who could serve him as an advance guard.
I liked the idea. More than that, I was wild about the new character.
STAN LEE
Silver Surfer’s design is so brilliantly simple that there are only two variations when it comes to the way he’s drawn: whether he has pants (I’m serious) and whether his surfboard has a fin.
The fin tends to come and go between artists, even between panels sometimes. I very much prefer the version without the fin… surfing in space is already kind of silly, but somehow the fin makes it TOO silly for me.
Three things of note on the sequence where the Skrulls hurry to hide their planet from Galactus.
First, this is a subtle way to establish what a menace he’s going to be, considering that the Skrulls… who have been one of the FF’s biggest threats so far… are so scared of him.
Second, the dialogue implies that Silver Surfer has been the herald for a looooong time. This will introduce a few hiccups and necessitate some clunky decisions in Surfer’s backstory.
Third, their planet is in “the fifth quadrant” of the Andromeda Galaxy… what does that even mean!?
Planets Galactus failed to eat: 1
The Fantastic Four return to New York City, arriving in 2026 where they witness the consequences of global warming.
Well either that or the sky is on fire, it’s hard to tell.
1960s Susan can get really tiresome reeeeally fast.
Earth-shattering disasters are nothing new to the Marvel Universe, but Kirby masterfully sells the crowd going into panic.
This is even more terrifying in Marvels #3, which gives us the reaction from regular people.
Yeah I’m ALSO going to talk about Marvels in this… I told you to expect a long one.
Something that Marvels skips are the civilians ready to lynch the Human Torch because they think he’s responsible. Talk about dedication!
While the FF rescue him, Silver Surfer spots Earth. Notice the potential first-ever mention of Galactus needing something specific from planets, he can’t eat random ones.
It’s a miracle those two are still married.
After the flames, this time it’s rocks that fill up the sky.
And as blasphemous as that sounds, I vastly prefer the Alex Ross version on Marvels, because compared to the fire I think Kirby undersold the flying rocks.
Neat detail I never noticed: Ross includes the helicopter from the original!
Turns out that the flames and the rocks were summoned by the Watcher and his Matter Mobilizer™.
I believe that’s the same device he uses to get fast food… you better start watching your weight, Watcher.
And the plan completely fails because Silver Surfer is not an idiot.
The Human Torch completely fails to intercept him…
…and Silver Surfer calls Galactus.
He does so with a VERY cool effect that I don’t think it’s ever been replicated, with him or with other heralds.
And that’s the extent of the fight between Silver Surfer and the Fantastic Four within the saga!
Despite the fact that later stories will firmly establish that he’s orders of magnitude more powerful than all of them combined, all it takes is one punch.
Galactus arrives in his characteristic spherical ship.
Too bad that the moment is ruined by Kirby doing one of his collages.
I hate it when he does stuff like this and I simply cannot understand how any Kirby fan can defend this. You mean to tell me that JACK KIRBY couldn’t have drawn a FAR more epic splash page!?
Also, what the heck is that yellow sphere on the top right? Is it the Galactus ship or a random planet?
It doesn’t match the rest of the artwork AT ALL, it’s distracting, it takes me out of the story, and I don’t like it.
And finally, the story ends with Galactus setting foot on the planet for the first time… with his original coloring.
Galactus only has his Christmas Tree colors for the this panel alone: already from the following issue, he’s mercifully in his traditional purple.
Most reprints change the colors for the last page too, and even Marvels #3 doesn’t go as far as using the original colors… but they do keep Galactus sleeveless.
So maybe I was onto something with that global warming joke.
Fantastic Four #49 (1966)
by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
Honestly, even an all-green Galactus would have been better than that original color scheme.
Bizarrely enough, that’s probably the basis of the adaptation done in the 1967 Fantastic Four cartoon.
We begin with Galactus and the Watcher having a little chat, completely ignoring the mortals.
The Watcher might be a bit of a problem if he wanted to stop Galactus, but he’s not going to do anything directly.
You will notice across the reviews that just how big Galactus is will be wildly inconsistent… although there will be an eventual explanation: the longer he goes between meals, the smaller he gets.
Mercifully they didn’t also add that his clothes also shrinks, because I don’t want his skirt to get any shorter than this.
Also, get used to see this pose: after Kirby departs, this panel will get swiped A LOT.
The story implies that Galactus doesn’t typically eat planets with sentient life, or that at the very least it’s been a long time since he’s done it.
The fact that Galactus doesn’t care AT ALL is one of the things that makes him so interesting.
Also, this planet gives us a good glimpse of one of my absolute favorite small details of his design: his eyes.
NOBODY ELSE has eyes like that in comics, Kirby really went out of his way to make him unique.
And speaking of Galactus not caring: he doesn’t have a big opinion of the Fantastic Four.
A sequence I particularly like is the way the Torch attempts to hurt him, followed by a humbling defeat.
Perhaps the least believable point of this epic tale of cosmic proportions is the idea that the Baxter Building has a single bathroom.
The Thing punched Silver Surfer down the Baxter Building in the previous issue, where he just happens to crash into Alicia’s apartment.
Wait, her apartment is right next to the Baxter Building!? That doesn’t track, there are A LOT of stories where it’s explicitly in another part of the city.
But if it actually WAS right next to the Baxter Building, wouldn’t the Thing be worried he just sent him there?
Alicia… your boyfriend is THE THING, how are you surprised that aliens exist!?
It’s abundantly clear that Kirby intended Silver Surfer to have been created by Galactus, whereas Stan Lee will later give him a proper backstory.
There is a debate on which of the two is the better version, but while I do have my issues with the first Silver Surfer series… I’m sorry, but if that was Kirby’s intention it’s infinitely more boring.
Despite what Denzel Washington says in Crimson Tide.
Galactus then builds up a device that will help him digest Earth better, right on top of the Baxter Building.
That was cooler than ANY Kirby montage, wasn’t it?
It’s arguably even better in Marvels #3!
Reed then decides to attack Galactus with the Thing… while ordering Susan to stay behind.
Granted, given the extent of her powers, it’s unlikely she could do anything… but IT’S GALACTUS, it’s not like they can do much better!
But then the Watcher… whose entire deal is that he’s not supposed to interfere… decides to interfere.
Jokes aside, this is a necessary step in the story: since Galactus *spoiler alert* is not going to eat the Earth, we need SOME way to show what would happen if he did.
Courtesy of the Watcher’s Transi-Screen™; for a guy with near-limitless cosmic powers, in this period he sure does use a lot of tech.
And during ALL THAT, the Silver Surfer is still trying to understand how eating works.
Still better at figuring this out than the Beyonder.
Alicia makes her attempt to convince Silver Surfer that eating Earth is kind of a dick move.
This is one of the reasons why I prefer Silver Surfer to have a past, instead of the original idea of him having always been the servant of Galactus.
I find it far more satisfying if Alicia is reminding him of his humanity (or whatever the equivalent word is on Zenn-La) rather than him learning this from scratch.
I mean, in theory it CAN work, but Alicia’s speech was the most basic thing she could’ve said!
Galactus prepares to activate his Energy Converter™, which is basically a giant space blender that will make Earth more easily digestible.
No, I’m being 100% serious, it’s literally what it does.
It’s also one of the coolest pages of Marvels #3.
Thankfully the process doesn’t work, because the Thing and Mister Fantastic damaged the device.
Another scene retold masterfully in Marvels #3, from a civilian perspective.
By contrast, Kirby plays down the moment where Galactus uses his power to avoid crushing the population beneath him…
…while Alex Ross gives us this AMAZING splash page.
That’s not a criticism of Kirby, by the way: in the grand scheme of things, that was a very minor moment… but since Marvels #3 is told from a civilian’s perspective, it makes sense that this would be a much bigger deal.
In parallel, we have what I find to be the weakest part of the original trilogy: the Watcher sending the Human Torch on a quest to find the only thing that can defeat Galactus.
While it IS a cool sequence (as if I needed to say that), it’s kind of detrimental to the story because, thanks to this, the Fantastic Four owe too much of their victory to the help of the Watcher.
First appearance to Galactus’s mothership, and I absolutely love this thing.
It doesn’t get as many appearances as the orb-shaped ship, but this one has an instantly recognizable design.
Understandable that it’s used sparingly, considering it’s supposed to be BIGGER THAN SEVERAL PLANETS.
Kind of hard to find a parking spot.
Back on Earth, Galactus decides that fighting the Fantastic Four is beneath him… so he unleashes his other employee: the Punisher.
The Punisher is very easily the most forgotten part of the trilogy… this robot shows up for one fight and just leaves. He’s also surprisingly underutilized in the following years.
And we close with Silver Surfer deciding he’s going to rebel against Galactus.
After breakfast and a single conversation, I remind you.
Fantastic Four #50 (1966)
by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
Ah yes, the one thing readers craved the most: the Human Torch going to college!
We begin with Galactus, now finally wearing some pants, facing Silver Surfer.
Even the Fantastic Four are little more than spectators in THE MOST EPIC FIGHT EVER…
…as they are in Marvels #3, which somehow manages to make even Silver Surfer look realistic, without losing the epicness of the Kirby panels!
Despite the spectacle, all Silver Surfer can do is just delay Galactus.
There is also some discussion on a point that will be greatly elaborated in later years: is Galactus truly “above good and evil” as the Watcher says?
Thanks to Silver Surfer buying him time, the Human Torch is able to retrieve what the Watcher sent him to reclaim…
…the Ultimate Nullifier, something that even Galactus is afraid of.
And he’s not wrong: while this might sound like classic Silver Age hyperbole, the Ultimate Nullifier really is THAT destructive.
This is also why I find the Watcher’s involvement to be the weakest part of the trilogy: for all the in-universe hype the Fantastic Four will receive for defeating Galactus… the Watcher just handed them an instant win condition.
It will take a few years before Galactus gets a proper origin. Given the Watcher’s words here, it is implied that he was initially considered to come from a race of similarly powerful beings.
Another point of interest is that, while the Earth is saved, Galactus is not exactly defeated.
He just decides he couldn’t bother to keep fighting.
Despite claiming to be without emotion, exiling Silver Surfer to Earth in retaliation for his betrayal sure sounds like petty revenge.
And just like that, Galactus decides to leave.
Planets Galactus failed to eat: 2
Marvels #3 shows just how baffling this must’ve been for civilians.
Some cleanup from the events: the Thing is now jealous of Alicia’s attentions for the Silver Surfer.
Dude, he looks like his entire body is as smooth as his head, you’re fine.
And in classic Marvel style, the heroes are not even praised for saving the world.
This is given some prominence in Marvels #3.
The text of the article is not easily readable. But thankfully, in Marvels Annotated, Alex Ross gives us a bit of a background.
This plot point is given even more attention in the Marvels audio drama, which I cannot recommend enough (I have, no joke, listened to this at the very least six times).
The very first episode is quite faithful to Marvels #3, and it truly sells she sheer terror the event would realistically cause.
From the second episode it has a completely different plot, where the world is lead to truly believe that Galactus was just a hoax.
Seriously, this is a masterpiece on part with Marvels itself.
I would have gone with a different approach.
The rest of the issue covers the Richards being a less-than-stellar couple, the Thing being slightly more depressed than usual, and the Human Torch going to college (as well as meeting new supporting character Wyatt Wingfoot).
While it IS weird to end the trilogy on more mundane scenes, it’s a good contrast that successfully grounds the characters.
Before wrapping this up, we do have some quotes from both creators about Big G himself.
From a 1987 interview:
My inspirations were the fact that I had to make sales and come up with characters that were no longer stereotypes. In other words, I couldn’t depend on gangsters. I had to get something new. For some reason, I went to the Bible, and I came up with Galactus. And there I was in front of this tremendous figure, who I knew very well because I’ve always felt him. I certainly couldn’t treat him in the same way I could any ordinary mortal. And I remember in my first story, I had to back away from him to resolve that story. The Silver Surfer is, of course, the fallen angel. When Galactus relegated him to Earth, he stayed on Earth, and that was the beginning of his adventures. They were figures that had never been used before in comics. They were above mythic figures. And of course they were the first gods.
JACK KIRBY
Stan Lee would elaborate in 1993:
We felt the only way to top ourselves was to come up with an evil-doer who had almost godlike powers. Therefore, the natural choice was sort of a demi-god, but now what would we do with him? We didn’t want to use the tired old cliche about him wanting to conquer the world. There were enough would-be world conquerors in the Marvel Universe and in all the other comic book galaxies. That was when inspiration struck. Why not have him not be a really evil person? After all, a demi-god should be beyond mere good and evil. He’d just be (don’t laugh!) hungry. And the nourishment he’d require is the life force and energy from living planets!
STAN LEE
Historical significance: 10/10
As mentioned, it is the introduction of Wyatt Wingfoot. Nothing much else of relevance happens.
Silver Age-ness: 6/10
One of the quintessential Marvel stories of the Silver Age, but all things considered relatively tame. On the DC scale this would be nothing.
Does it stand the test of time? 9/10
Perhaps a heresy to give this anything less than a 10/10, but let me remind you that this is not a quality score. Needless to say, this is A MASTERPIECE and it’s deservedly considered the peak of the Lee & Kirby era… but you can’t do 100% of the story today without adjusting some things.
Not in terms of Galactus lore; aside from some weirdness related to Silver Surfer, to this day it’s still consistent with what has been added over the decades.
But as I mentioned, I do have my problems with the Watcher’s involvement. I’m perfectly fine with him warning the Fantastic Four, but handing over the Ultimate Nullifier is too much.
At least in this version, because they don’t exactly earn it: all was needed was someone being really good at flying, and that’s it. Had there been SOME kind of test of character… you know, “this shows your species is advanced enough” sort of thing… I would have been fine with it.
Because let’s be clear about this: for all the praise the Fantastic Four and Silver Surfer will get for preventing a tragedy, there is no doubt that without the Watcher the Earth would have been eaten.
The Watcher will eventually face SOME consequences for one his most blatant failures of upholding his oath of non-interference, but in the long run it won’t matter.
Today you would also need to approach Susan differently. Not just to avoid or tone down a couple of sexist remarks, but to give her SOMETHING to do!
Honestly, aside from being worried and using her force field ONCE to protect the others from the Punisher… does Susan actually DO anything in the trilogy!?
That being said… while there are other candidates for the best Fantastic Four sagas in the Lee & Kirby run, the fame of the Galactus Trilogy is still well deserved.
Planets Galactus failed to eat: 2
Times Galactus has threatened to eat the Earth: 1
Times the Watcher has interfered to stop Galactus: 1
The saga was popular enough to lead to other appearances of Silver Surfer on the book, but Galactus was used more sparingly… reportedly Jack Kirby didn’t want to use him again, and it’s possible Stan Lee was of a similar idea. But the fans demanded more appearances, which I’ll start to analyze next time.