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Galactus
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Creation & Design

Galactus was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, first appearing in 'Fantastic Four #48'. He was designed as a cosmic entity representing hunger and the balance of the universe.

Early Years

Initially introduced as a formidable foe for the Fantastic Four, Galactus quickly became a central figure in the Marvel Universe, embodying the concept of a cosmic force that must consume planets to sustain his existence.

Character Development

Over the years, Galactus has evolved from a simple villain to a complex character with a rich backstory, often portrayed as a tragic figure bound by his need to consume worlds for survival.

Cultural Reception

Galactus has been well-received as one of Marvel's most iconic villains, often regarded as a symbol of cosmic horror and existential dread.

Character Details

Real Name:
Galactus
Aliases:
The Devourer of Worlds, The Great Destroyer
Species:
Cosmic Entity
Gender:
male
Affiliations:
The Elders of the Universe, The Annihilators
Abilities:
Cosmic Power, Energy Manipulation, Matter Manipulation, Telepathy
Equipment:
The Power Cosmic
Weight:
unknown
Height:
8' 4"
Eye Color:
purple
Hair Color:
none
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Fantastic Four #48

Marvel ⋅ 1966

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Fantastic Four #48
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Silver Surfer

1st cameo appearance of Galactus

[October 2021 - an inside source tells us: currently, the Fantastic Four is heavily a multiverse movie and Silver Surfer is very much at its center]

Fantastic Four #49

Marvel ⋅ 1966

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Fantastic Four #49
 
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1st full appearance of Galactus

1st cover and 2nd appearance of the Silver Surfer

Fantastic Four #50

Marvel ⋅ 1966

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Fantastic Four #50
 
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Iconic cover art by Jack Kirby

Classic battle of Silver Surfer vs Galactus

3rd appearance of Silver Surfer

2nd appearance of Galactus

1st appearance of Wyatt Wingfoot, an ally of the Fantastic Four

Introduction of the Ultimate Nullifier, a weapon created by the Watchers

Fantastic Four #75

Marvel ⋅ 1968

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Fantastic Four #75
 
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Classic cover art by Jack Kirby

Thor #160

Marvel ⋅ 1969

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Thor #160
 
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Galactus story - Galactus hunts down Ego the Living Planet

Thor #161

Marvel ⋅ 1969

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Thor #161
 
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Key Facts

Origin of Galactus

Thor #162

Marvel ⋅ 1969

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Thor #162
 
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Origin of Galactus, specifically the first world he devoured after emerging from the incubation ship

Thor #168

Marvel ⋅ 1969

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Thor #168
 
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1st appearance of the Thermal Man

Often cited as the origin of Galactus yet there is very little that is revealed about the villain except to tease the story told in #169

Thor #169

Marvel ⋅ 1969

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Thor #169
 
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Origin of Galactus, specifically when he was Galan of Ta, prior to him becoming Galactus

First mention of the Creeping Plague which would later be developed further as the Black Winter

Fantastic Four #122

Marvel ⋅ 1972

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Fantastic Four #122
 
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Key Facts

Cover art and story featuring Silver Surfer vs Galactus

Fantastic Four #123

Marvel ⋅ 1972

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Fantastic Four #123
 
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Key Facts

Silver Surfer vs Fantastic Four

Marvel's Greatest Comics #36

Marvel ⋅ 1972

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Marvel's Greatest Comics #36
 
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Key Facts

First reprint of Fantastic Four #49, the first full appearance of Galactus

Fantastic Four #175

Marvel ⋅ 1976

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Fantastic Four #175
 
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Key Facts

Battle of Galactus vs the High Evolutionary

Silver Surfer: The Ultimate Cosmic Experience #1

Marvel ⋅ 1978

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Silver Surfer: The Ultimate Cosmic Experience #1
 
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Key Facts

First original graphic novel published by Marvel Comics, co-published by Simon & Schuster imprint, Fireside Books

Final collaboration by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

132-page story that takes place in an alternate reality where the Silver Surfer rebels against Galactus to save the planet from destruction

In 1976, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby were approached by movie producer Lee Kramer to create a comic book that would serve as a pitch story for a rock opera feature film starring Olivia Newton-John and bodybuilder, Frank Zane

Painted cover art by Earl Norem, based on a sketch by Jack Kirby

The only other story that takes place in this alternate reality is the two-issue, 1988 Silver Surfer story titled 'Parable'

Los 4 Fantasticos #27

International ⋅ Mundi Comics ⋅ 1979

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Los 4 Fantasticos #27
 
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Key Facts

Partial reprint of The Fantastic Four #48 and #49 - Introduction of Galactus and the Silver Surfer

Spanish edition

Marvel Treasury Edition #21

Marvel ⋅ 1979

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Marvel Treasury Edition #21
 
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Oversized reprint collecting The Fantastic Four #120-123, a four part story arc that introduced Air-Walker

Epic Illustrated #1

Epic ⋅ 1980

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Epic Illustrated #1
 
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Part one of the 14-chapter 'Metamorphosis Odyssey' storyline that introduced Vanth Dreadstar in Epic Illustrated #3

Story featuring Galactus and Silver Surfer by Stan Lee, John Buscema and Rick Vietch

Fantastic Four #243

Marvel ⋅ 1982

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Fantastic Four #243
 
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Key Facts

Iconic cover art by John Byrne

Super Villain Classics: Galactus The Origin #1

Marvel ⋅ 1983

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Super Villain Classics: Galactus The Origin #1
 
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Key Facts

Origin of Galactus

Reprinted stories of Galactus's origin from various issues

Part of this issue is a retelling of Thor #169 when Galan becomes Galactus as his Universe is being destroyed by a 'plague'

Expanding on the event from Thor #169, the Sentience of the Universe speaks to Galan and absorbs him to be reborn later as Galactus

In Thor #5 (2020), the Black Winter claims to have spared Galan and created Galactus leading readers to believe the Sentience of the Universe, speaking but unseen, is also the Black Winter

Partial reprint of Fantastic Four #49, Thor #160, Thor #162 and Thor #167

Epic Illustrated #26

Epic ⋅ 1984

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Epic Illustrated #26
 
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Key Facts

Features the first chapter of The Last Galactus Story written and illustrated by John Byrne, an unfinished, nine-chapter arc that ended with the cancellation of the publication

Byrne's story was going to end with Galactus removing his armor and releasing the energy he had absorbed back into a dying universe resulting in something similar to a Big Bang, a new beginning

Epic Illustrated #27

Epic ⋅ 1984

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Epic Illustrated #27
 
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1st appearance of the Morrigan, the Celtic goddess of war

Part two of 'The Last Galactus Story' by John Byrne

Silver Surfer: Parable #1

Marvel ⋅ 1988

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Silver Surfer: Parable #1
 
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Key Facts

Two-part limited series titled 'Parable' written by Stan Lee and illustrated by Moebius

Non-continuity story

Silver Surfer: Parable #2

Marvel ⋅ 1989

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Silver Surfer: Parable #2
 
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Part two of a two-part limited series written by Stan Lee and illustrated by Moebius

Donny Cates pays tribute to Stan Lee in Silver Surfer Black #5 by including a phrase that originated in this issue: 'if we turn from battle because there is little hope of victory, where then would valor be?'

Darkseid vs. Galactus: The Hunger

DC/Marvel ⋅ 1995

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Darkseid vs. Galactus: The Hunger
 
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Key Facts

One-shot crossover story - Galactus's search for worlds to devour leads him to Apokolips, the home of Darkseid

Marvel Assistant-Sized Spectacular #2

Marvel ⋅ 2009

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Marvel Assistant-Sized Spectacular #2
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Galacta, daughter of Galactus

Origin of Elsa Bloodstone

Copies ordered by retailers: 7,805

S.H.I.E.L.D. #1

3rd Print ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2010

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S.H.I.E.L.D. #1
 
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Third printing

Mighty Thor #4

Marvel ⋅ 2011

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Mighty Thor #4
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Aala, the wife of Galan of Taa aka Galactus

Hunger #1
Non-Key

1:50 ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2013

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Hunger #1
 
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Variant cover art by Neal Adams

Cataclysm: The Ultimates' Last Stand #3

1:30 ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2014

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Cataclysm: The Ultimates' Last Stand #3
 
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Variant cover art by Mico Suayan

Cataclysm: The Ultimates' Last Stand #5

1:30 ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2014

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Cataclysm: The Ultimates' Last Stand #5
 
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Variant cover art by Jorge Coehlo

Silver Surfer #1

Variant ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2014

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Silver Surfer #1
 
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Variant cover art by Skottie Young

Thor: God of Thunder #24

Marvel ⋅ 2014

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Thor: God of Thunder #24
 
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Key Facts

Galactus becomes Black Galactus (unseen), the Butcher of Worlds after merging with the Necrosword

The story of Galactus merging with the Necrosword continues in Thor #700

Ultimates #1

1:50 ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2016

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Ultimates #1
 
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Variant cover art by Art Adams

Silver Surfer #2

1:25 ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2016

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Silver Surfer #2
 
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Variant cover art by Chip Zdarsky

Ultimates 2 #1

Action Figure ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2017

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Ultimates 2 #1
 
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Wraparound cover art by John Tyler Christopher

Action Figure edition featuring Galactus as the Lifebringer

Ultimates #2

Marvel ⋅ 2017

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Ultimates #2
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Galactus the Lifebringer, gold-armored and opposite in his best known intention as a consumer of worlds

Cover art inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man

Ultimates #2

2nd Print ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2017

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Ultimates #2
 
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Cover art inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man

Second printing, blue title text

Thor #700

Marvel ⋅ 2017

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Thor #700
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Black Galactus, Butcher of Worlds (the aftermath of being stabbed with the Necrosword in Thor: God of Thunder #23)

1st appearance of Throg in the mainstream Marvel Universe

Ego the Living Planet becomes Necroworld

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #25

2nd Print ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2018

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Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #25
 
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Variant second printing cover art by Felipe Smith

There also exists a first printing with a Lenticular cover

Cover art inspired by The Fantastic Four #49 (1966)

Thanos #16

2nd Print ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2018

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Thanos #16
 
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Second printing

True Believers: Fantastic Four - The Coming of Galactus #1

Marvel ⋅ 2018

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True Believers: Fantastic Four - The Coming of Galactus #1
 
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Key Facts

Reprint of Fantastic Four #48, the first appearance of Silver Surfer and cameo of Galactus

Copies ordered by retailers: 25,397 - this is a fairly high quantity for a reprint

Doctor Strange #14
Non-Key

Marvel ⋅ 2019

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Doctor Strange #14
 
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Key Facts

Dormammu becomes the new Herald of Galactus

Galactus bonds with the Mystic Realm of Dormammu

Fantastic Four #9
Non-Key

1:100 ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2019

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Fantastic Four #9
 
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Variant cover art by Joe Quesada

Hidden Gem edition

Silver Surfer: Black #1

Variant ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2019

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Silver Surfer: Black #1
 
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Variant cover art by Will Sliney

Store exclusive limited to 3,000 copies

Silver Surfer: Black #5

1:500 ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2019

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Silver Surfer: Black #5
 
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Variant cover art by Cian Tormey

'Foreshadow' variant

Silver Surfer: Black #4

2nd Print ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2019

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Silver Surfer: Black #4
 
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Variant second printing cover art, interior panel

Thor #1

Marvel ⋅ 2020

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Thor #1
 
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Key Facts

Thor becomes the Herald of Thunder

Thor #2
Non-Key

4th Print ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2020

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Thor #2
 
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Variant fourth printing cover art by Nic Klein

Thor #7
Non-Key

Variant ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2020

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Thor #7
 
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Variant cover art by Skan

Store exclusive

Thor #7
Non-Key

Variant ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2020

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Thor #7
 
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Variant virgin cover art by Skan

Store exclusive

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