One of the most formidable and long-lasting villains in Marvel lore is none other than Galactus. Few characters – let alone villains – in the Marvel Universe could ever hope to reach the same level of power or stature as Galactus, a true feast for the eyes if ever there was one.
When Galactus was first introduced in Marvel, he was presented as an ultimate boss-type character who was almost unbeatable. Even in the decade since debuting on-board, his losses are still few and far between. with that said, Galactus has yet suffered enough defeats to make it clear that he is not as unbeatable as when he was originally conceived.. This list exists to showcase the most infamous defeats of Galactus, who laid the smackdown on Galactus, and how they were able to bring down the beast.
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The Ultimate Nullifier was originally the only known weapon that could kill Galactus
Fantastic fooR #50 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
While the Marvel Universe has since uncovered multiple ways to defeat Galactus, there was once a time when it seemed as if only one weapon in the universe could be powerful enough to devour the Devourer of Worlds. Johnny Storm is able to retrieve the weapon directly from Galactus’ home planet when the fate of Earth hangs in the balance. Reed Richards procedures only threaten Galactus with him, showing readers for the first time that fear is visibly struck in the face of the planet Ether.
The weapon was originally created by the Watcher Emnu and Proved strong enough to destroy not just an entire race, but a part of the universe. In the sheer insinuation that Mister Fantastic would use the nullifier on Galactus, the latter agrees that he will leave the planet Earth alone as long as Reed gives him back his weapon. Both men keep their word.
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King Thor uses Galactus’ cosmic power against him
Thor #6 By Donny Cates, Nic Klein and Matt Wilson
Few things in the universe are more powerful or a greater threat to the universe itself than Galactus is. One of these rare beings is known as Black Winter, a being whose power is so great that it forces an uneasy alliance between King Thor and Galactus to stop him.. In fact, Galactus appoints Thor as his herald for the occasion. In doing so, Galactus gifts the Asgardian king with the power cosmic to make his transformation into a herald of Galactus complete.
However, in what would prove to be Thor’s biggest failure as a king, the God of Thunder decides to kill Galactus before they can defeat Black Winter, Use all the cosmic power that Galactus has gifted him to blast Galactus away. The Power Cosmic is one of the strongest sources of strength in the Marvel Universe, and so for Galactus to be defeated by his own power is quite a cruel fate.
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Galactus is tamed by someone more powerful and becomes his herald
Fantastic practice #604 by Jonathan Hickman, Steve Epting, Paul Mounts and Clayton Cowles
When the Fantastic Four face off against the insane Celestials, they are aided by future versions of their children, Franklin and Valeria, as the fate of the universe hangs in the balance. In the end, it is Franklin Richards who proves to be the decisive factor in a victory for the Fantastic Four and the Future Foundation. However, he does not do it alone. The battle reaches its zenith and dramatic turning point when the grown Franklin uses energy he took from his younger self to wave the phrase, “To me, my Galactus!”
In his future, Franklin is able to tame Galactus and force Galactus to become a herald of Franklin Richards, doing his bidding when called upon. The way timelines and potential timelines work in the Marvel Universe (and even DC) can be hard to decipher, but if the future of the official Earth-616 canon goes anywhere near what’s implied here, Franklin could be Marvel’s most powerful hero. . .
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The Beyonder swats Galactus out of the sky
secret wars #1 by Jim Shooter, Michael Zeck, John Beatty, Christie Scheele and Joe Rosen
In some cases, Galactus has no one to blame but himself for his defeat. Sometimes, it is his own hubris and cockiness that leads to his downfall. This is one such case, as he is forced between the heroes and villains in the original secret war by The Beyonder. Not one to remain idle, Galactus conspires with Doctor Doom to run for the Beyonder first. Both villains are cocky enough to think they can handle this mysterious threat with ease.
That’s when the heroes are shocked to see Galactus and Doctor Doom “Swatted back like flies,” In the words of Captain America. This serves as a way to directly establish how powerful the Beyonder is, as the interaction makes it clear that even the TRF crowd has no chance against him.
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The thing gets slingshotted in the face of Galactus
Fantastic practice #243 by John Byrne, Glynis Wein and Jim Novak
Keep in mind, it takes more than a slingshot to the face to bring down the mighty Galactus. While this is basically the killing blow, in his defense, it takes a long way to get there. When Galactus and his herald, Terrax, target the planet Earth, it takes the combined forces of the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, and nearly every superhero in the New York area to deliver an all-out assault against them.
It is also worth noting that Galactus has grown incredibly weak at this point, having been deprived of food.. Having to fight through his hunger only weakened him further. His own herald, Terrax, attacks him in a bid to break free from the Devourer’s control. While Galactus fights off his treacherous servant, it allows the heroes time to organize another attack. The final blow comes from Reed Richards acting as a slingshot to shove the thing right in Galactus’ face, and down the mighty being.
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Franklin Richards uses a psionic headband to destroy Galactus’ brain
Fantastic Four: Life Story #5 by Mark Russell, Sean Izaakse, Carlos Magno, Nolan Woodward and VC Joe Caramagna
Similar to the more popular Spider-Man: Life Story mini series, Fantastic Four: Life Story Spans several decades and sees the team aging in real-time in an attempt to contextualize the entire history of the Fantastic Four in real life. In this world, it is in the 2000s that the team meets Galactus for the first time after earning the attention of the Devourer back in the ’60s. Reed’s obsession with the inevitable arrival of Galactus ends up costing him his marriage, but thankfully, it’s his son who proves to be a godsend in difficult times.
An adult Franklin Richards is able to defeat Galactus in epic fashion with help from his father. Reed coaxes Galactus with the prospect of becoming his herald, but it’s all part of the plan. When Reed is officially connected to Galactus, Franklin uses his psionic headband to destroy Galactus from the inside, destroying his brain in the process.
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Thanos smashes Galactus between two planets
Thanos #6 by Jim Starlin, Al Milgram, Christie Scheele and Dave Sharpe
It should come as no surprise that two of the most powerful supervillains in Marvel history haven’t traditionally been each other’s biggest fans. In the 2003 series, Thanos makes a deal with the Rigelian people to get rid of Galactus and keep his destruction far away from their planets. More than anything, it seems that Thanos just wants an excuse to clobber GalactusBut at the same time, both become unwilling puppets in a plot of hunger, which enters the Marvel Universe hoping to feed off the power of the Infinity Gems, literally. When Famine tries to devour the Marvel Universe, Galactus and Thanos try to finish their business together.
Thanos is cunning enough to use his own technology to teleport Galactus between two planetsWhich doesn’t kill Galactus, but seriously injures him. Of course, Galactus is humiliated enough to retreat, just before Thanos can finish off Famine and, believe it or not, save the universe.
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Kitty Pryde punches Galactus in the negative zone
Cataclysm: The Last Stand of the Ultimates #5 by Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Bagley, Andrew Hennessy, Jason Keith and Cory Petit
The Cataclysm This event sees Galactus displaced from Earth-616 into the world of the Ultimate Universe (The original Ultimate Universe, not to be confused with the new, rebooted Ultimate Universe that was recently introduced). The series serves as a sequel to the Age of Ultron storyline, where the title character tears a hole through time and space and into the Ultimate Universe. Galactus then goes through the hole and, naturally, anarchy ensues.
The Reed Richards of the world – who would later become better known by the name Maker – decided that the best solution was to send Galactus to the Negative Zone in order to starve him. But to get him there, He uses the Giant-Man serum on Kitty PrydeThe one hero who doesn’t need to worry about being hurt by Galactus thanks to her phasing abilities. Sized up to Galactus’ level, she uses the advantages by absolutely walloping the brute until he can be knocked into the negative zone.
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Galileo, Michelangelo and others build a machine to beat Galactus in Ancient Rome
Shield #1 by Jonathan Hickman, Dustin Weaver and Sonia Oback
In a surprising bit of secret history for the Marvel Universe, Galactus was once brought down by a lot of classical scientists, artists and polymaths of the Renaissance era.. The opening pages are set in Rome 1502, when the organization that would later become SHIELD was simply known as the High Council of SHIELD. The society passed from generation to generation, from Imhotep, to Leonardo da Vinci, to Galileo, to Leonid. The immortal Lord Isaac Newton rules over Shield while mentoring Leonid.
In addition to their significant historical contributions to the science field, these men are cited as the first to ever defeat Galactus when he first came to Earth. They also defeat the Brood and manage to turn away the Celestials. It looks like these people are more important to history than some would conceivably imagine.
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Squirrel Girl beats Galactus with kindness and communication
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #4 by Ryan North and Erica Henderson
One of Galactus’ most surprising defeats comes at the hands of Squirrel Girl, but it’s also one of the few cases where neither party needs to come to blows. This one boils down to a hero and a villain using their words for once. In his last attempt to feed the Earth’s life energy, he is interrupted by Squirrel Girl, who tries to extend an olive branch of sorts. To Galactus’ own surprise, he finds himself liking Squirrel Girl, not only because she is not afraid of him, but because she recalls before, legitimately defeating his former enemy, Thanos.
Squirrel Girl understands that Galactus – in her opinion at least – is not so much a villain as he is someone who does what is in his nature to survive and gain food. She finds him a planet empty of inhabitants, but filled with nuts for Galactus To snack on, allowing him to feed while sparing the ground for once.