Galactus was once feared as the embodiment of the inevitable end of the universe. Comics change, heroes appear and disappear, redefine themselves, but somewhere in the long history of Marvel, the Devourer of Worlds ceased to be a cosmic force and became a prop.
Galactus, who was once a titan and could scare even the gods, is now largely utilized to promote whoever Marvel wants to feature that month. This decline isn’t subtle. It is loud, conspicuous, and very disappointing for long-term fans who have been brought up to believe that Galactus was the final word in cosmic power. And now, with ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ reminding us of how frightening Galactus can be, Marvel has a real chance to put that fear back into the comics.
Galactus Was Once Marvel’s Most Scary Presence
There was a time when the mere sight of Galactus falling to Earth could send the bravest heroes shuddering. His first appearance in Fantastic Four #48-50 was not merely a plot; it was an eye-opener. The readers had never encountered a villain who ate planets like morsels and heroes like dust particles. He did not shout, intimidate, or talk. He arrived with one goal, and that alone was terrifying.
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Galactus worked because he was not evil. He didn’t hate humanity. He didn’t hunger out of spite. His appetite was a universal constant, just like gravity. You cannot bargain with the sea; you cannot argue with a star. This is what made him memorable. He was the antagonist who made Reed Richards, a genius, turn to the impossibilities, such as the Ultimate Nullifier, the nearest thing that Marvel has to a divine panic button.
He was, in all respects, the cosmic ceiling of Marvel. However, decades later, that ceiling broke. Then collapsed entirely. Now, Galactus isn’t a god. He’s a test dummy. When Marvel has to introduce a character that has to appear strong, powerful, or world-ending, there is always a formula: They beat Galactus. From Franklin Richards casually overshadowing him, to Thor sucking him like a cosmic battery, to Thanos chopping his head off in side stories, Galactus has become Marvel’s favorite stepping stool.
And each time it occurs, his presence becomes a little smaller. He is no longer the terror. He is the benchmark. That is not merely a downgrade; it is a tragedy. Since Galactus was never intended to be compared, he was meant to be feared.
Marvel Needs To Reconstruct Galactus As A Whole And Now Is The Perfect Time
If Marvel wants to put the Devourer of Worlds back to his proper place, the answer is not that difficult: he has to be made scary once again. Not just powerful, but terrifying. The difference matters. Galactus must not merely pick up heavier planets or shoot bigger beams. Instead, he should return to the emotional experience he once created, the sense of staring into the void and realizing the void is hungry.
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Marvel has been teasing cosmic horror, over and over again, Knull, Chthon, the Black Winter, the Cancerverse, but the irony is breathtaking: they have made everything into cosmic horror, except the one character who should be cosmic horror. Imagine a Galactus who distorts the mind just by existing, or is not a villain, but a universal necessity like death.
This isn’t just fan-service. It’s character repair. And there was never a better time. As the Eighth Cosmos approaches the narrative conclusion and the Ninth Cosmos is about to be born, Marvel has a golden chance to redefine Galactus on a new level. Perfect resets are rebirth stories. The next universe could shed decades of power inflation and give Galactus a new visual language.
