Since the dawn of time,Galactushas stalked the cosmos, eating entire planets to sate his endless hunger. As Marvel fans might expect, destroying world after world has had somemajorconsequences for the galaxy, with Galactus' actions both starting and ending some of the Marvel Universe’s biggest conflicts.
Here are the 10 most important planets Galactus ever destroyed in Marvel’s mainstream lore. That’s a considerable title, given that every planet Galactus consumes represents the end of an entire world and its people.
10The Destruction & Rebirth of Archeopia
The First Inhabited World Eaten by Galactus
Galactus was born in the previous cycle of Marvel’s reality, living his life as the scientist Galan of Taa. It was only experiencing the end of his universe that turned Galactus into the cosmic predator fans know, and even then, he began by feeding on uninhabited worlds. Sadly,Galactus' hunger only grew, eventually reaching the point where only living worlds could satisfy it.The very first world that Galactus consumed was Archeopia- the planet that marked his transformation into the greatest killer reality has ever known.
Thankfully, Galactus wasn’t done with Archeopia. When his powers were inverted in Al Ewing and Kenneth Rocafort’sUltimates volume 3,Galactus became the Lifegiver, and his first act was to restore life to Archeopia, making it the site of the character’s two most momentous transformations.
Galactus usually consumes worlds by using complex machinery to break them down into pure energy. This isn’t vital, but allows him to extract the most ‘nutrition.’
9Stopping Ultron on Saiph
The Ultron Virus Would Have Wiped Out Biological Life
Not every planet deserves to live, and after being taken over by Ultron, the planet of Saiph was thankfully destroyed by Galactus. In Gerry Duggan, Mike Deodato Jr., Mike Hawthorne and Aaron Kuder’sInfinity Countdown #4, the villainous Ultron deploys thousands of rockets carrying a custom virus. The Ultron Virus converts biological life to machinery, bringing its victims under Ultron’s control. While Adam Warlock confronted Ultron, he was too late to stop the rockets, and was forced to call on Galactus to destroy the rockets and Saiph itself.
Galactus was in his Lifegiver form when he arrived on Saiph, but destroying a new planet caused his hunger to return, once again turning him into a force of cosmic destruction.It was a vital sacrifice that stopped Ultron claiming the galaxy, but it also changed Galactus forever.
Galactus' attack on the Annihilation Wave showed his full power when he isn’t holding back.
10 Best Galactus Stories in Marvel History, Ranked
Galactus is an iconic Marvel Comics character with deep lore that expands with every single storyline. Here are the 10 best Galactus stories, ranked!
8Consuming the Impossible Planet of Poppup
The Planet That Defeated Galactus
Poppup is one of the strangest planets in Marvel lore - the home of the alien species known as the Poppupians. This species are so evolved that they can essentially rewrite reality, and have bonded together into a single being known as the Impossible Man. The infinite energy stored within Poppup caused Galactus to discorporate, proving that the cosmic godcouldbe hurt, and even defeated.Galactus consuming Poppup revealed the true nature of the Impossible Man, who it’s strongly suggestedalso exists in the DC Universeas Superman’s enemy Mister Mxyzptlk.
7Creating the Galactus Obliteration Perimeter
Galactus' Most Destructive Moment
Still one of Marvel’s most ambitious events,Annihilationwas a series-spanning event which saw the Fantastic Four villainAnnihilus unleash a gigantic insect/alien army. This cosmic plague of locusts razed planet after planet, with major players like Thanos, the Nova Corps, the Kree & Skrull empires, and the Proemial Gods picking sides. The Annihilation Wave was an unfathomably huge army, with Annihilus planning to weaponize Galactus to consolidate his new territory.
However, Marvel’s cosmic heroes were able to free Galactus, who unleashed his destructive power like never before.The resulting ‘Galactus Event’ destroyed three star systems, while also killing off the majority of the Annihilation Wave.It was the pivotal moment of the conflict, saving the galaxy from Annihilus' otherwise inevitable victory. However, it also left a swathe of desolate space now called the Galactus Obliteration Perimeter.
Galactus' Daughter Has the Darkest ‘Healing’ Power in Marvel Lore
Galactus' daughter, Galacta, has her own unique version of a ‘healing factor’ in Marvel Comics, but unlike other Marvel ‘healers’, hers is way darker.
6Consuming Sakaar, aka ‘Planet Hulk’
Hulk’s Son Gets His Monstrous Origin
Sakaar is famous as the planet where Hulk found love, rising from a captured gladiator to the ruler of the planet.Hulk left the planet for revenge after a spacecraftcreated by the Illuminatiseemingly malfunctioned, killing his wife Caiera the Oldstrong and kickstarting a tectonic disaster. However, the saga of Sakaar wasn’t quite done, with Galactus arriving to scavenge the planet.
Via the geological power known as the Oldstrong, Caiera manifested and tried to persuade her son Skaar to evacuate the planet. Sadly, he ignored her, sure that he could destroy Galactus when the cosmic predator came calling. Caiera saved Skaar, sending him to Earth, and was consumed along with the rest of Sakaar. These events acted as Skaar’s tragic origin, and led to Galactus allying with Hulk’s lesser-known son Hiro-Kala.
Galactus took the ultimate revenge on the New Defenders after he discovered their attempt to kill him.
5Obliterating New Korbin
Beta Ray Bill’s People Lost Their Home Again
In Marvel’s long list of most tragic characters, Beta Ray Bill is somewhere near the top. Bill hails from the planet Korbin, where he underwent drastic experiments to help protect the planet from its prophesied destruction. Sadly, he wasn’t able to save the planet, which was destroyed by the fire demon Surtur. Eventually, Bill found his people a home on New Korbin, only for Galactus to obliterate it in his hunger.
The destruction of New Korbin effectively led to the extinction of Bill’s people, turning him back into a wandering hero. The story also showcased the way in whichGalactus appears in different formsto different species, appearing to the Korbinites as their mythological destroyer god Ashta.
4Taking Revenge on Nu-World
Galactus Avenged His Own Murder
Introduced in Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch’sFantastic Four #554, Nu-World is a suitably high-concept world for Marvel’s first family. Nu-World was an artificial planet created by billionaire Ted Castle, who intended to use it to evacuate Earth once its natural resources ran out. Soon after, the Fantastic Four were contacted by the New Defenders - heroes from Earth’s distant future who planned to colonize the present to save the last six billion humans on their doomed world.
The FF used Nu-World as the solution, having the New Defenders' people settle on the artificial planet. Sadly,the only way the New Defenders had been able to travel back through time was by capturing and killing the future Galactus, using his body to power their escape. When the modern-day Galactus found out, he lay waste to Nu-World to punish their affront, choosing to obliterate it rather than absorb its energy.
Silver Surfer discovered five planets which, when consumed together, unlocked Galactus' ultimate form.
The saga introduced several ambitious new characters to Marvel lore, as well as continuing the story of Marvel’sOld Man Logan, with the New Defenders' future being the one rebuilt by Wolverine’s heroism.
The ‘Baby’ Form of Galactus' Species Reveals How Disturbing They Actually Are
Galactus was introduced to Marvel lore as an ineffable god, but his many secrets have only made him more mysterious and fascinating.
3Killing Doom the Living Planet
Galactus Joined the Avengers
Doom the Living Planetis a far-future version of Doctor Doom who has transferred his consciousness into the body of Ego the Living Planet, having first stolen the powers of Marvel’s major heroes. He was a member of the Multiversal Masters of Evil and a key figure in the battle against the multiverse’s assembled Avengers in Jason Aaron and Jim Towe’sAvengers: Forever.
This battle - in which Mephisto and Doom Supreme attempted to seize control of the entire multiverse - is the biggest ever faced by Earth’s Mightiest Heroes: so big, they called in Galactus to help. In a major turning point in the battle,Galactus kills Doom the Living Planet, shifting the balance against the army of Doctor Dooms and in the Avengers' favor.
2Combining Kryo, Vanysh IVII, Sylus, Io-X4 & Clypse
Galactus' Ultimate Power-Up
In Donny Cates and Nic Klein’sThor volume 6,fans met the Black Winter- the being who consumed Galactus' original reality. Against this major threat to reality, Thor was forced to ally with Galactus, but even together, they didn’t possess anything like enough power.Thankfully, the Silver Surfer revealed his secret knowledge of five worlds whose unique energies could give Galactus an unfathomable upgrade in power.
Thor accompanied Galactus to each, helping the sentient inhabitants escape to Asgard, where they were taken in as refugees. However, on the final planet of Kryo, Galactus gave in to his hunger, destroying the world before Thor could evacuate its people. Outraged by Galactus' betrayal and lies about his connection to the Black Winter,Thor caused Galactus to explode, destroying both the World-Eater and the Black Winter.
While Galactus was later resurrected, his consumption of Kryo, Vanysh IVII, Sylus, Io-X4 and Clypsedidallow him to stop the Black Winter from consuming the entire universe - albeit not in the way he’d planned.
Galactus destroying the Skrull throneworld influenced years of Marvel storylines.
Galactus' Most Terrifying Form Is the Body-Horror Nightmare the MCU Needs
This variant of Galactus, Devourer of Worlds, is more than a giant man in a silly purple outfit, he is a god of incomprehensible proportions.
1The Destruction of Tarnax IV
Galactus Causes the Skrull Invasion of Earth
In one of the most iconic moments of Marvel’s cosmic lore, Galactus consumed Tarnax IV in John Byrne’sFantastic Four #257. At the time, Galactus was near death, and his herald Frankie Raye (aka Nova) made the decision to lead him to the Skrull throneworld - the planet from which the Skrull species ruled their vast empire. Seen as a major historic moment in the Marvel Universe, the destruction of Tarnax IV has been revisited many times, including in 1999’sX-Men #90, by Alan Davis and Terry Kavanagh. In that story, a time-travelingProfessor Xavier tries to stop Galactus, only to be confronted with the World-Eater’s complete lack of human morality.
The destruction of Tarnax IV is tied into multiple heroes' origins,including the Superman-like Virtueand Young Avengers' Hulkling, whose mother died on the planet.The destruction of Tarnax IV destabilized Skrull society, allowing various extremist factions to take control.It contributed to the renewed Kree/Skrull war and created the Skrull cult who later attacked Earth in theSecret Invasionevent.
Tarnax IV is the perfect representation of how Galactus' appetite influences Marvel lore.Secret Invasionintroduced and killed multiple heroes, while also leading to Norman Osborn being put in charge of world security after he killed the Skrull queen, a period known as theDark Reign. Arguably, all Marvel’s titles from 2007 to 2010 were directly caught up in the fallout of Galactus destroying a single planet.
Neither good nor evil,Galactusis a vital cosmic force whose actions decide the fates of trillions - a fact which is proved by how the destruction of these 10 planets influenced Marvel lore.
