The Corpse of Galactus is Starting Marvel’s Shocking New War

Warning: Contains spoilers for Fantastic Four: Reckoning War Alpha #1and Fantastic Four #40

The most explosive war in the Marvel Universe just started with Galactus’ corpse, and no one noticed it. The assembled Heralds of Galactus, led by the Silver Surfer, have stormed Asgard to reclaim the corpse of their former master, slain by Thor in one of his first acts as the All-Father.

The mighty Galactus, Devourer of Worlds, met his fate when he crashed on Asgard, trying to escape the pursuit of the Black Winter, the entity that destroyed the previous iteration of the Marvel Universe, from which Galactus originally came from. Thor manipulated Galactus into giving him the Power Cosmic, and then drained the Devourer completely, turning his desiccated body into a cosmic bomb which he used to destroy the Black Winter. After that, Galactus’ corpse remained on Asgard as a grim but impressive reminder of the power of All-Father Thor. The empty helmet of the Devourer, whose shape once inspired terror into countless galaxies, now serves as the entranceway to Asgard and the gate to Bifrost. After the outbreak of the Reckoning War, however, the former Heralds of Galactus have assembled to take back what remains of their master.

Silver Surfer was summoned at the side of Eternity, the cosmic being that personifies reality itself. Eternity is dying as a consequence of the actions of the Reckoning, and ancient enemies of the Watchers have returned after millennia of isolation to exact their revenge upon the entire universe. Their plan is to spread war and conflict across every galaxy, to “poison” Eternity and thus ensure the end of all that is. Silver Surfer’s mission is to stop them and save Eternity and, apparently to do that, he needs Galactus’ remains. Surfer became aware of the threat to reality in Fantastic Four: Reckoning War Alpha #1. It is yet to be revealed how and when he assembled his fellow Heralds, but in Fantastic Four #40—by Dan Slott, Rachael Stott, and Jesus Aburtov—he is shown communicating with Reed Richards regarding the Reckoning crisis. He regrets being unable to help the Fantastic Four, because “the Herald assault on Asgard has begun.”

The connection between the war of the Heralds on Asgard, and the larger Reckoning War still has to be explained. It is likely that recovering Galactus’ corpse is somehow connected with helping Eternity. The Devourer is also one of the fundamental forces of the Marvel Multiverse, and perhaps resurrecting him will strengthen Eternity, re-establishing some amount of balance. What is certain is that the assault on Asgard will be one of the most explosive conflicts in recent Marvel history. The Heralds of Galactus are all creatures of enormous potential as they are able to access and manipulate the Power Cosmic. Surfer specifies that every one of them is taking part in the attack. Even if they were not shown in the comic, the list should include powerful beings such as Firelord, Terrax, and Air-Walker. On the other hand, Asgard is weakened by the recent loss of Odin, but All-Father Thor is more powerful than ever, having gained full access to the Odinforce, a source of energy to rival the Power Cosmic possessed by the Heralds. Of course, Asgard possesses legions of fearless warriors and every single inhabitant of the Golden City is a powerful godlike creature, so the outcome of the fight will not be easily decided.

The Marvel timeline is in turmoil. The Herald assault on Asgard has only been teased briefly and the fate of Galactus is currently left hanging in the balance.

About The Author