Do you consider yourself a crossover fanatic? That is not a problem at all. In fact, today’s film features a highly exciting Marvel DC crossover, in which the Man of Steel travels to the Marvel Universe and joins forces with the Fantastic Four, Cyborg Superman, and the Devourer of Worlds, Galactus himself, in an adventure. Yes, you read that correctly. We are explicitly referring to Dan Jurgens and Art Thibert’s one-shot issue Superman/Fantastic Four, which was released in 1999.
So get ready for this video, in which we will go over the comic book in great depth while also delving into some interesting details like Galactus being the devourer of Krypton, Superman being Galactus’ herald, and the Fantastic Four being Earth’s only hope.
Are you all set? So, let us get started!
The Infinite Destruction Is Upon Us – Superman/Fantastic Four Explained
The readers are given a peek into the past – what used to be a world thumping with life lies almost destroyed. The being responsible for the death of the planet is also shown – a being in pursuit of eternal hunger and sustenance, a being called Galactus.
Amidst the destruction of the world, Krypton to be more precise, a small matrix chamber carrying a single life is seen escaping the planet. In case you are wondering, yes, Galactus is quite aware of that but the cosmic entity decides to give the inhabitant inside the matrix chamber sometime. Instead, he makes up his mind to help harness the skills of the unique individual inside the matrix chamber. Producing a tracking craft and instilling it with power, Galactus sends it for the day it would be of some use to him.
Cut to the present, a strange object is seen making its way towards the earth and landing right in the middle of Metropolis. Goes without saying that the object instantly gains the attention of people, most of whom gather around it to witness Superman in action. Of course, the superhero makes an entrance, and using his x-ray vision, he learns that the object is a digital timer mechanism, one that is set to explode in less than 30 seconds.
With the Metropolis Special Crime Unit asking everyone to evacuate the area, Superman says there’s no need and time for that because what they are dealing with is a nuclear bomb. While he is able to damage the timer using heat vision, he suddenly realizes that someone else is attempting to blast it again using a backup device. Superman is able to decipher the radio signal but before he can figure out its location, he is startled to see a green crystal appear right in front of him, one that to a great extent looks Kryptonian in origin.
He is even more startled to see the crystal presenting itself as the essence of his father. Jor-El discloses to his son the real reason behind Krypton’s destruction and tells him all about Galactus; how he sucks every bit of life from a planet so as to sustain himself and that no planet is safe from the Devourer of Worlds. Well of course, the whole thing comes as a shocking revelation, and the mere thought of Galactus coming for Earth makes Superman approach the Fantastic Four to seek help from the experts.
The readers are taken inside Pier Four, where Franklin, the son of Reed Richards and Susan Storm is seen playing with an action figure of Superman. It is quite clear that young Franklin is an ardent fan of Superman so one can imagine his level of shock as well as excitement when he comes face to face with his idol. In fact, the Superhero surprises every member of the Fantastic Four with his presence.
Coming down straight to business, he shows Dr. Reed the communications crystal and tells him about Galactus. All of a sudden, an unforeseen burst of energy releases from the crystal and starts attacking the equipment inside Pier Four. Not even the power dampeners that Dr. Reed had incorporated into the hydraulic press could stop what was about to happen next. Thank goodness that Superman stepped right in front of Franklin seconds before one of the defense systems ejected an exceedingly powerful beam right at the kid.
From what it looks like, Pier Four’s equipment suddenly seems to be under some kind of control of a certain sentient being. With the machines starting to ambush the Four along with Superman, an extra-terrestrial sphere, more like a mysterious satellite, pops up out of nowhere and blasts a huge wave of energy at Superman. Looking at the design and unique materials of the craft, Dr. Reed is able to link it to Galactus but to his shock, the person responsible for the attack is disclosed to be someone else – Dr. Hank Henshaw, more ominously known as the Cyborg Superman.
While Cyborg praises Dr. Reed telling him that the latter’s technological achievements are brilliant, he also discloses his own ability to both inhabit and control machinery, something that eventually led him to turn Dr. Reed’s very own machines against him. With Cyborg further enlightening Dr. Reed about his intentions of being in league with Galactus, the Man of Steel is seen getting hit by the world devourer’s device.
The transformation occurs in front of everybody; Galactus infuses Superman with Power Cosmic, the ability to soar the cosmos but as his herald. With Dr. Reed realizing that Superman’s new abilities blended with his old powers to make him the second most powerful being in existence, he attempts to stop him only to get teleported along with Superman straightaway to Galactus’ ship.
As for Cyborg, he just cannot believe his luck when Galactus claimed Superman to be his new herald. He is seen nagging about it when Susan decides to question him and get information out of him. Post asking Cyborg about his power to traverse through space, he tells Susan and the remaining members of the Fantastic Four how he has been too far off universes that they can only imagine and that he is capable of annihilating an entire city without a single bit of remorse.
With Cyborg telling them that he can track the crystal which Galactus created and that he knows where they are Susan, Ben and Johnny are left with no other options but to band together with him in order to locate Reed and Superman. As for Cyborg, all he wants is Galactus. Coming back to the duo of Superman and Dr. Reed, the latter tells the former that he just cannot let him become the instrument of death that too for a being like Galactus.
With him telling Superman that there has to be some amount of humanity left within him to fight Galactus’ dominance over him, the World Devourer appears in front of them. He commands the Kryptonian to accept his destiny and assigns him the task of locating worlds of nourishment for his consumption. Of course, Dr. Reed tries his best to break him free from Galactus’ mind control, but it goes without saying that he is unsuccessful. The World Devourer eventually makes Superman an extension of his senses further bestowing upon him his entire sphere of perspective abilities.
Back at the Pier Four, Cyborg makes a few changes to Dr. Reed’s spaceship and even installs a new warp drive so as to travel far enough to locate Galactus. With the group getting ready for departure, Cyborg states the things that he has in common with the Four. He tells them about how he, his wife, and two of their friends on board the space shuttle Excalibur were bombarded by unexpected and unexplained radiation very similar to how the Fantastic Four were also affected by unique cosmic rays.
But whereas the Four were blessed with tremendous powers and abilities, Henshaw’s crew died due to the effects of the radiation making Cyborg the sole survivor. The Four chose to make use of their incredible powers for the good of humanity, while Henshaw declared war on humanity. Before the group leaves, Franklin gives his Superman action figure to his mother for luck.
On the other hand, Superman starts looking for a nourishing world to feed Galactus; post moving mountains and circling the sun, he finally discovers one that’s suitable for the World Devourer and lets him know about it. Just as Galactus is about to process the planet to satiate his hunger, Superman senses a disturbance. By then, Susan, Ben, Johnny, and Cyborg have already located them and this results in an intense battle.
With the members of the Four trying their best to stop Superman along with Galactus, Cyborg attempts to find a way that will gain him access to the World Devourer’s power and also have him get rid of the Fantastic Four. As for Dr. Reed, he is seen confined inside a geosynchronous orbit nestled high above and not being able to do anything about it. Coming back to the group, they hardly stand a chance against the mighty duo of Galactus and Superman, who may we add, whipped them like flies. The Four along with Henshaw are left with no choice but to retreat for the time being.
With the planet getting reduced to a lifeless husk before their eyes, the new herald of Galactus seems to be perturbed. Of course, it is the sight of the world destroyed that bothers him along with a persisting sense of uneasiness. Galactus commands his work and asks him to find another world for him to devour – this time a living planet with more energy to be precise. Several hours pass by, and Cyborg’s sensors are finally able to detect extreme levels of energy surges coming from a particular world and they head towards that planet.
As for Galactus, he praises his herald for helping him find a planet that is filled with life. However, looking at the living world, Superman questions him about the life inside the planet. Galactus states his only priority – is his survival, and in order to survive, he has to consume. This is exactly what flips Superman back to his former self and he finds himself free from the World Devourer’s manipulation. He joins the Four and engages in a fight against Galactus and in the process, Dr. Reed also gets freed from his captivity. Post discovering that Cyborg isn’t on their side anymore, Dr. Reed gets into a brawl with him. Cyborg is just about to get an upper hand in the fight when Ben intervenes with a much awaited clobberin’ time!
With Galactus almost ready to fuse the ignition devices, Dr. Reed thinks up another way. When Superman tells him that he knows which machinery of Galactus is most significant to the absorption process, Dr. Reed reprograms the device reversing its mechanics. Unbeknownst to the World Devourer, it makes his equipment draw his own energy and channel it into the planet instead.
Now that Superman and the Fantastic Four are in an advantageous position, they are able to strike a deal with Galactus telling him to consume only deserted planets and in exchange, they will end the energy transference. The World Devourer agrees to their terms but Superman still has vengeance on his mind.
He isn’t done with the ‘destroyer of Krypton’ yet. Galactus confirms that he did want to feed on Krypton but by the time he arrived, the planet was already destroyed. Of course, Superman does not believe him and tells him about his tech crystal but Galactus substantiates his point by saying that he had dispatched the crystal to secure his services and that it had no such message.
Well, fingers start pointing towards Cyborg who eventually confesses to having encountered the crystal on its way to earth and fabricated the message too, one that led Superman into thinking that it was Galactus, who was accountable for the destruction of Krypton. It is clear Cyborg did all of this to tap into the powers of the cosmic entity and get the Power Cosmic for himself. With Cyborg further begging Galactus to make him his faithful servant and to give him the ‘perfection’ that he deserves, Galactus alters him into a flawless condensed alloy, one probably without thought or consciousness.
The comic book ends with all the superheroes coming back to earth and Superman gifting his red cape to Franklin before flying away.
Marvelous Verdict
With a storyline that is surprising, intriguing, adventurous, and highly entertaining, Dan Jurgens treats his fans with one of the best cosmic adventures possible. Also, full credits to Art Thibert and colorist Greg Wright for giving us characters that are so bold and lively. Superman/Fantastic Four: The Infinite Destruction isn’t just a comic book that is packed with adventure and action; it is a story that shows us superheroes can be fun too. Don’t believe us? Well, give it a shot for yourself. We highly recommend it!