Redrawing The Galactus Trilogy in Silver Surfer: Parable

Cover of Epic Illustrated #26 from 1984, advertising “The Last Galactus Story.”

“The Last Galactus Story” (1984) centers the perspective of the devourer & his faithful herald Nova. Writer/artist John Bryne uses a variety of visual techniques to represent the unrepresentable: inhuman beings interacting with the cosmic sublime. 1/12 #FantasticFour #Galactus

A page from “The Last Galactus Story,” depicting the scene discussed in the post.

The story opens with a placeless view of the vastness of space, dislocating the reader in timeless infinity. We’re gradually located through a sequence that identifies a meteor that becomes a body with a name: the cosmic herald Nova, formerly a young woman from Earth. 2/12

Bryne uses creative layouts and layering to show Nova moving impossibly quickly across space and time. Alternating between distant and localized perspectives and drawing Nova transcending borders allows Byrne to simultaneously emphasize and domesticate infinity. 3/12

Byrne also uses Nova to situate us in relation to Galactus. Here, Galactus’ size is amplified by Nova’s smallness and the suggested relationship between the orbs in his hands and the planets in the distance; implicitly, Galactus can hold a planet or star in his hands. 4/12

Here, Bryne again compares the size of Galactus’ ship to the size of the planet Earth. And Nova is once again an interstitial figure. Variously traversing grids and trapped (symbolically) within them, Nova exceeds earthly limits yet is humbled by the might of Galactus. 5/12

A page from “The Last Galactus Story,” in which Galactus traverses the vastness of space, rendered as a black, encompassing field.

Having established the awesome size and power of Galactus, Byrne then shifts the story’s perspective to Galactus, who becomes a vehicle for penetrating and expounding even-more incomprehensible views of infinity. 6/12

Here, Galactus is cast adrift amid a seemingly endless web of planets. The geometric orderliness yet dizzying infinity of the grid, combined with Galactus’ calm yet helpless body, evokes the sublime: something simultaneously horrible & wonderful and possibly divine. 7/12

Byrne further represents the disorientation of infinity and the sublime by varying his style, juxtaposing simplicity and depth. Here, Galactus remains within the web of planets, but the planets and their technological scaffolding are rendered in a more detailed, photo-realistic style. 8/12

A page from Fantastic Four #48, depicting the scene discussed in the post.

This juxtaposition of different realities is borrowed from the original Galactus Trilogy. On this memorable page, Jack Kirby combines cartoons with surrealistic photocollages where everyday objects are recontextualized to produce a similar sense of disorientation & wonder. 9/12

A page from Fantastic Four #51, depicting Mr. Fantastic showing off a machine he describes as the “radical cube,” designed to open a portal to the negative zone. The Mark Russell quote appears in Jeffery Klaehn’s article “Talking the Fantastic Four: ‘a comic that broke ALL the rules.’”

Kirby also evokes sublimity via impossible machines, as described by Mark Russell: “Kirby designed technology the way the Druids designed stone circles. As a sort of temple to the unknown, a giant metallic prayer to the forces he thought would either save or destroy us.” 10/12

A page from “The Last Galactus Story,” depicting the scene discussed in the post, in which Galactus soars through concentric circles of machinery.

Byrne prefers more structurally plausible machines. Yet on pages like this, he uses his careful attention to detail & perspective to enliven structures with marvelous awe; these seemingly logical shapes make less sense the further we delve into this hypnotic spiral. 11/12

The final cliffhanger page from “The Last Galactus Story,” in which Galactus confronts a Watcher.

“The Last Galactus Story” ends on a cliffhanger and was never officially resolved. But even in its unfinished state, it’s an impressive ode to the enduring power of Galactus as an invitation to explore how superhero comics might render encounters with the cosmic sublime. 12/12