Marvel's Galactus and DC's Darkseid are two of the most powerful beings in their respective universes, but while comic fans are usually left to argue about who would triumph in a match-up between characters from different realities, 1995’s Darkseid vs. Galactus: The Hunger - written and drawn by John Byrne - already definitively answered that question.
Cross-company crossovers are nothing new, but for a stretch in the mid-1990s, Marvel and DC published a series of crossovers in an effort to combat lagging sale and an imploding market, culminating in Marvel vs DC and later the Amalgam Universe. A number of other crossover books were published as well, including Punisher/Batman: Deadly Knights and Spider-Man and Batman: Disordered Minds. In 1995, superstar creator John Byrne pitted the Marvel Universe’s ultimate engine of destruction, Galactus, against DC’s evil overlord Darkseid - and the result may surprise fans.
Like many of the crossovers of the time, Darkseid vs. Galactus assumes the two share a universe: Galactus does not use a portal to cross to the DC Universe, nor does Darkseid invade Marvel's reality. Instead, the Silver Surfer, Galactus’ herald, comes to Apokolips, seeking sustenance for his master. At first reluctant to select it, he eventually signals for Galactus after being repeatedly attacked by Parademons. Galactus arrives, leading Darkseid to throw everything he has at him. Galactus swats away legions of Parademons as if they were literal insects, and lays waste to the planet. At one point, Darkseid hits Galactus with his Omega Beams, confident they will destroy him, but Galactus takes it in stride and resumes preparations to destroy the planet. Darkseid then attempts to turn the Silver Surfer against his former master by unlocking his memories from before his servitude to Galactus. However, Galactus is easily able to snuff out his herald, and resurrects him, without his memories, later.
Darkseid is most certainly a goner, but Galactus eventually realizes Apokolips is a dead and lifeless world, long snuffed out by Darkseid's abuse, and as such, there is no energy for him to feed on. Galactus leaves Apokolips for another planet, not wanting to expend any more energy. Darkseid vs. Galactus in a no-holds-barred fight had been a dream of comic fans for many years, and Byrne gave them exactly what they wanted: Galactus stomping out Parademons, Darkseid nailing him with his Omega Beams, and the Silver Surfer caught in the middle.
It may surprise fans who are used to seeing Darkseid easily trounce his foes that Galactus tore through his domain so easily, and only left because there was nothing there for him. Indeed, if there had been even a spark of life on Apokolips, then Darkseid, Desaad and the rest would surely have fallen. Both represent forces of nature in their universes, but Galactus was simply too much for Darkseid to handle.
Darkseid and Galactus met once in the comics, and it did not end well for the Lord of Apokolips. Galactus proved more than a match for Darkseid - who had ample opportunity to utilize his greatest powers and even try to turn the Silver Surfer to his will - and the Devourer of Worlds only spared his foe once it became clear that he had nothing to gain by continuing their conflict.
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August 09, 2021 at 12:20AM
