Fantastic Fourfans may be shocked to know they have villains stronger thanGalactus. He’s perhaps the team’s most recurring antagonist and has been the focal point of several stories. It would be a safe bet for anyone to assume that Galactus is the super-team’s strongest enemy, if not the strongest villain in the Marvel Universe.
However, the Marvel Universe is a vast place to live in, especially in the cosmic hierarchy where Galactus resides. Believe it or not, some cosmic entities rank higher than Galactus, and many of these cosmic entities have crossed paths with The Fantastic Four. Whilethe Fantastic Four have beaten Galactusin the past, some alternate villains are more or less unbeatable.
10The Beyonder Opposed The Fantastic Four During Secret War
He Made an Impact Immediately By Destroying Galactus
One of the heroes held captive by The Beyonder during the originalSecret Warsevent was the Fantastic Four.The god-tier villain also held villains like Galactus on Battleworld, and upon their initial introductions, those unfamiliar with The Beyonder were certain that escape would be easy.
Galactus learned the hard way how wrong that assessment was whenThe Beyonder blasted Galactus out of the sky like a bug. Making it look too easy to decimate the Devourer of Worlds was all the heroes needed to see to understand how powerful The Beyonder was, cementing him asMarvel’s most powerful villain.
9The Sentry is Made All the More Powerful by The Void
The Void Has Challenged The Fantastic Four and Other Heroes for Years
Sentry is a complicated character in his own right, butis further complicated whenever he’s corrupted by the evil Void entity.The Void has faced down The Fantastic Four in different crossover events, and the combined forces of the hero community prove little to no avail every time.
The Void (or Dark Sentry)has been said to be capable of doing anything and is best described as a cosmic parasite.Although The Void has never had a confrontation directly with Galactus, it can be presumed that his power is either equal to or beyond that of The Eater of Worlds.
8Thanos & the Infinity Gauntlet Are a Powerful Combo Against Galactus
The Same Goes for Anyone Else Wielding the Gauntlet
Mister Fantastic has felt Thanos' power firsthand, but this is specifically in accordance with the Mad Titan wielding all six Infinity Gems at once.Thanos, on his own merits, while stronger than most villains, is no match for Galactus.
Having the power of all the stones is enough to topple Galactus,not just when Thanos has the Infinity Gauntlet, but that goes for anybody else as well. Thanos is inconsequential in this context.The power is strictly in the Gauntlet,and while he’s most commonly associated with the artifact, several othersbesides Thanos have used the Gauntlet. Whoever holds it beats Galactus.
7Abraxas is a Multiversal Force of Destruction
Abraxas Has Killed Multiple Versions of Galactus
Abraxas was kept sealed away by the sheer existence of Galactus, but upon the death of the latter, the former was born from Eternity. Both cosmic beings serve purposes that are similar yet distinct.Abraxas is a force of destruction to worlds as much as Galactus is,except Galactus eats worlds as a necessity to survive.
Abraxas just wants to cause destruction across the multiverse. Like many cosmic beings,Abraxas can manipulate reality itself, and he has defeated Galactus multiple timesacross the multiverse. He’smore powerful than Thanos, Galactus, and most heroes and villains within the Marvel Universe.
6Lord Chaos and Master Order Go Hand-in-Hand
Two of Marvel’s Most Underrated Cosmic Characters
Lord Chaos is the more inherently villainous of the two, but readers truly can’t have one without the other. They are two cosmic entities, each representing a different side of the same coin. One cannot have order without understanding chaos by contrast, and to enforce both,both entities intervene in monumental moments on Earth-616.
They debut by playing their part in a fight between The Thing, Thanos, and Spider-Man.The duo stand as two of themost important cosmic entities in Marvel’s universe,having been reintroduced recently in Jonathan Hickman’sG.O.D.S.and Al Ewing’sUltimates 2,where the brothers killed the Living Tribunal.
He Can Handle One, But Not Them All
During the Jonathan Hickman era,the Mad Celestials proved powerful enough to kill Galactus.Galactus can take on one at a time, but when the gods combine their forces into one,Galactus doesn’t stand a chance. If not for the fact that Franklin Richards worked to revive Galactus, the Destroyer would still have been destroyed.
InFantastic Four#602, one issue before the Mad Celestials murder Galactus, the World Devourer, mentions that the mad gods were destined to destroy themselves and the rest of the universe.It takes immense power to put fear in Galactus' eyes,and the Mad Celestials harness that power.
4Franklin Richards Has Villainous Potential
He Forces Galactus to Become His Herald and Even Becomes Galactus
This one might be cheating because, as of now, Franklin Richards is no villain. As the son of Sue Storm and Reed Richards, young Frank couldn’t be a closer ally to the Fantastic Four. However, as someone who istechnically Marvel’s strongest mutant,Franklin’s villain potential will never rest.
He’s been seen to be powerful enough to tame Galactus, forcing the mighty gargantuan to be hisHerald. At the same time, in another reality,Franklin asserts his power by becoming Galactus,particularly in Ryan North’sFantastic Four#32. The boy is one bad temper away from using his power for evil at any moment.
3The One Above and Below All
The Fantastic Four Befriended Marvel’s God, Now They’ve Made an Enemy of the Devil
Again, maybe cheating considering that The Fantastic Four have yet to meet The One Below All. That’sa god closer to Hulk’s lore, but The Fantastic Four have met his good-natured counterpart, The One Above All. Playing the role of God whilst sporting the face of Jack Kirby,The One Above All celebratedFantastic Four#508 by bringing The Thing back to life.
As a friend to The One Above All,The Fantastic Four have technically, by proxy, made an enemy out of his dark opposite.While One Above is cited as the creator of reality, One Below seeks to destroy it.
2Molecule Man Manipulates Matter to His Whim
His Control Over Matter Makes Him an Elite God-Tier Foe
Whoever came up with the phrase"mind over matter"would hate to meet Molecule Man. The only thing that matters to him in his mind is matter itself, asMolecule Man carries cosmic-level control over all matter and energy.For those who doubt Molecule Man’s ability, keep in mind that this is the one villain whomGalactus is openly afraid of.
Molecule Man was mainly a fixture ofFantastic Fourstorylines until 2015’sSecret Wars, where his gifts proved instrumental in being used for Doctor Doom’s ascent to power.This was enough to elevate Molecule Man in Marvel’s overall villain hierarchy.
1Doctor Doom, With The Beyonder’s Power, Has Been a Threat on Multiple Occasions
Doctor Doom Has Repeatedly Stolen Godhood, And Every Time, He Surpasses Galactus
On more than one occasion,Doctor Doom achieved godhood through thievery. Most notably, Doctor Doom stole the powers of the Beyonders in 1984’sSecret Wars, and again in 2015’sSecret Wars,to become God Emperor Doom,wielding the multiverse in his grasp with the help ofMolecule Man.
It’s also worth noting that in the earliest ofFantastic Fourstorylines, Doom stole the Silver Surfer’s surfboard and cosmic powers, posing a considerable threat to Marvel’s first family. He’s inevitably tricked into losing his power, or the power becomes too powerful to hold forever. In all these instances, Doom is stronger thanGalactus.
