The Incredible Crossover You Didn’t Know Happened: Superman and the Fantastic Four

On this cover art by Alex Ross for the 1999 one-shot comic ‘Superman/Fantastic Four’, a collaboration between DC and Marvel, Galactus is portrayed as potentially consuming Krypton, Superman as his herald, and the Fantastic Four as Earth’s sole defenders against impending cosmic devastation. This meeting of the two companies’ iconic characters, who respectively launched the Golden Age and Modern Age of comic books, happened in 1997 with ‘Superman/Silver Surfer’ by Marvel and ‘Superman/Fantastic Four’ by DC.

This summer, DC Studios’ “Superman” film (July 11th) and Marvel Studios’ “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” (July 25th) will be squaring off at the box office. The debate about Superman versus the Fantastic Four has resurfaced online following artist Alex Ross sharing his cover art depicting Superman alongside the Fantastic Four.

In this comic, I’m part of a team that reimagines Superman’s swift origin story from Action Comics #1 in 1938, penned by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. We also draw inspiration from the epic Galactus Trilogy, crafted by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby across Fantastic Four issues 48-50. Dan Jurgens contributes the story and layout art, Art Thibert handles the final artwork, and Greg Wright takes care of the colors. It’s a fresh take on classic Superman lore intertwined with cosmic intrigue reminiscent of the Galactus saga.

At the beginning, there’s a chamber within a matrix holding infant Superman (Kal-El) who escapes the dying planet Krypton. Later, a Kryptonian crystal shows him a hologram of his father, Jor-El, revealing that Kal-El, as the Last Son of Krypton, would gain enough power to halt the destruction caused by Krypton’s annihilator – Galactus, the cosmic entity known as the Devourer of Worlds, who consumes planets and needs a herald to find nourishment.

the Fantastic Four.

One day, Superman encounters Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic), Sue Richards (Invisible Woman), Johnny Storm (Human Torch), and Ben Grimm (the Thing) – together they’re known as the super-quintet. However, their meeting is interrupted by a villain from Superman’s world, Hank Henshaw, also known as Cyborg Superman. His intention is to harness the Power Cosmic and serve as Galactus’ herald.

Later on, a spacecraft sent by Galactus long ago transforms Superman into his golden-skinned herald, granting him the ability to traverse the cosmos like the Silver Surfer. With this newfound power, Herald Superman becomes the second most powerful being in existence, second only to Galactus himself. Upon Galactus’ summons, Superman vanishes along with Reed Richards.

On Galactus’ vessel, Reed struggles valiantly to release Superman from Galactus’ control, but to no avail; Superman has been transformed into Galactus’ strongest emissary yet. This is what Galactus proclaims: “Embrace your fate. From the moment your embryo departed your dying planet, I have foreseen the day when you would serve my purposes. For my survival, I require planets to harvest, and that is your duty, Kryptonian.

In a different wording: Reed calls upon Superman’s humanity by mentioning Lois, but Superman ignores his plea and eliminates Reed, ignoring his warning that many innocents will perish if he embarks on his mission across the universe to find what his master desires. Despite this, Superman resists, choosing a lifeless planet that can still satisfy Galactus’ hunger for raw energy. Upon learning about Reed’s predicament, the Fantastic Four travel through the galaxy to assist him in saving Superman. However, Superman declares, “Galactus’ will is my own.

In a moment when everything appears hopeless, Superman is jolted from his trance by the imminent threat of Galactus devouring a planet filled with life. Determined to resist, Superman is subsequently deprived of his cosmic powers. Later, he teams up with the Fantastic Four in their battle, and the Human Torch extends an invitation for him to join their team, implying that changing his emblem from ‘S’ to ‘5’ wouldn’t be much of a challenge.

The Incredible Five successfully fend off Galactus when Richie devises a way to replicate his spaceship’s technology, causing it to draw power from Galactus and redirect it towards planets instead. Eventually, Superman delivers an ultimatum: vacate this planet and the entire region, or he will persistently drain his energy until he ceases to exist.

As a devoted moviegoer, I must say that “Superman’s Quest for Justice” was an intriguing cinematic journey. The storyline takes a fascinating twist when Superman confronts Galactus about the fate of Krypton. Galactus maintains that by the time he arrived, Krypton had already ceased to exist.

However, it’s uncovered that Henshaw manipulated the crystal’s message to deceive Superman into believing that Galactus consumed Krypton, thereby inciting Superman to cross over to another universe. This clever deception was orchestrated so that Henshaw could bestow upon Superman the Power Cosmic, making him a herald of Galactus.

This revelation adds depth to the plot and keeps viewers on their toes, making it a must-watch for any fan of intergalactic drama and superhero adventures.

1. After successfully stopping Cyborg Superman and Galactus from causing destruction, thereby averting doomsday, the Man of Steel graciously gives his cape to Franklin Richards, a young admirer. Here’s hoping that the encounter between Superman and the Fantastic Four in the cinema during July is as peaceful as their previous clash was on the comic book pages.

2. With Cyborg Superman and Galactus defeated and the apocalypse avoided, Superman presented his cape to Franklin Richards, a youthful fan. Fingers crossed that the meeting of Superman and the Fantastic Four in cinemas this July is as friendly as their comic book battle was.

3. Having saved the world from the menace of Cyborg Superman and Galactus, Superman passed his cape to Franklin Richards, a young fan. Let’s hope that the upcoming encounter between Superman and the Fantastic Four on the big screen in July is as cordial as their comic book confrontation was.

4. With the threat of Cyborg Superman and Galactas averted, Superman bestowed his cape upon Franklin Richards, a young admirer. May the upcoming face-off between Superman and the Fantastic Four in July’s cinemas be as pleasant as their comic book skirmish was.

5. With the danger of Cyborg Superman and Galactus neutralized, Superman offered his cape to Franklin Richards, a young devotee. Let us wish for a peaceful encounter between Superman and the Fantastic Four at the box office in July, as friendly as their comic book fight was.

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2025-02-08 21:10