4 Times Reed Richards Saved the World (& 5 Times He Almost Destroyed It)

Fantastic Four leader Reed Richards has made it his mission to protect Earth at all costs. As one of the most brilliant scientific minds in human existence, he works hard to invent devices and come up with plans that are guaranteed to keep the planet safe, while also keeping his eye on the multiverse and other dimensions as well. However, Reed Richards is one of the most arrogant characters in Marvel Comics, and he will often trust his own judgment even when that is not something that might be best for the Marvel Universe. As a result, he has saved the planet more than once, but he has almost destroyed everything more often than not.

From saving the world from Galactus and even saving Galactus himself to almost destroying it thanks to his actions that caused Secret Invasion and World War Hulk, here are the biggest times that Reed Richards saved the world and the times he almost destroyed it.

9) Reed Richards Helped Cause Secret Invasion & Almost Destroyed the World

Secret Invasion was the crossover event that revealed the Skrulls had begun planning an invasion years prior and had gradually replaced various heroes and individuals in power before finally launching their attack on Earth. This all started thanks to the Illuminati, which was centered around Reed Richards, Tony Stark, and other top heroes. The Illuminati made it their mission to go to the Skrull throneworld and lay out a threat that if Skrulls attacked Earth again, things would not go well for them. The Skrulls then captured the Illuminati and experimented on them before the heroes escaped. Using the information they gathered from the experimentation, and by keeping Black Bolt captive and sending a Skrull in his place, the infiltration began. It never would have started if Reed Richards and company had not gone to the Skrull throneworld to issue their threat.

8) Reed Richards’ Invention In The Coming of Galactus Saved the World

One of the most iconic Marvel Comics storylines in history occurred in Fantastic Four Vol. 1 #48-50. This was the “Coming of Galactus” storyline, which began with The Watcher appearing and stating that something significant was about to happen. The Silver Surfer then arrived and announced the impending arrival of Galactus to destroy the world. Galactus devours worlds and destroys all life on them, but when it came to Earth, he met his match with the Fantastic Four. Reed finally saved the world when he created the Ultimate Nullifier, which would destroy everything, including Galactus, sending the Devourer of Worlds away to find another planet to consume.

7) Reed Richards Helped Cause World War Hulk & Almost Destroyed the World

Just like how the Illuminati caused the Secret Invasion storyline thanks to their aggressive actions, they also caused World War Hulk and the tragedies that preceded it. Reed Richards and the rest of the Illuminati tricked Hulk into getting on a spacecraft and then betrayed him by banishing him from the planet and shooting him off to a barren world where he could be left alone. However, he ended up on an inhabited planet where he became a hero, fell in love, and got married. A terrorist attack on the planet killed his pregnant wife, and Hulk returned to Earth, blaming the Illuminati for this tragedy and defeating everyone, including destroying Reed Richards in a one-sided fight. Hulk finally surrendered when he realized one of his allies was responsible for the terrorist explosion. However, it was still Reed and the Illuminati’s fault for betraying him in the first place.

6) Reed Richards In Secret Wars Saved the World

Secret Wars also involved the Illuminati, who knew it was coming and kept it a secret. Instead, they tried to save Earth-616 by willingly destroying countless other Earths in the multiverse to stop them from hitting this planet, effectively committing mass genocide. However, getting past that terrible decision, it was Reed Richards who eventually saved the entire world during the crossover event. A liferaft was created at the start, so there were select people who knew that Battleworld was not the “real world,” and they set out to free the survivors. It all ended when Reed Richards eliminated The Maker to ensure he didn’t interfere, and then Reed battled Doctor Doom in a fair fight when Molecule Man refused to help Doom. In the end, Reed defeated Doom and then helped Valeria create a device with Molecule Man’s help to recreate Earth-616.

5) Reed Richards’ Work In Marvel Zombies Almost Destroyed the World

One thing that sets Marvel Zombies apart from other zombie fiction is that the superhero zombies mostly retain their intelligence, yet still have an insatiable hunger for human flesh and an immoral stance on life after they have turned. Reed Richards proved how dangerous this could be. After the zombies attacked and killed his children, Reed decided that becoming a zombie was the best option, and he purposefully infected Sue, Johnny, and Ben, turning them, before also infecting Iron Man, Thor, Doctor Strange, and others. Things were already bad before, but Reed’s betrayal ultimately destroyed the Earth. As a zombie, Reed then attempted to utilize his technology to transport the Marvel Zombies into other dimensions.

4) Reed Richards Saving Galactus Saved the World

Reed Richards helped save Earth when he defeated Galactus and sent the Devourer of Worlds away from the planet. However, he also saved Galactus’s life in another storyline, which almost cost Reed his life. Galactus arrived and revealed that he was dying, and he needed to consume the Earth to survive. The Fantastic Four and Earth’s mightiest heroes defeated him in a fight, and after Galactus fell, Reed said they had to save his life because Galactus was needed to keep the universe in balance. However, in “The Trial of Reed Richards,” the Shi’ar Empire put him on trial, blaming him for anyone Galactus kills in the future. It took Eternity showing up and explaining that Galactus was necessary for the universe to survive to prove that Reed Richards had made the right decision.

3) Reed Richards’ Civil War Actions Almost Destroyed the World

Reed Richards’ actions in Civil War might not have been bad enough to destroy the world, but they came close thanks to his reckless nature. It also caused many heroes to lose complete trust in him. Reed took Iron Man’s side, using his genius to determine that more lives could be saved with the Registration Act than without it. However, Reed’s actions led to his wife leaving him. This occurred after Reed helped create a Thor clone called Ragnarok, which immediately killed Bill Foster’s Goliath in their first battle. Reed also made a superhero prison in the Negative Zone for anyone who refused to comply, demonstrating that he was willing to betray anyone who didn’t wholly believe in the Registration Act, while closely watching even his own allies (such as suspiciously watching Spider-Man at Goliath’s funeral). The question of who was right remains open to debate, but Reed’s actions were essentially evil from the start.

2) Reed Richards Beating The Griever Saved the World

Valeria Richards created something called the Forever Gate, which was a portal to any dimension or multiverse known. This allowed the Fantastic Four to take some magical journeys during Dan Slott’s run on the title. Many of the worlds they visited included those that Franklin Richards formed as a child, where he created worlds, societies, and entire races of beings out of his mind, becoming a God to most of these beings. One person who despised this was The Griever at the End of All Things, a multiversal being who felt Franklin had no right creating new pocket dimensions and worlds. She came to Earth to destroy this universe, as well as Franklin Richards. This is when Reed Richards saved the world again, offering the Griever a chance to use the Forever Gate to travel to the end of time to witness the destruction of everything, something she couldn’t pass up, and then locked the gate down for good.

1) The Maker Almost Destroyed the World

When Jonathan Hickman began writing Ultimate Fantastic Four, he reinvented the team, making them all younger and changing their origin somewhat. However, he saved his best work for Reed Richards. He made Reed just as intelligent as the Earth-616 version, but with fewer morals. When Susan realized how dangerous Reed could be, she left him for Ben, which ultimately led Reed to lose control and become a villain known as The Maker. As The Maker, he became one of the Ultimate Universe’s deadliest villains and killed countless people in his path of vengeance. He was so dangerous that the main Reed Richards knew he couldn’t trust him during Secret Wars and had to eliminate him before fighting Doctor Doom. The Maker is still as powerful as ever, as he is once again the main villain in the new Ultimate Universe that launched in 2023.

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