Godzilla Rampages Across the Marvel Universe (With One Major Catch)

Godzilla is bringing his unique brand of kaiju violence to the Marvel Universe in a new crossover event. Godzilla vs. Marvel pits the titular monster against Marvel’s heroes in a series of one-shots starting in March with Godzilla vs. Fantastic Four by current Fantastic Four writer Ryan North and legendary artist John Romita Jr. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the six issues take place over different time periods, making them unique from various franchise crossovers that comic book fans are accustomed to. The last time Godzilla appeared in a Marvel comic was nearly 50 years ago in the Godzilla, King of the Monsters series from 1977-1979.

Godzilla vs. Fantastic Four features King Ghidorah, one of Godzilla’s classic rivals, being imbued with the power cosmic and becoming a herald of Galactus, the devourer of worlds. Godzilla will team up with the Silver Surfer to save the Earth. Marvel’s First Family, Silver Surfer, and Galactus will coincidentally appear in next year’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the first Fantastic Four movie based in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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“We approached them initially for our reprints, but a while after those conversations, it was clear that both of our teams were excited to do more together,” Marvel Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski said of collaborating with Godzilla rights holder Toho. “These crossovers started coming together over that time, in direct collaboration with Toho, and we felt the perfect time for them was for Godzilla’s 70th anniversary next year. We’ve been thrilled to work with them on these, and we hope this will be a sign for more exciting projects to come.”

“For us, kaiju—and specifically Godzilla—are important parts of Marvel’s comic history, so we knew we wanted to explore something with their teams,” said Dan Buckley, President, Marvel Comics & Franchises. “We’ve always been fans of Godzilla, but with the steady rise in Godzilla’s popularity over the years, it’s part of our current cultural zeitgeist and a perfect example of the fun that the comics industry can bring. We’re focused on the storytelling first and foremost, but fun opportunities for crossovers like this give both of our fans an entertaining escape that they won’t want to miss.”