A Shocking Fantastic Four Theory Connects a Strange Galactus Moment to Spider-Man

It seems Earth-616 in the Marvel Cinematic Universe deals with a potentially world-ending event at least once a month. Fortunately, there are heroes around every corner who are ready to put it all on the line. Earth-828 is in a very different situation, having only one team of superpowered individuals to protect it. The Fantastic Four do a bang-up job, though, making quick work of villains like Mole Man and Red Ghost before turning their attention to solving the world’s problems. However, failing to get past the shallow end of the pool means that Earth isn’t ready when Galactus’ herald, the Silver Surfer, shows up in The Fantastic Four: First Steps and announces that humanity’s days are numbered.

It takes a bit for everyone to wrap their heads around the existence of a being capable of devouring worlds, but there’s no time to think with so much at stake. Marvel’s First Family does everything it can to prepare its world for Galactus’ arrival, sending every person in New York City underground. However, not even Earth’s heroes are ready for the way Galactus acts when he sets foot on their planet for the first time.

Galactus Stops and Smells the Roses in Fantastic Four: First Steps

The Fantastic Four go to visit Galactus and have every intention of negotiating with him. The Devourer of Worlds doesn’t take kindly to the intrusion, but he decides to hear his guests out, especially after he learns of the existence of Sue Storm and Reed Richards’ child. The baby possesses the Power Cosmic, which means Galactus can turn him into his successor. Of course, Reed and Sue aren’t down with that plan, so they escape from the villain’s ship and return home. After informing the public of the situation, everyone turns on them, believing that one life shouldn’t take priority over the entire Earth. It takes some work, but the Fantastic Four makes things right by coming up with a plan to move the Earth far away from Galactus’ reach.

Once all the bridges are put together around the world, the only thing left to do is pull the trigger. Unfortunately, the Silver Surfer arrives first and destroys a bunch of the bridges, leaving the Fantastic Four between a rock and a hard place. They pivot to the second option, which is to send Galactus through the portal in New York City. The Devourer of Worlds lands on Earth to grab Franklin Richards before finishing the job, but he takes in the scenery first. He picks up and smells some dirt, which freaks out Johnny Storm, but he also stops and stares at the Statue of Liberty for a hot minute. While it’s possible that Galactus was just shocked to see something close to his size, a new theory posits that the statue has a special meaning to the MCU multiverse.

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Spider-Man May Have Ruined the Statue of Liberty for Everyone

Since so many superhero projects take place in New York, it’s no surprise that the Statue of Liberty shows up frequently. The climax of X-Men occurs at the landmark, with Magneto using its height to distribute a beam of energy that will turn humans into mutants. However, X-Men isn’t part of the main MCU, meaning there’s no way to connect it to First Steps. Spider-Man: No Way Home, on the other hand, features the Statue of Liberty and takes place on Earth-616. In a post on r/MCUTheories, user silencedoutrage explained that Doctor Strange using magic to send all of the villains about to enter the universe at the Statue of Liberty could have had major ramifications on the rest of the MCU. It may be an example of an incursion, an event powerful enough to destroy an entire reality. Since Galactus is one of the oldest beings in the MCU, it’s possible he can feel aftershocks, which is why he stops at the Statue of Liberty in First Steps.

Galactus’ vacation on the other side of the galaxy means he won’t be around to pour fuel on the fire anytime soon. However, another villain, Doctor Doom, is preparing his assault on the multiverse, which could lead him to another version of the Statue of Liberty in Avengers: Doomsday. Spider-Man just wanted to do the right thing by having Strange wipe his identity, but he may have doomed the multiverse in the process.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is in theaters.

Why do you think Galactus took such an interest in the Statue of Liberty? Is it possible the location has a connection to incursions? Let us know in the comments below!