{"id":116,"date":"2012-06-19T10:05:49","date_gmt":"2012-06-19T10:05:49","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/kirbymuseum.org\/blogs\/effect\/?p=116"},"modified":"2012-06-19T10:05:49","modified_gmt":"2012-06-19T10:05:49","slug":"a-failure-to-communicate-part-two","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kirbymuseum.org\/blogs\/effect\/2012\/06\/19\/a-failure-to-communicate-part-two\/","title":{"rendered":"God"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Failure To Communicate – Part Two<\/h3>\n
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Thanks to Mike Gartland and\u00a0John Morrow, The Kirby Effect is offering Mike’s “A Failure To Communicate” series from The Jack Kirby Collector. – Rand<\/p>\n

Part Two was first published in TwoMorrows\u2019 December 1998 Jack Kirby Collector 22<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

What can be written about Galactus that hasn\u2019t been expressed already by historians far more informed and eloquent than I? But let\u2019s start off within the context of the theme of The Jack Kirby Collector 22: Is he a villain? By textbook definition he is not; he\u2019s more of an adversary or antagonist, and given the previous opponents superheroes had faced up to his appearance, he represents either the ultimate adversary or antagonistic overkill \u2014 take your pick!<\/p>\n

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Original art, “And Now, Galactus!” page 13,
Pencil story art by Jack Kirby, dialogue by Stan Lee, ink art by Vince Colletta, lettering art by Sam Rosen
first published in Marvel Comics’ The Mighty Thor 160, January 1969.
Scan from the Kirby Museum’s Original Art Digital Archive<\/a>.<\/p><\/div>\n

Galactus is a prime example of the thinking man\u2019s opponent; i.e. an adversary that is so powerful it quickly becomes apparent that physical opposition will do no good in subduing him. A plan has to be devised or a way found to defeat him. In earlier stories for Marvel, Jack played with the notion of an alien visitor of enormous power, but they were more or less misguided (Impossible Man or Infant Terrible), or they posed no threat to mankind (the Stranger). Galactus, on the other hand, is not misguided \u2014 quite the contrary; because of his very reason for being, he poses the ultimate threat to mankind.<\/p>\n

In interviews, Jack would say that \u201cGalactus was God\u201d; I always wondered if Jack really meant God. Granted, Galactus was definitely a \u201cgod\u201d but surely not The God. To speculate, perhaps Jack was saying that if super-heroes were ever to face God, Galactus would be about as great an adversary as they could encounter. Superheroes have faced aliens before, and powerful ones too; but it was the way Jack interpreted Galactus to the reader that made him the first space god. How he was introduced made all the difference to the history of comics. His coming is heralded by not one, but two powerful aliens before he even arrives, telling the reader in essence that this was not your typical visiting alien menace; this is the menace; this is IT!<\/p>\n

Jack introduced Galactus in Fantastic Four #48’s “The Coming Of Galactus!”; the second half of the book is utilized to prepare readers for his arrival, which culminates with the last page. This gives you an idea of what Jack was thinking about; devoting half an issue just to prepare the reader was saying something about this character. Things really get moving with #49’s “If This Be Doomsday!” and we are very fortunate to have these uninked pencils from that historic story. As opposed to Part One of A Failure To Communicate, there is no failure to communicate between Kirby and Lee on this storyline. Stan followed Jack\u2019s direction without making major changes, and the story flows beautifully because Lee stuck to Kirby\u2019s plotting \u2014 and let there be no mistake about who plotted and paced this story. Despite whatever input Stan might or might not\u2019ve had at the conceptual phase, these margin notes show the action and dramatic impact of this pivotal episode in Marvel\u2019s history begin with Kirby. But while Jack was the \u201cfather\u201d of Galactus, we shall see \u2014 to his credit \u2014 Lee may have been his savior.<\/p>\n

“If This Be Doomsday!”
\nPencil story art by Jack Kirby, dialogue\/captions by Stan Lee, lettering art by Sam Rosen
\nFirst published in Marvel Comics’ Fantastic Four 49, April 1966.<\/h4>\n\n\t\t