Fantastic Four #257 (1983): Is Galactus related to Death?

Another genius splash page for a story that’s a character piece…About Galactus!

The whole issue is a conversation between Death and the big G wherein Death advises Galactus that he can do what he does—eat planets and wipe out entire populations—and still have a conscience.  Essentially, Death argues that death is inevitable, and both s/he and Galactus exist to move the universe along to where it needs to go.

Also, Galactus and Death are brother and sister?

Or husband and wife?

Apparently, Death is convincing, because G is totally cool with his herald Frankie Raye leading him to the Skrull homeworld.  To now, he’s been making efforts to eat uninhabited planets.  And…He does eat the Skrull’s planet!

In the past when he ate a planet, we saw a bunch of machines assemble on the planet’s surface–we never saw it like this before. Much more visceral.

Also: Sue is pregnant!

And the new improved HERBIE is HUBERT–Hyper Ultronic Brain Employing Randomized Tracings.

At the end of the issue, Reed is trying to help Scarlet Witch revive Vision, after he was put into stasis in the Negative Zone invasion arc (last issue), when he is suddenly taken from her house by an unseen kidnapper.

He’s been taken to be put on trial, which won’t happen next issue.