When it comes to world-shattering threats, few entities are as powerful as Marvel's Galactus. As the Devourer of Worlds, this force has lain waste to countless lives with hardly any of Marvel’s heroes able to truly stand in his way. But while Galan of Taa may be one of the most powerful forces in his universe, DC Comics’ own iteration on Galactus totally outclasses him.
Marvel and DC are known for having plenty of analogue characters. From the Flash and Quicksilver to Hawkeye and Green Arrow, more often than not these equivalents are fairly comparable in terms of raw power. Unfortunately for Galactus, his DC Comics competition - the Sun-Eater - leaves him in the cosmic dust.
DC Comics’ Final Night by Karl Kessel and Stuart Immonen is not the first time that fans are introduced to the Sun-Eater weapon, but it’s by far its most mind-blowing show of power. As its name would suggest, the creature attacks the Earth’s Sun, blanketing the world in its titular Final Night after similarly devouring the sun of New Tamaran. All the while it shrugs off any attempts from heroes like the Justice League to abate its assault until a Parallax-powered Hal Jordan gives his life using the entirety of his cosmic-level power to reignite the devoured Sun and destroy its killer in the process. And though the Sun-Eater was ultimately unsuccessful, that doesn’t detract from his grave a threat it truly poses.
The Sun-Eater, DC's Own Idea of Galactus
As Galactus feeds on planets, the Sun-Eater clearly feasts on stars. But in the process, the Sun-Eater not only devours and destroys its prey, but it also ultimately destroys the solar system surrounding it as well first by depriving it of all heat and light and then by leaving a supernova behind in its wake. All this it does simply on instinct as a creature desperate for its next meal with far less strategy and planning than Galactus himself. While the Devourer of Worlds certainly lives up to his title, there’s still a fair amount of preparation and technology involved in Galactus’ dining process. And even after finding, preparing, and consuming the world in question, Galen has ultimately consumed only that solitary world. His power is great enough to fell even the mighty Darkseid, but his hunger is clearly lesser than that of the Sun-Eater.
Galactus is undoubtedly one of the most dangerous entities in comics, but even he has his limits. And while it’s rarely the Devourer’s goal to actively seek out destruction for any means other than his own sustenance, his destructive capabilities still pale in comparison to those of his star-absorbing counterpart. Marvel’s Galactus may be the Devourer of Worlds, but DC Comics’ Sun-Eater clearly has the more dangerous appetite.