As a being who can devour entire worlds, it’s no surprise that fans often considerGalactusthe Marvel Universe’s most powerful villain. However, the World-Eater himself wouldn’t agree - in fact, he’s painfully aware thata different Fantastic Four villain could destroy himalmost without effort, afraid to ever get on their bad side lest he cease to exist.
In Al Ewing and Christian Ward’sThe Ultimates #6, Galactus is summoned to a meeting with Owen Reece, also known as the Molecule Man. Galactus rushes to attend, thinking to himself that he has been called by"the voice of a being who could end me with a thought."
As the two discuss cosmic matters, Galactus is careful not to get on the Molecule Man’s bad side, reminding himself to"tread carefully"and obey Reece’s commands. Galactus leaves no doubt that he’s intimidated by the Molecule Man’s powers, but what exactly can Owen Reece do and how did a regular human from Colorado become so powerful?
What Makes the Molecule Man So Powerful?
The Beyonders Built the Ultimate Weapon
The Molecule Man debuted in the ’60s, first appearing as the villain ofFantastic Four #20. Molecule Man can control reality on the atomic level, reshaping matter in any way he sees fit. While Owen Reece’s powers have had limits over the years, these were barriers he subconsciously created and has since surpassed. In the modern day, he possesses omniscience and omnipotence even Galactus has cause to fear.
The Molecule Man’s origin has been retconned over Marvel history, with the current version being the clearest and most encompassing. Having grown bored with the multiverse, thecosmic beings known as the Beyondersdecided to destroy it and begin again. To this end, they imbued an apparently random human with endless power, cloning him across the multiverse. At the desired moment, the Molecule Man would act as a multiversal bomb, destroying every reality in the same moment.
The Beyonders' plans came into effect in 2015’sSecret Wars, but thanks to Doctor Doom’s planning, Molecule Man was instead able to destroy the Beyonders, absorbing their power. Molecule Man then lent his power to Doom, who stopped the multiverse from ending by dragging together segments of its remaining words into the gigantic ‘Battleworld.’ Reed Richards later persuaded Owen he could use the power better, leading to the recreation of the multiverse.
Molecule Man Is a Multiversal Entity Outside of Galactus' Weight Class
Due to being split across the entire multiverse and having access to all information within each world, Molecule Man often comes across as mentally unbalanced, sporadically attempting to exert control over small parts of the world so he can be truly alone and unbothered. SinceSecret Wars, Molecule Man has been treated as more of an ally than anenemy to the Fantastic Four, however as Galactus pointed out, Owen is a capricious god who it’s impossible to predict with 100% accuracy.
As powerful as Galactus is, the multiverse is a huge place, and even he has cause to fear the beings that can stride across it. Molecule Man was created as a weapon against every reality that exists, and while he turned his back on that purpose to save the multiverse instead, he’s still destructive enough to obliterateGalactusif the Eater of Worlds gets on his nerves.
