Fantastic Four (1961 series) #48

The skies over Manhattan turn crimson. Gravity distorts. Panic spreads. As The Fantastic Four return from their encounter with the Inhumans, they find the world trembling under an unseen force. Uatu the Watcher appears, solemn and grave, warning of an entity beyond comprehension: Galactus, the devourer of worlds.

From the heavens descends Silver Surfer, a radiant figure gliding across the skyline, marking Earth for destruction. His arrival is met with awe and terror. Reed Richards scrambles to understand the threat, but even his intellect falters before the scale of what’s coming.

As Galactus materializes—colossal, godlike, indifferent—the city freezes in dread. Ben Grimm clenches his fists, Johnny Storm flares defiantly, and Sue Storm shields civilians, but none can stop the inevitable.

In a quiet apartment, Alicia Masters meets the Surfer. Her kindness pierces his cosmic detachment, planting the seed of rebellion. The issue ends with Galactus towering above Earth, ready to feed, while the Surfer begins to question his purpose.