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From saving the world from Galactus and even saving Galactus himself to almost destroying it thanks to his actions that caused Secret Invasion and World War Hulk, here are the biggest times that Reed Richards saved the world and the times he almost destroyed it.
9) Reed Richards Helped Cause Secret Invasion & Almost Destroyed the World
Secret Invasion was the crossover event that revealed the Skrulls had begun planning an invasion years prior and had gradually replaced various heroes and individuals in power before finally launching their attack on Earth. This all started thanks to the Illuminati, which was centered around Reed Richards, Tony Stark, and other top heroes. The Illuminati made it their mission to go to the Skrull throneworld and lay out a threat that if Skrulls attacked Earth again, things would not go well for them. The Skrulls then captured the Illuminati and experimented on them before the heroes escaped. Using the information they gathered from the experimentation, and by keeping Black Bolt captive and sending a Skrull in his place, the infiltration began. It never would have started if Reed Richards and company had not gone to the Skrull throneworld to issue their threat.
8) Reed Richards’ Invention In The Coming of Galactus Saved the World
One of the most iconic Marvel Comics storylines in history occurred in Fantastic Four Vol. 1 #48-50. This was the “Coming of Galactus” storyline, which began with The Watcher appearing and stating that something significant was about to happen. The Silver Surfer then arrived and announced the impending arrival of Galactus to destroy the world. Galactus devours worlds and destroys all life on them, but when it came to Earth, he met his match with the Fantastic Four. Reed finally saved the world when he created the Ultimate Nullifier, which would destroy everything, including Galactus, sending the Devourer of Worlds away to find another planet to consume.
7) Reed Richards Helped Cause World War Hulk & Almost Destroyed the World
Just like how the Illuminati caused the Secret Invasion storyline thanks to their aggressive actions, they also caused World War Hulk and the tragedies that preceded it. Reed Richards and the rest of the Illuminati tricked Hulk into getting on a spacecraft and then betrayed him by banishing him from the planet and shooting him off to a barren world where he could be left alone. However, he ended up on an inhabited planet where he became a hero, fell in love, and got married. A terrorist attack on the planet killed his pregnant wife, and Hulk returned to Earth, blaming the Illuminati for this tragedy and defeating everyone, including destroying Reed Richards in a one-sided fight. Hulk finally surrendered when he realized one of his allies was responsible for the terrorist explosion. However, it was still Reed and the Illuminati’s fault for betraying him in the first place.
6) Reed Richards In Secret Wars Saved the World
Secret Wars also involved the Illuminati, who knew it was coming and kept it a secret. Instead, they tried to save Earth-616 by willingly destroying countless other Earths in the multiverse to stop them from hitting this planet, effectively committing mass genocide. However, getting past that terrible decision, it was Reed Richards who eventually saved the entire world during the crossover event. A liferaft was created at the start, so there were select people who knew that Battleworld was not the “real world,” and they set out to free the survivors. It all ended when Reed Richards eliminated The Maker to ensure he didn’t interfere, and then Reed battled Doctor Doom in a fair fight when Molecule Man refused to help Doom. In the end, Reed defeated Doom and then helped Valeria create a device with Molecule Man’s help to recreate Earth-616.
5) Reed Richards’ Work In Marvel Zombies Almost Destroyed the World
One thing that sets Marvel Zombies apart from other zombie fiction is that the superhero zombies mostly retain their intelligence, yet still have an insatiable hunger for human flesh and an immoral stance on life after they have turned. Reed Richards proved how dangerous this could be. After the zombies attacked and killed his children, Reed decided that becoming a zombie was the best option, and he purposefully infected Sue, Johnny, and Ben, turning them, before also infecting Iron Man, Thor, Doctor Strange, and others. Things were already bad before, but Reed’s betrayal ultimately destroyed the Earth. As a zombie, Reed then attempted to utilize his technology to transport the Marvel Zombies into other dimensions.
