Fantastic Four: First Steps Borrows Its Climax From One Of The Previous F4 Movies

Spoilers for "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" follow.

"The Fantastic Four: First Steps" makes a second go at adapting the "Galactus Trilogy." Published in "Fantastic Four" #48-50, the arc is the storytelling midpoint (but arguable quality high point) of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's 100+ issue run on "Fantastic Four." The scope of the story seems quaint now, but in 1966? When comic issues were expected to be standalone? A three-part story was a big deal, especially since Galactus (who threatened to destroy the whole world) was a bigger threat than the F4 had ever faced.

The 2007 film "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" is no-one's favorite Marvel movie, and it's generally considered to have bungled adapting this story. Galactus himself is only onscreen for about two minutes and was bafflingly reinterpreted not as a booming, armored titan, but as a giant cloud. Not so here. In "First Steps," Galactus (Ralph Ineson) is rendered in all his Kirby-esque glory. Some of Galactus' motivations could've used better clarification, but the build-up to him is exquisite. When Galactus first appears before the F4, he is kept in the shadows. His glowing eyes illuminate his silhouette and huge height. Galactus is awe-inspiring in ways few other Marvel Cinematic Universe villains have been.

Admittedly, the third act of "First Steps" — when Galactus gets off his throne to directly fight the F4 in Manhattan — is the shakiest part of the overall strong picture. In the comics Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic steals a weapon from Galactus' ship, the Ultimate Nullifier, and uses it to force Galactus to leave Earth. Rather than that literal deus ex machina, "First Steps" features Reed (Pedro Pascal) concocting a plan to lure Galactus into a trap and teleport him across the galaxy.

The way this third act plays out is shockingly similar to "Rise of the Silver," particularly with two key beats.

In the third act of "Rise of the Silver Surfer," Doctor Doom (Julian McMahon) steals the Silver Surfer's board and his cosmic power with it. Doom conjures a spear from the board and throws it at the Silver Surfer (Doug Jones/Laurence Fishburne), wanting to complete his ownership of the board. Sue (Jessica Alba) takes the shot for the Surfer; the spear penetrates her force field and then her heart. She dies but the Silver Surfer, who had bonded with Sue, repays the favor and resurrects her with his cosmic power. At the film's end, Reed (Ioan Gruffudd) and Sue are finally able to get married like they'd been planning to.

"First Steps" likewise has Sue put herself on the line. In this movie, Galactus doesn't only want to devour Earth. He wants Reed and Sue's son, Franklin, because the boy has vast cosmic powers — enough to inherit Galactus' "curse" of immortality and hunger. When Galactus takes Franklin, Sue holds him back by projecting force fields. Summoning all her strength, Sue telekinetically grabs hold of Galactus and pushes him into the portal projector. The feat saps her of all of her life... until baby Franklin uses his powers for the first time to revive his mom with a touch.

Both faux-deaths are somewhat emotional cheats, but "First Steps" at least gives Sue more dignity. Reed's arc in "Rise of the Silver Surfer" is about how he's ignoring Sue in favor of his work; her briefly "dying" feels like it's there to remind Reed to cherish her. In "First Steps," it's not a fridging; Sue is the hero of the hour, proving a mother's love for her family can overcome even a god. In general, the Invisible Woman is the most powerful member of the Fantastic Four with the most versatile powers. If any of the Four could defeat Galactus on their own, of course it would be her.

Galactus is as powerful and wrathful as the Old Testament God. The Silver Surfer (who finds worlds for Galactus to devour) is his herald, serving him like the destroyer in the "Book of Exodus" that killed the firstborn of Egypt at God's command.

Traditionally, the Silver Surfer is a man. Once he was Norrin Radd from the planet Zenn-La, then Galactus came to destroy his world. To save his people, and especially the woman he loved, Shalla-Bal, he became the herald of Galactus. This was the case in "Rise of the Silver Surfer." "First Steps" makes a tweak: Shalla-Bal herself (Julia Garner) is the Silver Surfer! Her sacrifice was to save her child, not her lover, which ties into the movie's themes of parenthood and parallels Shalla's character to the F4 themselves.

Despite the gender flip, "First Steps" excels far more with the Silver Surfer than the last movie did. Marvel fans by now are used to seeing the Surfer as a hero, but here, she is a relentless villain. The only hope the F4 have against her is to outrun her, and even then, they can't do that! To escape the Surfer while fleeing Galactus' ship, they lure her into a black hole; it takes that much power to even briefly contain the Silver Surfer.

This time, it's Johnny Storm/the Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) who makes a connection with the Surfer, not Sue. Johnny deciphers her language and lures her into a trap, forcing her to listen to the dying screams of all the worlds she's lured Galactus to. "Rise of the Silver Surfer" overlooked the Surfer's guilt, while "First Steps" suggests that Shalla-Bal's sacrifice — as noble as it may seem — was selfish; she's trading every other world in the cosmos for her own.

In "Rise of the Silver Surfer," the Surfer defeats Galactus through ... nebulous means. He unleashes a huge energy blast that causes Galactus' cloud form to dissipate. Why did he wait so long to do that? No clue! In "First Steps," the Surfer once more turns on Galactus but it makes more sense; Galactus is holding on from being sucked into the portal trap, so the Surfer flies in and pushes him through it, trapping herself in space's far reaches with her master. The redemption feels more earned than "Rise of the Silver Surfer" — if this is the last we see of Shalla-Bal, it was a strong final wave for the Silver Surfer to ride.

"The Fantastic Four: First Steps" is playing in theaters.