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The Fantastic Four is a fictional comic book superhero group. Originally published in the 1960s as a Marvel Comics magazine, the group has since been featured in TV and Movies.

The Fantastic Four #1 (November, 1961) comic was the first Marvel superhero comic, one of the key events that historians point to as marking the beginning of the Silver Age of Comics. It was written and drawn by legends Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. From the first one hundred issues of this comic have come some of the most memorable characters and supporting cast, many of which have formed the foundation of the Marvel Comics mythology. Memorable and celebrated characters such as Doctor Doom, the Watcher, Galactus, the Silver Surfer, the Inhumans, the Skrulls, the Kree, the Black Panther, and Annihilus were all created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby as supporting characters or adversaries in the Fantastic Four. All of these characters would become major players in the Marvel Comics universe in different comic book series, some even supporting their own.

Stan Lee's characteristic over-the-top billing of the book as "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine" was, perhaps, a self-fulfilling prophecy. Whether or not the series was the best selling at the time, it certainly felt like the "greatest". In many ways, this book, along with The Amazing Spider-Man, set the tone and foundation for the enduring Marvel Universe.

Galactus, Silver Surfer, The Watcher, Alicia Masters, Wyatt Wingfoot, Black Panther, Lockjaw of the Inhumans, and Doctor Doom all got their start in "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine".

Members

The Fantastic Four are:

• Mister Fantastic: Reed Richards
• The Invisible Girl: Sue Storm Richards
• The Human Torch: Johnny Storm
• The Thing: Ben Grimm

Origin

In the original version of the story, pipe smoking scientist Reed Richards had a goal. His project would make him one of the first men in space. When the rocket he had designed and supervised building was ready, Reed felt his only chance to "beat the commies" into space was to take the rocket up without authorization. With him he brought his best friend, pilot Ben Grimm, his girlfriend, Sue Storm, and Sue's younger brother Johnny. In the dead of night, the four adventurers sneak pat a guard, creep aboard the rocket, and launch into space. Unfortunately, Reed neglected to properly insulate the rocket from cosmic radiation. When the rocket was hit by the cosmic rays full out, the small crew is affected, and the rocket crashes. Surviving the wreck, they discover that the radiation affected them in different and unpredictable manners. Reed could stretch his body in incredible ways, as though he were made of elastic. Sue could turn invisible, and, eventually, create invisible force fields. Johnny could painlessly ignite himself like a human torch with total control over the fire and the ability to fly when ignited. And poor Ben mutated into a rocky misshapen creature with incredible strength. They took the code names Mr. Fantastic, the Invisible Girl, the Human Torch and the Thing, respectively. Together they banded together to use their powers to benefit mankind as the Fantastic Four.

In updated versions of the tale, Reed's goal was not to be the first in space (as this goal was outdated even before the 1970s) but to be the first to break the light barrier. In this version, Reed was not allowed to be part of the crew on the ship's first flight, because he was considered "too valuable" to risk. So he and his friend Ben Grimm decided to take an unauthorized flight. His fiance Sue refused to let him risk his life, but Reed insisted it was so safe that she and her younger brother Johnny could come along for the ride. In this version, Reed did know enough so that ship was protected against cosmic rays, but a solar flare caused an unpredictable high amount of cosmic radiation to overwhelm the ship's shields.

Reed and Sue would eventually marry and have two children, Franklin and Valeria. The Team lives together, first at The Baxter Building, and later at Four Freedoms Plaza, both skyscrapers in the middle of uptown Manhattan.

Welcome to the Family

The Black Panther and Storm temporarily replace Reed and Sue as members of the Fantastic Four with the Human Torch and the Thing.

The Fantastic Four is the first and only superhero team that operates as a family. Due to this fact, and unlike most other superhero teams, membership in the Fantastic Four has been stable over the years, with the original four still a team today. Still, one of the traditions of the comic series is to go through periods where one or more of the members takes a hiatus and is replaced by another hero. In the past, heroes like Crystal of the Inhumans, Luke Cage and She-Hulk have served as temporary members of the Fantastic Four. These periods are always temporary, usually lasting the tenure of a particular writer, and the original team always comes together in the end. After the events of the Civil War crossover limited series, Reed and Sue decided to take a leave of absence to get their marriage back on track. Reed arranged for the Black Panther and Storm to take their places on the team on a temporary basis.

Now that Reed and Sue have returned, the original team is together again in the Fantastic Four comic book. The extended family also includes Reed and Sue's two children, Franklin and Valeria. Reed and Sue serve as surrogate parents in the family, Johnny the brat, and Ben the crusty eccentric uncle. The group is thought of as "adventurers" as much as heroes, and often plunge themselves into dangerous situations for the sake of science and exploration rather than to come to someone's rescue, although a villain of some kind eventually shows up.

Another unique quality that contributes to the different feel of the book, is that the Fantastic Four do not keep their true identities a secret, a superhero anomaly in the comic book world. They wear no masks, and everyone knows their real name and address, whether it be the famous Manhattan skyscraper the Baxter Building, or their current residence at Four Freedoms Plaza. People can contact them directly, though Reed's famous security system (including a robot receptionist) screens callers scrupulously. The heroes live in the limelight, treated as New York celebrities, often using Sue's invisibility powers to evade the public and the paprazzi.

Allies

Alicia Masters, Willie Lumpkin, The Silver Surfer, The Black Panther, The Inhumans, Wyatt Wingfoot, Willie Lumpkin, The Watcher, Agatha Harkness, She-Hulk, Matt Murdock, Spider-Man and the entire Marvel superhero community.

Doctor Doom

Enemies

Arch Nemesis: Doctor Doom
Other recurring enemies: The Mole Man, The Thinker, Diablo, The Puppet Master, Galactus, The Skrull Empire, Super-Skrull, Annihilus, The Impossible Man, Blastarr, Dragon Man, The Frightful Four, and many others.

Related Media

Films

• Fantastic Four (movie) (2005)
• Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)

Television

• The New Fantastic Four (1978)
• The Marvel Action Hour: The Fantastic Four (1994)
• Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes (2007)

Games

• Fantastic Four (1997 video game)
• Fantastic Four (2005 video game)

External Links

• FFPLaza.com Fan Site

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