Fantastic Four

The Fantastic Four is a superhero team that appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They first appeared in The Fantastic Four #1 in November 1961, and they helped make comic books more realistic and exciting. The team was created by artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, who used a special way of making stories called the "Marvel method."

The four main members of the Fantastic Four got special powers after flying into space and being hit by cosmic rays. There is Mister Fantastic, Reed Richards, who can stretch his body into amazing shapes. Then there is the Invisible Woman, Sue Storm, who can turn herself or others invisible and create strong invisible barriers. The Human Torch, Johnny Storm, can make fire and fly. Finally, there is the Thing, Ben Grimm, who has very strong, rocky skin that makes him tough and durable.

Even though they have super powers, the Fantastic Four act like a real family, sometimes arguing but always caring for each other. They are famous for their many friends and enemies, including Doctor Doom, their biggest enemy. The team has also been shown in many movies, video games, and animated shows, with some of the most popular being the films from 2005, 2007, 2015, and an upcoming one in 2025.

Publication history

Origins

Publisher Martin Goodman asked his editor, Stan Lee, to create a superhero team comic, inspired by the popular Justice League of America. Lee wanted to make a series with realistic characters who had flaws and could make mistakes.

Lee and artist Jack Kirby developed the team together, with Lee writing the stories and Kirby drawing them. They called their approach the "Marvel Method," which became a standard way of making comics at Marvel.

1960s and 1970s

The Fantastic Four became very popular when it debuted in 1961. The team included Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Ben Grimm, and Johnny Storm. Early stories featured villains like Doctor Doom and Namor the Sub-Mariner. The series introduced many important characters and ideas, like the Inhumans and the Negative Zone.

Kirby left Marvel in 1970, and other writers and artists took over. The series continued to tell new stories and introduce fresh ideas.

1980s

Writer John Byrne helped renew the series in the 1980s. He changed some characters, like making Sue Storm more confident and strong. The team faced many challenges, and the stories explored new directions for the characters.

1990s

Writer Walt Simonson took over in the late 1980s and brought a new style to the stories. Later, Tom DeFalco and artist Paul Ryan continued the series, introducing new plot twists and characters. The series was canceled in 1996 but returned with new stories soon after.

2000s

The series saw many writers and artists in the 2000s, including Mark Waid, J. Michael Straczynski, and Mark Millar. Big events like "Civil War" and "Secret Invasion" changed the team and its story. The Human Torch seemed to die in 2011 but was later shown to be alive.

2010s

The series was relaunched in 2011 with the team calling themselves the Future Foundation. The original team returned in 2012, and the stories continued to explore space and new adventures. The series ended in 2015 but came back in 2018 with writer Dan Slott.

2020s

In 2022, a new version of the Fantastic Four began, written by Ryan North and drawn by Iban Coello. The team continues to face new challenges and adventures.

Spin-offs

The Fantastic Four inspired many other comic book stories. Some of these stories include Giant-Size Fantastic Four from the 1970s and Fantastic Four Unlimited and Fantastic Four Unplugged from the 1990s. There was also a story called Fantastic Force that focused on a young adult named Franklin Richards from a different timeline. In 2001, a special series called Fantastic Four: The World's Greatest Comics Magazine paid tribute to the creators, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

In 1996, Marvel created Fantastic Four 2099, which imagined the team in a future world where people thought they were copies of the original members. In 2004, Ultimate Fantastic Four showed the team as young adults, and they appeared in other stories like Ultimatum. Starting in 2011, a series called FF focused on younger characters, including Franklin and Valeria Richards, and later featured a new team of heroes.

Solo series

The Human Torch solo

The Human Torch, one of the Fantastic Four members, got his own stories in Strange Tales starting in 1962. These stories showed Johnny living with his sister Susan in Glenview, Long Island, New York, where he tried to keep his superhero identity a secret while attending high school. His friend Doris Evans often appeared in these stories. Later, the Human Torch had his own series influenced by manga, and also teamed up with Spider-Man in a special story.

The Thing solo

The Thing, another Fantastic Four member, had his own stories teaming up with other heroes in Marvel Two-in-One. This series ran for many issues and included adventures in different time periods and alternate realities. The Thing later got his own solo series that ran for several issues.

Invisible Woman solo

In 2019, Marvel published a five-issue series focused solely on the Invisible Woman, written by Mark Waid and drawn by Mattia De Lulis. This was the first time she had her own solo stories. Artist Adam Hughes created the covers for all five issues.

Characters

The Fantastic Four started as four regular people who became astronauts. During their space flight, they were hit by special rays that gave them amazing powers. Ben Grimm, the pilot, and the crew—Susan Storm and her brother Johnny Storm—survived a crash landing and found they could do incredible things.

The team includes Mister Fantastic, who can stretch his body; Invisible Woman, who can turn herself and others invisible; Human Torch, who controls fire and can fly; and The Thing, who turned into a rocky, strong creature. Even though they often argue, they work together to protect people. They have had many bases, with the most famous being the Baxter Building in New York City.

Supporting characters

The Fantastic Four have many friends and allies who work closely with them but are not official team members. Some of these friends include Namor the Sub-Mariner, who was once an enemy, Alicia Masters, Lyja the Lazerfist, the robot H.E.R.B.I.E., and Kristoff Vernard, who was once trained by the villain Doctor Doom. Others include Wyatt Wingfoot, the parents of Sue and Johnny, Franklin Storm, the android receptionist Roberta, the governess Agatha Harkness, and Reed and Sue's children, Franklin Richards and Valeria Richards.

Some allies have temporarily joined the team, such as Crystal, Medusa, Power Man (also known as Luke Cage), Nova (Frankie Raye), She-Hulk, Ms. Marvel (Sharon Ventura), Ant-Man (Scott Lang), Namorita, Storm, and the Black Panther. There have also been other characters involved with the Fantastic Four, like Alyssa Moy, members of the Inhumans, and the Silver Surfer.

Main article: List of Fantastic Four enemies

The Fantastic Four face many challenging enemies. Some of their oldest foes include the Mole Man, the shape-shifting Skrulls, Namor the Sub-Mariner, the planet-eater Galactus, the clever villain Doctor Doom, and the tricky Puppet Master. Other notable enemies are Kang the Conqueror, Blastaar, the Frightful Four, and many more creative villains who try to cause trouble for the team.

Cultural impact and legacy

The Fantastic Four became very important in comic book history. Many writers and critics have put the team on lists of the best superhero teams ever. They are famous for being stylish, strong, and very popular.

The Fantastic Four were different from other superheroes because they did not hide who they were. People felt both suspicious and amazed by them. The team members often argued, which sometimes made it hard for them to work together. But in the end, they always worked as a team. Their first comic book was a big hit and changed superhero comics forever. Many readers liked the characters, especially their realistic feelings and disagreements.

In other media

There have been four The Fantastic Four animated series and four released feature films. The Fantastic Four also guest-starred in the "Secret Wars" story arc of the 1990s Spider-Man animated series, and the Thing guest-starred in the "Fantastic Fortitude" episode of the 1996 The Incredible Hulk series. They also appeared in the 2010 series The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

There was a short-lived radio show in 1975 that adapted early stories, featuring a pre-_Saturday Night Live Bill Murray as the Human Torch. The Fantastic Four also appeared in audio adaptations and dramatizations.

Television

The Fantastic Four has been the subject of four animated television series. The first, produced by Hanna-Barbera, ran from 1967 to 1968. A second series followed in 1978. In 1994, a new series ran for 26 episodes. The fourth series, Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes, debuted in 2006.

Film

The first film adaptation was completed in 1994 but was not publicly released. A second film in 2005, and its sequel in 2007, featured the same main cast. A reboot in 2015 received poor reviews. In 2025, a new film titled The Fantastic Four: First Steps was released, with a new cast. The characters will also appear in an upcoming film titled Avengers: Doomsday.

Video games

The Fantastic Four have appeared in several video games, including Marvel: Ultimate Alliance and Lego Marvel Super Heroes. They also star in tie-in games based on the 2005 film and its sequel.