List of Fantastic Four members
The Fantastic Four is a team of comic book superheroes in the Marvel Comics universe. Although the name suggests the team only has four members, in reality a number of other characters have, at one point or another, been considered members.
Fantastic Four
| Character Nick Name | Real name | Joined in | Notes For Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original Fantastic Four | |||
| Mister Fantastic | Reed Richards | Fantastic Four #1 | Former member. Husband of the Invisible Woman. Former Team leader. |
| Invisible Woman (formerly Invisible Girl) |
Susan Storm Richards | Former member. Older sister of the Human Torch. Wife of Mister Fantastic. Second-in-command. Served as team leader while Reed Richards was presumed dead (due to the actions of Hyperstorm). | |
| Thing | Benjamin Grimm | Former member of both the FF and the New Avengers. Served as team leader during Reed and Susan Richards' first joint leave of absence. Current member of the Guardians of the Galaxy. | |
| Human Torch | Jonathan Storm | Presumed deceased in Fantastic Four #587; discovered alive in Fantastic Four #600. Younger brother of the Invisible Woman. Ex-husband of Lyja. Current ambassador of the Inhumans and member of the Avengers Unity Division. | |
| Later recruits | |||
| Crystal | Crystallia Amaquelin | Fantastic Four #81 | Member of the Royal Family of the Inhumans. Younger sister of Medusa. Former girlfriend of the Human Torch. Marriage to Quicksilver was annulled. Served as a replacement for the Invisible Woman during her pregnancy with Franklin Richards and later when Reed and Susan Richards took a leave of absence from the team. |
| Medusa | Medusalith Amaquelin | Fantastic Four #132 | Member of the Royal Family of the Inhumans. Older sister of Crystal. Wife of Black Bolt. She first appeared in Fantastic Four #36 as an amnesiac member of the Frightful Four. She soon regained her memory, and years later served as a replacement for the Invisible Woman during a marital separation from Mr. Fantastic. Rejoins in Fantastic Four vol. 4 #2. |
| Luke Cage (formerly Power Man) |
Carl Lucas (at birth); legally changed to Lucas Cage | Fantastic Four #168 | Superhero for hire. Husband of Jessica Jones. He was hired by Mr. Fantastic to serve as a member of the Fantastic Four after the Thing briefly lost his powers. |
| Human Torch (later known as Nova) |
Frankie Raye | Fantastic Four #239 | Longtime ally of the team before joining. Stepdaughter of Phineas Horton, the creator of the original android Human Torch. She had powers similar to Johnny Storm (whom she dated), and almost prompted the team to change its name to the Fantastic Five. She left Earth to become a herald of Galactus. Killed by Morg in Silver Surfer vol. 3 #75. |
| She-Hulk | Jennifer Walters | Fantastic Four #265 | Former member of the Avengers. Cousin of Bruce Banner (the Hulk). Marriage to John Jameson was annulled. She replaced the Thing on the Fantastic Four after the events of Secret Wars while he remained on Battleworld. Rejoins in Fantastic Four vol. 4 #2. |
| Ms. Marvel (also known as the She-Thing) |
Sharon Ventura | Fantastic Four #306 | Former love interest of the Thing. Joined the team after Reed and Susan Richards took a leave of absence, but remained for some time after their return. After being bombarded by cosmic rays, she came to resemble a female version of the Thing. |
| Ant-Man | Scott Lang | Fantastic Four #384 | The Fantastic Four's technical advisor while Reed Richards was presumed dead (due to the actions of Hyperstorm). Killed by a zombified Jack of Hearts under the influence of the Scarlet Witch in Avengers #500 (September 2004). Rescued moments before his death by the Young Avengers and brought several years into the future by the Scarlet Witch in Avengers: The Children's Crusade #5 (June 2011). Father of Cassandra Lang, who becomes the superheroine Stature. Rejoins in Fantastic Four vol. 4 #2. |
| Namorita | Namorita Prentiss | Fantastic Four vol. 3 #43 | Cousin of Namor the Sub-Mariner. Former girlfriend of the Human Torch. Joined temporarily during a mission into the Negative Zone to rescue Reed, Sue and Ben. Died in Civil War #1, in the incident which precipitated the passage of the Superhuman Registration Act and the start of the superhero "civil war". Later resurrected via time displacement in the pages of Nova. |
| Storm | Ororo Munroe | Fantastic Four #543 | Queen of Wakanda. Member and former leader of the X-Men. Wife of the Black Panther. Storm and the Black Panther replaced Susan and Reed Richards after they decided to take a leave of absence in the aftermath of the events of Civil War. |
| Black Panther | T'Challa | Hereditary monarch of Wakanda and former member of the Avengers. Former benefactor of Fantastic Force. Husband of Storm. The Black Panther and Storm replaced Reed and Susan Richards after they decided to take a leave of absence in the aftermath of the events of Civil War. Former team leader. | |
| Franklin Richards | Franklin Richards | Secret Invasion: Fantastic Four #3 | Son of Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman. Older brother of Valeria Richards. He has been a part of the Fantastic Four mythos since his birth. He is an Omega-level mutant possessing vast psionic powers (although they are currently dormant). His abilities rival those of the Celestials, one of the most powerful races in the Marvel Universe. |
| Valeria Richards | Valeria Richards | Daughter of Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman. Younger sister of Franklin Richards. She has been a part of the Fantastic Four mythos since her birth (although originally she died during a miscarriage). Although still a toddler, she possesses an enormous intellect which even approaches that of her father, Reed Richards. | |
| Flux | Dennis Sykes | Heroic Age: One Month to Live #3 | The Fantastic Four asked for Dennis' help stopping Ego the Living Planet from destroying the galaxy. While traveling toward Ego, Dennis was inducted into the Fantastic Four and was even given a Fantastic Four uniform. Sue gave him the codename Flux. Deceased. |
| Spider-Man | Peter Parker | Amazing Spider-Man #657; FF #1 |
Old friend of the Human Torch; Johnny left Spider-Man his place in the team in his will in recognition of his close friendship with the rest of the group and as thanks for his friendship over the years. However, the name of the team at this juncture is the "Future Foundation" (the Fantastic Four name and costumes having been retired as a tribute to Johnny after his supposed death). |
| Ms. Thing | Darla Deering | Fantastic Four vol. 4 #2 | A former model who dated Johnny Storm, the Human Torch of the Fantastic Four. When Mr. Fantastic planned a trip through space and time, he tasked each member of the team to find a suitable replacement just in case, as the travel was through time, they would return four minutes after they departed. |
Close associates
A number of characters are closely affiliated with the team, share complex personal histories with one or more of its members but have never actually held an official membership. They include but are not limited to:
- Agatha Harkness: Agatha is initially hired by the Richards as a nanny for Franklin, and she is a witch from the Salem Witch Trials.[1] She frequently appears as a supporting character to the Fantastic Four and their associates.
- Alicia Masters: Alicia is a blind sculptress, stepdaughter of the supervillain Puppet Master,[2] and a longtime love interest of the Thing, as her blindness allows her to see the man inside rather than what he lookes like. She also has a close relationship with Silver Surfer and travels with him for some time,[3] and she is a frequent caretaker of Franklin and Valeria.
- Doctor Doom: He and Mister Fantastic attended college together, and he blames Richards for an experiment gone wrong which scarred his face. As the monarch of Latveria, he is the team's most deadly foe, although he sometimes helps them, such as when he aids in the birth of Valeria Richards.
- H.E.R.B.I.E. (Humanoid Experimental Robot, B-type, Integrated Electronics): H.E.R.B.I.E. is a robotic ally who first appeared in the 1978 Fantastic Four animated television series before being introduced into regular Marvel Universe continuity.[4] The original H.E.R.B.I.E. is destroyed fighting Doctor Sun. Reed Richards builds later generations of H.E.R.B.I.E.s to act as a nanny/guardian for Franklin and Valeria.
- Inhuman Royal Family: Despite an initial conflict due to a misunderstanding,[5] the Inhuman Royal Family is closely associated with the Fantastic Four, particularly Medusa and Crystal, who have both been members of the team and have close personal relationships with its members. The other members of the family: Black Bolt, Gorgon, Karnak, Triton, Maximus, and the canine Lockjaw are all closely associated with the team as friends and allies as well.
- Kristoff Vernard: Kristoff is the former heir of Doctor Doom. While under the delusion that he was the real Doctor Doom, Kristoff destroys the original Baxter Building.[6]
- Lyja: Lyja is a female Skrull trained as an espionage agent. She secretly replaces Alicia between the events of The Thing #10 and Fantastic Four #265 (both April 1984). She falls in love with the Human Torch, and they eventually marry.[7] Her identity was revealed in Fantastic Four #357–358 (October–November 1991); though, in truth, this was a retcon. Lyja helped the team recover the original Alicia to prove that she could be trusted. Her allegiances have since been divided between her native race and her new family, particularly her husband.
- Namor the Sub-Mariner: Initially cured of amnesia by the Human Torch,[8] Namor has been both an ally and an enemy to the team. Namor and the Invisible Woman have occasionally been romantically attracted, though she eventually chooses to marry Mister Fantastic.
- Silver Surfer: Silver Surfer was initially at odds with the Fantastic Four as a herald of Galactus when he comes to devour Earth.[9] It is his encounter with the Fantastic Four that persuades him to rebel against his master and drive Galactus away from Earth.[10] Since then, he is a friend and frequent ally of the team.
- Thundra: Thundra is a Femizon warrior who originates from a matriarchal technologically advanced society in an alternate reality's 23rd century. She initially appears as a member of convenience of the Frightful Four, but her true purpose was to challenge the Thing as she believes he is the strongest male warrior in history.[11] She goes on to become a frequent ally of the team and shows romantic interest in the Thing.
- Uatu the Watcher: Uatu is a member of the Watchers, an extraterrestrial race that monitors and records the activities of other planets, who are forbidden from interfering. Uatu has shown an affinity for humanity, particularly the Fantastic Four, and has occasionally broken this rule to assist them, perhaps most notably to warn them of their first encounter with Galactus.[12]
- Wyatt Wingfoot: Johnny Storm's college friend, Native American sometime-adventurer, and one-time love interest of She-Hulk, Wyatt is the son of "Big Will Wingfoot," one of Empire State University's most legendary football players.
New Fantastic Four
In Fantastic Four (1st series) #347–349 (December 1990 – February 1991) a female Skrull alien who was both a shape-shifter and a telepath managed to capture the team. Impersonating the Invisible Woman, she falsely reported the other members to be deceased and recruited four other heroes as a new Fantastic Four to avenge them, before dispatching them to try and steal a powerful weapon from the Mole Man. Members of this short-lived team included:
- The Hulk (in his grey "Mr. Fixit" persona)
- Spider-Man. He had actually once applied for membership in the team in The Amazing Spider-Man (1st series) #1 (March 1963), but quit upon realization that he would not be paid. He and the Human Torch remain longtime friends.
- Wolverine
- Ghost Rider (Danny Ketch)
In Fantastic Four (1st series) #374–375 (March 1993 – April 1993), Dr. Strange brings this same team back together to arrest the Human Torch after he went nova and destroyed a whole quarter of the city. This story was the start for the Secret Defenders ongoing series.
In Wolverine #148 (January 2000) the team comes back together during the Ages of Apocalypse reality to fight Arnim Zola, Blastaar and Annihilus with all four members wearing the popular blue FF costumes and the Hulk frequently switching between his various personalities. They also came together to battle a version of the Wendigo.
An alternate version of this team was temporarily summoned to the Marvel Universe by Psycho-Man during the Fear Itself storyline to defeat the Fearsome Four of Howard the Duck, She-Hulk, Nighthawk, and Frankenstein's Monster when Psycho-Man sought to turn Man-Thing into a fear bomb, but they were defeated by the use of Howard the Duck's secret weapon.
This team has also been shown in various What If tales and a Mini-Marvel one-shot.
A second team has appeared in the new Venom series, the team's first appearance is in the six-part mini-series Circle of Four which started in Venom (Vol. 2) #13 (February 2012), the members of this team include:
- Venom replacing Spider-Man.
- Red Hulk replacing the original Hulk.
- X-23 replacing Wolverine.
- Ghost Rider (Alejandra) replacing Danny Ketch.
Fantastic Four
Main article: Fantastic Four
In the MC2 alternate future, the team is known as the Fantastic Five and consists of the following members
- John Storm (the Human torch
- Ben Grimm (the thing
- Reed Richards (controlling a robot body remotely) (Big Brain
Suzanne
References
- ↑ Fantastic Four #94 (January 1970)
- ↑ Fantastic Four #8 (November 1962)
- ↑ Silver Surfer #126-146 (March 1997-November 1998)
- ↑ Fantastic Four #209 (August 1979)
- ↑ Fantastic Four #45 (December 1965)
- ↑ Fantastic Four #278 (May 1985)
- ↑ Fantastic Four #300 (March 1987)
- ↑ Fantastic Four #48 (May 1962)
- ↑ Fantastic Four #48 (March 1966)
- ↑ Fantastic Four #50 (May 1966)
- ↑ Fantastic Four #129 (December 1972)
- ↑ Fantastic Four #48 (March 1966)
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