In this article we're going to discuss another Marvel comics creation that became a very big hit, The Fantastic Four. The Fantastic Four have to be the strangest bunch of characters in comic books history and have certainly been involved in some of the most amazing adventures and found themselves in the most impossible situations. The Fantastic Four first hit the comic book scene in 1961. Its appeal was probably rooted in the fact that this was a family facing the kind of problems that no family should ever have to face. At one time the Fantastic Four were actually normal people just like you and I. As a matter of fact Reed Richards and Sue Storm were engaged when the comic first started and then got married a few years later. Johnny Storm is Sue's brother. The only odd one in the group was Ben Grimm who was a friend of the family but ironically was also the heart and soul of this team. The event that took place that transformed this once normal family into the Fantastic Four was an experimental rocket ship that they had manned passing through a storm of cosmic rays. After this event, strange things began to happen to the passengers, things that would turn them into four of the greatest super heroes of all time. Each one was affected differently. This of course was by design as it gave each one certain powers that when combined with each other made the Fantastic Four something that was greater than the sum of their parts. Reed Richards underwent a transformation that literally turned his body into an elastic band. He could stretch and squeeze himself into places that no normal man could get himself into. This came in quite handy when trying to break into security buildings. Richards took on the name Mr. Fantastic. Between his scientific knowledge and his new ability there wasn't much Mr. Fantastic couldn't do. Sue Storm, soon to be Sue Richards, Gained the ability to become invisible. This was also great for sneaking into buildings and also for surprising her foes. She took on the name The Invisible Girl, then later changed it to The Invisible Woman. Reed and Sue took on the role of parents of the group while Sue's brother Johnny became the spoiled child. Johnny Storm gained the ability to create fire from his fingertips. He took on the name Human Torch. His power was a great weapon and many times got the group out of dangerous situations. Finally, there is Ben Grimm who got the worst of the deal. He simply turned into a hideous looking monster known as The Thing. But Grimm was very strong and as previously mentioned was really the heart and soul of this group. He was the one who kept the others from missing the big picture. He was the glue that held this group together, especially when Johnny was acting like a spoiled child. These four went on to become one of the most famous teams of super heroes in the history of comic books which later spawned a cartoon show and a feature film. |
