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    Fantastic Four #1

    Fantastic Four » Fantastic Four #1 - The Fantastic Four! released by Marvel on November 1961.

    Short summary describing this issue.

    The Fantastic Four! last edited by Darkside_of_the_Sun on 10/16/20 11:38PM View full history

    The Fantastic Four spring to action as a team for the first time. As they learn how to control their new found powers, will it be enough to stop the fury of the Mole Man?

    Plot Summary

    A flare is seen high in the skies above Central City and it reads: "The Fantastic Four!". The issue then follows mysterious individuals each possessing their own fantastic power (Susan Storm, Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm) as they gather to the call of one Reed Richards, the man responsible for firing the signal flare. With the four now all gathered together Reed swiftly begins to inform the group of the fearful task which awaits them. Before continuing however the story flashes back to the origin of the groups and their powers.

    In order to beat the Communists in the race to space, scientist Reed Richards, brother and sister Johnny and Susan Storm alongside pilot Ben Grimm secretly took off into space aboard a rocket ship of Richards design. During their journey the group passes through a storm of cosmic radiation where they are exposed to and bombarded by cosmic radiation. The ship returning to Earth on auto-pilot crash lands and soon after the four crew members find themselves physically transformed, possessing remarkable new abilities. Sue can now turn invisible, Johnny can turn to flame and fly, Reed can stretch his body in amazing ways and Ben was transformed into an orange, muscular "Thing". Taking the names Mr. Fantastic, The Invisible Girl, The Human Torch, and The Thing, they decided to use their abilities to become the super team known as the Fantastic Four!

    The origin of Reed's calling is then told as he shows the team pictures of atomic plants in the Soviet Union, Australia and South America all of which have been destroyed by cave-ins. Determining that Monster Isle is the equidistant center of the attacks, the group travel there by jet and upon arrival are attacked by a giant three-headed monster which Reed manages fling into the ocean. Just after a cave-in separates Reed and Johnny from the others as they drop beneath the surface and are captured by the Mole Man. Sue and The Thing meanwhile are ambushed by a rock creature which they managed to fight off and afterwards set off in search of Reed and Johnny.

    The Mole Man who reveals he is the one responsible for all of the power plant attacks informs Reed and Johnny of his past and plans to rule the world. When Sue and The Thing locate the others the Mole Man orders his monster army to destroy the Fantastic Four but Johnny distracting the largest monster allows the team retreat through a tunnel and escape. Using their jet to leave the Isle the Mole Man unleashes a nuclear blast to destroy Monster Isle and seal off the underground world forever.

    Notes:

    • The inker of this issue is unknown, although many believe George Klein is a likely possibility.
    • This issue was the focal point of The New Leave it to Beaver (a.k.a. Still the Beaver) television show on season 1 episode #24. The comic was discovered in a bag along with several other comic books that belonged to Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver. Beaver's youngest son Ollie had dreams of selling the comic book, so he could treat his classmates to a trip to Disneyland for his birthday. Wally's daughter Kelly wanted to by a white horse and name it Snowball. At the time of airing the comic book was valued at $3000.
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    3.1 stars

    Average score of 11 user reviews

    Monsters and Commies! 0

    I have to admit actually being surprised when I recently reread this issue!  The overwhelming prevalence of the Cold War dripped off the pages!  The intro into the story (in media res) gave the first chapter a diabolical feel!  There was no overt indication that the FF were even heroes!  When the actual origin story begins an interesting dynamic is already displayed between Reed and Ben - Ben actually refuses to fly until Sue chides him for being a coward!  The two college buddies are not too fr...

    8 out of 8 found this review helpful.

    The Comic That Launched An Empire 0

    Two months after DC kicked off the Silver Age with the now famous 'Flash of Two Worlds' story, Marvel struck back with this titanic comic with one of the most memorable covers in comics history!  Written by Stan Lee, drawn by Jack Kirby and inked by an artist whose identity remains a mystery to this day, The Fantastic Four were a super team like no other. The team was super powered, but also profoundly human, fighting alongside each other, but also squabbling amongst themselves. Stan Lee makes t...

    4 out of 4 found this review helpful.

    Fantastic Four #1 0

    Besides the Fantastic Four, many more world famous characters would be created by the team of Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, among others, during the early 1960s, generating a new audience for a new era of comics. Nearly all of these characters have endured and are now entering the peak of their popularity in the 21st century with a series of high-budget, popular Hollywood movies.   These early Marvel issues, though, are a far cry from those movies (many of which aren't that good, either)...

    4 out of 5 found this review helpful.
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