Fantastic Four #1 ”The Fantastic Four” (Nov. 1961)
Okay, okay, this is a monumentally important issue, so maybe I should cut it some slack, but this cover raises SO many questions:
1. What is turning invisible faster going to do, when you're already grabbed by green man. 2. Nice namedropping the team, Johnny. But it's at the top of the cover. 3. Nice namedropping yourself, Ben. But it's in the box on the right. 4. Where the fuck did those ropes come from? 5. To anyone who doesn't know Reed's abilities, that just looks like a shitty off-model drawing. 6. They barely fight this monster in this issue. He appears on another splash page, and then the actual fight was like, 2 panels, and not worth me even including.
I know they really had no idea what they were planning with this, but even so it's such a weird fucking intro. Time for me to assemble my superhero team I've never assembled before by announcing our name in a cloud of gas in the air!
Also, "Central City". As all geographers know, New York is the centrallest of cities.
And then we introduce Sue as someone openly oblivious to her own superpowers.
That's right, the one thing I love more than cars is melting the shit out of cars.
Johnny somehow attracts the attention of the military.
Thankfully, Reed is here to harmlessly toss a NUCLEAR LOADED DEVICE INTO THE WATERS OUTSIDE NEW YORK CITY.
Yes, that's right. We're going to hint at and later show their first adventure; but first, we show their origin story; but before we even did that, we have to show them acting accidentally like jackasses and causing mayhem. That's what will really help us establish their characters.
At least we can show those commies what for!
Earlier in the issue she was both amazed that she "really was invisible", and that she could activate it at will. She really never tried to use the power between the incident and the calling? Never tried it in front of a mirror?
Johnny discovers he can fly and decides to burn down a national forest.
Not pictured: The Mole Man.
A series of bizarre cave-ins all located around areas of dense radioactivity. Surely the best team to help a scientist out is his girlfriend, a big guy, and a teen; and not, say, more scientists.
I’m sorry, what?
Also, I left it out, but earlier in the issue Ben got the call and abandoned his “disguise” to make his way here. Where did a new one come from?
On this completely undiscovered island: actual monsters, apparently.
Also Reed, what are you wearing? What’s with that hat?
You just HEARD there was a giant three-headed creature? From WHO?
Luckily, this deux ex cave-in saves us from thinking about the plot much longer.
Okay so... I’m no scientist, and I just googled this, but I can’t seem to find any reason why a collection of diamonds would be producing light. One, they would need a light source. Two, unmined diamonds don’t really sparkle at all, that’s caused from when they’re cut by a jeweler. And finally, how is light so powerful it knocks someone unconscious, and why do they need full body suits just to protect their eyes?
Also, Mole Man’s shades are rocking.
Sorry to put a whole page, but Mole Man’s backstory is by far the most relatable thing in this entire issue. We’ve all been shunned by jobs and love, and opted to find a mystical land in the center of the Earth, right?
His “first fatal mistake” never comes up again. Mole Man and Reed spar with sticks and Mole Man wins; the sticks don’t ever come up, Mole Man’s heightened senses aren’t mentioned again in this story, nothing.
Okay, I know it was the 60s, but “Before I slay you all, behold my master plan”? REALLY? Also, that plan doesn’t make any sense. Why are nuclear plants the one thing that are an issue from his mole creatures a---wait, mole creatures? He has never mentioned mole creatures before and they don’t appear later in the issue, but I think they might in later issues? Anyway, whatever.
Also where did Ben get ANOTHER coat and hat from??
Moments before this, they were trying to escape with the Mole Man. But eh, whatever; we might want him in a later issue, but we still need to closure, so sure, he blew HIMSELF in.
That concludes the very first issue of the Fantastic Four, and the first story of the Silver Age of Marvel comics. It might not seem like much, but this pretty mediocre issue actually revolutionized storytelling in superhero comics. Just the notion that they didn’t have costumes at this point, was a huge thing. Eventually Marvel’s Silver Age will birth the first heroes with imperfections, life problems, moral dilemmas. Believe it or not, this is a big deal.