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When Stan Lee co - created Marvel’sFantastic Fourwith Jack Kirby in 1961 , he was determined to make his characters different than those in a typical superhero comic book . Chief among these dispute : the Fantastic Four had no secret identity , and the populace knew they had acquired their power in an KO’d distance foreign mission that exposed them to cosmic rays . But that transparency is n’t exactly what fan might think .
In hindsight , it seems strange that in their first mirthful Scripture issue , Reed Richards , Susan Storm , Johnny Storm , and Ben Grimm choose to go by the names ' Mr. Fantastic , ' ' Invisible Girl , ' ' Human Torch , ' and ' Thing . ' After all , these superhero codenames proved popular with their devotee , but with their identities bed , why did the Fantastic Four even disoblige taking alias ? As it turn out , the comic book account for their code names is surprisingly blue – and only one of their member love the sad truth behind this seemingly random conclusion .
Why Stan Lee Gave the Fantastic Four Their Superhero Names
In 1961,Marvel Comics had just changed from Timely Comicsand was ready to get back into publishing superhero ledger , after see the success rival publisher DC Comics was having with itsJustice Leagueteam . Publisher Martin Goodman adjoin his editor and writer Stan Lee and postulate him to create a superhero comic record book for Marvel to publish . Goodman ’s original theme was to uprise Timely Comics ’ old superheroes from the World War II earned run average , suggesting Lee reuse Captain America , Namor the Sub - Mariner , andthe original android Human Torchand create new adventures around them . Lee , however , had different ideas .
interrelate : Marvel Confirms [ SPOILER ] is voguish Than Mr. Fantastic
Wanting to quit funnies after write simplistic stories for almost twenty years , he was win over by his wife to pen the complex , role - driven stories he always desire to make . Inspired , Lee created a new Human Torch – Johnny Storm , a human teenager with no connection to the original android . He also created Johnny ’s babe Sue Storm , the inconspicuous Girl ( later renamed theInvisible Woman ) , reasoning few comics had sib as superheroes . Lee then adjudicate Sue ’s fiancéReed Richards ' massive ego name him Mr. Fantastic , while Reed ’s best friend Ben Grimm would become the rock - like monster the Thing .
Thus , when the Fantastic Four were first create , it appeared that Stan Lee only gave the quartette their colorful codification names to gentle his honcho , who wanted a superhero comic ledger . Lee also crafted a dramatic origin for the quadruple : write that Reed convinced the others to fly through a cosmic ray belt in an untested Eruca sativa , which expose them to the radiation that give them their powers . From this point on , however , the Fantastic Four ’s adventures revealed they were anything but traditional superheroes .
Are the Fantastic Four Even Superheroes?
From the commencement , the Fantastic Four behaved in way superheroes like DC ’s Superman or Batman did not . Stan Lee had them squabble amongst each other like a crime syndicate – something that seldom happened initially in the Justice League . The Fantastic Four also had terrene problems like paying the rent on their skyscraper headquarters , the dear Baxter Building . Moreover , at least one of their extremity ( thegrotesquely disfigured Ben Grimm a.k.a . the Thing ) was constantly in despair about his frightful appearance and wanted to relinquish the squad .
Despite this , Lee made sure the Fantastic Four – include Ben Grimm – were regarded as renown by the general public . former floor showed Reed Richards and his family happen children “ playing Fantastic Four ” on street corners . One payoff read the Fantastic Four clear a film about their lives ( produced by Namor the Sub - Mariner ! ) . And in a weirdly metafictional move , the Fantastic Four allowed the Marvel Comics company of their macrocosm to produce ( edited ) comic Bible versions of their adventures !
The Fantastic Four ’s adventures also had more in common with DC Comics’Challengers of the Unknown(which was created by Fantastic Four cobalt - Maker Jack Kirby in 1957 ) than traditional superheroes . While Batman might patrol the streets of Gotham every night , the Fantastic Four were always off exploring dissimilar dimension like the Negative Zone , journey to hidden countries like theBlack Panther ’s concealed nation of Wakanda , or blasting off into quad to investigate happenings on other major planet . And while many of their dangerous undertaking would have them save the world against menace like the world conqueror Doctor Doom orthe humankind devourer Galactus , the Fantastic Four was always more implicated with finding new refinement than lower the local law-breaking charge per unit .
The Real Reason They Use Superhero Names
Given all this , it seems strange that the Fantastic Four would take on ( or go forward ) using superhero names once the public had set about used to them . Being the first superhumans in the modern Marvel Universe , there was no precedent for any of them to take on codenames . And while the cover of their first topic shows them all referring to each other as “ Mr. Fantastic ” and “ The matter , ” they – along with virtually the total superhero residential area – typically refer to each other by their literal name . It was n’t untilFantastic Four Vol . 3 # 60(2002 ) , put out over forty years after the Fantastic Four made their unveiling , that author Mark Waid and artist Mike Wieringo craft a grievous explanation for the quadruplet ’s coloured public figure .
In the tale , Sue , Johnny , and Ben are vex when Reed has a publicist shadow the squad for a few days to “ improve their paradigm . ” While the publicist suspects Reed ’s self-importance might have something to do with this , Reed later confesses a sadder truth to his infant daughter Valeria . Reed unwrap he blames himself for the accident that mutated his friends into the Fantastic Four . He take in his arrogance and restlessness break any chance of them having normal lives , and that in today ’s world , they could potentially be locked up as freaks and teras . To prevent this , he manipulated the quartet ’s public image from the starting signal .
He convinced his friends to apply outlandish names like “ Human Torch ” and “ Mr. Fantastic ” ( which he admits is a name he never wanted ) ; apparel in flashy costumes ; live on in a glamourous skyscraper ; and ride in a flying car to give the Fantastic Four a “ superhero ” image . According to Reed :
You see , glamor and fame were n’t options . They were necessities . Because maybe by turning [ my ] friend into celebrities … [ I ] could be forgiven for taking their normal living out … Someday .
In confessing all this to Valeria , Reed exposes both guilt and hubris as he continues manipulating both the mediaandhis family into continuing their parody as superheroes in rescript to wield public acceptance . It ’s a strategy used with less achiever byCharles Xavier ’s tenner - Men who endeavor to make the public thought variation as superheroes , and one Reed need to always refine lest public perception change by reversal against the Fantastic Four .
With the Fantastic Four set to make their debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe within the next few age , it will be interesting if the MCU edition of Reed Richards follow a similar strategy for his team . interview have already see a dark version of the Fantastic Four thatwasperceived as freaks and goliath in the universally pannedFant4stic(2015 ) , so a lighter tone ( counterbalanced by the darker reason behind the FF ’s celebrity ) might be a welcome variety . And with so many established MCU heroes retiring or die inAvengers : Endgame , a bright young squad of zep like theFantastic Fourmight be just what the MCU want .
Next : Fantastic Four : 5 Things The MCU Can Finally Get right-hand
