10 best Fantastic Four stories ever, ranked

1 month ago

As 1 of Marvel’s premier superhero teams, nan Fantastic Four stands arsenic a landmark assembly of powerful quality characters altered by cosmic rays that usage their gifts for nan bully of humanity. Reed Richards, Susan Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm became Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, nan Human Torch, and nan Thing, respectively. Despite nan highly fantastical (pun intended) powers of this quartet, specified arsenic Mister Fantastic’s expertise to agelong his assemblage into immoderate style aliases nan Thing’s ace spot and imperviousness acknowledgment to his tegument made of stone, nan Fantastic Four hasn’t been 1 of Marvel’s much celebrated properties arsenic of late. In fact, each of nan attempts astatine characteristic movie adaptations of nan squad person ranged from mediocre to abysmal astatine best.

Still, die-hard Marvel fans admit that nan Fantastic Four helped found nan full thought down superhero team-ups. There’s thing rather arsenic spectacular arsenic watching an ensemble of superpowered heroes going to activity connected nan bad guys simultaneously. And sloppy of nan property’s cinematic failings, location are really a number of unthinkable Fantastic Four stories retired there. With that successful mind, we’re present to thief you find nan champion of nan champion and rank them while we’re astatine it.

10. Civil War

Iron Man and Captain and their teams confronting each other

This all-encompassing arena written by Mark Millar was a game-changer crossed nan full Marvel Universe. Much for illustration it’s movie adaptation, nan events of Civil War reverberated done galore succeeding storylines successful Marvel comics. Like almost each of Marvel’s heroes astatine nan time, nan Fantastic Four recovered themselves mixed up successful nan expansive statement betwixt state and security. As nan U.S. authorities pushes a unilateral instruction called nan Superhuman Registration Act, nan heroes of nan world are torn. Iron Man and Captain America upwind up representing either broadside of nan issue. The erstwhile is supportive of nan legislation, while nan second opposes its authoritarian implications.

Reed Richards, nan brainiac of nan F4 crew, sides pinch Tony connected nan issue, which causes a bitter section among nan famed superhero group. In fact, Reed’s partner and spouse astatine nan time, Sue Storm, yet opposes nan instruction and joins Captain America successful nan conflict against it. This yet fractures their marriage. Furthermore, Civil War demonstrates nan civilized grey area astatine nan bosom of these issues arsenic we witnesser Reed adopt an authoritarian cognition and go consenting to imprison his chap cohorts who reason nan Act successful nan Negative Zone. It mightiness not beryllium nan Fantastic Four’s champion moment, but it’s a melodramatic communicative that illustrates a very quality conflict: politics.

9. Life Story

Like nan title implies, Life Story puts nan galore years of Fantastic Four adventures into a saga opening pinch their debut successful nan 1960s. The first rumor introduces america to nan foursome, their domiciled successful nan American Space Race, and nan newfound powers they summation arsenic a results of their cosmic “accident.” The 2nd rumor rolls clip guardant to nan ’70s, wherever we are introduced to a business betwixt Reed Richards and his longtime friend, Victor Von Doom, that ends successful a sinister deception. Other heroes participate nan operation specified arsenic Tony Stark, Black Panther, and Falcon. As you’d expect, nan 3rd rumor is simply a vignette of nan ’80s, pinch each succeeding rumor focusing connected a different decade.

Eventually, we travel to to nan Fantastic Four’s confrontation pinch Galactus, a frightful improvement that has been foreshadowed successful nan earlier issues done visions seen by Reed. There’s a batch to emotion pinch this postulation arsenic it highlights immoderate of nan team’s astir notable adventures complete nan years and frames them successful existent time, meaning that we spot nan group property convincingly pinch each passing decade. It’s a premier prime for fans caller aliases old, aliases simply for those who are excited for nan MCU type of nan characters that’s connected nan horizon.

8. Ultimate Fantastic Four

Fantastic Four successful nan Ultimate universe

Fans of Brian Michael Bendis’ activity successful nan early 2000s whitethorn beryllium acquainted pinch Marvel’s “Ultimate” reboot. Though nan Ultimate beingness would later beryllium deemed a abstracted beingness from mainline canon, Ultimate Spider-Man proved to beryllium a large deed and is what led to nan preamble of Miles Morales. However, Fantastic Four was besides included successful this soft reboot pinch an Ultimate bid of their own. Much for illustration Spider-Man, nan halfway tenets of nan Fantastic Four remained nan same, but definite specifications surrounding their origins and their life communicative were reworked for a caller generation.

The Ultimate Fantastic Four bid injects younker into nan equation arsenic nan Fantastic Four each travel together arsenic students, on pinch Victor Van Damme (the early Dr. Doom), and summation their powers done a subject task gone wrong. If Van Damme’s renaming wasn’t already an indication, Bendis intelligibly sought to portion retired nan “campier” elements of nan F4’s classical origins. Ultimate Fantastic Four offers a caller perspective, including caller and engaging backstories for its characters. It’s a worthwhile publication for immoderate Fantastic Four instrumentality not acquainted pinch this alternate return connected Marvel’s First Family.

7. This Man… This Monster! (Fantastic Four rumor No. 51)

The champion singular rumor of nan Fantastic Four that Stan Lee and Jack Kirby ever produced is Fantastic Four rumor No. 51. The cardinal fig of nan full rumor is simply a mysterious man who steals Ben Grimm’s power. Using his ain science, he transfers nan powerfulness to go nan Thing to himself, leaving Ben an mean quality erstwhile again. The man intends to nonstop reward connected Reed Richards arsenic a consequence of a grudge that has festered owed to his belief that Reed’s pursuit of technological find is 1 of ego and grandeur.

On 1 fateful day, Reed requires nan Thing’s spot to anchor him down into nan Negative Zone via a rope. During his clip pinch Reed, nan imposter, who has assumed nan Thing’s identity, manages to spot Reed’s humanity and understands that he is genuinely a selfless individual contempt his surface-level perception. Suddenly, nan tether breaks and nan imposter posing arsenic nan Thing leaps into nan portal to prevention Reed, sacrificing himself successful nan process. It’s a poignant communicative that demonstrates Lee’s talent for creating engaging and conflicted characters that correspond grounded humanity contempt nan colorful, imagination worlds of a comic book.

6. Three (Fantastic Four issues No. 583-588)

Imagine — what if nan Fantastic Four became nan Fantastic Three owed to a decease successful nan family? Jonathan Hickman’s tally connected Marvel’s First Family tells that very story. It’s 1 of those uncommon moments of heroic calamity that yet highlights nan existent move betwixt nan group of heroes. The communicative follows a caller threat from Galactus that pulls portion of nan squad distant from Earth. Meanwhile, Ben Grimm takes a serum that reverts him backmost to his quality shape for 1 week. The problem is that he didn’t expect calamity to instantly hap aft shedding his rocky “Thing” exterior.

The bid delves into Ben’s narration pinch Johnny Storm and nan move they share. Ultimately, they’re nan past statement of defense erstwhile it comes to an dispute penetration from nan Negative Zone. Ben isn’t immoderate thief without his power, which leads Johnny to sacrifice himself successful a heartrending infinitesimal that leaves his friend and comrade regretful of his “selfish” desire to region his powers. It’s an impactful book and 1 that shook up nan constitution of nan squad for rather immoderate time. The FF bid followed pinch rumor No. 1, which introduced Spider-Man arsenic nan replacement for Johnny Storm successful nan Fantastic Four.

5. The Black Panther! (Fantastic Four Issue rumor No. 52)

Everyone starts somewhere, including nan King of Wakanda. For nan Black Panther, he sewage his commencement successful Marvel Comics pinch this peculiar Fantastic Four issue. That’s right. This marks nan first quality of nan Wakandan superhero. The quartet are formally invited to nan reclusive nation, and they judge aft being intrigued by tits technological prowess. Upon landing successful Wakanda, they are confronted by nan man himself.

The Black Panther flushes retired nan squad arsenic they divided up and return connected nan dangers that dishonesty successful their path, including traps and Wakandan warriors. Ultimately, nan Fantastic Four recognize they must set backmost together to overpower Black Panther. In doing so, they study that nan Black Panther is King T’Challa of Wakanda. He only put them done their paces arsenic a trial to spot if they could thief his state repel a formidable foe: Ulysses Klaw. Simply for nan sheer spectacle of seeing nan Black Panther’s comic book origins successful taking connected nan Fantastic Four, this rumor is simply a no-brainer for this list.

4. The Trial Of Reed Richards (Fantastic Four rumor No. 262)

This stellar rumor highlights nan innovative progression of storytelling successful comic books that came pinch nan 1980s. For comic book fans, nan decade is seen arsenic an inflection constituent offering strange, dark, and melodramatic caller takes connected nan colorful characters of nan much classical eras successful comics. John Byrne’s activity connected nan Fantastic Four is nary exception.

This singular rumor offers a alternatively meta position arsenic Byrne becomes a characteristic successful his ain issue. In fact, he is ripped from nan Marvel offices and tasked by nan Watcher pinch “chronicling” nan intergalactic proceedings of Reed Richards. The crime? Mr. Fantastic spared nan life of nan world destroyer, Galactus. The proceedings is an expansive look astatine nan Marvel world arsenic characters for illustration Odin (of Asgard) aliases races for illustration nan Skrull return nan guidelines to attest connected nan matter. Ultimately, nan bid of nan beingness is brought into question, arsenic is Galactus’ spot wrong it. Reed and those who support him must make their lawsuit by eschewing nan matters of correct and incorrect successful favour of cosmopolitan design.

3. The Fantastic Four (Fantastic Four rumor No. 1)

The Thing and Mister Fantastic fighting a monster.

The Fantastic Four wasn’t fixed nan moniker “Marvel’s First Family” for nothing. These heroes marked nan first collaboration betwixt Stan Lee and Jack Kirby — a narration that would yet lead tothe Marvel Universe arsenic we cognize it. So there’s nary amended spot to look than nan rumor that started it each simply for its historical appeal.

Released successful 1961, The Fantastic Four rumor No. 1 really offers 3 mini stories (or chapters) showing nan squad successful action. The first story, of course, depicts nan squad obtaining their powers aft being subjected to cosmic rays. They besides coin their superhero change egos successful this chapter. The succeeding chapters picture nan team’s first conflict pinch nan Mole Man. As his sanction implies, this conniving villain is cratering accommodation astir nan world by tunneling nether them. Of course, nan squad discovers this man isn’t simply named aft his penchant for burrowing underground. He’s besides established a world acold beneath nan earth’s aboveground wherever he commands reclusive underground creatures to do his bidding. It’s a spot wild, but a boatload of fun. Don’t miss retired connected this historical Marvel issue.

2. Unthinkable (Fantastic Four vol. 3, issues No. 67-70)

In this arc, Victor Von Doom does nan unthinkable. He uses an guiltless kid to do his evil bidding — Reed and Sue’s child, nary less. The opening of nan communicative explores Reed’s cognition of nan world and his tolerance for nan unexplained. Sue persists successful her conversations pinch her hubby that acheronian magic exists fixed Doctor Doom’s power, but he refuses to judge it contempt having seen it for himself. He explains it distant arsenic subject that he simply hasn’t studied yet.

However, nether their noses, Doctor Doom appears to their daughter, Valeria. Seeing arsenic really he delivered her arsenic an babe utilizing his knowledge of nan arcane to safely bring her into nan world without nan effects of her parents’ altered physiologies, he considers himself to beryllium her godfather. He besides utilized nan opportunity of delivering nan kid of Reed and Sue to magically enslaved pinch nan babe truthful he could usage her arsenic a conduit for his eventual crippled against nan Fantastic Four. This is 1 of nan champion and wildest Dr. Doom stories you tin find.

1. The Galactus Trilogy (Fantastic Four issues No. 48-50)

This fabled cosmic arena is legendary successful nan Marvel pantheon. Not galore stories earlier nan advent of nan Galactus Trilogy were rather arsenic apocalyptic arsenic nan action that unfolds successful issues No. 48-50 of nan original Fantastic Four from Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. It’s successful this postulation of issues that nan Silver Surfer is first introduced arsenic nan herald of Galactus — a world eater.

The Silver Surfer glides done nan cosmos preparing worlds for his maestro to consume. Given nan last day script that this presents, The Watcher attempts to hide Earth from nan Surfer’s radar, but fails. The Fantastic Four hole to contend pinch nan coming cosmic monstrosity. While nan Surfer’s actions mightiness look vile, there’s overmuch much to nan characteristic than meets nan eye, and nan Fantastic Four has to get imaginative successful bid to woody pinch an unstoppable force.

The Galactus Trilogy was loosely adapted for nan large surface successful nan 2007 film Fantastic Four: Rise of nan Silver Surfer. Because of it’s precocious stakes and nan precedent it created for large Marvel events, nan Galactus Trilogy is undoubtedly nan astir celebrated Fantastic Four communicative successful nan full bequest of nan superhero team.