Superhero Origins: The Fantastic Four

this superhero team uses their powers
for the benefit of humanity if it wasn’t
for the team the whole world would be
gone by now we can’t run away from our
responsibilities and the people we need
to protect this is who we are that’s
what I’ve been saying what about having
a normal life a family who says you have
to be normal to have a family
welcome to watchmojo.com and today we
will explore the comic book origins of
the Fantastic Four
as with most comic book characters there
are often reimagining and different
versions to a character’s past we have
chosen to primarily follow the storyline
which unfolded in 1961 s the Fantastic
Four number 1 Marvel’s first superhero
team comic readers were introduced to
the Fantastic Four through their leader
mr. fantastic otherwise known as Reed
Richards Richards was presented as a
brilliant scientist with an unparalleled
knowledge of physics who had been
working tirelessly to create the first
spacecraft that could take astronauts
beyond the reaches of the Moon
unfortunately the government suddenly
decided to cut funding to his project
even though his ship was finished and
ready for launch unwilling to see his
years of research and work go to waste
Richards decided to move up the launch
before the decision could formally be
announced requiring a team to accompany
him he invited several friends to join
him as his crew these included his
girlfriend Susan storm her brother
Johnny Storm and former college roommate
turned us test pilot Ben Grimm
despite his moved up timetable Richards
once again hit a roadblock when fears
over cosmic rays caused the spaceport to
scrap his flight willing to take the
risk
Reed and his crew waited until later
that evening to sneak back into the ship
and take off before the military could
intercept them pushing through the
Earth’s atmosphere they were immediately
struck by a massive cosmic ray storm
penetrating the hull it made Richards
and his crew too ill to continue the
mission this prompted them to return to
Earth by making an emergency crash
landing surviving the touchdown they
each discovered that the cosmic rays had
changed their bodies sue found herself
able to become invisible and would later
develop the ability to create force
fields Ben’s skin had become heavy and
stone like giving him a monstrous
appearance and increased strength Reed’s
body had become fully elastic and Johnny
gave the ability to burst into flames as
well as fly realizing that the Rays had
altered their atomic structures Reed
proposed to the team that they had been
given incredible power and
use it to help mankind individually they
picked out the superhero names mr.
fantastic the Invisible Woman the Human
Torch and the thing adopting a base of
operations within the Baxter building
skyscraper the team made use of Richards
knowledge of science to create tools to
help them
these included special outfits that
complemented and adapted with their
powers as well as the flying fantastic
car which could split apart and be
driven by each member individually
meanwhile they began using their powers
to fight crime and defend the planet
from countless dangers
these included aliens called the Skrulls
their arch nemesis Doctor Doom and the
planet devouring entity called Galactus
they even revealed their real identities
to become celebrities taking credit for
their many heroic deeds and prompting
the public to both admire and distrust
them a unique if lovingly dysfunctional
superhero family with an unstable mix of
personalities the Fantastic Four have
continued to appear in various media
over the years including crossovers and
solo adventures these include several
animated series and two big-budget
Hollywood blockbusters the Fantastic
Four have likewise become a staple of
popular culture being candidly parodied
in Pixar’s The Incredibles and The
Venture Brothers animated comedy series
gentlemen allow me to introduce my
lovely wife Sally whatever are you doing
out of your room during work hours honey