Krypto-Knight Comics
Find Your Comics at Krypto-Knight Comics
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
The Fantastic Four Was A Fantastic First!
Stan Lee was on his way out of the comic book industry until he saw the fans reactions to a newly formed Superhero team he called The Fantastic Four. The new comic proved to be a sensation and it prompted Stan to stay in the business, a fact to which all of us true fans are grateful. Fantastic Four was a first in many respects. Not only did it help introduce the Silver Age for Marvel Comics but its approach to superheroes was different and unique. How so?
In Fantastic Four #1, the heroes did not sport costumes. They were public figures rather than hide behind secret identities. There dis-functional aspects as a "family" made for great dialogue between the characters. Ben's grumpiness, the Torch's childish antics, the spats between Reed and Sue, and Reed's guilt and self-blame over Ben's condition made them more human and fans related. At the same time, however, the Fantastic Four functioned well as a team.
The FF were a first in another way. They were the first Marvel superhero team and their success lead the way for other great teams like the X-Men, Avengers, Inhumans, Defenders and more. You may wonder though about the All-Winners Squad from 1941. Although the characters are from the "Marvel Universe", they were printed under the moniker of Timely Comics, Marvel's predecessor. Under the official Marvel Comics name, Fantastic Four became the first superhero team.
SPOILER ALERT!
Sadly this quartet of quarrelsome characters has come to an end. In Fantastic Four #557, released today, one member of the Fantastic Four dies. Sources reveal that Johnny Storm, the most childish among them, does the most adult thing any true hero would do. The Human Torch sacrifices himself so that his loved ones, Reed, sue & Ben can escape the Negative Zone. Whether Johnny Storm remains dead or is resurrected in famous Marvel fashion, he still remains one of Marvel's most loved heroes.
Who is your favorite Fantastic Four member? We would like to know.
Visit us on the web at www.kryptoknightcomics.com
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
i picked the thing cause the thing is clobbering awesome the thing is the typical hot headed hero only wolverine and thing can pull that off without boring people in my mind the thing is also a side of hero you dont see much which is the side that doesnt want to be what he is which is realistic
ReplyDeletemy favorite is the invisible woman.by far she's the most powerful of the 4.people who have never read the fantastic 4 don't know what she can do with her "invisible" powers. though we've been given an on screen reference to sue storm and her powers.. but honestly... i've seen her take people like onslaught on ... alone... this is why the invisible woman is my favorite member of the fantastic 4.
ReplyDeleteFor many of us growing up in the late 1960s, the slogan "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine!" emblazoned at the top of each Fantastic Four cover was not mere marketing hyperbole. The titular quartet earned the sobriquet "The First Family of Comics" not only because the foursome represented numerous comics firsts (as insightfully pointed out by Carroll Emerson in his Jan. 25 blog posting) but also because the FF's adventures deftly combined a unique family dynamic with a deep sense of wonder.
ReplyDeleteIt should also be noted that, while the characters neatly complemented each other in terms of both personality and powers, each member was memorable in his or her own right. Both the Thing and the Human Torch had their own series at different times, and the Thing has even been an Avenger. For her part, the Invisible Woman has become known as the heart of the team.
My personal favorite, though, is Mr. Fantastic, whose intellect and leadership I've always admired. His elasticity is an ideal metaphor for the way he stretches his mind. Though he may not be super-strong or able to generate flame or manipulate invisible force fields, his brainpower has caused many of the Fantastic Four's greatest foes to consider him the most dangerous member of the team. In addition, he has been a leader not only of the Fantastic Four but (as his position in the Illuminati attested) of the Marvel Universe as a whole.
--Drew Davis (240 words)
I really never had any love for the FF, not saying I don't like them, they just... were. I voted for Mr. Fantastic mainly due to his intelligence which has put him in the middle of numerous situations in both the FF books as well as other titles. Plus the whole stretching/reshaping his body is kinda cool.
ReplyDelete