The Fantastic Four are facing tragedy, as the Invisible Woman‘s impending death cuts down an iconic hero. Sue Storm has spent the last few years proving just how powerful she is, even being branded a “Walking Mass-Extinction Event” by Maria Hill after revealing her ability to blot out the Sun. However, power doesn’t equate to safety, and death is coming for the Invisible Woman.
This shocking turn of events has been announced amid a slew of comic solicits for February 2024. The description of Fantastic Four #17 reveals that Sue Storm’s ancient corpse will be found during an archaeological dig, revealing the present-day Sue is soon to die alone, trapped in prehistoric times.
Fantastic Four #17 | |
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| Release Date: | 02/07/2024 |
| Writer: | Ryan North |
| Artist: | Carlos Gómez |
| Colorist: | Jesus Aburtov |
| Letterer: | Joe Caramagna |
| Cover Artist: | Alex Ross |
When construction unearths something unexpected, Susan Storm is called in – not as a super hero but an archaeologist! But when the bones she uncovers – tens of thousand of years old, dating back to the first arrival of humans in the Americas – turn out to be female…and matching her build…and wearing the shredded and decayed remains of what appears to be BLUE FABRIC constructed of unstable molecules, she must accept the fantastic: Dr. Susan Storm is going to DIE deep in Earth’s prehistory… …and that time is coming sooner than she might think! | |
Artist Alex Ross continues to serve as the series cover artist. His art adorning issue 17 visualizes the excavators discovering the Invisible Woman’s fossilized corpse, and the telltale costume of the Fantastic Four. Enjoy variant cover art by Kaare Andrews, Ron Lim and Israel Silva, below.
Invisible Woman Will Die in Marvel’s Distant Past
Time Travel Has Been a Major Theme of the Current Volume of Fantastic Four
While the mystery of Invisible Woman’s death has only just been introduced, time travel has figured into the team’s recent adventures in a big way. This Fantastic Four volume began with Reed, Sue, Johnny, Ben, and Alicia reeling from tragically being separated from their children and the other residents of the Baxter Building for one year, after Reed was forced to send it forward in time. The upcoming Fantastic Four #14 marks when their time-displaced HQ and the people inside it are meant to return from their journey.
The year without Franklin, Valeria, Jo-Venn, and N’Kala has been hard for all five heroes, and yet only three scant issues after this much-anticipated reunion, tragedy is set to strike again. Franklin and Valeria in particular will have to watch their mother seemingly age a year in the blink of an eye, only for her to learn her life is about to end soon after.
Invisible Woman’s Death Raises Some Big Questions
Can Sue Storm Solve the Mystery of Her Own Death?
Despite the emphatic announcement of the Invisible Woman’s untimely death, it’s safe to say that there’s more to this story than meets the eye. This FF run in particular has put a clear focus on developing Susan’s character as well as making her the central protagonist for certain issues. Further, the Invisible Woman’s involvement in issue 17’s plot hinges on her newly revealed doctorate in archeology, making her discovery in the same manner feel suspicious. It’s likely the story won’t just kill the Invisible Woman, but see her family fighting to help her avoid a seemingly pre-determined fate. However, thanks to the rules of Marvel’s time travel, the Fantastic Four don’t actually have the ability to change the timeline – for that, they’d need the help of their nemesis Doctor Doom…
Fantastic Four #17 will be available from Marvel Comics on February 7, 2024.
