The Fantastic Four gained their abilities through a freak accident during a space excursion planned by Reed Richards. However, the nature of their powers has always been somewhat of a mystery, as it permanently altered them in a way that could neither be fully explained nor reversed (much to the Thing’s dismay). Marvel’s Timeslip universe brings clarity to the nature of their powers, quite literally, as they each call upon and control their own specific element and work together to save the world.
Timeslip is filled with alternative realities and re-imaginings of familiar Marvel faces, from dark redesigns to twisted relationships, and Timeslip Collection #1 allowed creators Jim Krueger and Dan Jurgens to bring the “new” Fantastic Four to life.
In this alternate reality, The Fantastic Four headed into space to combat Mole Man’s attempt to send the Earth careening toward the sun. They were bombarded by cosmic rays in the process and became “living embodiments of the elements” as a result. Timeslip gave them everything they needed to save the world and more.
The Fantastic Four’s Timeslip Origin is Tied to Heroism
The Fantastic Four’s original space excursion was the result of Reed Richards’ dream to explore space and Ben Grimm’s pact with his college buddy, Reed, to fly any ship he made. Timeslip redefines the very purpose of that mission. Instead of aiming for interstellar travel, the four head into space as an act of heroism. Mole Man has started to change the Earth’s mass, sending the planet closer to the sun and a horrible fate. Reed has an idea to reverse the effect with an elemental rain but skips out on some necessary safety measures in the process. Richards, the Storm siblings, and Grimm are exposed to the cosmic rays that ultimately change their bodies and futures. Reed leads the group in using their newly developed abilities to fix the planet, granting the Fantastic Four an origin story completely rooted in heroism rather than curiosity and exploration. They’re meant to be heroes from the start, and Timeslip offers a clear view of their intent and resulting powers.
Timeslip Defines Why The Fantastic Four Have Certain Abilities
With Reed Richards and his elasticity representing water, Sue Storm standing in for air, Ben Grimm controlling earth, and Johnny Storm obviously wielding fire, each member has both familiar and newly found powers. Even in the standard Earth-616 universe, the Fantastic Four share a link that makes them stronger together the further apart they get. Timeslip takes that idea to a new level, as they each represent a major element and must work together to fix the Earth’s mass and overturn Mole Man’s absolutely wicked plan to bring an end to humanity. In this re-imagining, it becomes clear that they need one another to succeed, just as the elements themselves exist in harmony.
On the other hand, the elements are also capable of causing great swaths of destruction. If the Timeslip universe went further, any conflict between the four could have disastrous results — for themselves and for the planet. Not only do they embody the essence of the elements, they have some level of control over them, too. It isn’t hard to imagine the calamities that could come about should Reed take a villainous turn or should Ben Grimm’s barely-suppressed anger get the better of him. Timeslip’s Fantastic Four have abilities tied to earth’s most powerful elements, and that makes them an even greater force to be reckoned with.
Timeslip Collection #1 is available now from Marvel Comics!
