Two Members of the Fantastic Four Are More Powerful Than Ever

Warning: Contains spoilers for Fantastic Four #18!!

The Fantastic Four have been saving the Marvel Universe for decades, yet they’re still discovering new ways to use their powers. The Human Torch and Invisible Woman just pushed their boundaries further than ever as they channeled Johnny’s flame and Sue’s light-bending abilities to create something completely new – lasers! Their new talent proves that even one of the oldest superhero teams around isn’t out of tricks just yet.

Fantastic Four #18 – by Ryan North, Carlos Gómez, Jesus Aburtov, and Joe Caramagna – features Franklin Richards tapping into his extensive powers, in the process foreseeing a disaster: invisible asteroids are heading toward Earth, and the F4’s initial solutions all fail. However, when the real scenario happens, Alicia Masters gives them exactly the inspiration they need.

Sue and Johnny work together to take both of their powersets to new heights, with Johnny producing the brightest light his flame can generate while his sister bends it into a functional, powerful laser. It’s strong enough to take down the asteroids and show that the team is anything but stagnant.

The Fantastic Four Remain Marvel’s First Explorers

More than any other team or singular hero in the Marvel Universe, the Fantastic Four are explorers. They’re heroes, too, and frequently find themselves saving the world, but it is their curiosity that defines them. Curiosity was as much a source of their powers as the cosmic rays that caused the physical changes, and it is what propels them to move forward. When Alicia suggests that they adopt an asteroid-busting strategy from a video game, all four members of the team are on board in seconds, showing exactly why many of their victories stem from keeping an open mind.

The F4 have been public fixtures for decades. Unlike many heroes who retain secret identities, they typically operate in the open. Prior to generating the lasers, Human Torch and the Invisible Woman were already discovering new ways to use their own unique powers. Johnny recently started to perfect his flame construct, “Flame-O”, which turns him into a one-man army, and Sue is a serious powerhouse capable of cutting off her own pain and single-handedly taking on Celestials. Individually, they’re incredibly impressive, but by combining powers they save the planet in mere minutes. Lasers are just a starting point.

The Fantastic Four Will Always Defy Expectations, Given The Opportunity

The F4 have been public fixtures for decades. Unlike many heroes who retain secret identities, they typically operate in the open, earning them public scrutiny and (evidently) monitoring from SHIELD. They’ve learned to work and test the boundaries of their abilities under intense conditions, and now the Invisible Woman and Human Torch’s lasers serve to remind everyone that they’re never finished experimenting. The laser tactic may have been “predictable” for SHIELD, but the team as a whole never will be. It only takes one spark of inspiration for the Fantastic Four to show just how powerful they are.

Fantastic Four #18 is available now from Marvel Comics.