Warning: SPOILERS for Fantastic Four #48
The Fantastic Four, once considered Marvel’s most important property, are nowhere near as popular today as they once were, and this recurring problem has yet to be solved. Marvel’s first family turned the company into a household name (along with creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby), and Reed Richards, the Invisible Woman, the Human Torch and the Thing once graced the lunchboxes of comic book fans across the country. But Fantastic Four #48 only proves what fans have known for years: the Fantastic Four’s greatest enemy is not Doctor Doom or Kang the Conqueror, but stagnation.
Before the X-Men, Spider-Man, Black Panther or any other Marvel superheroes created by Stan Lee, the Fantastic Four were Marvel’s flagship franchise. Unlike virtually every other superhero on the market at the time, the Fantastic Four wore no masks or capes, had no sidekicks or secret identities, and most important of all, were a family with their own personality flaws. It wasn’t long before every superhero had their own flaws, foibles, and family dramas, and the Fantastic Four had to adapt to survive by giving Reed Richards and Sue Storm children – even as Doctor Doom named their daughter Valeria.
But in Fantastic Four #48, written by David Pepose with art by Juann Cabal, it appears the Fantastic Four have ceased changing, even as the Progenitor Celestial attempts to change the world – by destroying it entirely. While Susan Storm protects the Baxter Building from enemies, Reed Richards’ narration provides insight into his thought process regarding his family. He admits (from within his sensory-deprivation think tank) that he loves Sue even as he can’t find the words while in front of her face, admits Johnny Storm is underestimated even by himself, and admires the Thing’s indomitable will in the face of impossible odds. There is nothing inherently wrong with the narration…but every Fantastic Four fan has heard these speeches before.
The Fantastic Four Are Getting Left Behind
The Fantastic Four’s family dynamic has not changed significantly in years, and in a medium that thrives on change, this means the group is left behind while other heroes’ status quos are changed. Daredevil recently faked his own death, Spider-Man is no longer dating Mary Jane, Black Panther is no longer the King of Wakanda and Thor’s father’s spirit now resides inside his hammer. Meanwhile, outside of the Thing adopting two children of his own, the Fantastic Four’s adventures remain rooted in the past.
Even 2021’s Fantastic Four: Reckoning War event – a storyline fifteen years in the making – barely changed a single aspect of the team’s dynamic. The characters are still as compelling as they were in 1961, but the stories are lacking in change. The Fantastic Four must avoid stagnation – or they could find themselves in the same pile as so many other forgotten Silver Age heroes.
