The Fantastic Four are among of the most unique superhero teams ever, being very different from their fellow superheroes. Whether it be their more realistic dispositions or their propensity for scientific discovery, this superhero team has some important distinctions from other Marvel characters.
Debuting in comics' Silver Age, the Fantastic Four has some of the important hallmarks of the Atomic Age while always evolving to keep up with modern audiences. Having some of the most interesting villains like Doctor Doom and the Silver Surfer, as well as featuring realistic family dynamics, one could definitely understand why The Fantastic Four comics were one of Marvel's most popular properties for a time. While their glory days may be a bit behind them at this point, here's hoping that the MCU can revitalize this singular and outstanding superpowered team.
10 They Don't Hide Their Faces For Anonymity
Heroes like Spider-Man prize anonymity and go to great lengths to make sure their real identity does not become public knowledge. The Fantastic Four seemed to shirk this superhero trope though, proudly completing heroic deeds unmasked.
Rather than be unknown heroes, the Fantastic Four enjoy the celebrity status that their lack of anonymity grants them. They receive the prestige that comes with being superheroes and get to embrace it since the public knows their superhero and private personas. Johnny Storm is especially fond of this fame. However, the Fantastic Four don't let the accolades distract them from their true heroic calling.
9 They Are Dysfunctional (But Ultimately Loving)
It would be an understatement to say the Fantastic Four have had their squabbles. It has gotten so fraught at times that they have actually broken up repeatedly. Much like a dysfunctional family, the team could argue like cats and dogs but still love and care for each other at the end of the day.
From their very beginning, the tense bickering the team would engage in was intriguing to readers who loved the drama between the Fantastic Four almost as much as the action between them and the villains. Between Sue and Reed's marital issues and the Thing's repressed rage towards Reed, plus Johnny Storm's obnoxious antics, it's understandable why the Fantastic Four can seem like they're at each other's throats sometimes.
8 They Received Different Powers But In The Same Way
The Fantastic Four gained their powers through cosmic ray exposure during an unauthorized test flight of an experimental space shuttle. Even though they were all affected by the same high doses of cosmic radiation, each Fantastic Four member received different powers.
This sets the team apart from other characters in Marvel Comics. Most Marvel characters and comics characters in general show that the way the hero or villain got their powers can be replicated by the same circumstances. An example of this is when Abomination gained pretty much the same powers as the Hulk after blasting himself with gamma radiation in a way that was very similar to how Bruce Banner got his powers. Therefore, by this logic, all Fantastic Four should have received the same powers. However, this is something that sets this tight-knit crew apart from other heroes.
7 They Are Flawed People
Many superheroes are of a high moral fiber. While some do have their flaws, heroes tend to be almost perfect people, always trying to do the right thing even in their daily lives. Meanwhile, the Fantastic Four do try to take the high road in their superhero outings but not so much in their private lives. They are realistic in their portrayal of flawed human beings.
The Fantastic Four are capable of holding grudges against each other and do not hesitate to do so. Likewise, they lash out at each other, something not too common in the highly cooperative superhero teams. The de facto leader of the team, Reed Richards especially has his fair share of flaws. Just some of these include know-it-all tendencies, a one-track mind that hinders his empathy, and not seeing Sue as an equal ,which caused her to leave him for a while.
6 They Frequently Accept Temporary
The of the Fantastic Four tend to stick together. However, that doesn't mean that they are constantly at each other's sides. At times, different of the Fantastic Four have taken breaks from the team. In their absence, temporary have ed the fray.
Temporary replacements have included She-Hulk, the Inhumans Medusa and Crystal, and Luke Cage just to name a few. One of the most famous examples of this is when Ben Grimm decided to stay on the Battleworld planet where he discovered he could shift between his human and Thing forms. As a result, Grimm asked She-Hulk to take his place in the Fantastic Four while he lived on the planet for a few months.
5 Their Adventures Are More Grandiose
Many superheroes have crime-based adventures. Look at Daredevil, who aims to bring justice to Hell's Kitchen. Likewise, a lot of the superhero objectives involve eradicating conflict. For example, the Avengers try to maintain peace around the world.
In contrast, the Fantastic Four have plot lines that are more grandiose than crime-fighting in their backyard. Their adventures often take place in outer space, trying not just to save the world, but the cosmos as well. Similarly, the stories of the Fantastic Four are more exploration based compared to their Marvel peers.
4 The Fantastic Four Is A Company
Established in part to manage Reed's patents, the Fantastic Four have their own company. It is not a front for the Fantastic Four in contrast to Wayne Enterprises, but instead a legit income-generating company with Reed as CEO.
The Fantastic Four Inc. also helps to fund their heroic escapades. While other superhero teams can be funded by outside sources or use their own ingenuity to achieve their objectives, the Fantastic Four's established independent company just goes to show how different they are from other heroes.
3 The Tone Of Their Stories
With alien foes and multiverse storylines, the Fantastic Four have plots that have more of a science fiction tone than other superheroes. The stories of the Fantastic Four are similar in nature to the science fiction comics that were uber-popular in the '50s, such as Weird Science and Strange Worlds which in turn inspired the '50s sci-fi movies that were ahead of their time.
A majority of the time, the team explores space, alternate dimensions, and time, embracing the science fiction genre. Likewise, not every expedition of the Fantastic Four involves enemies or evil. Instead, the crew travels to new planets and landscapes for scientific exploration. Even how they received their powers are based in science.
2 They Don't Expand The Team Permanently
The Fantastic Four may have temporary , but they always stick to four at a time, whereas other superhero groups like X-Men and the Avengers frequently expand. It wouldn't make sense if the Fantastic Four had seven ; it's in the name!
Mr. Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, the Thing, and the Human Torch will always remain the core four, regardless of which superheroes are coming and going as temporary replacements. The fact that they all endured the cosmic radiation blast together as well as the numerous tragedies and events that have unfolded over the years has bonded these four for the rest of their lives, making even the idea of an expansion seem completely unwarranted and unwanted.
1 They Are A Family
With three-quarters of the team related to each other either biologically or through marriage, the Fantastic Four are more of a family than any other team. Johnny and Sue are brother and sister, while Reed becomes Sue's husband.
Further, Sue and Reed end up having two children together, bonding the team as a family closer together than ever before. Likewise, the Storm siblings and Reed are a surrogate family to Ben Grimm, even naming their son's middle name Benjamin after him. Moreover, the Fantastic Four act more like a real family than any superhero team, quarrels and awkward makeups included.
