WARNING! Spoilers for Godzilla vs. Fantastic Four #1

Fantastic Four’s roster as he shape-shifts into forms that no other hero can, but he doesn’t always showcase the full potential of his skill-set. Now, Mister Fantastic has unleashed an ability he has only sparingly utilized up to this point, and the possibilities it presents prove why he’s the leader of Marvel’s First Family.

In Godzilla vs. Fantastic Four #1 by Ryan North, John Romita Jr., Scott Hanna, and Marcio Menyz, the Fantastic Four are kicking off a series of battles between Godzilla and iconic Marvel heroes. This preview for the one-shot opens with the Fantastic Four encountering Godzilla in New York, and Reed Richards jumps into action to put a stop to the monster.

Mister Fantastic announces that he plans to "make myself a fist capable of taking down Godzilla", and he does so by enlarging his hand to upgrade his strength and knocking the Kaiju down with an impressive punch - the likes of which he hasn't utilized in years.

Reed Richards Unlocks Super-Strength Thanks to His Stretchy Powers

Mister Fantastic Undergoes a Hulking Transformation That Proves His Might

Believe it or not, this isn't the first time that Mister Fantastic has demonstrated that he can tap into super-strength via his stretching. He also shows off this ability in Fantastic Four #415 by Tom DeFalco and Carlos Pacheco, in which his anger at Franklin being taken by Onslaught drives him to stretch his muscles far beyond their usual size and strength. As he does, the narration points out that Reed's body has reached "Thing-like proportions", hinting at his strength being on par with Ben Grimm's. Iceman is reasonably impressed, as Reed's power feat is nothing short of "fantastic".

Unfortunately, despite the immense power that this hulking form grants Reed Richards, he hasn't utilized it much within the comics. It has recently undergone an increase in popularity and recognition among fans, though, thanks to its appearance in the Marvel Rivals video game. In this game, Reed can boost his physical might by enlarging his upper body so that he can land devastating punches, just like the one he has now used to strike at Godzilla. If a beast as massive as Godzilla can be defeated by Mister Fantastic's transformation, then he should take advantage of it more often.

Reed Richards' Powers Are More Versatile Than Meets the Eye

By Stretching His Body, Mister Fantastic Can Unlock Secondary Powers

Over the years, Reed Richards has pushed the limits of his stretchy powers in numerous ways, so this bulky form is far from unusual for the Fantastic Four hero. In Fantastic Four #14 by Ryan North and Ivan Fiorelli, for instance, he shape-shift his vocal cords to mimic other people, in addition to altering the structure of his brain. Mister Fantastic can do much more than elongate his limbs to reach targets from afar, and it’s about time his abilities were explored like this.

Mister Fantastic can do much more than elongate his limbs to reach targets from afar, and it’s about time his abilities were explored like this.

Stretching tends to be an underrated superpower, and Reed Richards' skills can be overlooked by many since his teammates possess flashier move-sets. Human Torch sticks out with his roaring flames, as does the Thing with his raw strength. Ryan North's take on the Fantastic Four has now unleashed Reed Richards' latent potential by reviving a forgotten application of his stretching, and his ability to match the Thing's muscles will undoubtedly come in handy.

Thanks to His Power-Up, Reed Richards Is Replacing The Thing

Reed Richards Flexes His Super-Strength as The Thing Loses His Own

The Thing has earned an understandable reputation for being the “brawns” of the Fantastic Four, whereas Thing recently lost his usual powers. Reed Richards has proven that he is the Fantastic Four’s most underrated powerhouse, thanks to this mighty transformation.

Godzilla vs. Fantastic Four #1 will be available on March 26th, 2025 from Marvel Comics!