The Answer to This Decades-Old Fantastic Four Problem Is Hiding in Plain Sight

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The Fantastic Four have been around for decades, and as Marvel’s “First Family”, they began what was known as the Marvel Age of Comics in the 1960s. This gives the team a strong sense of legacy and pedigree, though this sadly doesn’t translate into popularity. The property has inarguably fallen by the wayside in terms of popularity, but this doesn’t have to remain the case.

The Fantastic Four has been irrelevant for decades to comic book fans, and part of this is due to the nature of the concept. Many of the elements that made the Fantastic Four popular years ago are actually detriments nowadays, especially next to brands that have since eclipsed it. The solution might be to look at one of these other, more popular brands and emulate what works while still keeping the main Fantastic Four in their wheelhouse.

The First Family Is No Longer Marvel’s Biggest Team

As the first major Silver Age creation by iconic Marvel duo Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, it’s no surprise that the Fantastic Four launched the Marvel Universe as fans know it. The Fantastic Four represented a form of superheroism while still being within the science fiction wheelhouse that Marvel was known for at the time.

The initial battle against Mole Man’s Moloids and giant monsters heavily resembled the monster comics of the past. There was also a strong sense of cosmic adventure, resembling a sci-fi take on properties such as The Hardy Boys and Johnny Quest, the latter of which actually came out a little bit afterward.

At the same time, this more cosmic and grandiose scope involving Microverses and time-traveling warlords would eventually be the property’s undoing. It’s all rather “hokey” to some people and simply not particularly engaging, especially when these kinds of wacky stories are a brand’s bread and butter.

Part of the unpopularity of the Fantastic Four might stem from the team’s more cosmic nature, as they aren’t the most grounded Marvel heroes. Marvel has become increasingly known for relatable and somewhat grounded heroes, which is especially the case with its two most popular brands. Spider-Man’s personal life and relationships are just as big a part of his appeal as his fighting villains. The X-Men have become synonymous with stories that act as allegories for persecution and societal exclusion.

The characters involved are usually flawed in human ways, be they heroes or villains, and this gives them a lot of depth even amid more “epic-scale” stories such as “The Dark Phoenix Saga.” That’s also the case for the Hulk, who’s hated and feared amid all the brutal smashing. The Fantastic Four don’t have this as much, with their main point of relatability being The Thing. Compared to other characters, his drama and yearning to be human again come off as rather stale after being visited constantly, so even this doesn’t offer as much narrative depth or intrigue as it could.

Marvel’s cosmic properties have rarely been its most popular. The Mar-Vell/Marvel mantle has always been one for second-rate heroes and was almost solely created to keep DC Comics from using the Captain Marvel name for former Fawcett Comics hero Billy Batson. Adam Warlock and Quasar are completely irrelevant, and even Nova went years without being so much as a blip on the radar (and still isn’t especially well-known or popular).

Nova briefly worked when he was initially introduced because he was intentionally written in the more relatable Spider-Man mold. Likewise, the Guardians of the Galaxy mainly got popular due to the movies (which emphasized comedy and character relatability), and even now, they can barely support monthly comic books. The cosmic side of the Marvel Universe is mostly something that shows up briefly every other decade for the publisher and sinks back into obscurity afterward. The Fantastic Four’s stories are simply too close to this tone and scope, and how these elements are handled also feels somewhat outdated or too old-school.

The F4 Fights Two of Marvel’s Biggest Villains- But It’s Not Enough

The Fantastic Four’s Rogues Gallery Isn’t Especially Fantastic

Something that’s almost surprising is how irrelevant the Fantastic Four has become, despite some of their greatest foes. Doctor Doom and Galactus are two of Marvel’s most well-known villains, and they’re staunch members of the Fantastic Four’s rogues gallery. Thus, it should stand to reason that the team itself would be more popular, especially with current stories such as “One World Under Doom” pushing Doctor Doom again. The problem is that, in the case of Doom, he’s actually eclipsed the heroes he usually fights.

Doctor Doom is as much of a general Marvel Universe villain as he is a Fantastic Four foe, with Iron Man and the Avengers also vexing him many times. This is different from how Norman Osborn fought the Avengers when he was Iron Patriot, as he’s still a Spider-Man villain through and through. Conversely, Doom is something of a cartoonish villain whose regal nature gives the appearance of depth, and next to villains such as Magneto and even The Kingpin, he sometimes comes off as too over the top. In the case of Galactus, he can only be used sparingly. He also represents the kind of grandiose cosmic ideas that are an increasingly hard sell to some comic book readers.

The Fantastic Four’s enemy villains aren’t as well known, even to hardcore comic book fans. Foes such as Annihilus and Mole Man are either overlooked or too old-school and cartoonish in their own way, with the former in particular having a lot of untapped potential. In the case of the Frightful Four, it’s a “reverse” team that includes both other heroes’ villains (Spider-Man’s enemy Sandman) or a brainwashed hero (Medusa of the Inhumans). This gives the impression that the F4 is almost a second-rate property, especially given its supposed importance.

If anything, the Fantastic Four is more of a launching pad for other concepts and properties (Inhumans, Silver Surfer and especially the Black Panther) than one that many fans care about on its own. This can be seen in how the team’s comic book went relatively unmissed during the 2010s when the comic book was temporarily ended, whereas the push of the Inhumans made X-Men fans angry over the supposed lack of books based on mutants.

The lack of interesting threats and villains is another facet of what the Fantastic Four lack in compelling nature, and it’s a major selling point for other heroes. Characters such as Spider-Man and Batman are just as known for their villains as anything else, to the point where movies focusing on these bad guys can be made. This could arguably be done with Doctor Doom, but he’s only one member of the team’s enemy list. Ironically, these external problems aren’t the biggest deal-breaker, and part of the issue might stem from the team itself.

Fantastic Four Being a Family Has Its Drawbacks

Marvel’s First Family Has a Stagnant Roster

The moniker of Marvel’s First Family has a literal meaning for the Fantastic Four, as they are meant to actually be a family unit. This can be seen initially in how Reed is romantically involved with/eventually marries Invisible Woman/Sue Storm, while Johnny is Sue’s brother. Likewise, Ben/The Thing is also something of a brotherly figure, and this is seen in how Reed and Sue’s children see him as an uncle.

The team has an overall comfy vibe, but this is something of a double-edged sword. The Fantastic Four’s familial nature gives it an almost saccharine element, and compared to other superhero teams, this isn’t exactly the most exciting narrative aspect to showcase. The X-Men might also be seen as a family, but they’re also a group of outcasts and misfits who usually have a somewhat “edgy” vibe. Likewise, the Avengers and the Justice League are both strike forces. While the Titans/Teen Titans also have familial aspects, they’re young adults who are certainly more marketable and relatable than a team that feels like a sci-fi version of the 1950s.

Unlike most superhero teams, the Fantastic Four’s roster barely, if ever, changes, keeping it stagnant in a way that no other group ever is. The Justice League, the Justice Society, the Teen Titans, the X-Men and the Avengers all change their rosters on the regular, with each new run of their comic books doing so. This keeps things fresh and allows for more development, especially when major members such as Superman, Nightwing, Cyborg, Iron Man, Wolverine, Cyclops and other heroes aren’t necessarily guaranteed to be on these teams.

On the other hand, the roster of Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, The Thing and the hotheaded Human Torch are constant in the F4, with only a few exceptions. It’s something of a branding/marketing issue that’s unique to the First Family, and it’s hard to see a way to fix this without fundamentally changing what fans love about the heroes. In the end, however, the Fantastic Four might not even need to change, as the solution to their problems might simply involve expanding their scope.

How Marvel Can Fix the Fantastic Four’s Irrelevance

Marvel’s First Superhero Team Can Stay the Same While Going Bigger Than Ever

Even when branding problems arise, it’s hard to throw away what works for a superhero or superhero team to fix these issues. The Fantastic Four doesn’t necessarily have to change fundamentally to attract a wider audience, even if it means the “main” version of the team remains somewhat niche compared to other properties.

The main Fantastic Four team and comic book can stay the course and remain in its usual cosmic scope, but other books can go beyond this and showcase the First Family in a different light. This would emulate a big part of the X-Men’s massive popularity ever since the 1980s, as different books were launched that followed overlooked members of the team or unrelated mutants. As a result, there are fans for X-Men as a concept, X-Men as a monthly comic book, and the X-Men as a team and individual heroes within the group.

Beyond the main Fantastic Four monthly title, different spinoff books could expand the Fantastic Four mythos while keeping the main book in a recognizable state. For instance, Future Foundation could be relaunched as the team’s equivalent to concepts such as the Young Avengers, the New Mutants and the Teen Titans. Likewise, it could logically have appearances from other heroes such as Spider-Man and Iron Man, using their popularity to bolster sales organically.

Power Pack might be relaunched in a similar “young readers” vein, with the team (due to its past connections) positioned as adjacent to both the Fantastic Four and the X-Men. Marvel 2-in-1 could have its old concept of having The Thing team up with other Marvel heroes, while the everlovin’ blue-eyed rock monster could also once again have his own solo title. After all, he was essentially Wolverine before Wolverine, and he’s also easily the most popular part of the team. Using him as the “hook” for the property isn’t a bad idea, as he’s the most marketable and relatable team member.

With the main Fantastic Four comic staying the same, there’s room for at least one book that does experimental things with Marvel’s First Family. A new Marvel Knights Fantastic Four comic book could be more “street level” in scope (compared to how the team is usually portrayed) and perhaps a bit darker as well. While these aren’t things normally associated with the team, a second Fantastic Four book that goes in these different directions is more than understandable, especially when the team itself is sometimes seen as “outdated.”

While one book offers old-school adventures and is perfectly tailor-made for those who love the team, the other could bring in readers who usually avoid it. It would take a lot of talent and high quality to keep these books running, especially since the team lacks the large built-in audience of some Marvel heroes. Still, it’s more than worth trying, especially if Marvel wants the Fantastic Four to remain relevant in a way that the X-Men and even the Avengers have in the post-MCU era.

“}]] The Fantastic 4 are more historically important than popular to some, but there’s a way to make the team more relevant while keeping their roots.  Read More