Fantastic Four - Year Two!

The Fantastic Four begins its second year with the introduction of the most important characters in the series aside from the Fab 4 themselves. With the fourth issue the Marvel Universe re-introduces the second of the classic Golden Age heroes (the first being the revised Human Torch).

The Sub-Mariner is the same character who appeared in all those many stories in the 40's and 50's, just long-lived and having fallen into a bout of amnesia. In the FF he is set up as an antagonist and becomes an implacable enemy and sometimes ally in the early years. The decision to make the Sub-Mariner an opponent can be traced to his quixotic Golden Age days and allows him to become a semi-regular in the series for many months to come.

Also we meet Doctor Doom. Doom is the ultimate FF villain, the counterpart to the genius Reed Richards, the brilliant evil scientist wears mighty armor which makes him at once both a medieval villain and a modern menace. Before you know it, these two ultimate baddies are joining forces. Their alliance though is a tenuous one as Doom is all too ready to turn on his partner when the moment presents itself. Despite sending the Fab 4 into the depths of space, the villains fall short.

Then it's a trip into space again as the Fantastic Four are forced to help Kurrgo of Planet X. Their solution is rather genius, though Kurrgo doesn't fare so well. Mr. Fantastic dreams up a way to save the population of an entire planet, and even frustrate the schemes of their evil leader.

The Puppet Master is up next, and this villain seems a bit small time for the FF with his gleeful grin and radioactive clay which gives him control of others. But the addition of his niece, the lovely but blind Alicia Masters proves most significant in that Ben Grimm has at long last found someone who loves him as he is. The conflict in this heartwarming relationship is a real step in the true development of the characters.

After yet more battles with Sub-Mariner and Doctor Doom, the FF confront the Impossible Man, an alien who means no harm, but proves problematic as he lives up to his name with his erratic and visually exciting transformations. Mr.Fantastic might be the stretching hero of the Marvel Universe, but it takes the Impossible Man to really bring that classic Plastic Man magic to the fore.

The Marvel Universe really begins to gel as we get a whole story dedicated to the Fantastic Four and how they interact with their fans. The Fourth Wall gets pushed on a bit as both Stan Lee and Jack Kirby become characters in their own tales.

The year closes out with the first official crossover in the Marvel Universe as the FF investigate the mystery of the Incredible Hulk. It's a wonderful issue which brings together the two powerhouses of the MU, the Thing and the Hulk. That same month the FF guest-star in Amazing Spider-Man #1 to kick off the Web-Slinger's book. These interactions are the beginnings of a the Marvel Universe as something grander than a single book.

More to come next week as we enter year number three.

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