Every superhero in the world Fantastic Four plays an integral role in the team, but there is one member whose role is more crucial than the rest. THE Invisible Woman she may not be the leader like Reed Richards, but one story proves that Marvel’s First Family would cease to exist if it weren’t for her. The Fantastic Four cannot function as a team without Sue Storm, thus confirming that she is the most important member of the team.
In And if? #42, titled “What If Susan Richards Had Died in Childbirth?”, by Peter B. Gillis, Ron Frenz, Joe Sinnott and Janice Chiang, an alternate storyline is revealed to the events of Fantastic Four Annual #6 by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Sinnott and Sam Rosen, in which the Invisible Woman is giving birth to Franklin Richards, but requires Element X from the Negative Zone to protect him from her body’s cosmic rays. Normally, the Fantastic Four retrieve him in time and Sue gives birth to Franklin without any further problems. In this timeline, however, Sue Storm dies in childbirth.
This singular death causes a ripple effect that leads to the disbandment of the Fantastic Four as readers have come to know, with each member of the family struggling to cope. The tragic consequences of the Invisible Woman’s death solidify how essential she is to the Fantastic Four.
The death of the invisible woman proves her importance to the Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four heroes are lost without Sue Storm in their ranks
With the Invisible Woman gone, the rest of her Fantastic Four companions mourn her. They hold a funeral for Sue and give speeches, revealing the impact her loss has had on each of them. The Human Torch’s sadness over his sister’s fate makes him cry before uttering many words. Meanwhile, the Thing manages to control himself enough to give a speech, and his words address Sue’s value to the team: “The FF would never have existed if it weren’t for her.” These words ring true as the Fantastic Four crumble in his absence.
Although Sue’s death affects every member of the Fantastic Four, Reed Richards’ grief is the deepest of all.
Each Fantastic Four hero has a unique bond with the Invisible Woman this makes his death more impactful. For Johnny, Sue is the older sister who raised him. Just as the Human Torch can only reach his maximum power with the help of the Invisible Woman, Johnny only became the man he is with her guidance. As for the Thing, the Invisible Woman was the first person to not see him as a monster, and it was through her influence that he accepted himself. Still, while Sue’s death affects every member of the Fantastic Four, Reed Richards’ grief is the deepest of all.
Reed Richards’ reaction to the loss of the invisible woman reveals his greatest contribution to FF Lore
Sue Storm stops Reed Richards from becoming Doctor Doom
While Johnny and Ben deal with the loss of Sue while trying to move on, Reed wallows in his misery. The loss of his wife leaves him feeling completely empty inside, and he sums up her importance to him by saying: “Sue was the only thing that kept me from ending up like Von Doom, a faceless, heartless tin god.” Reed being an emotionless figure in Marvel lore is a long-standing misconception, but this shows that he isn’t – thanks to Sue. She keeps him human, and it takes losing her for Reed Richards to become cold and calculating like Doctor Doom.
Reed Richards’ love for Sue Storm sends him into a downward spiral when the loss of his family destroys Mister Fantastic. Seeking to avenge her by any means possible, Reed returns to the Negative Zone to kill Annihilus. Namor, driven by his own love for the Invisible Woman, and the other heroes of the Fantastic Four attempt to stop him, but Reed chooses death in the end. Even his infinitely curious mind has no interest in a world that lacks Sue Storm, and thus the world loses another great hero. Thus, there would be no Fantastic Four without the Invisible Woman; there can be no Reed Richards without her either.
Sue Storm is the heart and soul of the Fantastic Four
Invisible Woman Strengthens Marvel’s First Family in More Ways
Invisible Woman is the glue that holds the Fantastic Four together, on and off the battlefield. Her abilities reflect this, as she summons powerful force fields to protect them from dangerous threats. They are much more vulnerable without her by their side, physically and emotionally.
Plus, Sue is the reason her teammates have become better versions of themselves, from her helping the Thing accept his rocky exterior to keeping Mister Fantastic tethered to humanity. Simply put, they wouldn’t be heroes if it weren’t for her. THE Fantastic Four It only exists in its current iconic form because of the Invisible Womancementing its necessity in Marvel lore.
And if? #42 is now available from Marvel Comics.