THE Fantastic Four They are pillars of the Marvel Universe. Thanks to legendary creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, these heroes represent the purity of the Marvel world. But over the years, they went from being a family with simple superpowers to becoming the most brilliant team in the Marvel Universe, with adventures as mind-blowing as they are. Mister Fantastic expanding his powers – and his powers can become terribly disturbing.
In Annihilation: Scourge – Fantastic Four #1 by Christos Gage, Diego Olortegui, Cam Smith, Scott Hanna, Juan Vlasco, Erick Arciniega and Travis Lanham, the Fantastic Four investigate a dimensional rupture, only to find themselves confronted by the Ftaghn Four, the corrupted FF of the Cancerverse, transformed by the Many Angular. This dark version of Marvel’s favorite heroes is not just a connected family, but a mass of flesh held together by demonic tendrils.
But it gets even darker than that, as it turns out that this version of Mister Fantastic is the very source of corruption; like a puppet master, his sprawling tentacles control the Ftaghn Four, showing just how perverse his powers can be.
Mister Fantastic isn’t just brains with his stretching powers
Your genius has a real dark side
Reed Richards is a genius who can rewrite the Multiverse. A brilliant scientist since his creation alongside his super team in 1961 Fantastic Four #1 by Lee and Kirby, their powers have always taken a backseat. Most of the time in his adventures, he is dealing with transdimensional issues or time travel or even dealing with another evil version of himself who created the Ultimate Universe. Mister Fantastic is without a doubt one of the best minds of his generation – perhaps every generation.
Reed Richards’ powers are not just about plasticity, but about stretching his body beyond human limits and into the minds of others.
Compared to his brilliant mind, Reed’s powers often seem more silly and a relic of the sixties. However, as seen in this issue, its elasticity may have more influence on the battle than previously thought. In this dark light, Reed Richards’ powers are not just about plasticity, but about stretching his body beyond human limits and into the minds of others. This version of Mister Fantastic becomes a parasite that affects the minds of his companions and uses them as extensions of himself in a twist to his power never seen before.
Mister Fantastic’s nightmare stretching powers show a darker side to his genius
Fantastic Four #22 Cover by Alex Ross
While this isn’t the first time Reed Richards’ powers have been disturbing, there’s a dichotomy constantly at play between Mister Fantastic’s brilliant mind and his unrealistic body horror. This duality between mental gymnastics and real gymnastics shows the two states of this hero: his enlightened form and a basic animal form. The only way to control how disturbing your powers can be, then, is to use your mind.
Reed Richards of Earth 616 is the only one who is able to break the dark bond, while reminding the controlled Ftaghn Four of the lives they could have lived without the parasitic influence. They free themselves from the corruption of the evil Reed, and the Fantastic Four manage to save the dimension. But the nightmare fuel of what Reed Richards could be so Mister Fantastic It’s enough to stay with Fantastic Four fans for a while, like an elastic hand reaching into the distance.
Annihilation: Scourge – Fantastic Four #1 is now available from Marvel Comics.