NOTICE! Spoilers ahead for Venom War: Fantastic Four #1Reed Richards‘elastic powers make him an iconic member of the Fantastic Fouralthough they did not always stand out as much as the skills of their companions. Now, he’s revealed two new abilities that shatter all preconceived expectations about what he can do. Reed has cemented himself as one of the most skilled heroes in Marvel history with the latest upgrade to his stretchy superpowers, as he rises to an incredible new level.
In Venom War: Fantastic Four #1 – written by Adam Warren, with art by Joey Vasquez, the titular heroes become trapped in a time loop as part of Kang the Conqueror’s plan to defeat Doctor Doom. The Fantastic Four, due to their ability to shake Victor von Doom, ended up being the perfect weapon for him to use on Doom over time.
Eventually, however, Reed Richards realizes the fact that they are in a time loop, as he decides to find out what is going on by impersonating Doom to trick his army of Schemebots.
Reed Richards’ new powers give his shape-shifting abilities a whole new meaning
Venom War: Fantastic Four #1 – Written by Adam Warren; Art by Joey Vasquez; Available now from Marvel Comics
Reed manages this trick in Venom War: Fantastic Four #1 by elastically manipulating his vocal chords to imitate Doctor Doom’s, a feat he has never achieved until now. This isn’t the only new ability Mister Fantastic achieves in this story, and these upgrades demonstrate just how innovative his elasticity is. As a member of Marvel’s First Family, Mr. Fantastic is among one of the publisher’s most classic characters – still this story offers a notable example of how his powers continue to evolve and be redefined by successive generations of writers.
Reed Richards stretching his vocal chords is an impressive feat in itself, but it’s not all he can do when cornered. When he confronts Kang about the time loop he and his Fantastic Four teammates have gotten themselves into, he shows off another all-new ability. Reed elastically molds his own brain tissue to match Kang’s neurosignature. This allows him to bypass Kang’s hardware security and trap him in a loop. Stretching your own insides is no easy task, and this surprising upgrade is a testament to how much Reed Richards’ powers have evolved.
Since first receiving superpowers in 1961 Fantastic Four #1 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Reed’s stretching has become inseparable from his character. He can usually be seen stretching his body, even when performing menial tasks in his laboratory. Still, despite how long he’s possessed this superpower, it’s often perceived as one-note compared to the versatility of his teammates’ abilities. Reed Richards’ new feats argue that his stretching power is one of the most versatile abilities in Marvel lore, and other power-ups he’s obtained in recent memory build on the infinite possibilities at his disposal.
Reed Richards adds new skills to his growing arsenal of stretchy tricks
Mister Fantastic continues to push the limits of his superpowers
Superstretching isn’t typically considered as flashy as other powers in the Marvel Universe. However, when the Fantastic Four’s resident genius applies his mind to his power, he can do remarkable things with his abilities. Reed Richards has taken his elasticity to disturbing places, like when he grows extra limbs and appendages in Fantastic Four #2 by Ryan North and Iban Coello. Here, he also reveals that he can extend his eyes to other parts of his body. Mister Fantastic’s powers are as horrible as they are incredibleand this is far from the full extent of its stretching.
It takes incredible effort to get this far, making this a commendable achievement for Mister Fantastic.
This Marvel hero can do a lot more than add enhancements to his body as is, of course. In Fantastic Four #21, Reed stretches his body beyond its natural limits to protect an entire building from a vampire attack. It takes incredible effort to get this far, making this a commendable achievement for Mister Fantastic. Reed’s achievements don’t stop there either; he also learned to stretch in four dimensions and even perform mitosis. Time and time again, Reed Richards has proven the merits of his stretching, and he’s not the first Fantastic Four hero who has unlocked the hidden potential of his powers.
Mister Fantastic reaches the level of his Fantastic Four companions with his latest power upgrade
A brief history of the four’s power-ups, explained
Throughout Ryan North’s ongoing process Fantastic Four series, Marvel’s First Family has been elevated to exciting new heights with each upgrade to their abilities. For example, in Fantastic Four #6, Invisible Woman reinvents her powers by partially blocking the sun with a force field to kill mysterious bacteria from another dimension. Sue sustaining a huge force field for so long is unlike anything she has done in the past. This feat is so remarkable that she is later described as a “mass extinction event”and that nickname could very well be applied to the rest of the Fantastic Four.
Marvel’s First Family has been elevated to exciting new heights with each upgrade to their abilities.
The power-ups continue with the Thing, as Ben Grimm discovers a surprising ability. When he works alongside the Invisible Woman, the Thing’s rocky skin can evoke illusions. His powers do more than grant him brute strength, accentuating his adaptability. Additionally, the Human Torch possesses extraordinary powers beyond his usual flames, such as when he replicates the spectrum of sunlight to ward off vampires in Fantastic Four #22. The entire Fantastic Four team is stronger than ever in Marvel historyand the MCU will certainly have a field day adapting these powers for the big screen.
The Fantastic Four’s new powers prepare them for their MCU debut
The Marvel Cinematic Universe Should Take Notes
With Reed Richards and his Fantastic Four companions increasingly expanding their power sets, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has a lot to enjoy when it comes to bringing their abilities to life. Fantastic Four: Getting Started will hit theaters on July 25, 2025, and with it will come the long-awaited debut of this iconic team in the MCU. As such, Mister Fantastic’s latest update would be perfect to include in this film to introduce a wider audience to examples of just how inventive his powers can be.
Now that Reed has shown how he can expand in countless ways, both inside and out, there’s no limit to what his powers allow him to do.
It remains to be seen how the Fantastic Four will be adapted into their next film. Hopefully Reed’s abilities are done justice. After all, elasticity does not always receive the recognition it deserves as a superpower. Now that Reed has shown how he can expand in countless ways, both inside and out, there’s no limit to what his powers allow him to do, and that should be reflected in his MCU counterpart. Fans will soon be able to see what Reed Richards’ stretch could be accomplished when he returns to live action with the rest of the Fantastic Four.
Venom War: Fantastic Four #1 is now available from Marvel Comics.