Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Ultimates #4!The last one Fantastic practice The original story has been perfected Reid Richards And The thingFriendship, even with its horrifying consequences. The friendship between The Thing and Mr. Fantastic became one of Marvel’s most notable relationships. First meeting in college, Reid Richards and Ben Grimm became fast friends at Empire State University, leading to years of working together. However, a small change in their beginning changed the dynamic of their friendship while perfecting it at the same time.
in The Ultimates #4 By Deniz Camp and Phil Noto, Reed Richards’ life leading up to the accident that would give him powers is explored to see what changes were made that eventually turned him into the new Doctor Doom. However, for the most part, his early days were fairly similar to his Earth-616 variant. That is, except for one notable moment when he meets Ben Grimm for the first time in college.
This version of Reed is shown to be much younger than what he was in his original beginning. While he was always a child prodigy who attended college at a young age, he never met Ben until he was in his late teens/early 20s. But, here, he is 13 years old.
Reed Richard’s updated origin redefines his friendship with Ben Grimm
Reed sees Ben as the older brother he never had
While Reed would eventually discover over the years that he had half-brothers and half-sisters Across the universe in his family treeHe grew up in his household as an only child. By teasing him when he first meets Ben at college, Their friendship ultimately evolves into a sibling dynamic, as Reid gains not only a new friend but a role model at the same time. Ben has much more experience in things outside of science than Reed, so making him much older allows him to be a good influence on Reed as the two partner in college.
“[Reed’s] Friendship with Ben allows him to have someone to turn to when he needs them most”
moreover, This new take on the origins of their friendship allows Ben to provide a space for Reed to be himself without dealing with the pressures of being the youngest student on campus.. Being a child prodigy is bound to come with some major social hangups, as his peers are much older than him. Thus, his friendship with Ben allows him to have someone to turn to when he needs them most and creates a positive environment for him to vent his frustrations while exhibiting his love for science to a supportive audience.
Reed and Ben’s ultimate universe origin takes a horrifying turn
That doesn’t mean it can’t still be made canon
The most upsetting takeaway surrounding Ben and Reid’s new friendship is the dark turn it takes as their attempt to test Reid’s new program ends in failure. After Johnny dies in a fire and Susan Storm is bedridden in the hospital, Ben is shown to have died by suicide in a massive pile of gravel after becoming a disgraced pilot.
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There is an unfortunate downside to this new take on the relationship between the two. However, this does not necessarily mean that the future is set in stone if it makes its way outside the Ultimate Universe, as the main canon could adapt this small change to their own story line, perfecting Reed and Ben’s friendship without the need to kill . The latter.
Reed and Ben’s renewed friendship spans the better part of 2015 Fantastic practice
Josh Trank’s major comic change is finally being explored further
What’s interesting about this major change to Reed and Ben’s friendship is that it actually expands on the best aspect of the critically panned 2015 Fantastic practice Film directed by Josh Trank. In the film, Ben and Reed meet for the first time in public school together, forming a friendship that lasts for years. The two have a similar dynamic in the original Ultimate Fantastic Four Series by Mark Millar, Brian Michael Bendis and Adam Kubert. In the series, they also meet as children, with Ben protecting Reed from bullies in exchange for help with his homework.
in ultimate fantastic four, They part ways when Ben goes to college, but reunite before Reid’s fateful experiment that gives him and the rest of the team powers. Although Trank clearly took inspiration from the original Ultimate Universe’s origin for the characters, his change to have them remain friends rather than separate helps the two bond as not only friends, but also as pseudo-siblings. Despite being around the same age, Ben is clearly playing an older brother role in the friendship. He provides a positive role model for Reid, encouraging him to embrace his intelligence, just as hinted at in The Ultimates #4.
It’s interesting to see how one small change in Reid and Ben’s beginnings can redefine how their friendship unfolds for the better. Making Ben a brotherly figure to Reed is incredibly sweet, even if their new story ends in tragedy. Despite the dark side of it all, there is an adjustment that should work in the main Fantastic practice Canon because of how much it reshapes Mr. Fantastic And The things origin stories for the better.
The Ultimates #4 is now available from Marvel Comics!