Monday, August 8, 2022

Fantastic Four 1 Anniversary

Celebrating the original release of Fantastic Four #1 (cover dated November, 1961), but released on August 8, 1961, with an incredible story detailing the origin and first case of the Fantastic Four as told by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and George Klein....and kicking off Marvel Comics! 


This issue, once considered the beginning of the Marvel Universe (though, later, Timely tales of Captain America, Human Torch, Sub-Mariner, the Blonde Phantom, Whizzer, Miss America, the Patriot, Venus and more were considered canon, as well as select tales from books like Strange Tales and Journey Into Mystery including tales of gorillas, robots, Zombies and Hydra) , it still is a milestone in Marvel history!


But, back to the Fantastic Four...in this first issue, we see scientist Reed Richards, his best friend pilot Ben Grimm, Reed's fiance Sue Storm and her brother, Johnny, take off in a spaceship (originally to be the first to reach the moon, later "updated" to be the first interstellar flight), wherein the crew is exposed to cosmic rays in their improperly shielded ship, and, after crash landing back on Earth, find they each have gained powers in line with their personalities, becoming the stretchable Mr. Fantastic, strong Thing, faded Invisible Girl and fiery Human Torch!  They gather together in this issue to battle the Mole Man, and his monsters....one of many menaces they face!

So this would continue, with over 100 issues of Lee and Kirby, and so many more after that (partially covered in this early index), helped found the Marvel Universe....and so many more adventures to come!






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