The Fantastic Four are one of Marvel’s most venerable teams. They kicked off what has been called the “Marvel Age of Comics,” when Stan Lee and Jack Kirby changed superheroes forever. For years, Fantastic Four was called “The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine,” but the team’s success outside of the comics has been lesser than many of Marvel’s other franchises. There’s a few animated series, two movies from the ’00s, and one major flop, Fant4stic.
Videos by ComicBook.com
The FF are getting their chance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The movie releases July 25th and many MCU fans want to know more about the FF. Well, they need to look no further. These ten stories will give them a primer on the best FF stories, ones that will better acquaint MCU fans with Marvel’s First Family.
Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #1
For MCU fans, it’s not always good to start at the beginning. Oftentimes, characters have changed a lot since their first appearance. Not only that, but comics have also changed a lot since then, and older books may not appeal to modern readers. However, for the Fantastic Four, the best place to start actually is the beginning. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s vision for the series is on display immediately in Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #1, which tells the story of how Marvel’s First Family gained their powers and then pits them against the Mole Man.
Lee and Kirby hook readers immediately with this classic. Its Cold War setting shows off the creators’ beliefs in American exceptionalism, but it still does a tremendous job of showing the direction this team is going to take as the years go on. This issue sets the standard for every FF story that has come after it. With the rumor the Fantastic Four: First Steps is going to take place in the past, this is the best place for MCU fans to start.
Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #5
Doctor Doom is going to play a massive role in the MCU in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, and the best place to start with the character for MCU fans is Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #5, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. This issue sees Doom attack the FF for the first time, using his time machine to send the team back in time to the age of pirates. On this jaunt, the Thing becomes the basis of the legend of Blackbeard before the team returns to the present and defeats Doom.
Lee and Kirby created one of comics’ greatest villains in this story and began a rivalry that would define the Marvel Universe. This comic harnesses the energy of two comic greats and is the definition of fun superhero action. Lee’s dialogue can be a little much, but it perfectly illustrates who each character is. Kirby’s art is amazing as always, jumping off the page at the readers. This is classic Marvel and MCU fans will find the kernels that grew into the universe they loved here.
“The Galactus Trilogy”
Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ villain is Galactus, so the best place to start for MCU fans may be the first Galactus story. Running through Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #48-50, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, it’s gone down in history as “The Galactus Trilogy.” This story sees the Watcher, familiar to MCU fans, warn the Fantastic Four about the coming of Galactus and his powerful herald Silver Surfer. The team is nearly helpless against the all-powerful cosmic power of Galactus, with the Earth seemingly doomed.
The Galactus Trilogy is exactly the kind of cosmic spectacle that inspired the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Lee and Kirby are on fire here, presenting a story that dips into cosmic horror as Galactus is, after all, an unfeeling force of destruction, not caring about the lives on the planets he devours. Lee gets to write one of his favorite characters, Silver Surfer, and Kirby’s art is as bombastic as ever. This is one of the greatest comic stories ever, and perfect for MCU fans who want to see Galactus before his MCU debut.
“The Man, This Monster”
The tragedy of the Thing is one of the most important parts of the Fantastic Four mythos. While the other three members of the team got great powers and could bask in the glow of celebrity as scientists who saved the world, Ben Grimm was transformed into a monster. Mister Fantastic did everything he could to cure his old friend but always failed. Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #51, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, titled “This Man, This Monster,” puts the Thing on full display, when an evil scientist takes his power and pretends to be the Thing in order to destroy the Fantastic Four, forcing Ben to save the day and eventually transform back into the monster he hates being.
Lee had quite a grip on the pathos of Ben Grimm, and this issue puts it on display perfectly. This issue has gone down as one of the best Fantastic Four comics ever. It’s full of drama and pathos, rendered beautifully by Kirby. It cuts to the soul of the Thing and shows the powers of the bonds between the FF. This is the one issue that will help MCU fans truly understand the Thing and how far he will go to save the day, making it a must-read.
Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #242-244
While the first Galactus story is generally considered the best, there’s another one that many fans love. Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #242-244, by John Byrne, brought Galactus and his new herald Terrax to Earth. Galactus was at his lowest, not fed in ages, and the FF teamed with the heroes of New York City to stop the World Devourer. After they defeat Galactus, though, instead of destroying him, the FF comes up with another solution that leads the cosmic god to get another herald and leave the Earth.
John Byrne is probably the greatest comic creator to work on Fantastic Four after Lee and Kirby. His run on the book has gone down as one of the best comic runs of all time and is full of brilliant stories (several of which are on this list). This Galactus story is unlike any other MCU fans could experience, and it shows that the FF aren’t typical superheroes either, with the surprising ending of this story reveals exactly what kind of heroes the FF are and has repercussions down the road for the FF. More on that later.
[RELATED: Marvel Is Reprinting These Classic Fantastic 4 Comics — Do They Hint at The Fantastic Four: First Steps Plot?]
Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #258
Doctor Doom is an amazing character readers have learned to love over the decades. A big reason for that is how well the character has been fleshed out, and one of the best examples of this comes in Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #258, by John Byrne. This comic showed readers a day in the life of Doctor Doom, telling the story from his perspective. Comics about villains were rare in the early ’80s, and this comic does an amazing job of showing why Doom is one of the greatest villains of all time. The issue’s most well-known sequence sees Doom’s young ward Kristoff asking a question that sees the monarch show his petty true colors.
Doctor Doom is a complicated character, and this comic shows that. Byrne is on fire in this issue, and this book is often considered one of the greatest Doctor Doom comics of all time. If MCU fans want more Doom, then this issue is perfect for them. It captures all sides of the character, and it’s one that MCU fans should read to better understand the villain.
Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #262
The Fantastic Four saved Galactus when he was at his lowest ebb, something that showed the core of goodness that defines the FF. However, saving him would allow him to continue committing genocide on a massive scale, something which the rest of the universe wasn’t exactly happy about. This caused them to arrest Mister Fantastic leading to the trial of Reed Richards in Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #262. Richards has his defenders and detractors alike, including his family, the Watcher himself, and many survivors of Galactus. However, a most surprising being comes to the trial, one who is there to speak for Richards — and is also the last person most of the jury wants to listen to.
MCU fans have barely gotten a taste of how big the Marvel Universe truly is, which makes this comic perfect for them. It shows some of the greatest alien races in the Marvel Universe and goes into the terror that Galactus has caused over the years. This is truly epic cosmic Marvel and is perfect for MCU fans who want to see the grandeur of a great FF story.
Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #268
The Fantastic Four are first and foremost a family. Reed is married to Sue, Sue’s brother is the Human Torch, and the Thing has been like a brother to Reed since the moment they met. Reed and Sue even had a child by the 1980s, Franklin. Sue later finds herself pregnant again, but problems with the radiation in her system lead Reed to a villain in Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #268, by John Byrne. Reed asks Spider-Man villain Doctor Octopus for help. Doc Ock agrees and the two race to the hospital. However, when Ock’s arms break out of a secure facility and look for their master, things are about to get tragic.
This issue is completely heartbreaking and shows the problems with being a superhero with a family in the Marvel Universe. Byrne does an amazing job of this issue, balancing drama and action beautifully, playing with the reader’s expectations and giving them a suspenseful journey. It’s a brilliant use of the comic storytelling medium, and it’s something that MCU fans need to experience.
“Unthinkable”
Doctor Doom can be a noble monarch, and for this reason, many readers forget that he is also a monster. Doom has done heroic things over the years, but he’s also done terrible things. Nowhere is this more on display than the story “Unthinkable,“ by Mark Waid and the late great Mike Wieringo. This story sees Doom embrace the occult like never before to finally destroy his hated enemies in the Fantastic Four. However, to get the power he needs to destroy his enemies, he has to make a terrible sacrifice that will change the way readers look at him forever.
Robert Downey Jr. playing Doctor Doom is going to make it hard for many MCU fans to hate him. RDJ is Iron Man, after all, and these fans have been conditioned to love him. This is why they need to read “Unthinkable.” It shows just how far Doom’s hatred will make him go, containing his most ghastly act. This story shows Doom is the ultimate villain — a man who can make everyone think that he’s not that bad but is capable of acts that would freeze the blood of any person who witnesses them.
Secret Wars (2015)
Secret Wars (2015), by Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic, isn’t technically an FF story. It’s an event that shook the Marvel Multiverse, pulling in characters from many Earths. However, at its core, Secret Wars is all about the FF. The story’s main character is Doctor Doom, and the members of the FF play massive roles. Secret Wars is about the end of the Multiverse and what comes next, with Doom standing tall as the savior of all. However, even when doing something altruistic, Doom is still evil, and a group of survivors of the old multiverse — led by two different versions of Reed Richards — decide to overthrow God Emperor Doom and try to rebuild creation as it should be.
Doom’s hatred of the Fantastic Four, and his grudge against Reed Richards, are central to this story, making it an FF story at its core. The MCU is likely going to take a lot from this tale in the years to come, and in many ways, it’s the ultimate Fantastic Four story, which should put it on every MCU fan’s list.
