TheFantastic Fourhave been at the forefront of saving the world since the 1960s, but their long tenure as heroes may do the team a disservice. With their wide range of powers and talents, they’d make a compelling group of nearly unstoppable villains, too. One Marvel redesign proves exactly that, as the Fantastic Four hang up their good deeds and transform into the Frightful Four.
InMarvel Adventures Fantastic Four#25, written by Fred Van Lente, with art by Cory Hamscher, theHuman Torch misuses Mister Fantastic’s Probability Engine, stumbling upon a timeline where the Fantastic Four weren’t Marvel’s First Family. Instead, they formed a villainous team, terrorizing all in their path, and helping shape a world whereDoctor Doom (known as Doc Iron)protected Earth.
Although the Four still gained their abilities from cosmic rays during a failed mission to space,Reed Richards turned to revenge, rather than heroics upon their return to the planet, and the Frightful Four were officially created.
Marvel’s “Frightful Four” “What-If” Showcases How Diabolical The Fantastic Four Could Be
Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four#25; Written By Fred Van Lente; Art By Cory Hamscher; Color By Lee Loughridge; Lettering By Dave Sharpe
Rather than adopting thefamiliar personas of Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, the Thing, and Human Torch, the Frightful Four go a more sinister route. With Reed Richards convinced that their mission to space and his research were sabotaged, he gives into his paranoia and becomes Mr. Devious, out to punish humanity for his own failure.The others follow suit by crafting Monsterman, the Unstoppable Woman, and the Human Pyreto support his quest, effectively turning themselves into Reed’s “henchmen” according to Doc Iron. Though it isn’t the first universe where Reed Richards has gone bad, this time he has company.
The Frightful Four also have more to offer than a name change. Their usual blue uniforms have been traded for a sleek black look, seen on bothReed Richards and Ben Grimm. Mr. Devious is, of course, still a genius, and the team of baddies benefits from his inventions just like the Fantastic Four. Sue is able to hide her heat signature with specialized thermal lining and Monsterman has an incredibly designed “exo-skeleton” to combat Doc Iron’s gravity projector. The Human Pyre doesn’t get any specific upgrades mentioned, but that’s likely only because Johnny’s stay in the timeline was incredibly brief.
Mister Fantastic Is Capable If Steering The Fantastic Four In Terrible Directions
Reed Richards Defines The Team’s Destiny
Given Reed Richards’horrendous turn as the Maker, it’s been made abundantly clear that he’s capable of causing incredible damage. Johnny saw a glimpse of yet another timeline marred by Reed’s bruised ego and having the Frightful Four behind him may mean that particular iteration of the character is capable of even more destruction. Their time was too brief to know for certain, but if the team made it into the main timeline, the whole world would suffer for it. TheFantastic Fouris one of Marvel’s premiere superhero teams, buttheir alternate versions, known as the villainous Frightful Four, showed their darkest sides.
