The First Family of Marvel: The Fantastic Four Appreciation 2019

[U.N. Owen]

So happy Sinister is going to collect the final piece of the Summers' blood he's missing.

[Master Planner]

I'm also really happy that Sinister is finally targeting Franklin. I've wanted to see him go up against the FF for a while now.

It makes me wonder, why they took them so long for that.Outside of Onslaught, no other X-villain tried to target Franklin, which is odd, considering that he is probably one of the strongest mutants alive. Franklin's ability to shape reality at his will is such a great plot device for using Sinister or Apocalypse in a FF story and give them a room, outside of the x-corner.

[U.N. Owen]

It makes me wonder, why they took them so long for that.Outside of Onslaught, no other X-villain tried to target Franklin, which is odd, considering that he is probably one of the strongest mutants alive. Franklin's ability to shape reality at his will is such a great plot device for using Sinister or Apocalypse in a FF story and give them a room, outside of the x-corner.

Most of us choose to believe that all of them fear the wrath of Sue Storm.

[Frontier]

Kamala has done it, too.

Although I don't think she's actually done it since the first arc of her series. It's the kind of power that kind of quickly got forgotten about.

[Crimz]

Most of us choose to believe that all of them fear the wrath of Sue Storm.

That's my headcanon at least.

[jackolover]

Yeah, same here. I've been enjoying this arc a lot. It feels like the FF to me. I love Slott's characterizations - particularly Ben's - and the tweak to the FF's origin this issue is interesting to me. I'm curious as to what repercussions will come out of it. So, thumbs up for me.

Maybe Reed is exaggerating, and Overseer didn’t affect the cosmic radiation like Reed thinks, (because it would absolve him), and really, Reed’s still at fault for the shields.

The other thing I noticed about the story is the confrontation of the second class citizens in society. Ben and the Lowtown monsters are confronting the Hightowners with their conceit and lies in thinking they have a perfect society when in fact they refuse inclusion to their own people, Lowtowners. Remind you of anything? A society that denies they are exclusionist doesn’t know what perfect is. I like that reminder against us. We tend to be blind about our own patronising quality. As long as we have pretty, romantic, Christmases in our idyllic surrounds, we feel okay, while we step over less fortunate others and lock ourselves in our exclusive apartments. Dan Slott likes to remind us we contradict ourselves. I like how the white haired, blue eyed Johnny Storm is cast in the same light as a Hightowner, against his friend, the smelly, monster, Thing.

[jackolover]

Ok... I get the idea that the end reveal takes away something from the history of the Fantastic Four -- but I also think that it allows for growth in a different direction.

The FF have been around for nearly 60 years. Sometimes I think the status quo needs to be shaken up. I've grown tired of the same tropes being carried forward and repeated over multiple iterations. So the change in Reed's motivations -- I'm for it. And Johnny's update is more of the same -- but Sue's reaction is exactly the same as some of the detractors of it. So I'm willing to see where Slott goes with this one, because I doubt he wants to repeat the same storyline as Lee-Kirby did so long ago.

I’m not so sure ANAD isn’t just another alternate reality, so yeah, change the FF’s origin. It could be fun if Slott takes the FF in another direction. (Magic was disposed of earlier on in the piece as well). I think there is a price to pay when you try and change reality to be perfect, as in ANAD. When you alter the rules, you never know what dysfunctions crop up. Who ever heard of Wakanda being a Space Empire, or, the FF living a lie this whole time?

[Digifiend]

Although I don't think she's actually done it since the first arc of her series. It's the kind of power that kind of quickly got forgotten about.

She impersonated War Machine in an ANAD issue of Iron Man.

[jackolover]

Just read Future Foundation #5. That was one complicated conclusion, with 4 participants all doing something to get them home. What I can’t understand is did they end up back in ANAD? I suspect not because they went to the next dimension that had a Molecule Man fragment. And do they continue the hunt for every fragment of Owen Reece, still? It was interesting to know there are just as many Makers in every dimension made, as there are Owens.

Apart from the contrived ending, it was an interesting mini series, but I just wish we could have seen them collect a few fragments of Molecule Man. They just found one fragment and the Maker stole it.

[Digifiend]

We would've seen that if the series wasn't cancelled. That storyline will be resolved off panel and they'll probably be back with a new creative team under the Outlawed status quo soon. And yes, they were last seen in another AU, but we know how they'll get home now, so they'll be back in 616 before they next appear.

[Shadowcat]

I’m all for a new Fantastic Force, featuring Franklin, Valeria, Alex, Julie, one of the Wakandan teens, and maybe Water Snake from the now defunct 2014 New Warriors run.

[Reviresco]

It makes me wonder, why they took them so long for that.Outside of Onslaught, no other X-villain tried to target Franklin, which is odd, considering that he is probably one of the strongest mutants alive. Franklin's ability to shape reality at his will is such a great plot device for using Sinister or Apocalypse in a FF story and give them a room, outside of the x-corner.

That reminds me. Need to tell my LCBS to pre-order the Zdarsky FF X-men miniseries.

I’m all for a new Fantastic Force, featuring Franklin, Valeria, Alex, Julie, one of the Wakandan teens, and maybe Water Snake from the now defunct 2014 New Warriors run.

Aren't we getting a Force Works oneshot ... wait, that's different, isn't it?

[Digifiend]

Yeah, Force Works is the West Coast Avengers rebranding from the mid 90s, they were tying in to the Iron Man cartoon which launched at the same time. Fantastic Force is another title from the same period starring a Franklin from the future.

[Shadowcat]

I’m unsure about the Force Works one shot, because I stopped buying new Marvel around March or April, but I’m slowly getting caught up. I’m loving the idea of a new Force Works tho. Especially if Abnett is attached to it. I’d also take a series written by Zub, Ewing, or Gage.

[Reviresco]

Yeah, Force Works is the West Coast Avengers rebranding from the mid 90s, they were tying in to the Iron Man cartoon which launched at the same time. Fantastic Force is another title from the same period starring a Franklin from the future.

Thank you. I was thinking Fantastic Force also had Johnny in it?

I’m unsure about the Force Works one shot, because I stopped buying new Marvel around March or April, but I’m slowly getting caught up. I’m loving the idea of a new Force Works tho. Especially if Abnett is attached to it. I’d also take a series written by Zub, Ewing, or Gage.

No Abnett, sadly. It's Rosenberg and it's coming in February.

https://www.cbr.com/marvel-force-works-2020-february/