Fantastic Four ages

[CaptCleghorn]

We don't need to know them.

So true. But we do love chatting about unimportant trivialities.

[davew128]

I think we're forgetting that Doom is a LOT older or should be chronologically because he went back in time to the Library with Molecule Man and was there for....25 years? Now he probably de-aged himself as God Emperor, but his mind still experienced those events. He has to be pushing 80.

[whiterabbit]

I think Dr. Doom is like 500 years old since he time traveled into the past to learn magic and "waited" to reach the present day.

[Tulku]

IIRC, Johnny Storm, Peter Parker, Jean Grey, Scott Summers, & Warren Worthington were supposed to be the same age, and same scholastic level during the Silver Age. Bobby Drake was younger, and Hank McCoy was older. I always assumed that Sue may have been a 2-3 years older than Hank McCoy.

A part of me thinks that Sue is in the same age bracket as T'Challa, McCoy, Sam Wilson, Simon Williams, & Clint Barton. Tony Stark being older than them, but not by much.

Reed, Ben, and Hank Pym are the elder statesmen who should be about the same age (forever 40-ish), with Tony Stark being slightly younger (forever 35-ish).

Franklin should be about 8 years younger than Kitty Pryde. If Kitty is around 20, then Franklin should be around 12.

I gave up on trying to figure out Val's age after the Mark Millar FF run.

If you really want to go crazy, factor in Dr. Strange's age. He went to med school, then became a surgeon, then became a famous surgeon. Then he had his accident. Then he spent years searching for cures (spending his fortune along the way). Then he became a bum on skid row, then he made his way to Kamar Taj. So, even assuming he is a genius, he had to have been in his mid to late 30s by the time he got to Kamar Taj.

Now some writers like to write that magic powers were just bestowed on him, like he was bitten by a radioactive amulet, but the original story is that he studied and studied and studied at the feet of teh Ancient One. There is some text that just being in Kamar Taj slows one's aging, so he didn't appear to physically age as much, but figure ten years of study to master the mystic arts and be sent back to NY. And then he stopped aging at all (during Englehart's run). I figure that he, arguably, could be in his late 50s or early 60s--and just not look it.

Roger Stern used to occasionally have a character make a comment to the effect that they remember the great surgeon Stephen Strange, but then decide that Doc could not be him because he looked much too young. This was Stern acknowledging the age-retarding bits of Strange's life. As always, Stern understood the character better than most.

[CaptCleghorn]

If you really want to go crazy, factor in Dr. Strange's age. He went to med school, then became a surgeon, then became a famous surgeon. Then he had his accident. Then he spent years searching for cures (spending his fortune along the way). Then he became a bum on skid row, then he made his way to Kamar Taj. So, even assuming he is a genius, he had to have been in his mid to late 30s by the time he got to Kamar Taj.

Now some writers like to write that magic powers were just bestowed on him, like he was bitten by a radioactive amulet, but the original story is that he studied and studied and studied at the feet of teh Ancient One. There is some text that just being in Kamar Taj slows one's aging, so he didn't appear to physically age as much, but figure ten years of study to master the mystic arts and be sent back to NY. And then he stopped aging at all (during Englehart's run). I figure that he, arguably, could be in his late 50s or early 60s--and just not look it.

Roger Stern used to occasionally have a character make a comment to the effect that they remember the great surgeon Stephen Strange, but then decide that Doc could not be him because he looked much too young. This was Stern acknowledging the age-retarding bits of Strange's life. As always, Stern understood the character better than most.

I liked that about Stern's Strange. After all, if your mentor is the Ancient One, surely a couple of secrets of healthy longer living would have come your way.

[Michael Watkins]

I think Dr. Doom is like 500 years old since he time traveled into the past to learn magic and "waited" to reach the present day.

if he's like Wanda, he ages whenever he uses sorcery. I remember him being desperate to learn the secrets of immortality right about the time of Siege.

[TriggerWarning]

I choose to subscribe to the Franklin is afraid his power and doesn't want to grow up theory so he is altering reality to keep anyone from aging. Some people who have read much more FF than me have actually put a lot of work into gathering evidence for this in regards to things that have happened with Franklin. I don't think Marvel is really doing this as that would require a lot of planning and forethought but its a nice theory so you can stop thinking about how little sense the Marvel timeline makes.

[CaptCleghorn]

I choose to subscribe to the Franklin is afraid his power and doesn't want to grow up theory so he is altering reality to keep anyone from aging. Some people who have read much more FF than me have actually put a lot of work into gathering evidence for this in regards to things that have happened with Franklin. I don't think Marvel is really doing this as that would require a lot of planning and forethought but its a nice theory so you can stop thinking about how little sense the Marvel timeline makes.

I hope that myself and the others putting the time into this realize theirs is a minority opinion. The fact that Marvel is not going to, or even is capable of, locking in an encompassing timeline makes this thread sheer speculation. That's cool.

The advantages and fun of a thread like this are that we can launch our theories and our jokes.

[Oberon]

I like this. We have to all remember, sorry, but as Elton once sang "Comic book characters never grow old".

My head canon always says that Sue is around or not quite 10 years younger than Reed and Ben. She is always at least 5 years older, but possibly a few more than that. But not 10. The range of ages for the FF should be sorta mid / late '20s to early / mid '40s. (I choose to forget that after SW they were gone several years, 5 even, on their own - - or the effects of the Skrull age ray being reversed (FF early # 200s) gave the boost that makes it negligent.)

[Anthony Shaw]

In Amazing Spider-Man #3, Johnny Storm comes and gives a speech at Peter's high school. So he was shown a little older than Peter, but not by much. Johnny was the freshman or sophomore college to Peter's high school senior or at least one-year from last.

The X-Men used to be Peter's age but as time passed, Jean and Scott and others were allowed to age and grow up, and they are now far older than Peter and Johnny. By some ten years at least. Emma Frost is a bizarre case, in that she was once way older than Scott and Jean but has been de-aged to be the same age, maybe a year or two older.

Kurt Busiek told me online once here that Iron Man was originally 40 year old but has been de-aged into his mid-to-late 30s. In the MCU, Tony is definitely in his 40s in the first movie and is now in his early 50s by the time of Endgame.

The Marvel Shared Universe is essentially a giant card trick since its obvious that when you break down the individual corners, time passes at a different pace and different rate across titles. The X-Men is a corner where characters do age and grow. But it's not the case with the others.

Wolverine and Thor being immortals are less affected by all this.

I seem to recall Johnny needing to secretly get his high school diploma when the FF lost their powers after a battle with the Frightful Four. I believe Johnny started college around the first time Galactus showed up. It would make sense that Johnny may have gotten behind in high school being part of the FF.

The O5 aging compared to Peter & Johnny has always bugged the hell out of me. I always blamed Wolverine & Kitty for that, lol. I still consider Emma being at least 5 years older than Scott during their relationship.

Tony Stark was always a grown-ass man to me, but this is the first I've heard of him being 40. In Busiek I trust! The RDJ casting makes even more sense!

The problem with the X-Men is that they keep introducing younger generations of mutants every 5 years or so (instead of more contemporaries to mainstays who trained themselves without the need of Xavier), who ultimately become cannon fodder/wallflowers, but also ages up the previous generations. Kitty & the New Mutants/X-Force should never exceed past 20. The surviving members of Generation X are grown now.

Yet somehow, Franklin had to go on hiatus in order to show a little age.

[Anthony Shaw]

If you really want to go crazy, factor in Dr. Strange's age. He went to med school, then became a surgeon, then became a famous surgeon. Then he had his accident. Then he spent years searching for cures (spending his fortune along the way). Then he became a bum on skid row, then he made his way to Kamar Taj. So, even assuming he is a genius, he had to have been in his mid to late 30s by the time he got to Kamar Taj.

Now some writers like to write that magic powers were just bestowed on him, like he was bitten by a radioactive amulet, but the original story is that he studied and studied and studied at the feet of teh Ancient One. There is some text that just being in Kamar Taj slows one's aging, so he didn't appear to physically age as much, but figure ten years of study to master the mystic arts and be sent back to NY. And then he stopped aging at all (during Englehart's run). I figure that he, arguably, could be in his late 50s or early 60s--and just not look it.

Roger Stern used to occasionally have a character make a comment to the effect that they remember the great surgeon Stephen Strange, but then decide that Doc could not be him because he looked much too young. This was Stern acknowledging the age-retarding bits of Strange's life. As always, Stern understood the character better than most.

I thought it was established that Strange may be a bit younger than Steve Rogers. Strange might be in his 90's.

To save my sanity, I think I'll ignore the ages.

[Witchfan]

if he's like Wanda, he ages whenever he uses sorcery. I remember him being desperate to learn the secrets of immortality right about the time of Siege.

Wanda was only aging because of the problems with witchcraft in her series. Once she healed the witch goddess, her powers no longer aged her.

[Michael Watkins]

Wanda was only aging because of the problems with witchcraft in her series. Once she healed the witch goddess, her powers no longer aged her.

hmm. I thought that was just a gift from the Witch Goddess because she saved her.

[Michael Watkins]

I seem to recall Johnny needing to secretly get his high school diploma when the FF lost their powers after a battle with the Frightful Four. I believe Johnny started college around the first time Galactus showed up. It would make sense that Johnny may have gotten behind in high school being part of the FF.

The O5 aging compared to Peter & Johnny has always bugged the hell out of me. I always blamed Wolverine & Kitty for that, lol. I still consider Emma being at least 5 years older than Scott during their relationship.

Tony Stark was always a grown-ass man to me.

he was. Teen Tony on the other hand...

[CaptCleghorn]

Wanda was only aging because of the problems with witchcraft in her series. Once she healed the witch goddess, her powers no longer aged her.

I may be oversimplifying some bizarre X-shenanigans, but wouldn't the fact that Wanda and Pietro are twins somehow lock their ages together for a reference point?