Susan Storm-Richards: The Invisible Woman Appreciation 2020

[Oberon]

Yes I remember that. There was a sub-atomica story in one of the Unlimiteds that I thought was good too.

[Agent Z]

Sandman should return to the bad side. Titania should be an even better replacement for Thundra since she is way stronger. Wizard makes three. They need another good 4th, but not Paste-Pot-Pete Trapster. Someone else very powerful that could round out the evil foursome.

Sandman went back to being a villain a long time ago.

[Will Evans]

I always wanted to see Titania and Absorbing Man on the Frightful Four together since they’re married.

[Marvel Forever]

Sandman went back to being a villain a long time ago.

I do recall reading that a few years ago, but he has yet to return to the Frightful Four.

[Crimz]

That really is just a problem with the generally lack of diversity among Marvel's writers. Regardless of which characters the book supposedly centers around, writers tend to gravitate toward those whom they can personally relate to, or at least those whom they feel comfortable finding a voice for. That's always been difficult for a character like Sue because there just aren't that many middle aged women working in the industry, and those that are generally want a more high profile assignment than being relegated to writing the "mom" character.

Yeah that's the cause and why her personality is underdeveloped. Even when she finally got her first mini it was with a male writer. I hope the FF get a female writer someday soon and if not that at least give Sue another solo with a woman writing this time.

[CaptCleghorn]

Yeah that's the cause and why her personality is underdeveloped. Even when she finally got her first mini it was with a male writer. I hope the FF get a female writer someday soon and if not that at least give Sue another solo with a woman writing this time.

Which leads to an unasked but obvious question: Who would you pick?

I regretfully have little knowledge of the women comic writers and all too often confuse Kelly Sue DeConnick and Kelly Thompson. However, I'd love to see either doing a Sue mini. DeConnick could show her husband how it's done. Thompson impressed me with her Hawkeye, but I suspect fans would want some heavy duty superheroing than Kate Bishop's series was,

[Will Evans]

Another question is.....do female writers WANT to write Sue?

[Phoenixx9]

I do recall reading that a few years ago, but he has yet to return to the Frightful Four.

Yes, that is what I meant.

[UncannyLZ]

Sue Storm is my #1 favorite marvel character and as hype as I was for the return of the F4, I dropped the book after issue 19. To be honest, I only stayed that long because I’m a fan of Sue and the really good art. I don’t think the F4 need a to be revamped but they definitely need to be pushed forward. I feel like for the last 25+ years the only bright spot in their history was the Hickman era. Most of everything else was beautifully drawn rehashes of the same story. Just recently it was announced the F4 would have RB Silva taking over for art, which is great, but the solicits for the new story were “The F4 are getting new costumes and new villains”. The costumes were just basically the blue and black suits again and the “villains” were Dr. Doom and Galactus. How is that still an interesting story to tell? Just because they are iconic and Marvel’s first, doesn’t mean they can’t be elevated and pushed forward. Sometimes it feels like writers come in to tell the F4 story they had when they were kids instead of actually doing character work.

Why is The Thing still a “woe is me. I can’t control my powers” character? Why is Sue constantly called the “mom” (which there’s nothing wrong with and I like her for it) but we never see her interact with her kids other than to hug them? Why is every mission still solved by Reed and a science mcguffin? I use to agree that it was due to lack of diversity in the F4 writing/editing team but even that feels like an excuse. Look at all these current examples in the media of what it’s like to be a mother today (Beyonce, Charlize Theron, countless other women) yet Sue is still written like it’s still the 60s sometimes. The examples I gave all have lives outside of being a mother and their partners yet you still know they apart of a family and have agency over their lives. They’ve given Sue power feats over the years to gloss over what little is actually being done. Not sure how writers see what’s being done with the X-Men (and plenty of others) and how they are being moved forward and don’t want to do the same for Sue and the F4.

[Marvel Forever]

Well, UncannyZ, Susan Storm is also my #1 favorite Marvel character and has been since I first fell in love with her almost 56 years ago. However, Sue is hardly written like she was back in the 60's. It would take Marvel Comics to make me the FF writer for that to ever happen, right Crimz?

As to your other comments, I suppose that the FF Bullpen is trying to bring back of popularity that the FF had back in the 1960's, by bringing back Galactus and Doom, their two greatest foes in the Silver Age. Their goal is a worthy one, but whether or not such is a good idea, I will leave that for others to decide. Now, I will admit that I am sympathetic to your overall critique. I also find that most of the past 25 years of the FF have been somewhat lackluster. Personally, my #1 complaint is that I want a return to the editorial comments in many panel scenes of the 60's and 70's that helped explain things. Quite frankly, I find sometimes that it takes considerable effort for me to follow the story without the editorial assistance that was a standard back in the Silver Age and Bronze Age. (60's and 70s)

I will say that I have little to complain about regarding the artwork and coloring. Most of it for the past 25 years has been excellent, except for the middle quarter or third of Ultimate Fantastic Four, where I felt that the art was not realistic at times. However, much of the writing could be called so-so and let us not forget the fiasco of Johnny marrying Alicia, who it was later revealed to be a skrull, a change revealed no doubt due to a huge backlash from the fans to the #1 mistake in the entire history of FF writing. (Yes, I know that said storyline goes back about 30 or so years, but I am including it in my review.) However, there were some superior issues in the past quarter century and I do not wish to indicate that all has been lost. It is also perhaps unfair to compare the past 25 years with the 60's, 70's and 80's. Most of us old timers probably tend to think fondly of how the FF was when we first became fans. I guess that such is only natural. Nostalgia perhaps is the word that best describes the feeling that many of us have, as we often yearn for the good old days. I probably fall into this category more than almost anyone on this website. I have basically every FF issue available to me, be it in my own collection or via the Marvel Unlimited digital service. Still, I spend 95% of my time looking at the issues from the 60's and 70's and only 5% of my time on reading issues from the 80's, 90's, 2000's and 2010's.

I am not sure that it is realistic to hope that the FF will ever again reach that lofty status that it had back in the 1960's, when for a few years it was Marvel's top title. Too many decades have passed with other titles being more popular than the FF and then us FF fans have the extra burden of having been dealt the inferior quality of the Fox FF films. I suppose it is possible that if Marvel can create some truly great Fantastic Four films, that then we might see some modest new interest in the FF title. As for the current FF writer, Dan Slott, it is too early to render a final judgment, but the fact that he had Ben and Alicia get married is certainly a feather in his cap. Based upon what I have seen thus far, I will say that he is at least as good as the average writer of the past 25 years and he has the potential to be an above average writer. I think that we all wish him well and hope that he can produce a run of issues that will stand out as better than most of the past quarter century.

[Billy Maximoff]

I recently re-read the Marvel Knights 4 (2004) run, It's a bit grounded for the FF imo but it really makes one appreciate the FF and makes them feel human, It also has a lot of great moments for Sue, It still has Sue in the motherly position (most of the time) but in a good and enjoyable way and in a way that she actually feels like a character with her own thoughts and feelings, the run also shows how strong and enduring Sue can be as a character by looking past how powerful her powers are, something Hickman's run also showed.

[Crimz]

I recently re-read the Marvel Knights 4 (2004) run, It's a bit grounded for the FF imo but it really makes one appreciate the FF and makes them feel human, It also has a lot of great moments for Sue, It still has Sue in the motherly position (most of the time) but in a good and enjoyable way and in a way that she actually feels like a character with her own thoughts and feelings, the run also shows how strong and enduring Sue can be as a character by looking past how powerful her powers are, something Hickman's run also showed.

That run has my favorite interpretation of the character. It's what I think writers should look to when they write Sue.
She was competent, powerful, yet still vulnerable and nurturing. But most of all she was fun. That fun, playful side to her is what's missing most of the time imo.
Waid had a bit of that in the beginning of his run with her conversation with Reed about magic.



She's related to Johnny Storm, she should definitely have more of fun and funny interactions instead of being serious all the time. Reed is the straight man, you don't need Sue to be as well.

[CaptCleghorn]

She's related to Johnny Storm, she should definitely have more of fun and funny interactions instead of being serious all the time. Reed is the straight man, you don't need Sue to be as well.

And that's where Sue's Mom role hurts. We all know Mom wants to let loose, but rarely does in order to maintain her dignity with the family. And Sue needing to raise Johnny at a young age could easily reinforce that in her. Hence, Crimz, your desire for Sue to have more non-FF related adventures, activities, and interests is needed even more.

[Marvel Forever]

I want to see more of Sue in beautiful non-uniform clothing. If she is Marvel's most beautiful female character, as some of us feel, then the writers should show her in evening gowns or swimsuits now and then.

[Oberon]

Maybe some of you can help me remember.

Late '70s or into the '80s with Marvel Fanfare or what would be very similar. It's an FF story, but/or more about Reed and Sue. There is just this one scene that has resonance for me, when Sue recalls/muses, whatever over time passage. A sorta bittersweet sadness/moment of their lives together and the fight ever lasting, perhaps.