The Fantastic Four Appreciation 2021

[Iron Maiden]

Maybe they combined? Sand plus water = mud, which would explain the watery Sandman.

Weren't their last stated ages 3 and 8? Now they seem to be 13 and 15, so the age gap narrowed. They were supposed to age up by five years, so it should now be 8 and 13. Though Franklin's age of 15 does make sense as he really should've been aged up earlier.

I agree. They kept him at around 5 years old and still using baby talk for far too long. Whatever happened to Franklin going to that private school years ago? I went back and checked out the Fantastic Four run right after Heroes Reborn/Heroes return. It was after the Abraxas story where Reed used the Ultimate Nullifier and Sue became pregnant. In a story written by Carlos Pacheco & Raphael Marin (with an assist on the script by Karl Kesel), we see Reed and Sue taking Franklin to a private academy. But unfortunately when this creative team left or was replaced, we never saw mention of this again




Also, this is the first and probably only time Franklin's age is given and this issue is from 2009

[Iron Maiden]

They were 12 cents in '67, when I was not quite 12.
I remember a 2 page spread in, maybe Avengers # 44 or 45 (awesome Super Adaptoid story) showing the Marvel cartoons; Cap, Namor, Iron Man, Thor and Hulk.
It was a great time.
years earlier, '64, I was in the hospital and someone gave me a Strange Tales, which I recently mentioned; the story with Torch's battle with Wizard and how Sue was his Ace in the hole. Moody type art etc. I would have been around 8, and didn't read that well yet, but I realized this was not Superman! Now those I think were around 10 cents.

Being a kid makes it seem more awesome. I remember in that '67 or '68 era I had all my comics; mostly Marvel, in a shoe box, a dozen or two. They meant the world to me.
I was quite a bookish child, since I was somewhat indoors and sickly for years.

I remember reading my first issue of the Fantastic Four around that time. Our friend from next door had some comics and the one that stood out to me was Fantastic Four #39 or 40, which was the battle with Doom at the Baxter Building with Daredevil guest starring. I am not sure which it was but I am leaning towards #40. I think it took me a while to find a copy of issue #39. Back then the Fantastic Four from the beginning was being reprinted in Marvel Collector's Items Classics, which was a smart move by Marvel. This was a way for readers who weren't in on things at the beginning to catch up. Then we asked our Dad to pick up the Marvel comics at the local Rexall Drugs. If we had some money to spare on are own we may have walked there. My brother and I started to keep a shopping list that we would give him so he wouldn't pick up one we already had. But they cleared the spinner racks pretty quickly IIRC.

[Digifiend]

I agree. They kept him at around 5 years old and still using baby talk for far too long. Whatever happened to Franklin going to that private school years ago? I went back and checked out the Fantastic Four run right after Heroes Reborn/Heroes return. It was after the Abraxas story where Reed used the Ultimate Nullifier and Sue became pregnant. In a story written by Carlos Pacheco & Raphael Marin (with an assist on the script by Karl Kesel), we see Reed and Sue taking Franklin to a private academy. But unfortunately when this creative team left or replaced, we never saw mention of this again




Also, this is the first and probably only time Franklin's age is given and this issue is from 2009

If he's seven there and Sue's pregnant with Val, then he should be eight years older than Val.

[Iron Maiden]

If he's seven there and Sue's pregnant with Val, then he should be eight years older than Val.

Correct but who knows if TPTB at Marvel take this into consideration? The gap seems much smaller these days. But it's hard to judge since Val was building high tech stuff when she was 3. We never saw her go to school or get any home schooling. It's like she learned through osmosis.

[Oberon]

This is a wonderful memory. So you beat me by about 2 years. I did end up getting those older issues. Baxter Building Battle with DD is classic.
I also read all those even earlier issues in MCIC too. I think that is where I developed my fascination with the Namor Sue thing (gulp)

[CaptCleghorn]

Correct but who knows if TPTB at Marvel take this into consideration? The gap seems much smaller these days. But it's hard to judge since Val was building high tech stuff when she was 3. We never saw her go to school or get any home schooling. It's like she learned through osmosis.

Franklin was also eight at the time Val was three during Hickman's run. Exact numbers have not been published for the kids post-Secret Wars, but 15 (maybe 16) and 13 seem to be likely to me. I only hope marvel has some sort of FF bible stating explicitly that Franklin's X yrs old and Valeria's Y years old. Oh, wait, Franklin's a boy so he is Y years old and Valeria's X.

[Oberon]

It's so strange. I never thought Franklin would ever get to 10. He was 'born' when I was 12, I still remember "Come in Reed, come in and meet your son" and all that.

[Digifiend]

Franklin was also eight at the time Val was three during Hickman's run. Exact numbers have not been published for the kids post-Secret Wars, but 15 (maybe 16) and 13 seem to be likely to me. I only hope marvel has some sort of FF bible stating explicitly that Franklin's X yrs old and Valeria's Y years old. Oh, wait, Franklin's a boy so he is Y years old and Valeria's X.

Which means Hickman goofed, Franklin should've been aged up to 11 back then. And then Slott's age up would still bring him to roughly his current age, though he goofed as well by aging Val too much.

[carmoc1234]

Which means Hickman goofed, Franklin should've been aged up to 11 back then. And then Slott's age up would still bring him to roughly his current age, though he goofed as well by aging Val too much.

hickman said they were 8 and 3 at the end of secret wars and in slotts book they aged up 5 years so by that logic franklin would be 13 or 14 and val would be 8 or 9 right now. the problem is more down to artists drawing them way older than they should look at times especially val

[Oberon]

the drawing, proportions, etc of children in comics has always been wonky.

which served the purpose of eternal toddlers and such.

[CaptCleghorn]

hickman said they were 8 and 3 at the end of secret wars and in slotts book they aged up 5 years so by that logic franklin would be 13 or 14 and val would be 8 or 9 right now. the problem is more down to artists drawing them way older than they should look at times especially val

Franklin being eight and Val being three were stated during Hickman's run which occurred a while before Secret Wars. Fraction's FF run took a year comic book time and then there was the eight months until Secret Wars which happened between FF 645 and SW 1. At the time of SW, Franklin being 10 and Val being 5 makes sense. During Secret Wars, Val looked to be the older child of Doom and Sue. And yes, I know they weren't 616 Val and Franklin. But after Sue, Franklin, and val came back in SW 9, they went off for five years, leaving them, seemingly, 15 and 10. But Slott has had Sue mention her teenage daughter, so the numbers aren't working out. But with sruff like recreation of multiverses and time passing at different rates, I think the franchise would be best suited by coming up with an actual age AND STICKING WITH IT.

[Thundershot]

hickman said they were 8 and 3 at the end of secret wars and in slotts book they aged up 5 years so by that logic franklin would be 13 or 14 and val would be 8 or 9 right now. the problem is more down to artists drawing them way older than they should look at times especially val

Franklin being eight and Val being three were stated during Hickman's run which occurred a while before Secret Wars. Fraction's FF run took a year comic book time and then there was the eight months until Secret Wars which happened between FF 645 and SW 1. At the time of SW, Franklin being 10 and Val being 5 makes sense. During Secret Wars, Val looked to be the older child of Doom and Sue. And yes, I know they weren't 616 Val and Franklin. But after Sue, Franklin, and val came back in SW 9, they went off for five years, leaving them, seemingly, 15 and 10. But Slott has had Sue mention her teenage daughter, so the numbers aren't working out. But with sruff like recreation of multiverses and time passing at different rates, I think the franchise would be best suited by coming up with an actual age AND STICKING WITH IT.

At a minimum, Val is currently 13 since Sue said that they have “teenagers” (plural).

[Gaastra]

Well Franklin was de-aged in the 90s run after he was in fantastic force so maybe that's why he was younger?

Also--

https://www.gamesradar.com/uk/marvel...solicitations/

The entire Kang bloodline is out to destroy every era of the Fantastic Four!

Again. Where the heck are these time cops when crap like this goes on? They stink at their jobs!

[carmoc1234]

Franklin being eight and Val being three were stated during Hickman's run which occurred a while before Secret Wars. Fraction's FF run took a year comic book time and then there was the eight months until Secret Wars which happened between FF 645 and SW 1. At the time of SW, Franklin being 10 and Val being 5 makes sense. During Secret Wars, Val looked to be the older child of Doom and Sue. And yes, I know they weren't 616 Val and Franklin. But after Sue, Franklin, and val came back in SW 9, they went off for five years, leaving them, seemingly, 15 and 10. But Slott has had Sue mention her teenage daughter, so the numbers aren't working out. But with sruff like recreation of multiverses and time passing at different rates, I think the franchise would be best suited by coming up with an actual age AND STICKING WITH IT.

yea its an issue with the sliding timescale. i think it was the current editor of the x line who said recently that he has to tell the writers to not say years and months, be vague and just say time has passed. like they apparently want to make the hellfire gala a yearly thing, change the x men line up and do other things, but thats just for the real world. in universe he said it will be every few months.
it would make sense for them to be two years older at secret wars but according to hickman his entire run from fantastic four through avengers and ending with secret wars was about one year. and marvels more than fine letting him make decisions about the marvel timeline as the x men have only been around for about ten years in his current run.

[Iron Maiden]

Well Franklin was de-aged in the 90s run after he was in fantastic force so maybe that's why he was younger?

Also--

https://www.gamesradar.com/uk/marvel...solicitations/



Again. Where the heck are these time cops when crap like this goes on? They stink at their jobs!

I guess Kang is getting a big push because of his upcoming appearance in Ant-Man & Wasp 3: Quantumania. I wonder if the MCU Kang will be as confusing as what we have now in the comics.

As for Franklin, it is true he was de-aged towards the end DeFalco's FF . But it was more like bringing him back to his "proper" age after Nathaniel tampered with his age and turned him into Psi Lord. IIRC this was to answer the impending threat of Hyperstorm.