Ages of the characters...

[Digifiend]

Actually, Cassie's currently 16, which IS about the same as Franklin - though both characters were stuck at the same age (around 8) for years before being rapidly aged up for Young Avengers and Slott's Fantastic Four respectively.

[maryjane]

This is pretty much the best solution.

no, it is not. The best solution would be to have around less superheroes' children as possible and when we have, let them in an "age limbo", like their parents. Hystorical events are not a big problem, we can change them, in our mind, with more recents ones and that's ended. But children are different, they are a constant presence and so they change the way you see a character. I like Susan as a 30 years old lady, not 45. Franklin has been a child for more than 20 years and it was not a problem for anyone. In my opinion, the fault is of the marvel administration of the last years. The editors lack a future vision, they have not a long term project, they are building nothing that will last, they are only earning money for the present.

[Oberon]

Waaaay back in the earlier Avengers, around the # 40s (mid to late '60s) it was on panel mentioned

that Janet Van Dyne had turned 23, and received her inheritance.

I don't remember to many other on-screen reveals of this sort (main characters anyway)

[ChrisIII]

Fifteen years have passed since Fantastic Four #1. Take the age that you think the character was at that point and add 15 years.

Didn't five years pass for Reed, Sue, Franklin and Valeria after Secret Wars while for everybody else it was a year at most?

[Phoenixx9]

Waaaay back in the earlier Avengers, around the # 40s (mid to late '60s) it was on panel mentioned

that Janet Van Dyne had turned 23, and received her inheritance.

I don't remember to many other on-screen reveals of this sort (main characters anyway)

I remember seeing Jan jumping up and down with the paper in her hand?

But best to not take ages too seriously, as they will need to be continually adjusted as the years go by.

[Digifiend]

Didn't five years pass for Reed, Sue, Franklin and Valeria after Secret Wars while for everybody else it was a year at most?

Yeah. And since FF #1 is 15 years ago, that means that Reed and Sue are now 19 years older than when they got their powers. Sorry guys but Sue SHOULD be in her 40s now.

[Stick Figure]

This is the one thing the films have over comics. The characters evolve. We probably will never see Tony Stark or Steve Roger’s again but we’ll have Captain America & Iron Man. That’s what I wish the comics were like. Let characters age out or die. I read because of good writing & not because I love Wolverine that much.

[ARkadelphia]

Time just works differently in the Marvel Universe

[Iron Maiden]

no, it is not. The best solution would be to have around less superheroes' children as possible and when we have, let them in an "age limbo", like their parents. Hystorical events are not a big problem, we can change them, in our mind, with more recents ones and that's ended. But children are different, they are a constant presence and so they change the way you see a character. I like Susan as a 30 years old lady, not 45. Franklin has been a child for more than 20 years and it was not a problem for anyone. In my opinion, the fault is of the marvel administration of the last years. The editors lack a future vision, they have not a long term project, they are building nothing that will last, they are only earning money for the present.

We'll just have to disagree. It's just not worth getting too concerned about the ages of the characters. Stan and Jack made the step of having Reed and Sue marry and have a child that started the whole issue of aging. They may not have thought that these characters would last for over 60 years.

But there is a precedence. Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes never really ages except in one of the author's later works called the Last Bow where he is 60 years old.

[maryjane]

We'll just have to disagree. It's just not worth getting too concerned about the ages of the characters. Stan and Jack made the step of having Reed and Sue marry and have a child that started the whole issue of aging. They may not have thought that these characters would last for over 60 years.

But there is a precedence. Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes never really ages except in one of the author's later works called the Last Bow where he is 60 years old.

it's ok that Sue and Reed get married. It's ok that they have had a child or 2. It's not ok that those childs became 18 years old and transform them in an old couple. And with them the other Fantastic Four, and with them all the other marvel characters that are the same age of one of them (ex. Spider-Man with the Human Torch, Stark or Banner with Reed and Ben etc.).
I do not particularly like an universe of old super heroes, not only for the age fact, but for what age comport, 45 or 50 years old men and woman have different dynamics than 25 or 30 : about love, about work, about attitude. Stan, Jack, Conway, Byrne, Thomas, David, Defalco, Englehart, etc. know this, they were able to manage an universe where there is a continuty without changing too much the age of the characters, in fact they have done that for 40 years; recent writers, in 10 years, have aged all the characters far more than their predecessors in 40. And worse, they have aged them in different ways.

[CaptCleghorn]

We'll just have to disagree. It's just not worth getting too concerned about the ages of the characters. Stan and Jack made the step of having Reed and Sue marry and have a child that started the whole issue of aging. They may not have thought that these characters would last for over 60 years.

But there is a precedence. Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes never really ages except in one of the author's later works called the Last Bow where he is 60 years old.

I agree with the thought that the creators didn't think the comics would last this long. I recall hearing that Stan wouldn't have Peter Parker graduating from HS so soon if he knew the books would be going so strong after 60 years. No one is worried about how today's comics will affect the comics of 2080. They're superhero funny books. Not that they're not great and reasonably important to us fans, but time travel and aging magic is all part of the game.

[Iron Maiden]

The aging thing is easily explained with the Fantastic Four. Many times it has been explained as a side effect of the cosmic rays they were exposed to. Another factor is one that has been brought up here IIRC...Franklin's powers. It as been speculated that he keeps them from becoming old and infirm but I think the Cosmic Rays is probaby the most logical.

What have you got against people being of a certain age anyway? Sounds a bit odd to me. You know you are going to get old someday
Ben ages very slowly because of something that was done by the Val and the kids of the Future Foundation during Hickman's Fantastic Four.



But even as far back as Marv Wolfman's Fantastic Four #214 this was addressed so current writers need only refer to this if it ever comes up

[Witchfan]

Reed Richards and Ben Grimm were 40 in Fantastic Four #1 in 1961. Johnny Storm was 16. Ben should be 55 now, Johnny should be 31, and Reed should be older.
Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch were under 20 years old when they joined the Avengers in 1965. If they were 18-19 years old then, they should be around 32-33 now.
Wasp was 23 years old in Avengers #43 in 1967. I think she is 37 now.
Carol Danvers is an Air Force colonel, and there are no colonels under 40. She has to be in her early forties.
Peter Parker became Spider-Man at the age of 15. He has to be 30 now.
Kitty Pryde was 13 at her introduction. I think she is 23 now.
In a 1990 issue of She-Hulk Jennifer was supposed to be 32 years old. I think that she is 40 now.
Daredevil is 32 years old and has always been 32 years old. He doesn't age.
In New Warriors #1 in 1990 Nova and Namorita were 19, Marvel Boy/Justice was 18, Night Thrasher was 17, Firestar was 16, and Speedball was 15. In 1998 Firestar turned 18 right before joining the Avengers.

[phonogram12]

Just create your own head canon and you'll be much more content.

Also, I always envisioned Reed, Sue, and Ben as old so actually having them old doesn't bother me in the least.