Fantastic Four
PURPOSE: Preserve Security of Earth against Super-Human Threats.
AFFILIATIONS: Avengers, Agatha Harkness, Uatu the Watcher, United States Govt and U.N.
ENEMIES: Dr. Doom, Mole Man, The Skrulls, Puppet Master, Frightful Four, etc
BASE OF OPERATIONS: Four Freedoms Plaza, New York
FIRST APPEARENCE: Fantastic Four #1
HISTORY :
The Fantastic Four gained superhuman abilities after an experimental rocket ship
designed by scientist Reed Richards passed through a Cosmic ray storm on its test
flight to outer space. Reed Richards took along his pilot friend, Ben Grimm, his
girl friend, Susan Storm and her brother Johnny Storm. The Ship crashlanded back
on Earth and the foursome found themselves in possession of powerful new
abilities. While Reed, Sue and Johnny maintained a normal appearance, Ben Grimm
was transformed into a monstrous looking and super-humanly strong creature. Reed
swore to use his scientific abilities to cure Ben.
Almost immediately, the group used their powers to defend themselves and to
protect New York City. They proclaimed themselves "The Fantastic Four" and
vowed to use their powers to protect humanity. They enjoy good relations with
the local governments and have achieved world wide fame.
Reed Richards, already a genius and inventor, gained the ability to stretch his
entire body and to form it into almost any shape he could imagine. His body is
also highly resistant to damage and he is able to absorb a bullet's velocity and
send it back at assailants. Even with his fantastic powers, his leadership
abilities and scientific genius are his main assets. He took the name Mister Fantastic.
Susan Storm, a fashion model and girlfriend to Reed, gained the power to turn
invisible at will. She later gained the ability to project force fields,
create invisible objects and turn other objects invisible. She
became arguably the strongest member of the team. She became The Invisible Girl
but later changed her name to The Invisible Woman.
Johnny Storm gained the ability to cover his body with flame and to project the
flames as a weapon. He also learned how to create objects composed of flame,
control flames near him and to fly. He took the name The Human Torch.
Ben Grimm, a test pilot of great skill, was transformed into an orange scaled
monster with great strength and resistance to injury. Unlike the others, he is
trapped in the form and is unable to change back. He took the name coined by
Susan when she first spotted him; The Thing.
The team of adventurers have used their fantastic abilities to protect humanity,
the Earth and the universe from a number of threats. Propelled mainly by Richards'
innate scientific curiosity, the team has explored space, the Negative Zone, the
Microverse, other dimensions and nearly every hidden valley, nation and lost
civilization on the planet.
They have had a number of headquarters, most notably the Baxter Building in New
York City. The Baxter Building was replaced by Four Freedoms Plaza, built at the
same location, after the Baxter Building's destruction at the hands of Kristoff
Vernard, adopted son of the Fantastic Four's arch-villain; Doctor Doom. Pier 4,
a warehouse on the New York waterfront, served as a temporary headquarters for
the group after Four Freedoms Plaza was condemned, due to the actions of another
superhero team, the Thunderbolts. In the mid-2000s, an orbiting satellite version
of the Baxter Building has been used.
Unlike most super-heroes, the Fantastic Four's identities are not secret and they
maintain a high public profile, enjoying celebrity status for their scientific
and heroic contributions to society. Over the years several heroes have filled in
for members of the team.
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