When the first issue of Fantastic Four went on sale on August 8, 1961, it was an unexpected success for Marvel Comics. The cosmic transformations of Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm into Mister Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, the Thing and the Human Torch kick-started Marvel’s dominance of the medium and proved that superheroes could be flawed. But what exactly made the Fantastic Four so relatable?
What inspired the 'Fantastic Four?'
It was Stan’s wife, Joan, who encouraged him to go beyond the typical restrictions of Marvel’s tropes meant for a particular demographic. “Before you quit, why don’t you write one comic you are proud of?” Joan reportedly told Stan.
In constructing their new superhero team, Lee and Kirby made the Fantastic Four a tight-knit family unit—Reed and Sue are a married couple, Johnny is Sue’s brother and Ben is a family friend. Beyond their superpowers, each character maintained their human side and their family arguments made them even more relatable.
How did the 'Fantastic Four' change the Marvel universe?
Before the Fantastic Four, comic-book protagonists were mostly shown to be morally perfect and archetypal heroes. But the Fantastic Four heroes had inner personal struggles; Reed was emotionally distant, Sue wanted more respect, Johnny was immature and Ben was riddled with self-loathing.
Unlike other anonymous superheroes, the Fantastic Four’s real identities were known by the public, too. This allowed Kirby and Lee to explore themes of celebrity, the media and the volatility of the public eye.
How did the 'Fantastic Four' reflect the 1960s?
Released just three months after Alan Shepherd became the first American in space on May 5, 1961, the Fantastic Four debuted at a time when the space race against the Soviet Union was particularly tense. The Fantastic Four's adventures in space and their use of technology to overcome alien threats resonated deeply with 1960s readers confronting real-world anxieties about science and survival.
