Fantastic Four is now Future Foundation

[Whofan]

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=30746

Seems like this is kind of like the Avengers reboot they did a while ago (Avengers dissasembled/new Avengers). Instead of becoming the Fantastic Three, or having a rotating fourth member (As they've done in the past with other character deaths), they're changing the direction again, with new costumes (White ones this time) and new members (Spider-Man, for one-although his FF uniform resembles Anti-Venom!). I suspect FF purists will hate this, but it kind of fits at least part of the team's purpose.


Could be cool, although it's possible this'll revert within a few years (or months) once Johnny Storm/Human Torch comes back, or when they eventually get a movie reboot off the ground.

 

[Mysterion]

Gah! Six or twelve issues from now (whichever works best for a trade-paperback edition), Johnny will be back and the name will be back. It's this kind of nonsense stunt that has put me off the comics for (at least) the time being.

 

[Whofan]

I wonder how they'll rename the Frightful four ( a supervillain team usually led by the Wizard) Frightful foundation?

 

[Admiral_Young]

Yeah Marvel teased Spider-Man's involvement way back at San Diego. I'm not sure what nonsense stunt the poster above is referring to. The name is something that Hickman has hinted at since his run started. I guess no one has been actually reading FF. This has been planned way in advanced.

 

[Christopher]

I like the idea of Spidey finally joining the FF, and not like before when he was in that replacement team with Wolverine and Luke Cage and whoever. After all, their history goes way back to ASM #1 when Spidey tried to join the FF and got turned down. He's teamed up with them many times since, and it's great to see it finally made official. And it makes sense, because Peter is a scientist and thus a good fit for a team whose primary MO has always been scientific and exploratory (though I'm not sure how prominent that aspect will be in this version where the mission is to identify and halt future threats). And with Johnny gone, somebody needs to fill the role of the class clown.

 

[Admiral_Young]

Spider-Man is not permanently joining the FF. This is temporary and yes one of the reasons why he's joining is because of his history with the team and due to Johnny's death. Marvel has been making the connection with the FF and Peter closer than ever before recently.

 

[Snaploud]

I think it looks interesting. Fantastic Four was the only Marvel comic that I still looked forward to reading. I hope the writing stays good for the reinvention.

 

[Admiral_Young]

As long as Hickman remains involved the writing will be good, he's been borderline fantastic at times.

 

[Mysterion]

I'm not sure what nonsense stunt the poster above is referring to.

"Fantastic Four" is the cornerstone of Marvel Comics. It was the first title they published when they started doing superhero books again in 1961. There is a fifty-year history invested in that name, the look of the characters, etc. Unless Marvel has thrown all common sense to the winds, Johhny Storm/Human Torch is not permanently DOA. Just like Captain America and every other major characte that they have "killed off" in the past, he will be back. And the name of the book will be back. and the distinctive "look" of the team will be back. In the meantime, while they might do something interesting with the storyline, it's just an attention getting stunt. IMO.

 

[Samurai8472]

 

[Admiral_Young]

I really like those costumes.

 

[Professor Zoom]

Gah! Six or twelve issues from now (whichever works best for a trade-paperback edition), Johnny will be back and the name will be back. It's this kind of nonsense stunt that has put me off the comics for (at least) the time being.

From what I understand, it'll be about 12 issues, just in time for FF #600, which will be the return of Johnny Storm.

Bah.

 

[23skidoo]

It's just going to be for a brief time till they bring the Human Torch back to life in some fantastic way, so as a "Fantastic Four purist" I'm not getting my knickers in a twist over this. And anyway, they could have brought in Herbie the Robot to replace Torch...

But ... but ... "The Future Foundation"? Surely they could have come up with a better name. That, more than anything else, is what tells me this is just a temp thing. Just like the two or three attempts they've made at a Fantastic Five (I remember She-Hulk joining at one point, and they had some New Gods character join in the 70s).

Someone referred to this as a "nonsense stunt". I agree. It's not enough to put me off comics. But as myself and others have mentioned in various forums, the death of Johnny Storm is meaningless because he'll be brought back. The list of superheroes killed off and then brought back to life not long after is a storied one: Batman, Superman, Captain America, Gwen Stacy, Supergirl, etc. It's just an excuse to try and get people to be reminded that there are comics kicking around out there.

Alex

 

[Starbreaker]

Those are cool.

 

[sojourner]

Spidey looks like he got ran over, on both sides!

 

[Leroy]

I'm sick and tired of how Marvel always has to shoehorn in Spider-Man and Wolverine into all their books.

 

[Admiral2]

Speaking as a Fantastic Four Purist, I have only this to say:


NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Thus ends my comment on the matter.

 

[Turtletrekker]

I like the idea of Spidey finally joining the FF, and not like before when he was in that replacement team with Wolverine and Luke Cage and whoever. After all, their history goes way back to ASM #1 when Spidey tried to join the FF and got turned down. He's teamed up with them many times since, and it's great to see it finally made official. And it makes sense, because Peter is a scientist and thus a good fit for a team whose primary MO has always been scientific and exploratory (though I'm not sure how prominent that aspect will be in this version where the mission is to identify and halt future threats). And with Johnny gone, somebody needs to fill the role of the class clown.

Agreed with all of the above points, but Peter's scientific skills pale besides those of 3-year old Valeria Richards, who already claims to be smarter than her father, not to mention Reed himself.

Interestingly, this new direction sounds a lot like Reed trying to to do openly what he and Tony Stark and the rest of the Illuminati have been doing secretly for years.

 

[Mr Light]

I've really been enjoying Hickman's run on FF and continue to look forward to it. I hate those new costumes though; white?!

 

[Christopher]

I was lukewarm on the costumes at first, but I'm starting to like them. There are some clever, subtle touches, like each of the main three having a different hexagon in white, and Spidey's emblem reflecting the hex theme in the shape of the spider's abdomen. A good balance of being recognizably Spidey while also fitting in with the rest of the team's uniforms.

Not sure putting a muscle shirt on the Thing is a good idea, though. I know it's been done before, but it kinda makes him look more ordinary in build.

Reed's and Ben's face designs here seem very influenced by the live-action movies, though not Sue's.

But as myself and others have mentioned in various forums, the death of Johnny Storm is meaningless because he'll be brought back. The list of superheroes killed off and then brought back to life not long after is a storied one: Batman, Superman, Captain America, Gwen Stacy, Supergirl, etc.

To the best of my knowledge, Gwen Stacy was neither a superhero nor brought back to life. Unless you're referring to her clone, who didn't last long.

It's just an excuse to try and get people to be reminded that there are comics kicking around out there.

That's one way of looking at it, and it's all too often a correct way. But I'm in a generous mood, so it occurs to me that it could also be seen as a way of exploring variant possibilities within the context of a series that's obligated to maintain an overall status quo. Sure, you know everything's going to go back to the expected formula eventually, but it would be boring if you didn't try to mix things up every now and then.

Agreed with all of the above points, but Peter's scientific skills pale besides those of 3-year old Valeria Richards, who already claims to be smarter than her father, not to mention Reed himself.

Well, of course, but that hasn't precluded Peter from cooperating with the FF in scientific ventures before. And he also has unquestionable (unless all your initials are J) superhero credentials, which is important on a team like this.