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While nothing can top the Fantastic Four, an unexpected team once took their place. Since then, the team has been a favorite among fans — but why?
The Fantastic Four is often known as Marvel’s first family because of how close-knit each member of the team is and their relationships with the other heroes in the universe. That said, it would take decades for the team to slowly grow their extended family, including new teammates like She-Hulk and eventually the “New” Fantastic Four with Ghost Rider, Spider-Man, the Hulk and Wolverine. But with this fan-favorite team returning in a new series, it raises an otherwise unasked question: why did an unlikely team become such a hit among so many readers over the years?
The team was first formed in Fantastic Four #347 by Walter Simonson and Arthur Adams but officially started their mission in the next issue. The three-issue arc follows this new FF, which forms after being told the original FF was killed aside from Sue Storm. On the hunt to find the monsters that did it, it’s revealed that the FF isn’t actually dead, and the surviving Sue is really a Skrull in disguise. However, by the end of the arc, the FF returns with a vengeance, and both teams fight to stop the real enemy, and the ragtag team later disbands.
What makes the unlikely team so magnetic is that each of these characters, at this point in their lives, are very much loners at heart and don’t get along. For example, Spidey tries to make conversation but is quickly shut down by each member while Ghost Rider remains focused on his mission. But Wolverine and Hulk constantly compete to see who is the toughest, with Logan being a man of few words and the Hulk acting headstrong and consistently trying to prove he’s the best. However, the allure of the team also comes from the realization that these are some of Marvel’s darkest characters teaming up in one of its most light-hearted books.
At its core, such a strange team came together in the first place because each team member was featured in the company’s best-selling books at the time. Spider-Man had gone through a genesis over the previous years where his design and style became more animated, and his enemies got more of an edge. Ghost Rider was revitalized with a new protagonist and story that represented a new era of Marvel. The Hulk was in the middle of Peter David’s character-defining run and also showed the changes the character’s psyche experienced, even changing his skin from green to grey. Finally, Wolverine was now the biggest member of the X-Men and also headlined his own solo title that helped explore the deeply complex hero.
Ultimately these heroes represent a purity and exploration of all corners of the Marvel Universe, both light and dark. They also show a shake-up in the series that stood out from the series’ themes of exploration and discovery. Considering these characters still have a huge fanbase, it also makes the company continue to showcase them and make them mainstays in the Fantastic Four family even after a few decades. But could their popularity ever translate onto the big screen?
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is in an expansive place, with the Fantastic Four and Mutants making their debut in the not-too-distant future. Thanks to the Scarlet Witch and Doctor Strange, the supernatural realm is also brimming with possibility. As a result, Wolverine and Ghost Rider showing up feels like a near certainty. There’s also the current state of the Hulk, where he is exploring his different personas, priming him for a Peter David-esque story that could bring about the grey Hulk. Finally, Spider-Man has gone through a new transformative experience that puts him in a position to emulate the 90s version of the character. In the end, if these characters were to team up in a “new” Fantastic Four, the possibilities would be endless and only further the continuing popularity of this short-lived but impactful team.
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