“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 196

13 Thursday Nov 2025

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1978, Dr. Doom, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 196, Jim Shooter, Keith Pollard, marv wolfman, Marvel comics, Pablo Marcos

Fantastic Four 196
“Who In The World Is The Invincible Man?”
Published April 1978
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Layouts: Keith Pollard
Finishes: Pablo Marcos
Letters: Joe Rosen
Colors: Glynis Wein
Editors: Marv Wolfman and Jim Shooter
Cover: George Perez and Pablo Marcos

Synopsis

The Thing and the Human Torch join the Invisible Girl, Franklin and Agatha Harkness in Los Angeles, where they are confronted by what appears to be the Invincible Man, and are overcome by his mental powers. They are imprisoned by the same mysterious evil-doers who have captured Mr. Fantastic, who was in fact the man in the Invincible Man’s disguise. The team, reunited in a prison cell, manages to escape, only to discover their captor is Dr. Doom.

What’s going on here?

One drawback to this exercise of retroactively reviewing comics published 50 years ago is it’s hard to gauge the impact of certain plot developments. In this issue, we learn on the last page that Dr. Doom is the mysterious villain behind Reed’s abduction. Unfortunately, I knew this was coming, so there wasn’t much suspense of me. But I imagine it was a big surprise for at least some readers at the time. If so, it would ratchet up a very good comic into an excellent one.

This is the first appearance of Doom in the FF since issue 157, an eternity by the standards of today, when he appears about every dozen or so issues. His intentions at this point are still pretty murky and the plot is confusing but I think it’s safe to assume it will all build up to a big conclusion in issue 200.

The Invincible Man is a bit of an oddity, since there never really was an Invincible Man. It started off as an identity created by the Super-Skrull who was masquerading as Sue and Johnny’s father, back in issue 32. Then we have this appropriation of the Invincible Man identity by a hypnotized Reed. And in issue 287, Doom — in the body of Norman McArthur — again uses the Invincible Man identity.

Like last issue, the art is by Keith Pollard, who seems to be just doing layouts, and Pablo Marcos, whose finishes are dynamic and fun. This issue also has an interesting credit: Jim Shooter, as “consulting editor.” Shooter had recently taken over as Marvel editor-in-chief, ending a half decade of dysfunction and ushering in a period of growth and stability. Shooter, who passed away this year, wasn’t universally beloved but it’s hard to argue with his success.

What I liked

Sue and Franklin’s reunion with Ben and Johnny is touching and well written by Marv Wolfman.

I liked this sequence of a phantom Alicia beating the snot out of Ben.

Wolfman seems to be continuing Len Wein’s project of powering up Sue, expanding the use of her powers and making her more of an asset. It’s a welcome change.

As mentioned, the Pollard/ Marcos combination is very successful. Here’s an example:

and another:

What I didn’t like

Wolfman seems obsessed with all thing Hollywood, and as in the previous issue, is eager to beat this horse to death. What starts of as mildly amusing quickly becomes tedious, especially his running gag of the FF being mistaken for other celebrities.

Overall

A satisfying read

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 195

02 Sunday Nov 2025

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1978, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 195, marv wolfman, Marvel comics, Namor, Pablo Marcos

Fantastic Four 195
“Beware the Ravaging Retrievers!”
Published March 1978
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Layouts: Keith Pollard
Finishes: Pablo Marcos
Letters: Denise Wohl
Colors: Phil Rachelson
Editor: Wolfman
Cover: George Perez and Joe Sinnott

Synopsis

The Invisible Girl, in Hollywood filming a movie after the breakup of the Fantastic Four, discovers the figure behind the movie studio is the Sub-Mariner, who confesses he has fled Atlantis in frustration over being worshipped as a god. The filming is interrupted by Atlantean androids summoned to retrieve Namor back to Atlantis. Sue and Namor defeat the robots but the Sub-Mariner realizes he must nonetheless return home.

What’s going on here?

The premise of this comic is truly ridiculous —Namor objects to being worshipped as a god? Atlantis sends robots to capture him? He still owns the movie studio he had way back in FF 9? — but I still found it a fun read. Partially because the stakes of the conflict are so low that the silliness doesn’t really matter. Partially because it’s fun to see Sue and Namor resuming their will-they-or-won’t-they relationship. But mostly it was because I really enjoyed the art.

Keith Pollard is credited with the layouts, but it’s pretty clear that this is Pablo Marcos’s comic. Marcos, a Peruvian probably best known for his work on Conan, has a fluid, expressive style that reminds me of a cross between Gene Colan and Michael Golden. Significantly, his work looks nothing like Joe Sinnott’s, and as a result it’s a refreshing change from the FF house style that established by Kirby and enforced by Sinnott for the last decade. Not that we don’t love Joe Sinnott here, but variety is good.

Sinnott did ink George Perez on the cover, and from the looks of it, I would say it’s 90 percent Sinnott and 10 percent Perez (compare it to the cover of FF 194, which is entirely by Perez).

What I liked

Here’s a nice flashback sequence by Marcos:

Sue gets to stretch herself in battle (although she’s still dependent on Reed, even in her own head):

Sue and Namor are getting pretty cozy here:

Here, Sue finally expresses how we all feel about the Impossible Man:

Lastly, there were some curious sound effects in this comic. Baskong!

What I didn’t like

Following the (obviously temporary) break up of the FF, the powers-that-be decided to give them each solo stories. A fun idea, and yet despite that, Sue is stuck sharing her story with Namor. Worse, she’s either thinking about Reed or Namor during the entire issue. If comics had a Bechdel test, this one would fail utterly.

Here, in the middle of battle, she’s again wishing Reed was present:

And here, she’s so distracted thinking about her marriage she’s almost killed:

And the resolution, in which Namor does the robots’ bidding after all, is all about Namor, not Sue. For shame, Marv Wolfman, for shame.

Anything else?

There’s a somber note in the Bullpen Bulletins about the sudden passing of John Verpoorten, who was an occasional FF inker, among his many other roles at Marvel.

Overall

Goofy fun

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 194

26 Sunday Oct 2025

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1978, Bill mantlo, darkoth, Dave Hunt, Diablo, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 194, Keith Pollard, Marvel comics

Fantastic Four 194
“Vengeance Is Mine!”
Published February 1978
Plot: Len Wein & Keith Pollard
Script: Bill Mantlo
Pencils: Pollard
Inks: Dave Hunt
Letters: Annette Kawecki
Colors: George Roussos
Editor: Marv Wolfman
Cover: George Perez

Synopsis

After surviving the crash of the Solar Shuttle, the Thing confronts Darkoth, who eventually overcomes a spell by Diablo and reveals to Ben he is his old friend Desmond Pitts. Ben then battles Diablo and is about to be killed by a solar cannon when Darkoth turns against Diablo, sacrificing himself to save Ben.

What’s going on here?

This comic efficiently wrap up the two-part Ben solo story while resolving the Darkoth storyline. If you didn’t think Darkoth was going to die in some noble fashion, then I guess you haven’t read many comic books. But despite its predictability, it’s a solid story and enhanced by the attractive Keith Pollard/ Dave Hunt artwork.

The next solo story, featuring Sue and the Sub-Mariner, is teased in a short cutaway, but other than that, the story is all Ben’s. No Reed or Johnny.

This the rare FF of this era not inked by Joe Sinnott but Hunt’s inks look great over Pollard’s pencils. Hunt is an interesting case; he seems like a true comic’s journeyman who has hundreds of credits as inker, letterer and colorist, and who spent a big chunk of his career on second- and third-tier titles like The Little Mermaid and Scooby-Doo. This is his second and last issue of the Fantastic Four.

Annette Kawecki is credited as the letterer, her first and only Fantastic Four credit. And George Perez returns to deliver an amazing cover.

What I liked

Even though we could see it coming from a mile away, there was a poignancy to Darkoth reclaiming his humanity by turning on Diablo, knowing it meant his death. Also note the great, over-the-top dialogue by Bill Mantlo, a master of purple prose.

And then, of course, comes his classically melodramatic death scene.

What I didn’t like

Even for a comic book, Diablo’s explanation of how he survived his seeming death and discovered Darkoth is hard to swallow.

Also, these “firehorns” are dumb.

Anything else?

More Star Wars-related ads this month:

Plus some other interesting ads, including another odd one for Pizzaz. Again, I can’t imagine buying this magazine based on these ads.

Overall

A perfectly fine comic book

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 193

19 Sunday Oct 2025

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1978, darkoth, Diablo, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 193, Keith Pollard, Marvel comics

Fantastic Four 193
“Day of the Death-Demon!”
Published January 1978
Plot: Len Wein and Keith Pollard
Script: Bill Mantlo
Pencils: Pollard
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Joe Rosen
Colors: Françoise Mouly and Janice Cohen
Editor: Marv Wolfman
Cover: Pollard and Sinnott

Synopsis

After the breakup of the Fantastic Four, the Thing is lending his services to NASA as a test pilot. As he prepares for a space shuttle flight, the NASA facility is attacked by Darkoth, the cyborg demon created by Dr. Doom who was supposedly killed with Doom in issue 144. It’s later revealed that Darkoth was once Desmond Pitt, a former test pilot and friend of Ben’s who was accused of selling secrets to Latveria. Darkoth is now under the sway of Diablo, who picks up the pieces of a plot begun by Dr. Doom, who had sabotaged the plans of the space shuttle so it could be controlled by an outside agent. Diablo then attacks the shuttle while Ben is orbiting Earth, and Ben tries to land the craft before it explodes into flame upon crash landing.

What’s going on here?

The recent death of guitarist Ace Frehley (RIP) reminded me of an odd marketing stunt by Kiss. In 1978, the four members simultaneously released four solo albums, before reforming and releasing albums as a band again.

That feels a little like what’s going on during this period of the Fantastic Four. Ostensibly broken up (but, like Kiss, destined to regroup), the team members went off in four separate directions and are having four separate solo adventures. Last issue featured Johnny’s adventures in the wild west, and in that issue and this one, we are teased with glimpses into the current activities of Reed and Sue, which promise to blossom into their own solo stories before the team presumably gets back together before issue 200.

This issue features the return of Darkoth and a noir-ish mystery involving disgraced old friends and sinister plots. It doesn’t always work, but it’s an ambitious attempt and I give the writing troika of Len Wein, Keith Pollard and Bill Mantlo credit for trying it.

This issue marks the first of Pollard’s run on the Fantastic Four, and closes the door on George Perez’s all-too-short stint. Perez will return for two FF annuals, and will continue to draw the Avengers and Marvel Two-in-One before departing permanently for DC in 1980. Perez ultimately drew 17 issues of the FF over three years, and while their quality was uneven, they mark some of the best pencil work on the FF between the Kirby and Byrne runs.

Pollard is a solid artist, but rarely spectacular. I would slot him in a tier with Rich Buckler, Ron Frenz and Sal Buscema: reliable but not terribly exciting. He will work on the FF until issue 206, then have a second run in the late 1980s.

What I liked

As mentioned, the Darkoth / Desmond Pitt storyline gives the story some depth, while also giving us some glimpses into Ben’s previous life as a test pilot. I enjoyed about the mystery unfolds, first with a mysterious phone call:

Then an investigation into Pitt’s disappearance:

And then a flashback:

It’s of course one of those only-in-comic books coincidences that the man Doom turned into Darkoth happened to be an old friend of Ben’s, but it’s still a satisfying development.

I also liked seeing Ben in his element as a pilot, first kibitzing with ground control as Alicia proudly listens in …

… then trying to land a powerless space shuttle …

… a sequence which ends with this dramatic and alarming end to the comic:

What I didn’t like

Darkoth is revealed to be normal-sounding Desmond Pitt, and it’s clear he made the call to Ben, sounding like a normal guy. So then why does he spend the rest of the comic sounding like an Asgardian?

The comic opened in media res, with Darkoth bursting through a wall at NASA. I found it confusing, and I struggled to remember if I missed some issue or scene that had Ben at NASA. And the explanation of how Diablo was taking over Doom’s scene was hard to follow as well.

This sequence with Sue was a bit tedious. It didn’t really advance her story, but offered another lame joke about Hollywood. It also reintroduced the Impossible Man, with whom I thought we were finally done.

Anything else?

More Star Wars merch advertising

Overall

An entertaining comic, mostly

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 192

11 Saturday Oct 2025

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1977, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 192, George Perez, Len Wein, Marvel comics

Fantastic Four 192
“He Who Soweth the Wind…!”
Published December 1977
Plot: Len Wein
Script: Roger Slifer
Pencils: George Perez
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Joe Rosen
Colors: Glynis Wein
Editor: Marv Wolfman
Cover: Perez and Frank Giacoia

Synopsis

After the breakup of the Fantastic Four, the Human Torch travels to the southwest for a car race, where he is reunited with his old roommate, Wyatt Wingfoot, whose friend, Rebecca Rainbow, is also in the race. The race is interrupted by an attack by the mercenary Texas Twister, who is being paid to deliver Johnny to his employers. They fight to a draw and the Twister escapes.

What’s going on here?

This is a fun, albeit pretty lightweight, Torch solo story that works well in the context of the FF’s purported dissolution. If you’re going to tell solo stories, this is the time to do it. It’s a pretty conventional one-and-done set-up, with the Torch ambushed in some random locale, but at least we have a guest appearance from Wyatt Wingfoot, a great and underutilized member of the FF’s supporting cast.

As discussed in my last post, Len Wein is being phased out as the FF’s writer, and here he is only given credited for the plot. The script is by Roger Slifer, a relatively new writer who would spent about a decade mostly writing Marvel’s B- and C-list books before going on to DC’s Omega Men. He later worked in animation before he was seriously injured in a hit-and-run accident and was institutionalized until his premature death.

The villian, the Texas Twister, is a mostly fun, occasionally annoying character who first appeared in Fantastic Four 177 as one of the potential new members to audition for the Frightful Four. He eventually becomes a hero and a member of the Rangers, a regional team that would show up from time to time. Here is his origin, from FF 177 (story by Roy Thomas, art by Perez and Sinnott) (I blogged about the comic here):

I’m not sure I like the character as much as I like the idea of the character, or his later incarnation as a hero. As a kid, I loved minor-league super teams, like the Rangers and Great Lakes Avengers. It meant the Marvel universe was populated by more that the characters we saw every month, and it made sense that other parts of the country besides New York had heroes.

One other note: Has Johnny Storm ever successfully completed a race? Or is he always interrupted or abducted by a villain before he gets to the finish line? I can think of least two other instances of this trope. One is in the recently blogged-about Fantastic Four Annual 12, where Crystal and Lockjaw somehow fit into his race car and teleport him away:

And in Fantastic Four 263, he is abducted mid-race by a villain that wants his powers for nefarious purposes (story and art by John Byrne):

What I liked

There’s a breezy, easy-going quality to the story, despite the over-wrought cover and title. It’s hard to take the Texas Twister too seriously, and nothing much of consequence happens. I liked the banter between Johnny and Wyatt, which gets very close to a sexual innuendo:

Rebecca Rainbow, Wyatt’s friend, is a fun character and I wish she stuck around. She was introduced in a Marvel Two-in-One issue, which is further proof I really should be including MTIO in this blog:

And this was a nice quiet moment for Johnny:

The art in this issue is very by-the-numbers and one Perez’s less inspired efforts in his FF run, The cover in particular is one of his weakest. But I liked this panel design showing Rebecca overtaking Johnny in the race:

What I didn’t like

One of my persistent gripes about the Fantastic Four over the years is the inability of writers to understand how Reed Richards would fit into the real world. The world’s smartest man—one who invented interstellar space travel, unstable molecules and no end of amazing gizmos—would never be wanting for money or opportunities. Think of a benevolent Elon Musk, but one who’s an actual genius. At the very least he would be at a university with his own lab. Every time we get a story about how the FF are broke or need jobs it reads like the writers don’t have a clue how the world works. Here, Reed is (absurdly) looking at help wanted ads in the paper:

The Texas Twister’s accent and idiomatic speech is laid on very thick. I wonder of Slifer ever met an actual Texan?

Anything else?

Some interesting ads. I’m not sure who this Pizzaz ad is supposed to appeal to … I can’t imagine it would entice a super hero fan. And this is the first reference to Star Wars I think we’ve seen in an FF comic. The movie opened a few months earlier.

Overall

A perfectly acceptable comic book

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 191

04 Saturday Oct 2025

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1977, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 191, George Perez, Len Wein, Marvel comics

Fantastic Four 191
“Four No More!”
Published November 1977
Writer: Len Wein
Pencils: George Perez
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: John Costanza
Colors Glynis Wein
Editor: Len Wein
Cover: Perez and Sinnott

Synopsis

The Fantastic Four are breaking up after a de-powered Mr. Fantastic decides to disband the team. After they say their good-byes and depart, Reed stays behind to oversee his equipment being boxed up to be shipped to SHIELD. But it’s soon revealed that the movers aren’t SHIELD agents but henchmen of the Plunderer, who is attempting to steal he equipment. Reed summons the rest of the FF and after a quick fight defeat the Plunderer and his men, only to break up once again.

What’s going on here?

This is a very satisfying issue, a sturdy one-and-done comic that nonetheless advances the bigger narrative of the breakup of the Fantastic Four. A lot of credit goes to Len Wein, who has a real handle on the family dynamics and personalities of the team. He’s particularly deft at writing Ben as more than a wisenheimer or sad sack, but as a stand-up guy (a mensch, even) and big brother to Johnny. Wein’s writing does get overly maudlin about the team’s dissolution, since everyone except the team members know they will get back together, but it gives him opportunity for more character development. Sadly, this is his last issue as full writer, as he goes on to be credited as just the plotter before dropping off the book for good after issue 194 (and leaving Marvel for DC).

The Perez / Sinnott team do another solid job, especially with the cover, which is one of the best and most creative we’ve seen of this era. (Issue 187, with the team framed by the Molecule Man’s legs, is also excellent but most of the rest during this period are mostly just fight scenes, even if drawn by Jack Kirby). Perez also gets to stretch his machinery-drawing abilities here.

What I liked

The reveal of the villain was well crafted. I confess I wasn’t familiar with The Plunderer, who, as Parnival Plunder, is the villainous brother of Kevin Plunder, a.k.a. Ka-Zar. He featured in a lot of Ka-Zar stories throughout the seventies, and would have been familiar to many readers. Using “Agent Parnival” as his assumed name is a clever hint some readers certainly would have picked up on. The Plunderer is just the right sort of villain for this kind of story; sinister enough to cause some trouble but not big enough of a threat to be a real menace and therefore take the focus off the main narrative of the team breaking up.

As discussed, the reaction to the team’s breakup could get a bit sappy, but I liked this sequence:

And this was genuinely moving, where Ben thinks they are getting back together only for Reed and Sue to let him down:

The action sequences were fun, too. Even without his powers, Reed holds his own against Plunder’s stooges:

And Johnny demonstrates his growing maturity as a teammate and tactician:

Lastly, I liked this cutaway to a scheming Thundra. Thundra’s crush on Ben is an underrated subplot.

What I didn’t like

This was too lachrymose for my tastes. Sometimes less is more.

For some reason Perez drew the walls of the Baxter Building like they’re in a crumbling tenement. I’m pretty sure the skyscraper is not made of brick. And as longtime readers of this blog know, I have little patience in the landlord hijinks.

And somehow the FF went from renting the top floors to owning them. Never count on comic books when it comes to New York real estate.

Overall

An excellent comic book

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four Annual No. 12

28 Sunday Sep 2025

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1976, Annual, Bob Hall, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four annual 12, Inhumans, Keith Pollard, marv wolfman, Sphinx

Fantastic Four Annual 12
“The End of the Inhumans … and the Fantastic Four!”
Published October 1976
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Pencils: Bob Hall and Keith Pollard
Inks: Bob Wiacek
Letters: John Costanza
Colors: Glynis Wein
Editor: Wolfman
Cover: John Buscema and Joe Sinnott

Synopsis

The Fantastic Four are summoned from their leisure activities — Johnny is racing a car, the rest are in Hollywood supervising a movie — by Crystal and Lockjaw, who report the rest of the Inhuman royal family have been captured and the Atillan has become a fortress. The FF eventually overcome the would-be ruler, Thraxon the Schemer (yes, that’s what he calls himself), only to discover he is a pawn of a much greater power, the Sphinx. The Sphinx, an ancient Egyptian wizard who is now immortal, requires Black Bolt’s powers to conquer Earth, and is holding the Inhumans aboard a spaceship. The FF travel to space and are helpless against the Sphinx, but in the melee, Lockjaw frees the Inhumans and Black Bolt defeats the villain in one-on-one combat.

What’s going on here?

This annual is very much a mixed bag. It contains some fun moments and characterizations, and the art is interesting, but the story is padded out with unnecessary fights and flashbacks and some truly painful attempts at topical humor. The story, written and edited by Marv Wolfman, comes in at 48 pages, yet somehow feels much longer. It’s a good example of why writers shouldn’t be their own editors.

The story falls out of the FF’s current continuity, and since Reed can stretch without apparent issue, it probably takes place a good deal earlier than the events in the main title, where the FF have broken up due to Reed’s loss of his powers. The villain, the Sphinx, is an attempt at a new big bad guy but he’s not very convincing, in part because his name and costume are both pretty silly. He debuted in Nova 6, also written by Wolfman, and will pop up every once in a while. He never becomes a top tier FF villain, and frankly, his ancient Egyptian evil schtick was handled much better by Louie Simonson a decade later with Apocalypse.

The pencils are credited to both Bob Hall and Keith Pollard, and it’s hard to tease out who did what (Incidentally, I’ve met Bob Hall at a few conventions and had him draw sketches for me. A very gracious man). Bob Wiacek handled the inks and they look much different — thicker and rougher —than the more refined lines I associate him with from his X-Men run. Still, the art has its moments and between the three artists I see echoes of Kirby and Gil Kane:

What I liked

Like his close friend Len Wein, Wolfman seems determined to elevate Sue’s usage as a member of the Fantastic Four. This page is a pretty good demonstration of how she’s been upgraded, both in her attitude toward her teammates and in her powers:

As I’ll get to later, the FF’s Hollywood sequence, where they fight a robot version of the Thing designed for a movie, is beyond tedious. But using the Gong Show’s gong as a weapon is a fun idea.

As anyone how follows this account on Twitter knows, I am perturbed by artists who draw the Thing as a giant. Here, Ben makes the same point:

There were a few good sequences that featured a maturing Johnny reconciling with Crystal being married to Quicksilver. Here, he combines some introspection with commentary about his powers:

And here, we see three adults acting like adults (it won’t last):

I did like the sequence of Black Bolt wailing on the Sphinx. It really establishes him as a true heavy weight, given that the four members of the FF could barely touch the Sphinx:

What I didn’t like

As mentioned, the Hollywood sequence is long, silly and feels engineered to pad the page count. The conceit is a heavily accented Italian producer — I assume a Dino DiLaurentis parody — is making a movie about the FF, which they agree to for “tax money.”

Sue’s comment about never wearing “anything like that” is sadly ironic, given what was to come.

(FF 374, by Tom DeFalco, Paul Ryan and Danny Bulanadi)

As if if couldn’t get more inane, the Thing’s fight with the robot Thing crashes into the set of the Gong Show, producing lots of unfunny jokes about a show that wasn’t particularly funny. The effect is a bit like an unsuccessful MAD magazine parody.

There are several instances in this comic of holes being blown through the walls of a space ship and people being sucked outside, and everyone surviving just fine. I’m sure Wolfman knew better, but didn’t want to take the effort to make it plausible.

Lastly, the FF’s pogo plane is nuclear powered? In midtown Manhattan?

Anything else?

House ads. I’ve never heard of The UFO Connection.

Overall

Would have been just fine as a 22 page story.

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four Nos. 189 and 190

21 Sunday Sep 2025

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1977, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 189, Fantastic Four 190, Keith Pollard, marv wolfman, Marvel comics, Stan Lee

Fantastic Four 189
“The Torch That Was!”
Published Sept. 1977
Story: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Pencils: Kirby
Script: Lee
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Rosen
Cover: Keith Pollard and Frank Giacoia

What’s going on here?

Fantastic Four 189 is a reprint of FF Annual 4 from 1966. It’s a fine comic book, featuring the original Human Torch, which I discussed at length here. It’s notable here for two reasons: It’s yet another sign of the chaos and lack of organization at Marvel as they cycled through editors in the late 1970s. And the cover is by Keith Pollard (in an homage to Kirby), making his Fantastic Four debut. He would go on to draw many more issues .

Fantastic Four 190
“The Way it Was”
Published Oct. 1977
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Pencils: Sal Buscema
Inks: Tony Dezuniga
Letters: John Costanza
Colors: Glynis Wein
Editor: Wolfman
Cover: Kirby and Giacoia

Synopsis

A dejected Thing, sorrowful over the latest break-up of the Fantastic Four, reminisces about the team’s history with Alicia Masters.

What’s going on here?

This is another anomalous issue which also can be best explained by the lack of leadership at Marvel. Len Wein, after delaying his start on the FF for several months, is now missing for two issues. The last was addressed with a reprint and this one is an odd type of fill-in issue, basically one long flashback. It’s not exactly an inventory story, since it fits into the FF’s continuity, but it doesn’t advance the story and it probably was hammered out quickly by writer/editor Marv Wolfman with a stack of back issues. (This is also Wolfman’s first work on the FF; he’ll go on to have a run of his own in a year or two). It feels a bit like Uncanny X-Men 138, a long long flashback as Cyclops says farewell after the death of Jean Grey, but that one was at least written and drawn by Chris Claremont and John Byrne.

Here, Sal Buscema jumps into deliver perfectly adequate work, befitting his status as Marvel’s ultimate journeyman, and Jack Kirby draws the cover (a pretty lack-luster one, if I’m being honest). In a side note that surely only interests me, this may be the first FF issue without an exclamation point in the title.

This comic probably had some value for new readers but it didn’t do much for me.

Anything else?

There were some fun ads, including the first for Sea-Monkeys, a stable of comics for years (iirc, they are actually brine shrimp).

Overall

A pretty disappointing two months for FF fans

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 188

14 Sunday Sep 2025

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Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 188, George Perez, Len Wein, Marvel comics, Molecule Man

Fantastic Four 188
“The Rampage of Reed Richards!”
Published August 1977
Writer: Len Wein
Pencils: George Perez
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Joe Rosen
Colors: Glynis Wein
Editor: Len Wein
Cover: Perez and Sinnott

Synopsis

The Molecule Man has taken over Reed Richards’s body and goes on a rampage throughout New York as the Watcher mysteriously shows up and silently observes. The Molecule Man is defeated when he tries to manipulate the unstable molecules in the FF’s uniforms, and the issue concludes with Reed quitting the team.

What’s going on here?

This is a fun, slightly goofy issue. The main storyline, of the Molecule Man inhabiting Reed’s body and battling his consciousness, is hard to follow and doesn’t make a ton of sense. And the climax, where the Molecule Man is undone by the FF’s unfits, is pretty anticlimactic. But the fight scenes are fun and the sequence where the Molecule Man animates a New York building, is pretty epic. George Perez does a great job with the details of this crazy idea (and he pours on the Kirby Krackle).

Here’s some more of that sequence:

A few words about the Molecule Man. His powers obviously extend far beyond the ability to transform molecules from one chemical to another, as his name implies (and which is basically the power set of Element Lad in the Legion of Super Heroes). In the building sequence above, he’s not transforming chemicals as much as manipulating matter, a power more akin to the Scarlet Witch’s. In my recap of Fantastic Four 20, I address his transformation from standard-issue bad guy to one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel Universe. And interestingly, as writers like Joe Shooter and Johnathan Hickman imbued him with more power, they also changed his personality, from the megalomaniacal super villain to an insecure, borderline insane nerd.

The allegedly most consequential event of this issue is Reed quitting the team (and Sue following him). Len Wein sets this up like it’s a big deal, even having the Watcher appear to observe it, but it’s hard to get too worked up about it. By this point every member of the FF had quit at least once, and the team always gets back together. And in the future, there will be many more departures and reunifications. I can’t imagine many FF readers even in 1977 would be very distressed by this turn of events,

What I liked

As discussed in previous posts, Wein seems committed to expanding Sue’s abilities. Here, even Ben takes note:

Perez turns in another solid job, although, as in recent issues, his unique style feels somewhat muted by Joe Sinnott’s inks. I liked this panel:

What I didn’t like

As mentioned, the Molecule Man’s defeat didn’t feel particularly hard-earned by the FF:

(This is more-or-less how the team defeated him back in FF 20, too).

I also didn’t care much for the Watcher hovering in the background. While he didn’t violate his oath of non-interference (for once) he also didn’t have much purpose other than to signify this story was a Big Deal.

Anything else?

Some fun ads, including a classic for Spalding by Jack Davis (of Mad Magazine). And I would totally go for a Frazetta calendar.

Overall

A solid B.

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 187

31 Sunday Aug 2025

Posted by percivalhenry in The World's Greatest Comic Magazine

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1977, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 187, George Perez, Klaw, Len Wein, Marvel comics, Molecule Man

Fantastic Four 187
“Trouble Times Two!”
Published July 1977
Writer: Len Wein
Pencils: George Perez
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Joe Rosen
Colors: Glynis Wein
Editor: Len Wein
Cover: Perez and Dave Cockrum

Synopsis

Returning to the Baxter Building from their adventure in New Salem with Agatha Harkness, the Fantastic Four discover the Impossible Man unconscious. They quickly run afoul of Klaw and the Molecule Man, who have teamed up and plan to use Reed Richards’s psi-amplifier to give the Molecule Man a permanent body. The villains defeat the FF but a revived Impossible Man attacks them, thwarting their plans until a misstep by Reed allows the Molecule Man to take over his body.

What’s going on here?

This is generally a satisfying issue. Len Wein has a good handle on plotting and pacing and his issues thus far have a nice mix of character development, plot and action. I have some quibbles, which I’ll get to, but nothing that gets in the way of this being a fun read.

The most interesting aspect of the story is Reed’s apparent depression over losing his powers, which has been a subplot for some time now (and recall his robotic arms were destroyed last issue). It’s a bit puzzling, since most of Reed’s value to the team has little to do with his stretching ability, but for whatever reason it’s got him in the dumps. Wein develops a lot of space to this psychological development. Here:

and here:

and here:

Reed finally snaps out of his funk long enough to literally pull the plug on the Molecule Man, only to make an uncharacteristically dumb mistake:

It’s as if losing his stretching power has also dulled his intellect. Or maybe he subconsciously is drawn to the wand’s power, as a way to regaining his own lost potency. The result is this surprising cliffhanger:

Also of note: the (excellent) George Perez cover is inked by Dave Cockrum, one of his very few contributions to the Fantastic Four.

What I liked

This is a pretty cool sequence, as a diminished Reed still has some fight left in him:

Perez again only appears to be providing layouts and breakdowns, leaving the finishes to Joe Sinnott. That said, he still delivers some great panels, like the entrance of Klaw, complete with Kirby Krackle:

(Only in comics do characters call themselves murderous).

And this panel which reveals the secret villain on the cover is Molecule Man:

I liked this sequence too:

What I didn’t like

Longtime readers of this blog know how annoying I find the Impossible Man. For the last few issues he’s been harmlessly in the background but here he takes center stage, ultimately saving the day. He is essentially a gag character, a parody of Mr. Mxyzptlk, who has been upgraded into a character of consequence — and enormous power —while retaining his essential silliness. It’s not an effective combination. He’ll hang around the Fantastic Four another few issues before he thankfully disappearing for several decades.

Klaw’s explanation of how he survived his near-death (which happened in a Ka-Zar comic) and his teaming up with the Molecule Man felt unnecessarily elaborate and detailed. I recognize it’s this sort of continuity accounting that fans loved about this era of Marvel but now it only gets in the way of storytelling.