What Happened to the Fantastic Four?

With several of the new books released in the All-New, All-Different Marvel wave of titles, there are still some characters and teams that are missing. One team, in particular, is the Fantastic Four. People have been talking about their apparent absence when the images for the All-New, All-Different Marvel characters designs were revealed. What we want to look at is the reasoning in the comics rather than speculate over a possible feud between companies over movie rights.

So far we have half the team present. The Human Torch is appearing in two different titles, UNCANNY AVENGERS and UNCANNY INHUMANS, while the Thing is now part of the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. Along with this month’s AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #3, we’re slowly getting some answers to the fate of the team.

These books are taking place eight months after Secret Wars ended. What we know so far is Ben Grimm has left Earth to roam space with the Guardians of the Galaxy.

He made the point of how this was what he originally intended for himself—to fly through the stars as an astronaut. Ben has taken a leave of absence from the team before but there was always a good reason. He wouldn’t just leave the team without someone filling in for him in the muscle department. With the team currently not in existence, he doesn’t have to worry about that. The bigger question is, what reason other would he have for running away from Earth?

In UNCANNY AVENGERS #1, we saw Johnny Storm make an ominous statement about the team to Spider-Man.

Saying that Reed and Sue are “gone” and trying to “serve in their memory,” things don’t look too good for Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman. If they just took time off, that wouldn't be the first time. Specifically saying he wanted to serve in their memory tells us it's something more serious.

In AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #3, we found out why Peter Parker has purchased the Baxter Building, the former home of the Fantastic Four, and moved the New York office of Parker Industries there.

His announcement didn’t go over too well with Johnny. He saw it as a betrayal. After a heated battle (sorry, that pun was intended), Peter shows Johnny the memorial in the lobby he commissioned from Alicia Masters.

Peter then explains to Johnny that the Baxter Building will always be home to the Fantastic Four. Other industries were bidding on the building, trying to buy it for themselves. Peter wanted to “keep it in the family.”

But the question remains, what happened to Reed and Sue. Also, what about Franklin and Valeria? We would assume Ben or Johnny would be taking part in raising or protecting Reed and Sue’s kids if something happened to them. Who else would get custody of them? With Ben leaving Earth, we have to assume they’re still with the Richards.

But are the Richards still alive? Johnny mentions mourning their loss. With Doctor Doom’s role in SECRET WARS, we can’t help but wonder if we’ll be getting these answers in the remaining issues. The solicit for SECRET WARS #7 states someone makes "the greatest sacrifice." Did Reed and Sue have to sacrifice their lives in order to stop GodDoom and restore the Marvel Universe to what we’re familiar with?

Peter is certain the FF would return someday. Reed, Sue, Franklin, and Valeria all dying seems pretty extreme. It’s more likely they’re probably trapped in some alternate reality, micro-verse or Negative Zone type location. Even if they did “die,” we know comic book deaths don’t last for too long.

We have no choice but to wait for their return. It doesn’t make sense for Marvel to throw away or kill off characters forever. We may not get the actual Fantastic Four back any time soon but hopefully we’ll find out what happened to Reed and Sue soon along with why Ultimate Reed Richards (the Maker) is in the Marvel Universe causing problems in NEW AVENGERS.

We say Reed, Sue, Franklin, and Valeria are stuck in some other dimension. What do you think happened to them to cause the team to completely disband?

I say they got stuck in a different universe with a few other SW stand outs, Namely the Renew Parker family.

The idea of Reed not being present in the marvel universe makes me sad :(

Spiderman Issue #3 had some comical points that made me more comfortable with new Peter Parker's persona and scale of his intentions. But it all did bring me back to why the Richards are missing.

It upsets me that Secret Wars is still not done AND so much talk of FF being sidelined cause the cinematic media is not under Marvel. At least that is what much of the non-hate Bendis talk suggest lol. Guess we'll just have to wait and see.

They're hiding in shame because they're embarrassed at the state of what has become of Marvel these days.

~MiB

Valeria is 3 years old, so that statue isn't accurate.

This probably doesn't count but evil Reed Richards survived secret wars. Maybe he has replaced the 616 version

They were killed off .....by Fox.

It's sad Reed is not going to be around anymore. He's always played an important role in the Marvel Universe.

My money is on the Richards family choosing to live a quiet life. Maybe going as far as to fake their deaths or just living completely off the grid. I think after all of reality nearly ending and the shenanigans of the Illuminati and Secret Wars, Reed might be done with the super hero game and raising Franklin and Valeria might finally be Reed's priority.

I don't think they are dead. Most likely Marvel being clever with the language and trolling everyone with the possibility of their deaths.

They sacrificed their flesh so Doom could have a pretty face.

which Reed?

Even if they did “die,” we know comic book deaths don’t last for too long.

So what about Richard Rider ?

I know, it is quite sad knowing he wont be around. I really hope the final battle of him against GodDoom is all kinds of awesome

@dernman: agreed.

I know when they will return: when Fox give up the rights

When BC first ran this story, we said what we were told was happening with Reed and Sue.

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2015/05/07/so-what-happens-to-the-fantastic-four-after-secret-wars-spoilers/

Were we right? Well, we were right about Ben...

@MadeinBangladesh: Perfect

...Until the day the FF are finally back

That's so perfectly meta

@dernman: Really? I could've sworn it was because of that god awful movie.

They better not be dead.

The movies were terrible thus, why no no one likes the FF.

I think Reed died to stop GodDoom at the end of secret wars

The art for Uncanny Avengers is so bad it literally makes me laugh.

Maybe the needed franklin to restore the universe and he is Stuck as some cosmic entity and it takes the rest of the family as guides of some sort because he is just a child.

Obvisously due to legal rights is why FF is nowhere to be found. Im sure once all this is over we should see a new series.

In all fairness i've always been a fan of thing. At least he's with GOTG for now.

But where would be the point in cancelling the series for that reason and then put the members on Teams they are trying to push like guardians and inhumans?

Johnny is on more books than before and ANAD seems riddled with fox properties.

As the child of two mutates she's probably a mutate herself. Reed thought she had no powers, but maybe accelerated maturity is her power? In other words, she grows up faster than most kids. That statue depicts her as a ten year old AT LEAST. Possibly even 12, considering she seems to have breasts.

I definitely think that the Richards family put on the shelf for a while as a result of Secret Wars. No way they outright kill them, but there will be some heroics that cause them to be left behind.

I think that in order for the new Marvel Universe to form Reed took God Dooms powers or something at the end of SW and is the one holding it all together. Remember how Doom said the only flaw in his world was himself? Maybe Reed realizes that the ANAD universe shouldn't have a god so he keeps himself hidden. He takes his family so they can live happily. That would be kind of cool, it would b nice to know that Marvel's first family are now gods of the Marvel Universe.

I noticed that as well. I hope that when they do come back, that she is older somehow. It's just weird her being that smart and three years old. It'd be better if she was at least early teens and starting to compete with Reed intellectually. It seems that most people ignore that she is three years old as she is clearly drawn older in Secret Wars.

There sales hit a all time low and they were cancelled.

The last volume averaged over 32,500 units an issue which is not bad. I think it is more so that the book could be replaced with a title that they want to push like Inhumans without any drop off in numbers. They can then keep the FF title on the shelf until they want to do another round of new releases to get another big bump. The longer they are on the shelf, the bigger the bump whenever they come back without ever losing any revenue because they have comparable properties like the Inhumans in terms of sales potential and a greater upside.

I'll tell you what happened. They became the Fantastic "we don't own your movie rights, so screw you" Four.

Blame the artist...Alicia Masters (a blind woman)

What happened to Future Foundation, Leech and Artie

I sure hope all this changing Marvel is doing is not long lasting. I cant read any of the books. I look at them in the shop and just shake my head.

I think she's been drawn way older than three for a long time, in a variety of issues. She looked much older than that in Loki, for instance. I'm not sure if 3 is really her age in-universe any more.

I would of liked both Sue and Reed to of been on different teams temporarily, like Ben and Johnny. I hate that they are nowhere to be seen during this "All-New Marvel".

There is a chance to expand the FF fans with putting each character on a popular team and showing how great they can be. I don't see a reason why half of the team is left out of this.

We do have ultimate reed. The only one I am not sure of is Sue.

Don't worry, it means absolutely nothing. It is just some dumb ploy by Marvel.

Now if this were from Image or Dark Horse I'd be genuinely worried about losing a favorite character but since Marvel would never lose a major character or brand worth millions, this is basically a huge waste of time.

In a few months, we'll be back to status quo Fantastic Four

I think Fox has the film rights and wont give them to marvel so thats why their gone.

why does Val look older than Franklin?

My guess is that Marvel ushered them "off screen" for the following reason: had the last F4 film been a hit, Reed and Sue would have returned to the MCU much, much younger with some comic book acceptable explanation. This would have allowed the company to bring the comic more in line with a successful film.

Since the film was not successful, Reed and Sue along with the kids will eventually return with a story to go along with that return.

Marvel was simply make plans, I am guessing, to return the F4 to their universe but wanted time to see if the film succeeded or ffailed.

Was really hoping something like this would happen. Good for you Pete! Way to hold on to family!! Because he may be an Avenger, but he is fully a member of Marvel's First Family!!

@cap10nate: Val IS older than 3 in Secret Wars... We enter the story 8 years after Doom took control...

@amazingwebhead: I blame the artist of the book.

She isn't alive at the time though in the Secret Wars world. When Sue is telling Franklin the bedtime story in the last issue she talks about meeting Doom after her father dies (who is part of the Fantastic Four in her reality) and then they get together and presumably had a family sometime after.

@cap10nate: But 3, she's definitely older than that by that point. Who knows, maybe Doom plucked Val and Franklin from a random universe (probably 616), it's not like him and Sue could produce Franklin and Valeria...

I think the kids will be dead and/or still missing when we do see Sue and Reed next. Sue could still be the most secret agent of SHIELD nobody knew about, Reed could be focusing on taking down his doppelgänger or even trying to find his kids. It'd be sweet if he lead a young team of scientists/Avengers, kinda like how Pym was over Avengers AI.

~KL~

They were tossed away by a soulless company that only cares to get the movie rights back.