Warning: SPOILERS for Fantastic Four #17
Almost 60 years after they were created, Marvel Comics has finally revealed the true origin of the Fantastic Four. It’s a story everybody should know by now; that a space flight went horrifically wrong (or, perhaps, fantastically right) when Reed Richards unwittingly flew his team into a Cosmic Ray bombardment. Their ship came crashing back down to Earth, with all four aboard dramatically transformed by the experience. At least, that’s what we thought.
Writer Dan Slott is currently telling a fascinating tale that rewrites this famous origin story. He’s revealed that Richards was actually working on an experimental faster-than-light drive, with the Cosmic Ray bombardment a precursor to making the jump. This is why Reed always blamed himself; because he presumed that he’d somehow miscalculated the necessary shielding needed to keep the passengers safe. This week’s Fantastic Four #17 finally reveals the truth.
Reed hadn’t miscalculated at all. Rather, they had been seen coming by the Overseer, the absolute ruler of the planet Spyre - and Richards’ destination. The Overseer seems to be driven by a form of xenophobia, and he feared the introduction of four humans would contaminate Spyrian society. He had learned how to manipulate Cosmic Rays, and he used them as a weapon, amplifying them in an attack upon the Four’s craft. The Overseer had assumed this would destroy the ship’s inhabitants, and the tragedy would discourage humanity from pursuing FTL technology and making another attempt to reach Spyre. What he’d not reckoned on, however, was the possibility that the passengers would not only survive, but be transformed.
Far from dealing with the perceived “threat” of the Fantastic Four, the Overseer had unwittingly amplified it. No longer were the Fantastic Four just four humans who intended to pay Spyre a visit; now they were the Fantastic Four, some of Earth’s most powerful beings. Presumably, at first the Overseer thought the Fantastic Four would settle down, but he’d soon learn otherwise as he watched from a distance and learned of Reed’s innate curiosity. It could only be a matter of time before the Fantastic Four made another attempt to reach Spyre, he realized. As a result, the Overseer began preparing his people for their coming, bombarding Spyrians with Cosmic Rays in order to create beings who he believed could match the Fantastic Four.
It’s a fascinating retcon, and it effectively rewrites the history of the Fantastic Four. No longer was the team created by a tragic accident; rather, they were given their powers after they were attacked by an alien force. And Reed Richards can finally stop guilt-tripping himself for the Thing’s fate because now he knows his calculations were correct all along. The Overseer is responsible for everything that has happened, all the good and all the bad, and without a xenophobic tyrant the Fantastic Four would never have been created.
Fantastic Four #17 is on sale now from Marvel Comics.
More: Silver Surfer Is SO Much More Than A Fantastic Four Character
