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Mister Fantastic is a Marvel comic book character, who has had many alternate versions through various media.

Age of Apocalypse[link]

In the alternate reality known as the Age of Apocalypse, Richards never got his powers as he was never bombarded with cosmic radiation in space. Instead he attempted to evacuate a large group of humans from Manhattan when Apocalypse came into power. Along with Ben Grimm as the pilot and his friends Johnny and Susan Storm as crew, Richards used one of his prototype rockets to fly off the island. Unfortunately, a mutant sabotaged the launch and both Reed and Johnny sacrificed themselves to let the others blast off safely.

Bullet Points[link]

In Bullet Points, Dr. Reed Richards is drafted by the government to act as technical support to Steve Rogers, who in this reality is Captain America. Along with Sue, Ben and Johnny, he later attempts the rocket flight that in the mainstream continuity saw the creation of the Fantastic Four, but the flight is sabotaged and the rocket crashes, killing everyone aboard except Reed. He thus never develops superpowers, and following the tragedy, he accepts the position as Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Having lost his eye in the rocket crash and taken to wearing an eyepatch, he bears a strong resemblance to Nick Fury.

Council of Reeds[link]

The Council of Reeds consists of at least four alternate versions of Reed Richards, with different powers, intellects, and abilities, who have banded together across realities. Although the 616 Reed made contact with them, he withdrew from the Council when he learned that they were versions of himself that might have been without the influence of his family; according to Reed, they have all lobotomised their Victor von Dooms. Due to an accident caused by Valeria Richards, they have gained access to the 616 reality, forcing Reed to assemble a team of his old enemies- including Doctor Doom, the Wizard, and the Mad Thinker- to try to out-think himselves before they destroy this world.^[1]

Counter Earth[link]

The Counter-Earth version of Reed Richards is from a world created by the High Evolutionary. His exposure to cosmic rays gives him the ability to transform into a savage purple-skinned behemoth called the Brute. The Brute makes his way to Earth, where he traps Mister Fantastic in the Negative Zone and replaces him. He manages to trap the Human Torch and the Thing shortly thereafter, but is found out by the Invisible Woman, who rescues her teammates and leaves the Brute trapped in their place. The Brute is later a member of the Frightful Four. He first appeared in Marvel Premiere #2 (May 1972).

Dark Raider[link]

An alternate Reed Richards from Earth-944, he first appeared in Fantasic Four #387 (April 1994). He is driven mad when he fails to save his reality's Earth from Galactus. Taking the identity of the Dark Raider, he travels from reality to reality on a quest to destroy every possible version of himself. The Fantastic Four first encounter him when they traveled to an alternate past and see younger versions of themselves die at his hands. When the Dark Raider comes to the Fantastic Four's reality, he attempts to activate the Ultimate Nullifier, but is apparently destroyed by Uatu. This appearance of Uatu is later revealed to be Aron, the Rogue Watcher, who had simply teleported the Raider away. The Dark Raider returns, and is finally killed by the Invisible Woman in the Negative Zone.

Earth-A[link]

In this reality, only Reed and Ben Grimm go up in the experimental spacecraft. Reed is transformed by cosmic radiation into The Thing, while Ben gains the stretching powers of Mr. Fantastic and the flaming powers of the Human Torch. This version first appeared in Fantastic Four #118 (January 1972)

Exiles[link]

An Earth dominated by hedonistic Skrulls is attacked by Galactus, a planet-eater. Reed leads the super-human effort to drive off Galactus and save the planet. He becomes one the caretakers of Thunderbird, a dimension hopping hero who had been severely injured in the battle. ^[2]

Marvel 1602[link]

Set in the 17th century Marvel 1602 universe, Reed (apparently called Sir Richard Reed, although he is often addressed as "Sir Reed" or "Master Richards") is the leader of 'The Four from the Fantastick', and his pliability is compared to water. Sharing the genius of his counterpart, he has devised uses for electrical force, categorized the sciences, and speculated as to whether light has a speed.

According to Peter David, who is writing a Marvel 1602 miniseries about the Four, Gaiman describes Sir Richard as even more pedantic than the mainstream Mr. Fantastic. During a trip to Atlantis, Richard Reed had trouble accepting the idea that the Atlanteans had a connection to Poseidon or their brief encounter with the Watcher, until Susan helped him realise that just because such things could not be understood by their present standards did not mean that humanity could not come to understand them later.

Marvel Apes[link]

The Reed of this reality is an intelligent ape given stretching powers by exposure to cosmic radiation, as in the mainstream Marvel universe. He tries to find a way to bring Marty "The Gibbon" Blank back to his home reality. He is also one of the few that realizes Captain America is really a disguised Baron Blood, though he is impaled and killed in an attempt to stop the vampire from trying to invade Earth-612 for a new source of blood. The rest of the team are led to believe Marty is responsible for Reed's death and pursue him until discovering the truth.

Marvel Mangaverse[link]

In the Marvel Mangaverse comics, Reed Richards leads the Megascale Metatalent Response Team Fantastic Four as a commander, not a field operative like Jonatha, Sioux, and Benjamin. In Mangaverse, Richards has been re-imagined as a long-haired intellectual with a laid-back attitude. The other members of the team often describe him as a "smartass". His team used power packs in order to manifest their talents on mecha-sized levels so that they may fight the Godzilla-sized monsters from alien cultures that attack Earth for performing experiments which endanger all of reality. Along with assigning battle tactics, Richards okayed the amount of power his team was allowed to use. He has stretching talents which he considered "near useless" except for stretching his neurons, allowing him to brainstorm new ideas. In New Mangaverse, Richards (along with the rest of the Fantastic Four with the exception of the Human Torch) was murdered by ninja assassins.

Marvel Zombies[link]

This version of Reed Richards deliberately infects his team and thus himself with the zombie virus when his newly infected team attacks him (which he happily allowed), following madness from the murder of his children at the hands of a zombified She-Hulk. Reed sets out "to spread the Gospel", a twisted plan to start turning the survivors of the Marvel Universe into zombies which succeeds. Reed later assists his fellow zombies in tracking down several Latverian human survivors; they escape to alternate dimensions but Doctor Doom does not. Reed subsequently makes contact with his Ultimate counterpart. The Zombie FF attempts to escape into the Ultimate Marvel universe, but the zombie Reed is neutralized when the Ultimate Invisible Girl destroys a chunk of his brain, allowing the Ultimate team to contain their counterparts. When the Zombie FF try to escape after a brief period of imprisonment, Ultimate Reed Richards (in Doctor Doom's body) is able to defeat them, using necrosis against his zombie counterpart by covering him with maggots, and their corpses returned to their universe. It is suggested in Marvel Zombies: Evil Evolution that Richards was inadvertently responsible for allowing the zombie virus to infect this reality through the construction of a device allowing access to alternate dimensions.

MC2[link]

In the MC2 continuity, Reed Richards is badly scarred and he designs a small robot into which he claims to have transferred his brain when his body was damaged; in reality, Richards' injuries are minor, and he controls the robot remotely from an outpost in the Negative Zone. This robot, called Big Brain, is a member of the Fantastic Five, and is capable of projecting force fields and can hover or fly. When Reed solves the problem keeping Susan in stasis in the Negative Zone, the mental block preventing his scars from healing dissolves, and his appearance returns to normal.

In an alternate universe in the MC2 line where The Red Skull conquered the world and killed that worlds Captain America. Reed serves as an advisor for Doctor Doom who in this continuality killed Red Skull. After Doom and Crimson Curse fall into a portal Richards turns on fellow advisor Helmut Zemo. Later he becomes a mad scientist, aided by evil versions of Ben Grimm, Franklin Richards and Peter Parker. They are defeated by Spider Girl, Thunderstrike and Stinger.

When Dr. Doom returns, Reed is forced into a mental duel with the villain, which ends in a tie that banishes both their minds to the "Crossroads of Infinity". He is currently in Latveria, under the care of his wife.

Mutant X[link]

In the alternate universe visited by Alex Summers, a.k.a. Havok, the Fantastic Four seemingly have no powers, though Reed still has his genius level intelligence. Reed generally wears a battle suit with two extra arms. In his first appearance, he is attempting to build a machine that will allow the Goblin Queen to summon demons from another dimension. When the Goblin Queen makes her play to conquer the world, Reed is right at her side. In the final issue of the series, Reed joins a makeshift team of villains and heroes in order to stop the Goblin Queen's threat against the entire multiverse. He is interrupted in his work by Dracula, who slices open his throat, killing him.

Ultimate Marvel[link]

In the Ultimate Marvel Universe, Reed Richards is brought closer to the stereotypical scientist; he is as brilliant as his original counterpart (with an IQ of 267)^{[citation needed]}, but he is somewhat awkward, younger, and wears glasses. He becomes part of a "think tank" with other advanced youths, their headquarters being the Baxter Building. He is mentored by Professor Storm and meets Johnny and Sue Storm. As in the normal universe, Ultimate Reed Richards is romantically involved with Sue Storm. Ben Grimm is his only friend and protector.

In issues 21 through 23 of Ultimate Fantastic Four, Reed Richards is able to establish a link to what readers believed was the normal Marvel Universe, communicating with a projection of the original Reed Richards via a special device. When he attempts to travel to the alternate universe, however, he arrives in a world infested by zombies, including a zombified Fantastic Four. Ultimate Reed Richard's conversations with the false projection of his regular counterpart suggest that in the Ultimate universe, Mr. Fantastic is less skilled and has much less experience than the Zombie Mr. Fantastic, if the false projection is to be believed.

While it is still questionable as to whether or not the intelligence of the Mister Fantastic of the Mainstream Marvel Universe (Earth-616) was affected by the Cosmic Rays, this version of Mister Fantastic definitely experiences an increase in his intellect from the accident that empowered him, making his "mind as flexible as his body," and "getting smarter every day", and has shown a reduced need for sleep due to the hyper-efficient workings of his brain.^[3]

According to Ultimate Fantastic Four #7, Ultimate Reed's body has been radically transformed, and his only internal organ is a "bacterial stack" that generates energy (presumably from air) to fuel his body. This obviates the need to explain, for example, how his circulatory system can pump his blood when his body is stretched the length of a football field; he simply has none. Lacking a digestive system, he has no need to eat or drink. Similarly, because he has no lungs, Ultimate Reed doesn't need to breathe in any conventional human sense and can survive in environments lacking oxygen; however, during his time in the N-Zone, where the atmosphere is essentially acid, he is unable to breathe the air there, suggesting that he still requires air to a certain degree.

The Ultimate Mr. Fantastic does have a limit to the length he can stretch to. In Ultimate Fantastic Four #44 he is able to catch a falling Carol Danvers after she is dropped by the Silver Surfer, and upon setting her down, he admits that it hurt him to stretch that far.

Reed comes from an abusive family. His father Gary shows no regard for him and views his accomplishments with contempt. His mother is more warm toward him but is constantly trying to maintain peace between the two. His middle name is also given as Nathaniel.

After the events of Ultimatum, the Ultimate Fantastic Four decided to disband and Reed and Sue break up. In Ultimate Enemy, he is shown to be living with his parents again before an explosion seemingly kills them.

In Ultimate Mystery, Richards has been assumed dead by Carol Danvers and Nick Fury. At the end of the series, Susan Storm and Rick Jones discover that Reed Richards is alive and apparently in alliance with the attacking aliens.

Ultimate Doom sees Richards confronted by the remaining members of the Fantastic Four, as well as Spider-Man, Mahr Vehl and the Ultimates. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Reed Richards' world view has changed, and he has become something more like an Ultimate Kang the Conqueror.

In Ultimate Fallout #4, Richards is revealed to have survived his defeat and is shown trapped in the Negative Zone. He soon escapes and makes his way back to his world, where he vows to win back his friends by saving the planet.

In the latest story arc of Ultimates, Reed Richards has been revealed to be the creator of The City and the Children of Tomorrow, a race of genetically engineered supermen whom have gone on to consume and conquer Asgard, two hundred square miles of European landscape, and oppose S.H.I.E.L.D and the New Ultimates.

[edit] What If?

Marvel's What If? comic book series featured several alternate versions of Reed Richards and the Fantastic Four.

Spider-Man in the FF[link]

In at least three issues of What If?, Spider-Man joined the Fantastic Four, but his presence resulted in Sue feeling increasingly sidelined in favour of the four male members of the team, resulting in her leaving the team to marry the Sub-Mariner. Although Reed was briefly driven insane and declared war on Atlantis, he eventually recovered and the two apparently reconciled, resulting in the 'Fantastic Five' reforming once again.

Vol. I #6[link]

In What If? #6 (Dec 1977), after the team are exposed to cosmic rays, they develop powers based on their personalities. Ben Grimm grows large dragon-like wings (because he loves flying), Johnny Storm gains metallic skin and the ability to control metal (due to his love of cars), Sue Storm gains the ability to stretch and reshape her body (because her personality caused her to try to fit in with the more dominating friends), while Reed Richards vast intellect causes him to become a giant floating brain. Reed's brain is destroyed during a battle with Doctor Doom, but not before he manages to transfer his mind into Doom's body. This version of the Fantastic Four reappeared in the Volume II story arc 'Timestorm', summoned by the Watcher to persuade the man who would become Kang/Immortus not to become a threat. Richards' still being unused to his new body was shown to be among the factors limiting their effectiveness.

Vol. I #11[link]

In What If? Volume 1, #11 (May 1978), an alternate universe is shown wherein the original 1960's staff of Marvel Comics became the Fantastic Four, with Stan Lee himself as Mister Fantastic, described as slowly gaining a scientific intellect akin to that of the character he still writes in that world. Jack Kirby, who becomes the Thing, co-wrote and drew the issue.

Vol. II #11[link]

In What If? vol. 2 #11 (March 1990), the origins of the Fantastic Four are retold, showing how the heroes lives would have changed if all four had gained the same powers as the individual members of the original Fantastic Four.

• Fire Powers: In this alternate history the cosmic rays give the four the powers of the Human Torch. They decide to use their powers for good, and become the Fantastic Four. They battle such menaces as the Mole Man and the alien race Skrulls. While battling the mystic Miracle Man, he brought to life a statue advertising a monster movie called "The Monster from Mars." When the heroes set fire to the monster statue of the monster, the fire engulfs a local apartment building, killing young Angelica Parsons. Following Parsons's death, the team disbanded. Reed devotes his life to science. Johnny becomes a Race car driver. Sue troubled by Angelica's death becomes a Nun. Ben becomes the hero The Human Torch.

• Elastic powers: In this alternate history, Reed Richards, Sue and Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm are bombarded with cosmic radiation and develop the ability to stretch. Deciding not to become superheroes, Ben Grimm and Sue Storm discover their love for one another and settle down to raise a family, never using their stretching powers again. Reed Richards devotes his life to science. Johnny Storm becomes the celebrity Mister Fantastic.

• Monstrous forms: The cosmic rays in this alternate history transform Ben Grimm, Reed Richards, Johnny Storm, and Sue Storm into monstrous creatures. They relocate to live on Monster Isle.^[4]

• Invisibility powers: In the final What If? story, Ben Grimm, Reed Richards, Johnny Storm, and Sue Storm gain different aspects of the mainstream Sue Storm's power—Sue can turn invisible, Reed project invisibility, Ben projects invisible force-fields, Johnny can become intangible. They join Colonel Nick Fury's new C.I.A. unit, codenamed S.H.I.E.L.D.. The story retells their initial encounter with Doctor Doom under these circumstances.^[5]

References[link]

This article or section may be slanted towards recent events. Please try to keep recent events in historical perspective. (December 2010)

Mr. Fantastic is a fictional character, a superhero who appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a founding member of the Fantastic Four. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 (November 1961).

Reed Richards possesses a mastery of mechanical, aerospace and electrical engineering, chemistry, all levels of physics, and human and alien biology. According to BusinessWeek, Mr. Fantastic is listed as one of the top ten most intelligent fictional characters in American comics.^[1] He is the inventor of the spacecraft which was bombarded by cosmic radiation on its maiden voyage, granting the Fantastic Four their powers. Richards gained the ability to stretch his body into any shape he desires.

Richards acts as the leader and father figure of the Fantastic Four, although in recent years he has increasingly been portrayed as being cold and distant towards his teammates due to his scientific, methodical nature. This is particularly true with his best friend, the Thing, who partially blames Richards for his transformation into a large, rocky creature. Whenever Richards is confronted with a challenge, his attention can be so focused that he can neglect even his own family. Regardless, he is the loving husband of Susan Storm, father of son Franklin Richards and daughter Valeria Richards, and mentor of his brother-in-law, the Human Torch.

The character of Reed Richards was portrayed by Ioan Gruffudd in the 2005 film Fantastic Four and the 2007 film sequel Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.

Publication history[link]

This section requires expansion.

Mister Fantastic was created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 (November 1961).

Fictional character biography[link]

Pre-Fantastic Four[link]

Born in Central City, California, Reed is the son of Evelyn and Nathaniel Richards. Nathaniel was a scientific genius, and Reed inherited a similar level of intellect and interests. A child prodigy with special aptitude in mathematics, physics, and mechanics, Reed Richards had enrolled in college by the time he was 14, attending such prestigious universities as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, California Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Columbia University, and the fictional State University. By the age of 20,^{[citation needed]} he had several degrees in the sciences under his belt.

It was at State University (not to be confused with Empire State University) that he met Benjamin J. Grimm.^[2] Reed had already begun designing a starship capable of traveling in hyperspace. Sharing his plans with his new roommate, Grimm jokingly volunteered to pilot the craft.

When 19-year old Reed continued his education by attending Columbia University in Manhattan, he rented a room in a boarding house owned by the aunt of a young girl named Susan Storm. To his embarrassment, the girl, who was 13, instantly fell in love with him. Even though Reed had to move on, she continued to carry a torch for Richards. Also while at Columbia, he met a brilliant fellow student, Victor Von Doom. In Richards, Doom met the first person who could match him intellectually; regarding Richards as his ultimate rival, Doom became increasingly jealous of Richards. Determined to prove he was better, Doom conducted reckless experiments which eventually scarred his face and would lead him to become Doctor Doom.

Moving on to Harvard, Reed earned Ph.D.s in both physics and electrical engineering while working as a military scientist, all this by the age of 22.^{[citation needed]} He also worked in communications for the Army. Three years later, in his mid-20s, Reed used his inheritance, along with government funding, to finance his research. Determined to go to Mars and beyond, Richards based the fateful project in Central City. Susan Storm, now a young adult, moved into the area, and within a short time, found herself engaged to Reed. Due to her family's lucrative savings and involvement in charitable foundations, she provided more funding when his money ran out. Likewise, Reed's old college roommate, Ben Grimm, now a successful test pilot and astronaut, was indeed slated to pilot the craft.

All seemed well; however, when the government threatened to cut funding and cancel the project, Reed, Ben, Sue, and Sue's younger brother Johnny, agreed to sneak aboard the starship and take it up immediately. They knew they had not completed all the testing that had been planned, but Reed was confident they would be safe. Ben was initially skeptical about the unknown affects of radiation, while Reed theorized that their ship's shielding would be adequate to protect them.

It was on Reed's initiative that the fateful mission which had Susan Storm, Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm accompanying him into space took place. When their ship passed through the Van Allen belt they found their cockpit bombarded with nearly lethal doses of cosmic radiation. Reed had neglected to account for the abnormal radiation levels in the belt's atmosphere. The cosmic rays wreaked havoc on the starship's insufficient shielding and they were forced to return to Earth immediately. When they crash-landed they found that their bodies were changed dramatically. Reed's body was elastic and he could reshape any portion of his body at will. At his suggestion, they decided to use their new abilities to serve mankind as the Fantastic Four. Reed was chosen to lead the group, under the name "Mr. Fantastic".^[3] He later told his daughter, by way of a bedtime story, that the reason he suggested they become adventurers and gave them such outlandish costumes and names as "Mister Fantastic" and "The Thing" was that he knew they would likely be hated and feared for their powers without such an over-the-top public image.^[4]

This history has been changed over the years in order to keep it current. In the original comics, Richards was a veteran of World War II who had served behind enemy lines in occupied France, and the goal of his space mission was a manned space flight to the moon before the Communists were able to. This was later changed to getting there before the Chinese Communists and to explore the interstellar areas of the red planet and beyond. Also, in the earlier stories, Reed was said to have met Susan when he was 23 and she was 12, but this has been retconned to a more reasonable six year age difference.^{[citation needed]}

Leadership of the Fantastic Four[link]

The early career of the Fantastic Four led Mister Fantastic to a number of discoveries, and had their first encounters with many unusual characters. In the team's first appearance, they battled the Mole Man.^[3] They then battled the Skrulls.^[5] Soon after that, the team encountered the Sub-Mariner.^[6] They then had the first of many battles with Doctor Doom.^[7] They later journeyed to a subatomic world.^[8] Soon after that, they encountered Rama-Tut.^[9] They then battled the Molecule Man.^[10]

As the team leader, Mr. Fantastic created numerous exotic devices and vehicles for the team to use such as clothing made of 'unstable molecules' so that it can be used with their powers safely. Furthermore, he often leads the team into daring expeditions such as into the Negative Zone in addition to opposing evil. Also, he has felt personally responsible for Ben Grimm's grotesque change and has labored off and on to reverse it permanently.

Under his guidance, the team went on to become Earth's most celebrated band of heroes. Together, they would save the world countless times. Ever driven by his quest for knowledge, Reed is believed by most to be the Earth's foremost intelligence. There is little he cannot create, fix, or understand given time. The patents and royalties on his inventions alone have funded the group over the years.

However, there are drawbacks to his association with the team. Chief among them is the team's violent encounters with Doctor Doom, who believes that Reed was responsible for the accident that scarred him. Doom has never forgiven Reed and has sworn revenge. Doom has even gone as far as transforming Reed into a monstrous freak, attacking Reed's children and attempting to seduce Sue.

Subplots and story arcs[link]

After many adventures as the Fantastic Four, Reed married Sue.^[11] Not long after that, the team encountered the Inhumans for the first time.^[12][13] They next encountered Galactus and the Silver Surfer.^[14] Reed then opened a portal to the Negative Zone for the first time.^[15] Soon, the team first battled the Psycho-Man.^[16] Before long Reed and Sue had a baby, young Franklin Richards; the team battled Annihilus right before Franklin's birth.^[17] Franklin was a mutant with incredible powers, but, due to the cosmic ray alteration to his parents' DNA, they manifested while he was still very young (in the Marvel world, most mutants like the X-Men get their powers while teenagers). Franklin appears to have power that can rival a member of the Celestials; the power of a living god in the body of a small child. The couple briefly separated,^[18] and Reed further alienated Sue by shutting down Franklin's mind in order to prevent his power from causing global catastrophe;^[19] Sue Storm initiated divorce proceedings but the two were reconciled soon after.^[20]

Reed also saved Galactus's life during the course of his adventures.^[21] He then bought the Baxter Building.^[22] Later, he was tried by the Shi'ar for saving Galactus's life, but the charges were dropped when Eternity briefly granted all those attending the trial a moment of 'cosmic awareness' that allowed them to understand that Galactus was necessary for the continued well-being of the universe.^[23] Reed's battle with Gormuu prior to getting his powers was recounted.^[24] Just after that, Reed was reunited with his father in an alternate timeline.^[25] Some time later, Reed and Sue retired from the Fantastic Four,^[26] and then joined the Avengers, although Reed's past experience as leader of the Fantastic Four meant that he had trouble adjusting to following Captain America's lead regardless of his respect for the other man.^[27] Eventually, Reed and Sue did rejoin the Fantastic Four.^[28]

In the course of fighting an alien called Hunger, Doctor Doom was seriously injured. The Fantastic Four were also part of the battle against Hunger and Doom asked for his old enemy to take his hand. At that point they both disappeared in a flash, leaving nothing but ashes. It would appear as if the two sworn enemies had fittingly died in each others' hands.^{[volume & issue needed]}

However, unknown to anyone else at the time, Reed and Doom had actually been thrown back into the time of barbarians and onto an alien world by a being called Hyperstorm, Reed's grandchild from an alternate future, the child of Franklin Richards and Rachel Summers, daughter of Scott Summers and Jean Grey. They were so far into the past, and with no technology, that even their brilliant minds couldn't find a way back home. Doom was captured and held prisoner by Hyperstorm. Reed wandered aimlessly for about a year.^{[volume & issue needed]}

Meanwhile the rest of the FF recruited Scott Lang as scientific advisor. They even confronted an insane alternative version of Reed called the Dark Raider who was traveling from reality to reality, destroying all the various versions of himself after his own failure to save his world from Galactus in their original confrontation.^{[volume & issue needed]}

A while later, the remaining members of the FF along with the Sub-Mariner, Lyja and Kristoff Vernard found themselves trapped in the same era as their Reed and Doom. They found Reed but faced a new problem: during his time alone, Reed had resigned himself to the reality that it was impossible for his old friends to stage a rescue and attacked them but soon realized that these truly were his friends. After returning to their own time period, he sought out Galactus as he was the only being in the Universe who could defeat Hyperstorm. Upon Hyperstorm's defeat at the hands of Galactus, the FF returned to the present day where they continued their lives, not only as a team, but as a family.^{[volume & issue needed]}

Onslaught and Heroes Reborn[link]

Shortly after their return, the FF were confronted by a being called Onslaught. Onslaught took control of an army of Sentinels and invaded New York City, hunting down every mutant being he could find. Onslaught wished to add the abilities of the godlike Franklin Richards to his own. Only through the apparent sacrifice of the Fantastic Four's own lives and that of many of the heroes in the Marvel universe was Onslaught finally vanquished. The heroes would have died then and there if not for Franklin, who created an alternate reality for them to reside in. Completely oblivious to what had taken place, Reed and his compatriots relived most of their lives. In their absence the Fantastic Four's headquarters, Four Freedoms Plaza, was annihilated by a super villain group called the Masters of Evil, posing as heroes, The Thunderbolts. One year later, Franklin returned with his family along with the other heroes from the parallel reality. Reed was overjoyed to see his son again, but he and the rest of the FF found themselves without a home, moving into Reed's storage warehouse on Pier 4, overlooking the East River. Making this their home, the Fantastic Four continued with their lives, eventually managing to move back into the Baxter Building.

It has emerged that Reed is one of the members of the "Illuminati", unknown to his wife. He is also in possession of the "Power" gem of the Infinity Gauntlet.

Pro-Registration[link]

In Marvel's Civil War miniseries and crossover event, Reed Richards is one of the leading figures, along with Iron Man, on the side which is in favor of the Superhuman Registration Act. He speculates that this will lead to conflict with his wife, which came true in issue #4 of the miniseries when a clone of Thor, created by him and Tony Stark, went out of control and killed Goliath and nearly killed all the rest of the Secret Avengers until Sue Storm stepped in and saved them. Soon after, Sue left Reed, along with Johnny, to join the Secret Avengers in hopes that it would drive Reed to end the conflict quickly.

In The Amazing Spider-Man #535, which takes place shortly before the events of Civil War #5, Peter Parker demands to see the conditions inside the detention facility designed by Reed to hold unregistered superhumans. After being escorted to and from the prison by Iron Man, Parker returns with more doubts than ever about whether he is on the right side and asks Reed why he supports the Superhuman Registration Act, a question Reed answers by telling the story of his paternal uncle, Ted. A professional writer, Reed remembers his uncle as "funny", "colorful", and "accepting." As a boy, Reed loved spending time with Ted. Unfortunately, Ted was also "an eccentric" and "stubborn." Because he had a career in the arts and because he stood out, Ted was called before HUAC, imprisoned on contempt of Congress charges for six months, and was unable to find work after he'd served his sentence. He was even shunned by Reed's father. Ted lost everything, which Reed says finally "killed him" without going into greater detail. Richards opines that his uncle was wrong to take such a stand, to pick a fight he couldn't win, and to fail to respect the law.

However Fantastic Four #542 reveals that the real reason for supporting the registration act is due to his development of a working version of Isaac Asimov's fictional psychohistory concept. His application of this science indicates to him that billions will die in escalating conflicts without the presence of the act. In the final battle of the war, he is shot by Taskmaster, saving Sue Storm's life. With Reed on the brink of death, a furious Susan strikes Taskmaster with a telekinetic field. Reed survives, however, and Sue returns to him in the aftermath of the battle, having been granted amnesty. Seeking to repair the damage done to their marriage as a result of the war, Sue and Reed take time off from the Fantastic Four, but ask Storm and the Black Panther to take their places in the meantime.

World War Hulk[link]

Within the midst of Civil War, Reed Richards learned from a brief conversation with Mastermind Excello that the Hulk is not on the planet where the Illuminati attempted to exile him. After a conversation over the good the Hulk has done for humanity, Reed tells Iron Man of what happened to the Hulk and also states that the Hulk has friends, and "may God help us if they find him before we do."^{[volume & issue needed]}

Within the aftermath of Civil War, Reed Richards had been keeping tabs on Mastermind Excello and when the She-Hulk learned about the Hulk's exile, Reed Richards sends out Doc Samson to confront her when he sees her meeting with Mastermind Excello.^{[volume & issue needed]}

In World War Hulk #1, Reed is shown with Tony Stark as Iron Man. Both men were trying to convince Sentry to fight the Hulk, thinking that the calm aura that the Sentry produces may be able to stop the Hulk's rampage.^[29] In World War Hulk #2, with the aid of the rest of the Fantastic Four, Storm, and the Black Panther, Reed is able to create a machine that projects an image of the Sentry and recreates the hero's aura of calm. He uses the machine on the Hulk just as he is about to defeat the Thing, but the Hulk knows it is not the real Sentry and destroys the machine. In a last line of defense, Sue Storm tries to protect her husband by encapsulating the Hulk in an energy field while pleading with him to spare Reed. The Hulk does not listen and is able to easily exert enough strength against her force field to cause Susan to collapse and experience a nosebleed from the stress, before she dooms Reed to the Hulk's wrath.^[30]

Reed is later seen among the various heroes that the Hulk defeated so far, within the depths of the Hulk's Gladiator arena located within Madison Square Garden. He and all of the heroes are implanted with "obedience disks" that are used to suppress their powers.^{[volume & issue needed]} These disks are the same that were used upon the Hulk during his time on Sakaar.^[31] The Hulk orders Iron Man and Mr. Fantastic to face off in battle. Richards, after having the upper hand on Stark, is then given the thumbs down by Hulk, instructing Richards to kill Stark.^[32] However the Hulk spares their lives, showing them that he proved his point to the world. They survived the encounter by Hulk's mercy and the timely intervention of the Sentry. The Illuminati are partially cleared from the responsibility of Sakaar's destruction when Miek, one of the Hulk's alien allies, admits he saw the Red King forces breach the ship's warp core. Miek kept quiet to initiate what he felt was Hulk's destiny as the "Worldbreaker".^[33]

Secret Invasion[link]

Mister Fantastic was at the Illuminati's meeting discussing the threat of the Skrulls when the Black Bolt with them was revealed to be a Skrull in disguise.

Mister Fantastic and Hank Pym autopsy the body of the Skrull who impersonated Elektra (with Reed pretending to be seeing the corpse for the first time, thus keeping the secret of the Illuminati). After completing the dissection, Reed claims to have discovered the secret of how the Skrulls have been able to conceal their identities. Before he can elaborate, "Hank Pym" reveals himself to be a Skrull and shoots Richards with a weapon that violently leaves his elastic body in a state of chaotic disarray similar to Silly String.^[34] In Secret Invasion: Fantastic Four #1, it is shown that a Skrull assumed Reed's form in order to successfully ambush and capture Sue Richards, to facilitate an attack on the Fantastic Four's headquarters.

A conscious but still mostly shapeless Reed Richards is seen being forcibly stretched in all directions to cover the floor of a medium-sized arena aboard a Skrull ship, with all of the seats filled by Skrull onlookers.^[35] He is freed by Abigail Brand, and then travels with her to the Savage Land and uses a device to reveal all the Skrull invaders present.^[36] After helping the Avengers to defeat the imposters and return to New York, Reed aids the heroes and villains of Earth in their battle against the Skrulls.^[37]

Dark Reign[link]

Mister Fantastic aids the New Avengers in the search for the daughter of Luke Cage and Jessica Jones.^[38] He and the rest of the Fantastic Four are magically reduced to television signals by the chaotic activities of the Elder God Chthon, to prevent them from intervening, though after Chthon is defeated, he and the other three are turned back.^[39]

Norman Osborn has sent H.A.M.M.E.R. agents to shut down the Fantastic Four and capture them, expelling them from the Initiative and stripping them all their rights. Taking place a week from the Secret Invasion, which has caused Richards to seriously reevaluate his own life and the life he has built for his family, resulting in turbulent internal conflicts. Richards, as he takes a long, hard look at the life, is prompted to construct a machine that is capable of bending reality itself, to do so. Agents from H.A.M.M.E.R. (sent by Norman Osborn, a man well aware Reed is one of the few that has intellect exceeding even his own and thus pose a great threat to his carefully constructed shadow world) arrive just as Reed activates the machine, interfacing with the Baxter Building's power supply, resulting in an energy flactuation that sends Sue, Ben and Johnny back to the prehistoric era, fraught with dangers, which manifest in the form of the First Celestial Host. Reed searches for answers which can only be found in alternate timelines as the three find themselves in a super hero Hyborian-age civil war; Franklin and Valeria are the only ones available to confront the agents Osborn sent. Richards studies other parallel Earths to see if any found a peaceful solution to the Civil War, which resulted from the Superhuman Registration Act. Reed peers into different worlds, some more bizarre than our own, to see what they did differently. This is an insightful look into where the Marvel Universe has gone in the past “year” (in Marvel time) and to see who was at fault, if anyone. Reed meets with the other five Illuminati to handle the problem. Ultimately, after seeing about a million alternate Earths, he had concluded that there was no way for the Civil War to be resolved but that he, as the cleverest man in the Marvel Universe, had a responsibility to put things right. But before turning the machine off, he searches for other realities where they have the same machines he is using; the machine locates them and the people he finds tell him that they can help him.^[40]

Reed Richards reappeared in Mighty Avengers #24 refusing to give Hank Pym an invention previously left in the care of the Fantastic Four, following Bill Foster's untimely death,^[41] causing the Wasp to lead the team of Mighty Avengers to retrieve the device. In the next issue, Pym's attempting to knock down the Baxter Building (due to Loki's manipulations, likely) sows further displeasure and leads to a direct conflict between the Fantastic Four and Loki's Mighty Avengers, stretching across to Mighty Avengers #26. This conflict eventually ends in a new base for the Mighty Avengers and a shockingly disturbing alliance of the Dark Reign; the next issue of the Mighty Avengers will show a new character, a ruler known as the Unspoken, one more powerful than any other in the universe, to the point he had to be erased from history, and how his return will impact the planet and the cosmos beyond, in the War of Kings.

After the Secret Invasion and some time into the Dark Reign, in the War of Kings, when Blastaar is about to open the portal to Earth, on the other side in Camp Hammond, Star-Lord and the Guardians tell Reed Richards and others to never open the portal, or they will face the wrath of Blastaar. Mister Fantastic agrees and says they will not open the portal and then asks who they are. Star-Lord replies, "We're the Guardians of the Galaxy" before leaving.^[42]

Future Foundation[link]

Tragedy strikes the team when Johnny is apparently killed in the Negative Zone.^{[volume & issue needed]} As the Fantastic Four recover from Johnny's death, Mister Fantastic grows disillusioned at how scientists see science and its applications. Therefore, he creates a new team, the Future Foundation, to help create a better future for mankind.^{[volume & issue needed]} However, the team's initial tasks are complicated when they are forced to deal with the 'Council of Reeds', a group of alternate versions of Reed Richards who lack his morality or family that became trapped in the FF's reality after an accident with Reed's dimensional portal.^{[volume & issue needed]}

Powers and abilities[link]

Reed Richards gained the power of elasticity from irradiation by cosmic rays. He has the ability to convert his entire body into a highly malleable state at will, allowing him to stretch, deform, and reform himself into virtually any shape. Reed Richards has been observed as being able to utilize his stretching form in a variety of offensive and defensive manners, such as compressing himself into a ball and ricocheting into enemies or flattening himself into a trampoline or a parachute to rescue a teammate. Reed is also able to shape his hands into hammer and mace style weapons, and concentrate his mass into his fist. All of these feats used to require extreme concentration; however, due to mental and physical training, he can now perform these feats at will. The most extreme demonstration of Reed's powers is when at one point he was able to increase his size and mass to Thing-like proportions which also increased his physical strength.^{[volume & issue needed]}

Despite this, Reed Richards' strength comes more from the powers of his mind than the powers of his body; indeed, he once told Spider-Man that he considers his stretching powers to be expendable compared to his intellect^[43] (although it has been implied that Reed's intellect may be a result of his powers, as he once visited an alternate universe where his other self had never been exposed to cosmic rays and was notably less intelligent than him^[44]). For virtually his entire publication history, Richards has been depicted as the most intelligent human in the Marvel Universe. A visionary theoretician and an inspired machine smith, he has made breakthroughs in such varied fields as space travel, time travel, extra-dimensional travel, biochemistry, robotics, computers, synthetic polymers, communications, mutations, transportation, holography, energy generation, spectral analysis and more. However, he is never afraid to admit when others have greater expertise in certain fields than him (such as recognizing that Doctor Octopus possesses greater knowledge of radiation,^[45] that Hank Pym is a superior biochemist,^[46] or that Spider-Man can think of a problem from a biology perspective where he would be unable to do so, since his expertise is in physics.^[47]). Richards has earned Ph.D.s in mathematics, physics, and engineering. His patents are so valuable that he is able to bankroll the Fantastic Four, Inc., without any undue financial stress. Mind control is rarely effective on him and when it does work, it wears off sooner than it would a normal person, due to what he describes as an "elastic consciousness".

Richards is also an accomplished fighter due to his years of combat experience with the Fantastic Four, and has earned a black belt in judo.^{[volume & issue needed]}

Equipment and technology[link]

Although the Fantastic Four have numerous devices, crafts, and weapons, there are some items that Reed Richards carries with him at all times.

Fantastiflare: Launches a fiery "4" into the sky that is used during combat situations to let other members of the group know their location.

Uniform Computer: Like all the Fantastic Four's costumes and the rest of Reed's wardrobe, his suit is made of "unstable molecules". This means that the suit is attuned to his powers, which is why Johnny's costume doesn't burn when he "flames on", Sue's costume turns invisible when she does, and Reed's costume stretches with him. The costume also insulates them from electrical assaults. In addition, the team's uniforms are also, in essence, wearable computers. Their costumes have a complete data processing and telemetry system woven into the material of the uniform on a molecular level. This forms a network with the entire team, providing a constant, real-time uplink of everyone's physical condition as well as their location and current situation. The suit is capable of displaying data and touch-pad controls on the gauntlets. Its sensors can track all of the team's uniforms and provide a picture of their immediate vicinity. The suit has an intricate scanner system which can detect things around the wearer, from how many people are in the next room to what dimension or planet they are on. Reed can also up-link the bodysuit to any computer by stretching his fingertips to filament size and plugging them into an I/O data-port. With this, Reed can establish a fairly comprehensive database of any computer's cybernetic protocols and encryption algorithms.

Other versions[link]

In other media[link]

Television[link]

• Mr. Fantastic appeared in the 1967 Fantastic Four TV series, voiced by Gerald Mohr.
• Mr. Fantastic also led the team in the 1978 Fantastic Four TV series, voiced by Mike Road.
• Mr. Fantastic appeared in the 1994 animated series voiced by Beau Weaver.
• Beau Weaver reprises his role of Mr. Fantastic in the The Incredible Hulk episode "Fantastic Fortitude." He and the other Fantastic Four take their vacation prior to Hulk, She-Hulk, and Thing fighting Leader's Gamma Soldiers.
• Mr. Fantastic appears toward the end of the 1994 Spider-Man TV series voiced by Cam Clarke. He and the Fantastic Four are among the heroes Spider-Man summons to a planet to help him against the villains the Beyonder brought there. He helps to awaken the dormant part of Curt Conners' mind in The Lizard.
• Reed Richard's name is also briefly mentioned twice in the first episode of Spider-Man Unlimited. First mentioned in an interview, he is later seen again when Spider-Man gets some equipment from Reed which aids him in building his new stealth-uniform.
• Mr. Fantastic is in the 2006 Fantastic Four TV series voiced by Hiro Kanagawa.
• Mr. Fantastic is featured more recently in The Super Hero Squad Show voiced by James Marsters.^[48]
• Mister Fantastic is referenced in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes episode "Some Assembly Required." Iron Man mentions that he and Mister Fantastic are developing a prison in the Negative Zone to store any villains the Avengers captured after what happened in the episode "The Breakout." He also made a brief cameo appearance in the episode "The Man Who Stole Tomorrow". He reappears in the episode "The Private War of Doctor Doom", voiced by Dee Bradley Baker.

Film[link]

The unreleased 1994 film The Fantastic Four featured Alex Hyde-White as Mr. Fantastic.

Mr. Fantastic has been played by actor Ioan Gruffudd in the 2005 film Fantastic Four and its 2007 sequel Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Both movies were directed by Tim Story. In the film continuity, Reed Richards is, initially, a brilliant but timid and pedantic scientist who, despite his genius-level understanding of the sciences and being (as he is described in the second film) "one of the greatest minds of the 21st century", is fiscally incompetent and nearing bankruptcy, forcing him to seek investment from Victor von Doom (in the film continuity a rival scientist and successful businessman) to further his projects.

By the events of Rise of the Silver Surfer, Richards is, along with his teammates, an internationally recognized superhero and celebrity. Reed's celebrity status sometimes gets to his head, like when he gives in to the seduction of three sexy women who he meets at a bar. Reed and Sue are now engaged, although Reed has trouble keeping himself from being distracted from his imminent wedding (which is established as the fifth attempt they have made).^[49][50]

Video games[link]

• Mr. Fantastic is a playable character in the Fantastic Four PlayStation game.
• Mr. Fantastic has a cameo appearance in the Spider-Man game based on his 1990s animated series for Sega Genesis and Super NES. By reaching certain levels of the game, Mr. Fantastic can be called a limited number of times for assistance.
• Mister Fantastic appears as a playable character in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance voiced by David Naughton. He has special dialogue with Bruce Banner, Uatu, Black Bolt, Karnak, Crystal, Arcade, and Colonel Fury. A simulation disk has Mister Fantastic fight Bulldozer in Murderworld. And another simulation disk has Thing protect Mister Fantastic, when he’s frozen by Rhino.^[51] His classic, New Marvel, original and Ultimate costumes are available.
• Mister Fantastic appears in the Fantastic Four video game based on the 2005 film voiced by Ioan Gruffudd and by Robin Atkin Downes in bonus levels, and the Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer video game based on the film voiced by Matthew Kaminsky.
• Mr. Fantastic appears in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 voiced by Robert Clotworthy. His classic design is his default costume and his Ultimate design is his aleternate costume. Since the game is based on Civil War, he is locked onto the Pro-Registration side along with Iron Man and Songbird.
• Mr. Fantastic is a playable character in Marvel Super Hero Squad Online.
• Mr. Fantastic makes a cameo in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 in Frank West's ending. In the ending, he tells Frank about the Marvel Zombies, and that as soon as they are done consuming their own world, they will be coming to theirs. Not wanting that to happen, Frank and Mr. Fantastic team up to stop them.
• Mr. Fantastic is a playable character in the Facebook game Marvel: Avengers Alliance.

Popular culture[link]

• In a Saturday Night Live segment called "Superman's Funeral," Mister Fantastic was one of the attendees.^{[citation needed]}
• A parody of Mr. Fantastic is shown on the Adult Swim cartoon, The Venture Bros. The show features a character named Professor Richard Impossible (voiced by comedian Stephen Colbert), who attains the same powers as Mr. Fantastic. The members of his team, the Impossibles, are parodies of the Fantastic Four; his wife Sally has to concentrate to keep her skin visible (otherwise leaving her flesh and muscles visible), her mentally retarded cousin Ned is covered in a pink, calloused exoskeleton and her brother Cody bursts into flame when exposed to oxygen, causing him extreme pain. Richard himself is a neglectful father to his son (whom he suspects isn't his) and an abusive and controlling husband to Sally, who eventually leaves him when he decides that science is more important than his family.
• In a season 4 episode of Stargate Atlantis, "Travelers" Lt Col John Sheppard uses the alias Reed Richards when kidnapped.
• In The Simpsons "Treehouse of Horror" episode segment titled "Stop the World, I Want to Goof Off!", there is a moment where the family is transformed to resemble members of the Fantastic Four; Bart is Mr. Fantastic. He exhibits the same ability as Stretch Dude in a previous "Treehouse of Horror" episode entitled "Desperately Xeeking Xena" in which he and Lisa are both exposed to radiation (Lisa becomes Clobber Girl).
• Mister Fantastic appears in the Robot Chicken episode "Monstourage" voiced by Seth Green.
• Norm Macdonald plays Reed Richards in a skit appearing in his comedy album Ridiculous. In it, the members of the Fantastic Four are deciding on their names; after Reed comes up with "The Thing", "The Invisible Girl" and "The Human Torch" for his teammates, he decides to call himself "Mr. Fantastic". His teammates become upset, because unlike the other names, "Mr. Fantastic" does not really describe his powers.

Reception[link]

Mister Fantastic was ranked as the 41st Greatest Comic Book Character of All Time by Wizard magazine ^[52] IGN also ranked Reed Richards as the 40th Greatest Comic Book Hero of All Time stating that Mister Fantastic numbers among the very smartest men in the Marvel Universe; IGN also quoted that "Sure, his obsession with science sometimes comes at the detriment of his family life, but a kinder and nobler hero you'll rarely find." ^[53]

References[link]

• MDP: Mister Fantastic - Marvel Database Project
• Official Marvel Picture site
• Official Fantastic Four movie webpage
• Official Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer movie webpage

External links[link]

• Mister Fantastic Bio at Marvel.com
• Ultimate Mister Fantastic on the Marvel Universe Character Bio Wiki
• Marc Singer on Reed Richards and the Galactus Saga.

Look up mister or Mister in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Mister may refer to:

• Mister (Mr), a common English language honorific
• MISTER, a personal rapid transit system
• A device that makes or sprays mist
• Mr. Mister, a 1980s pop band
• Mister (band), a Canto-rock band
• Mister (song), a song by Korean girl group Kara

See also[link]

• All pages beginning with "Mister"
• All pages with titles containing "Mister"
• Meister
• Master (disambiguation)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Josh Brolin
Brolin at Flaunt Magazine's 9th Anniversary Bash and Holiday Toy Drive, December 2007
Born	Josh James Brolin (1968-02-12) February 12, 1968 (age 44) California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, stock trader
Years active	1985–present
Spouse	Alice Adair (1988–1992; divorced) Diane Lane (2004–present)
Parents	James Brolin Jane Cameron Agee

Josh James Brolin (pronounced /ˈbroʊlɨn/; born February 12, 1968)^[1] is an American actor. He has acted in theater, film and television roles since 1985, and won acting awards for his roles in the films W., No Country for Old Men, Milk and True Grit.

Early life[link]

Brolin was born in Santa Monica, California, the son of Jane Cameron Agee, a wildlife activist who was a native of Corpus Christi, Texas, and actor James Brolin.^[2][3] Brolin was raised on a California ranch with little exposure to his father's acting career.^[4] His parents divorced when he was 16 and his stepmother is singer/actress Barbra Streisand. He became interested in acting after taking an improv acting class in high school.^[4]