List of Fantastic Four members

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The Fantastic Four (q.v.) is a team of comic book superheroes in the Marvel Comics universe. Although the name suggests the team only has four members, in reality a number of other characters have, at one point or another, been considered members.

1 Founding members
2 Later Recruits
3 New Fantastic Four
4 Close associates
5 Fantastic Five

[edit] Founding members

The team was founded in Fantastic Four vol. 1 #1 (November 1961) with the following cast. Although several other characters have been members over the years, the team has always returned to this core roster.

Mister Fantastic - real name Reed Richards
The Thing - real name Benjamin "Ben" Jacob Grimm
Invisible Girl (later renamed Invisible Woman) - real name Susan "Sue" Storm (later Sue Richards)
The Human Torch II - real name Johnathan "Johnny" Storm

Mister Fantastic is the team's leader and later married the Invisible Woman. The Human Torch is Sue's younger brother, and The Thing is Mister Fantastic's best friend. As such, Fantastic Four has sometimes been interpreted as the adventures of a close-knit family of heroes.

A late 1970s animated television series based upon the comic book substituted a robot named H.E.R.B.I.E. for the Human Torch. An oft-repreated claim is that this substitution was made out of fear that children might attempt to imitate the Torch by setting themselves on fire. This is an urban myth - in reality the Torch was replaced as he had been optioned for separate use in a feature film. H.E.R.B.I.E. also appears occasionally in the comic.

[edit] Later Recruits

Others have joined the team as full members of the Fantastic Four for a variety of reasons (core members temporarily departing or temporary roster reshuffling):

Crystal: One of the Inhumans, and sometimes love interest of the Human Torch. She became affiliated with the team as of Fantastic Four vol. 1 #45 (December 1965), and formally joined in #81 (December 1968).
Medusa: Also one of the Inhumans, and older sister of Crystal. She was originally a member of the Frightful Four (as an amnesiac), first appearing in Fantastic Four vol. 1 #36 (March 1965). After regaining her memory, she eventually joined the team in Fantastic Four vol. 1 #132 (March 1973).
Luke Cage: The second Power Man, he joined in Fantastic Four vol. 1 #168 (March 1976).
Nova (Frankie Raye): Stepdaughter of Professor Phineas Horton who had created the original Human Torch. Love interest to the second Human Torch and close affiliate to the team as of Fantastic Four vol. 1 #164 (November 1975). Joined the team in #238 (January 1982) after discovering she had powers similar to those of the Human Torches. She left the team when she became the new herald of Galactus in #244 (July 1982).
She-Hulk: Younger cousin of The Incredible Hulk with similar powers but normal intelligence. Previously a member of The Avengers, she replaced the Thing on the team in Fantastic Four vol. 1 #265 (April 1984) after the events of Marvel's Secret Wars.
Ms. Marvel II: Former criminal member of the Grapplers, she joined the team in Fantastic Four vol. 1 #306 (September 1987) and became a love interest of the Thing. During her tenure she was mutated into a female version of him, gaining the alias She-Thing.
Ant-Man II (Scott Lang): Joined the team as its technical advisor as of Fantastic Four vol. 1 #384 (January 1994). His daughter Cassandra Lang was best friend and presumed love interest to Kristoff Vernard (see below).
Archangel : Shortly after the disbanding of the defenders, Angel joined the team to replace the human torch while he was away.
Storm and the Black Panther are seen in a solicit standing in for Reed and Sue following Civil War.

[edit] New Fantastic Four

In Fantastic Four (1st series) #347- 349 (December 1990 - February 1991) a female Skrull alien who was both a shape-shifter and a telepath managed to capture the team. Impersonating the Invisible Woman, she falsely reported the other members to be deceased and recruited four other heroes as a new Fantastic Four to avenge them. Members of this short-lived team included:

The Incredible Hulk - as the grey Mr. Fixit
Spider-Man: He had actually once applied for membership in the team in Amazing Spider-Man (1st series) #1 (March 1963), but quit upon realisaton that he wouldn't be paid. He and the Human Torch remain longtime friends.
Wolverine - wearing no costume but street-clothes and his infamous cowboy-hat.
Ghost Rider (Daniel Ketch)

In Fantastic Four (1st series) #374- 375 (march 1993 - april 1993) Dr. Strange brings the team back together to arrest the Human Torch after he went nova and destroyed a whole quarter of the city. This story was the start for the Secret Defenders ongoing series. The exact roster was:

The Incredible Hulk - as the merged Hulk
Spider-Man
Wolverine - wearing his classic X-Men costume
Ghost Rider (Daniel Ketch)

In Wolverine #148 (january 2000) the team comes back together during the Ages of Apocalypse reality to fight Arnim Zola, Blastaar and Annihilus with all four members wearing the popular blue FF costumes and the Hulk frequently switching between his various personalities.

[edit] Close associates

A number of characters are closely affiliated with the team, share complex personal histories with one or more of its members but have never actually held an official membership. They include but are not limited to:

Namor the Sub-Mariner: Was cured of amnesia by the Human Torch in Fantastic Four (1st series) #4 (May 1962). He has at times been an ally and at other times an enemy of the team. Namor and the Invisible Woman have occasionally been romantically attracted, though she eventually chose Mister Fantastic to marry.
Doctor Doom: He and Mister Fantastic attended college together, and he blames Richards for an experiment gone wrong which scarred his face. As the monarch of Latveria, he is the team's most deadly foe.
Alicia Masters: Blind sculptress, stepdaughter of the supervillain Puppet Master. She was introduced to the team along with her stepfather in Fantastic Four vol. 1 #8 (November 1962). Longtime love interest of the Thing.
Lyja the Skrull. Female Skrull, trained to impersonate Alicia Masters as an espionage agent. Replaced Alicia with Fantastic Four vol. 1 #265 (April 1984). She fell in love with the Human Torch and they married in Fantastic Four vol. 1 #300 (March 1987). Her identity was revealed in Fantastic Four (1st series) #357-358 (October-November 1991), though in truth this was a retcon. Lyja helped the team recover the original Alicia to prove that she could be trusted. Her allegiances were since divided between her native race and her new family, particularly her husband. Whereabouts unknown as of Fantastic Four (1st series) #416 (September 1996).
Kristoff Vernard, the former heir of Doctor Doom.
Namorita, cousin of Namor.
Wyatt Wingfoot, Johnny Storm's college friend, a Native American sometime-adventurer, and one-time love interest of She-Hulk. Son of "Big Will Wingfoot", one of Empire State University's most legendary football players.