The First Family (comics)
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The First Family is a fictional family of interdimensional explorers and superheroes in the Astro City comic book series, created by Kurt Busiek, Alex Ross and Brent E. Anderson. It was based in part on the acting family of Henry Fonda, and inspired by small, close-knit hero teams of the 1950s and 1960s such as the Fantastic Four and the Challengers of the Unknown.
[edit] History
The nucleus of the family were Dr. Augustus Furst and his brother Julius Furst, who became great explorers in their quest for knowledge and adventure. Augustus also became notorious for marrying four times, but it was his third wife, Nadia, who most affected his life and family.
Nadia was encountered by the Fursts in Yugoslavia, trapped in a mysterious energy field. After she was freed, she and Augustus were married. Later she left him for Prince Kaspian, king of the central European beast-men. Kaspian's inspiration in appearance and attitude was Namor the Submariner. Later she disappeared, leaving behind her twin children by Kaspian, Nick and Natalie, who were adopted by Augustus Furst. The twins combine elements of the Human Torch, the Invisible Woman, Quicksilver, the Scarlet Witch, Negative Man and Elasti-Girl. They manipulate and emanate energy in various ways, Nick for flight and generation of force fields, and Natalie primarily to change her size.
With Augustus, Julius, Nick and Natalie, the First Family was formed.
When Natalie grew up she married Rex, dinosaur-like prince of Monstro City, and son of its villainous ruler Madame Majestrix. Rex, who joined forces with the First Family while still in his teens, is super-strong and resistant to damage like The Thing. Natalie and Rex's daughter Astra, who has grown up in the First Family, has energy powers like her mother, uncle and grandmother. She can transform her entire body into energy and fly (completely unlike The Human Torch, who cannot turn himself into energy, just coat himself in flames/plasma), making her by adolescence the mightiest child in the world.
[edit] Members
- Astra Furst - a young adventurer/hero able to transform into energy and fly. Daughter of Rex and Natalie born in 1986.
- Augustus Furst – a scientist/adventurer active from the 1950s through the present. Brother of Julius Furst and adoptive father of Nick and Natalie. Leader of the First Family. It has since been revealed that he is based on actor Henry Fonda.[1]
- Julius Furst - a scientist/adventurer active from the 1950s through the present. Brother of Augustus Furst. Patron of Bruiser's. Visually based on and named for Julius Schwartz.
- Nadia - a mysterious woman with energy powers. Third wife of Augustus Furst, later married to Kaspian. Mother by Kaspian of Nick and Natalie Furst. Disappeared in 1961.
- Natalia Furst (Natalie) (featured) - an adventurer/hero with energy powers that allow her to shift in size. Natural daughter of Prince Kaspian of the Beastmen, adoptive daughter of Augustus Furst, twin sister of Nikolai Furst, wife (since 1979) of Rex, and mother of Astra.
- Nikolai Furst (Nick) - an adventurer/hero with projective energy powers. Natural son of Prince Kaspian of the Beastmen, adoptive son of Augustus Furst and twin brother of Natalie Furst.
- Rex - an adventurer/hero, super-strong and dinosaurian in form. Son of the villainess Madame Majestrix, husband (since 1979) of Natalie Furst, and father of Astra. Patron of Bruiser's.
