Unstable molecules

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Unstable Molecules allow the Human Torch's costume to be engulfed in flames, but not burn.

Unstable molecules are a piece of fictional technology featured in Marvel Comics. They exist as a configuration of unknown atomic nuclei and electrons that are responsive to certain energized matter around them. Developed by Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic of the Fantastic Four), unstable molecules are typically utilized in fabrics for superhero or supervillain costumes, allowing the fabric to conform with the wearer's form and to not succumb to the wearer's powers. For example, as Mr. Fantastic stretches, his costume stretches with him instead of tearing. The same goes for his teammates: the Invisible Woman's costume goes invisible when she does (although because she becomes invisible by bending light around herself, the unstable molecule uniform is somewhat unnecessary), and the Human Torch's costume doesn't burn when he activates his powers. Essentially, it acts as an extension of the wearer's skin.

Unstable molecules are not generally employed by heroes other than the Fantastic Four, whose day-to-day clothes are treated with them to allow for use of their powers in situations that do not require their uniforms, although Mr. Fantastic has, on rare occasion, gifted fellow superheros with a costume of the material (most notably, the all-new, all-different X-Men and Henry Pym). The formula has occasionally been stolen by supervillains such as the Mad Thinker, as well. It was also swiped by Chord Industries, the company owned by Night Thrasher. Reed Richards allowed Thrasher's team, the New Warriors to keep the costumes they had, so they could fight crime more effectively. The Power Pack had costumes made of unstable molecules manufactured by them by the Kymellian smartship Friday, though the ship had no malicious intent.

The molecules also had a downside. The Trapster once defeated Reed Richards through the use of a white powder which rendered unstable molecules inert, thereby preventing Reed's suit from stretching with him.

Although a potentially lucrative commercial enterprise, unstable molecules are deemed too dangerous for use by the public in general - when a fashion designer procured a small sample of unstable-molecule fabric and attempted to have the process reverse engineered, the "lock" kept on the molecules by Mr. Fantastic was undone, unleashing their instability, which spread to neighbouring molecules in a chain reaction that dissolved surrounding matter, including humans. The reaction was thankfully contained by the Invisible Woman.

To a certain extent the phrase has become a source of humour regarding the pseudo scientific explanations that arose during the Silver Age of Comics.

[edit] Trivia

The name was also used in the name of Fantastic Four: Unstable Molecules, an Eisner Award-winning miniseries published by Marvel in 2004, and written by James Sturm with artwork by Guy Davis.
Unstable molecules have become a common material by the time of the Marvel 2099 line of comics, to the extent that Miguel O'Hara, Spider-Man 2099, had a Day of the Dead costume made of them.
Slapstick has a body composed of living unstable molecules dubbed Electroplasm. Similarly, Morph of the Exiles once said his body is made of Unstable Molecules.