A long time ago, I put together a list of the goofiest moments in the first ten issues of the Fantastic Four (check it out here, as well as the goofiest moments in the first ten issues of the Amazing Spider-Man, which you can check out here). It has been a bunch of years, but Mark Andrew's series of reviews of the early issues of the Fantastic Four have inspired me to return to this topic. So now, here are the ten goofiest moments of the NEXT ten issues of the Fantastic Four (#11-20)!!
Before I begin listing the moments, let me note a few things. First off, of course it should be said that these were written fifty years ago designed to be read by children. Stan Lee certainly did not expect anyone to remember these things five decades later, let alone expect anyone to pick apart specific plot points for their goofiness. Secondly, these are some strong comic books. I am certainly not knocking the comics in question. They are good. They just happen to have some goofy moments mixed in here and there. No maliciousness intended. Without any further ago, on with the countdown!
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Animal magnetism at its finest...
In Fantastic Four #13, the FF face off against the Red Ghost and his super-powered primates. One of the primates has magnetic powers. I enjoy seeing the Red Ghost order it to use its magnetic powers in a very typical usage of magnetism...
Love is blind...and apparently kinda dumb
In Fantastic Four #14, the male members of the team are off on a dangerous mission to fight the Sub-Mariner, who has kidnapped Sue. Alicia wants to come and Ben...says yes?!? Huh?!?
Perhaps not the best example...
In Fantastic Four #15, we meet the Mad Thinker, whose knowledge about the minute details of things has allowed him to calculate some very clever crimes. Many of them make perfect sense and are impressive demonstrations...
However, this last one...not so much...
Is that really an example of your genius? Perhaps a better example would have been to not have incriminating evidence laying around in a deserted shack, no?
I knew I should have said something earlier...
In the classic Fantastic Four #19, the team goes back in time to discover a cure for blindness. Upon their return, they discover that it could not travel through time. Reed, though, is not so surprised...
Really, Reed? That wasn't something that you could have thought of earlier?
Sue Storm, Political Commentator
In the aforementioned Fantastic Four #13, Sue works in some rather pointed political commentary while a prisoner of the Red Ghost...
10. Reed Richards...Judo Expert?!?
In Fantastic Four #17, Stan and Jack let Sue cut loose a little bit and take the fight to Doctor Doom in hand-to-hand combat. It is a pretty cool scene, but the dialogue is a bit surprising...
One of the world's greatest judo experts? Reed Richards? Huh?!?
9. Fire is perhaps not the best thing to lift stuff with...
Jack Kirby loved to give the Human Torch random powers. Here's a notably goofy example from Fantastic Four #12...
I can't even begin to figure out how that would work.
8. Sue Storm needs a new hobby
I love the intentness Sue has in Fantastic Four #15 when she tries to figure out the best way to improve her tactical abilities...
I love how she basically just concedes at the end that this was just an excuse to play with perfume.
7. Sort of a Catch-22, no?
In Fantastic Four #13, Reed has an interesting idea...
Soooo...to come up with a fuel that can help NASA beat the Russians to the moon, Reed is going to go test it...by going to the moon himself? I believe Stan even figured out that this made no sense, as the next issue, he makes a point of showing the world rejoicing the FF reaching the moon.
6. Ah, of course, the mento-fish...
The area Stan tended to get goofiest at was when characters tried to communicate with each other. In the aforementioned goofy Amazing Spider-Man moments list, Doctor Doom communicated with Spider-Man through a giant spider he just happened to have laying around. In Fantastic Four #14, we see a mind-controlled Namor use a similar option to contact Sue...
Later in the issue, Namor communicates with the rest of the FF, using a power I guess we were supposed to know he had?
Finally, it probably wouldn't be goofy enough just on its own (as Namor uses a ton of odd fish in the issue), but the idea of a hypno-fish just strikes me as hilarious, as well. A mento-fish AND a hypno-fish!!
Go to the next page for the top five!
5. Imagine if he HAD gone to art school!
In Fantastic Four #17, we get to see another one of Johnny's out of nowhere new powers, this time to trick Doctor Doom, who seemingly had teleported the Fantastic Four to another dimension (that Doom has that kind of power is sort of goofy in and of itself)....
only to learn that Johnny had made flame images...
How flame can make exact duplicates of people (including different colors) is a mystery for the ages!
4. Ah yes, why didn't I think of that sooner!
Like I mentioned, Stan tended to be especially goofy when it came to devices meant to track or communicate with others, as was the case in Fantastic Four #17 when we see Reed's rather...specific device he is using to track Doctor Doom...
3. Who can pay attention to what happened in previous issues?
In Fantastic Four #20, Reed makes a major discovery!!!
See! Proof that there is life in outer space! THAT's what we needed, Reed! THANK YOU! Finally we know that there is life in outer space. The Skrulls attacking twice in the previous 19 issues (including two issues ago)? That doesn't prove anything!
2. Easier than a game of Clue...
In Fantastic Four #12, the FF is brought in to help the military discover who is sabotaging their base (they figure it is the Hulk, which is why they need the FF's help). Bruce Banner and Rick Jones meet the FF, and after Johnny uses his flame lasso on Banner's assistant's wallet, Rick goes to return it to him. That's when Rick makes a remarkable discovery...
Probably not the best idea to keep your Communist membership card in your wallet while you're going undercover.
1. Lincoln's Mother
Fantastic Four #11 was a classic issue with a great concept - the first story in the issue would have the Fantastic Four answer questions from the readers! Very clever idea by Stan and Jack. However, things take a turn for the bizarre when Stan decides to address complaints from readers over Sue's uselessness...
What a delightfully bizarre attempt to stick up for a fictional character. I love it when Ben has to hold Reed back from attacking the little kids reading the comic!
That's the list! Hope you enjoyed it!