The Fantastic Four animated series from the 1990s is one of the Marvel offerings on Disney+. While it may seem like a good idea to binge all of Marvel cartoon history, viewers need to be aware that there are problems with this series. Of course, there are always problems with translating super-heroes to other media, especially in the 1990s.
It was during this period that the plug was pulled on the Roger Corman live-action film starring the Fantastic Four. It was also during this time that we got the X-Men and Spider-Man Animated Series, regarded very favorably. Fantastic Four, on the other hand, is not viewed as well, and there are reasons for that.
10 The Animation Is Janky
"Janky," of course, is a technical term that refers to animation that is inconsistent. This is especially evident in the first season. That season was animated primarily by Wang Film Productions and Kennedy Cartoons. It was animated in a way to save money. The animation in Season 2 was slightly better but still plagued by inconsistencies.
There are parts where only parts of a character are animated, and it results in faces moving around underneath unmoving hair. The Thing literally will change shape and size within seconds. Thankfully, it appears that the Thing kept the right number of fingers.
9 That First Season Theme Song
In the first season, there was a theme song that told the entire origin of the Fantastic Four and their powers. The song almost has an upbeat feeling worthy of any babyface entrance in the World Wrestling Federation of this same period.
It's obvious from this opening theme that the audience was meant to be children, but it's one of those styles that doesn't age well from one year to the next. It also feels the need to use lyrics to explain everything about the Fantastic Four and their powers. In the second season, it switched to showing instead of telling.
8 Every Character Is Apparently Modeled On Professional Wrestlers.
It seems, especially in the first season, that the male character models are almost all muscle-bound. Mullets abound, even in flashbacks. Doctor Doom's father and his attackers all share similar hairstyles and builds, very similar to professional wrestlers of the day.
A pass could be given for heroes and villains, but bystanders and villagers don't make sense. The average criminals controlled by the Puppet Master in the second episode don't make sense either. The design that went into these episodes is absolutely abysmal.
7 What's Up With Galactus's Eyes?
It seems like the animators couldn't decide what Galactus's eyes looked like. This also isn't a problem from just the first season, because it stretched into the second season as well. At times, his eyes are black with the purple squares common in many renderings. However, they change color, become normal, human-like eyes and sometimes pure white.
In the comics, this gets explained away. It even gets rationalized by fans as different artists' interpretations. But in a cartoon, especially a single episode of a cartoon, it's just sloppy. It's another example of the janky animation.
6 How Many Heralds Did Galactus Have?
When he first showed up in the first season, Galactus had three heralds. Silver Surfer, Firelord, and Terrax. They all fight the Fantastic Four. It's actually a nice little bit of subtext about the elemental nature of the heralds and the Fantastic Four. By the second season, that is all forgotten.
In "When Calls Galactus," Terrax's origin is shown and he was a replacement for the Silver Surfer. Reed even remarks that he and Thor encountered Terrax before. That's never seen in the series and it's just exposition so someone can know who Terrax is, despite having faced him in the first season.
5 Frankie Raye Met the Human Torch, Joined the Team, and Became Galctus's Herald In An Evening?
In the episode "When Calls Galactus" we start being introduced to Frankie Raye who approaches the Human Torch at a restaurant where the Fantastic Four are having dinner. When she kisses him, she bursts into flame and realizes she's a human torch as well. It turns out her stepfather was a scientist working on flaming androids for the military, and the shock of accidentally being bathed in those chemicals blocked the memory of those powers.
Later that evening, Terrax attacks and Galactus shows up. Apparently, Frankie has always known she had a destiny with Galactus, despite being suddenly head over heels in love with the Human Torch. She becomes his herald to lead him to suitable worlds to feed on. It's so implausible, we don't even begin to deal with the various moons near the Earth as she flies off.
4 Where Did Ghost Rider Come From?
Speaking of "When Calls Galactus," Thor and the Fantastic Four have Galactus on the ropes when Ghost Rider rides in out of nowhere, uses his penance stare on Galactus, causing him to fall unconscious. Then he rides out, having done his job.
Ghost Rider is serving the same purpose as Doctor Strange in the comic this episode is derived from. However, it comes from out of nowhere, and no amount of exposition can stop this deus ex machina from being what it is. Thor is at least mentioned earlier in the episode. Ghost Rider rides in and rides out. Pretty soon after, he's forgotten.
3 Why Is Johnny So Hung Up On Crystal?
In the comics, the relationship between Johnny Storm and Crystal of the Inhumans was a long term romance. In the animated series, they meet and the rest of the season has him moping about her being gone. Well, there is that one evening where he instantly falls in love with Frankie Raye.
Near the end of the season, he and Crystal finally become a couple, and she instantly begins adventuring with the Fantastic Four while the Inhumans rebuild Attilan. Crystal expresses a desire to return and help but doesn't. Essentially they love each other because the story demands it. It's not badly written, just unbelievable.
2 What Was Doctor Doom's Motive For Kidnapping Sue Richards?
In the three-part episode "The Mask of Doom," Doctor Doom kidnaps Sue Richards. It's a retelling of the first Doctor Doom story where he used the Invisible Woman as leverage to get the Fantastic Four to retrieve a magic gem from Blackbeard's treasure chest in the past. The cartoon has pirates switched with Greeks and Persians, but that isn't what seems weird.
Doctor Doom has the Fantastic Four captive and invites Invisible Woman to join him for dinner. He soliloquizes about once being handsome and seems to be trying to romance her over dinner. She even uses this to learn his origin. It's sadly out of character for any fan that happened to be watching this.
1 Why Was Their Headquarters An Apartment?
In the first season, The Fantastic Four need to find a place to make their base of operations. They choose an apartment with a bossy English landlady. It just so happens that the landlady was voiced by Stan Lee's wife Joan. She harasses the Fantastic Four about the smells from Reed Richards' lab, the equipment that he's having delivered, and all the things a landlady would argue with a tenant about.
At least, that's what they would argue about in a bad sitcom. It doesn't help that the stories being told necessitate for the Fantastic Four to be living in the Baxter Building. However, they apparently wanted comedy in this super-hero cartoon, so they rent what appears to be an immense Manhattan apartment.