The Fantastic Four are Marvel's founding family, one of the original teams in the Marvel Universe. Many know Reed for his hyper-intelligence, one that puts him in the top tier of all scientists. They know about the big rocky, Thing as well, "It's Clobbering Time" being a truly iconic line. Just as Johnny's "Flame On!" is.
What of Sue though? To many, she's the lamest of the Four, a hero whose name does her powers complete injustice. She's more than just invisibility, just as she's more than just Reed's wife. She's the heart and soul of the family, as well as perhaps its most well-rounded character.
10 She Had Her Kids Taken Away From Her
Fans can thank the Quiet Man for this, entire events orchestrated during the villain's introductory arc. Both Reed and Susan have left their children in the care of babysitters numerous times, be it Alicia Masters or H.U.B.E.R.T (Hyper-Ultronic Brain Employing Randomized Tracings). When New York City was fed up at the Fantastic Four for the damages they've committed throughout the city, they were declared as unfit parents. It's hard to argue against that when they spend most of their time trying to save the world rather than being the parental figures their kids need.
9 Malice
When the Fantastic Four were battling Psycho-Man and Hate-Monger, the two managed to bring out Sue's dark side in the form of Malice. Malice was Sue without moral restriction, free to use her powers in whatever way she wished. Naturally, the team managed to defeat Malice, allowing Sue to regain control of herself, but it wasn't the last time Malice reared their head. They made a second appearance during Infinity War, Sue being forced to absorb her darker half back into her body.
8 She Was Once Called Invisible Girl
This plays directly off of her time as Malice, name change coming directly after her defeat at the hands of her family. It's a great name change as a woman works far better for her character, especially when you consider she was never Peter Parker young in the comics, so it never made sense to call her a girl in the first place.
It was more than just a name however, Susan's character really began to grow after the name change, becoming more mature. It's a perfect fit as her team needs her to be the motherly leader, the one that can rope Reed in from his intellectual pursuits, and reel in Johnny's impulsiveness.
7 Damsel In Distress
The image above is an apt depiction of Sue's role on the team in it's earlier run. She wasn't the strong maternal leader that she is now, nor was she anywhere close to being its soul. Back then, she may as well have been called Princess Peach with how often she was a damsel in distress, one that always needed her husband or brother to save her. It makes many of the older comics embarrassing to read as Dr. Doom and Namor all had such an infatuation with her that they were held back as characters themselves.
6 Kate Mara Despised Her Role As Sue
It isn't a shock for anyone who's watched the Josh Trank movie. The film wasn't particularly good, outright butchering one of the characters. Beyond just the quality of the film however, there were many reports of Trank losing it on actors and stagehands alike. That isn't the type of environment conducive to a quality film. No matter how big egos may be, you need to be willing to put that aside and work together. Mara's not the first to dislike a film she's worked, there's a long list of those, but few have outright said that they never watched it.
5 John Byrne Helped Shape The Sue We Know Today
As mentioned, in her original run, she was more or less a damsel, an afterthought on the team as her powers paled in comparison to the others. That changed when Byrne took over, being responsible for giving Sue the assertive and confidant nature she has now. Beyond just that, he's responsible for the greater degree of powers.
No longer is she, someone who can just turn invisible, she's someone who can use force fields as attacks instead of strictly defense. He let her be able to manipulate matter in the air, letting her immobilize foes.
4 She's The Strongest Member Of The Team
Some may argue against this, Reed's intelligence truly putting him on a level few can match, but as far as raw power goes, no one in the Fantastic Four can touch Sue. The way her force field constructs have progressed through the years, she's reached another level, one of the few beings that can rupture the shell of a Celestial. Some of the more well-known powerhouses can't even make that claim. The ultimate compliment, however, may be the fact that Dr. Doom himself has said she's the single strongest member of the quartet.
3 She's Been Trained By Iron Fist
Now, that's not to say she could beat the top tier, martial artists, in the Marvel universe. In a straight hand to hand fight, Iron Fist would still wipe the floor with her, as well as many others. She can hold her own against the ones below the top however, receiving additional training from The Thing and She-Hulk as well. The additional combat prowess helps give her a more well-rounded style, allowing her to be ready for just about any situation. This willingness helps explain why she's grown into being their strongest member.
2 Breaks From Reed
Not everything has been as perfect as the image above for Reed and Sue, they've had more than their fair share of marital spats. Many of these center around Reed Richards being a little too one-track-minded. As a scientist, he can get lost in his studies, focusing only on them rather than his family and most notably, Sue. The first of these spats came when Reed shut down Franklin's mind until he had a better understanding of it. Sue felt that Reed didn't see her as an equal and left.
1 She Can't Be Sunburned
Her powers are so vast now that they have more than just offensive and defensive capabilities, they have practical ones as well. She can bend the sun's ultraviolet rays with her force field, rendering her immune to sunburns. That's right, she can stop sunlight from striking her body, meaning she could layout of the beach for as long as she wanted. That'd be a Cali girl's dream power right there, all the fun in the sun with none of the downsides. Naturally, as a hero, Sue rarely has time to worry about how her skin looks.