TITLE: Fantastic Four vol. 1, Issue #43
YEAR: October 1965
COMPANY: Marvel Comics
Written by Stan Lee
Illustrated by Jack Kirby
Inker: V. Colletta
Letterer: Artie Simek
In the final part of this three-story saga, the Frightful Four has gained the upperhand by brainwashing The Thing and the Human Torch to join them in defeating the Fantastic Four.
While there has been inner squabbles among the Frightful Four on who should be leader, if there is one thing this team should know, to not take the Fantastic Four by granted.
Especially the intellect of Reed Richards, who has used the Wizard’s gravitational devices and the Trapster’s special glue and has attached them to the Frightful Four and the Thing.
Reed and Sue come up with a plan to find a way to bring Ben Grimm back to the Baxter Building, meanwhile, Sue tells him the truth that since she disable the Wizard’s machine, Johnny Storm i faking his brainwashing and buying them time to escape.
But Wizard and Medusa catch on to Johnny’s scheme and beat him.
As Reed tries to use a risky procedure in bringing Thing’s memories back, the chances of killing him are high. And while Reed is working on the Thing, the Frightful Four have arrived and they have Johnny Storm glued to a gravitational platform.
Wizard tells Reed and Sue, they give up, Johnny lives. They fight back, he will shoot Johnny up to the atmosphere and he won’t survive.
If anything, this is another issue where we see Mr. Fantastic live up to his name. Using his high intellect, not only is he able to use it to defeat the Frightful Four but he is able to strategize in advance to time things to perfection.
It’s really interesting to see Reed Richard’s in this manner earlier in the “Fantastic Four” issues. Too many issues decades later would feature him more of a mad scientist and a-hole while in the past, he was a man that put his family and friends first, but using his intellect in many ways. He was a much cooler hero back then.
But overall, an enjoyable three-story arc that hints as a possible new crush for Johnny Storm.