Origins
Apocryphal legend has it that in 1961, longtime magazine and comic book publisher Martin Goodman was playing golf with either See more

The Fantastic Four is formed after four civilian astronauts are exposed to cosmic rays during an unauthorized outer space test flight in an experimental rocket ship designed by Dr. Reed Richards. Pilot Ben Grimm and crew-members Susan Storm and her brother … See more

Writers and artists over many years have created a variety of characters to challenge the Fantastic Four. Knowles states that Kirby helped to create "an army of villains whose rage and destructive power had never been seen before," and "whose primary … See more

Critical reception
Abraham Riesman of Vulture included the Fantastic Four in their "12 Teams That Defined Superhero Storytelling" list. Laura Bradley of Vanity Fair included the Fantastic Four in their "Stan Lee’s Most Iconic Characters" list. See more

Ancillary titles and features spin off from the flagship series include the 1970s quarterly Giant-Size Fantastic Four and the 1990s Fantastic … See more

Allies and supporting characters
A number of characters are closely affiliated with the team, share complex personal histories … See more

Fantastic Four Incorporated, also known as Fantastic Enterprises, is a fictional organization appearing in American comic books published … See more