Bringing back JH's thread!!!
Ok, so I thought I'd read those important moments in a particular character's or team's history. And, I'm starting with The Fantastic Four. Naturally, that leads to issue #1. Let's see how it holds up with time.
First page sets the tone, which is how hokey these old tales seem. Mr. Fantastic shoots off a flare gun over Manhattan...and, somehow the capsule can show the three famous words, "The Fantastic Four," in bright red, alerting those members that some danger has made itself known, and they must finally reveal themselves to us, the reader. Mr.Fantastic comes across as a real tool, who (besides Thing) must save the day numerous times from his confused fiance and dimwitted brother-in-law. He sure seems old, and I also wonder what ever happened to that pipe he used to smoke.
Invisible Girl's reveal on the next page is pretty hysterical. She turns invisible and barges past various people who cannot see her, but only hear her voice. Except for being invisible, what purpose (besides showing the reader her power) does being invisible gain her? Even when she calls a cab and rides along without him knowing, she pays the driver. And, she even marvels at how her powers work...like she didn't know before, when we get a flashback of the first time later in this story. Poor Sue, she's relegated to just fleeing a bunch of the time. Her powers are kind of useless in this issue. You can almost read a big old "DUH" above her head.
The Thing's reveal is much more believable...but, Johnny is a real tool for destroying the car that he's been rebuilding with his pal by flaming-on inside the vehicle. Really? He couldn't step out and wait two seconds??? Oh, and the Air Force response is amazing! Within seconds, three fighter jets are trying to take him down. President Bush would have loved that response time over Manhattan during 9/11!
One of the most interesting things about old literature and comics is their notions of what space travel would be like before we knew what we know now...or even before 1967. I love the idea of Cosmic Rays all around the Earth, which caused the F4 to get their powers. Plus, it's equally amazing that the spacecraft could land on it's own with an autopilot program.
I find the beauty of this first issue is the way Stan Lee bridged the past of Timely Comics with the new direction Marvel would go in. Before, it was a lot of monster stories...and, combined with Stan Lee's answer to DC's powerful superheroes, he bridges both worlds in one book. The Mole Man and his group of monsters was a great first issue villian. (Too bad that no matter how many writers try to make old Moley a relevant villian today, it never really works.)
The Mole Man's story is kind of sad...and, even Reed treats him like an outcast in the end, proclaiming "He's sealed himself below -- forever! It's best that way! There is no place for him in our world." The whole reason Mole Man felt at home amongst these monsters was the because of how others made him feel.
This only leaves me with one big question that's perplexed me all my life. How in the heck deep below ground does all of those diamonds make it so blinding, that you have to wear special glasses just to see?
Yeah, these early issues are laughable; but, also very important to the characters we know and love. New writers try to explain certain points, like the "cosmic rays," to new readers, trying to make it much more believable. All I know is that if comics still read like this today, I would find it very easy to give up my favorite hobby. Some things have to grow and evolve. Thank God comics have.
I own about 12 of them and they're always a good read
