Just Imagine the Light of Triumph Writing the Fantastic 4! · 11:02pm Dec 14th, 2017
So I'm part of a small, but active group called The Comic Book Fan Club. Join it! It's fun. We talk about Superhero shows, movies, comics of course, and character analysis. Marvel or DC fans are welcome, and we could use more members.
Sometimes, we even do thought experiments. Like, what if we were in charge of rebooting Marvel comics, or more accurately, if we made our own AU? What would we change? What would we keep the same? So we've been building this piecemeal with each member doing a few characters, or, in my case, a team. We had to change origin and powers at least a little, and we had to summarize the first story. I decided to challenge myself by picking a team, and one I didn't like very much, to boot. The Fantastic 4. Here's what I came up with, I hope you enjoy!
So true story, I don't actually like the Fantastic 4 too much. I found them kind of annoying and grating, even in the comics. That's why I decided to take this on, because I wanted to challenge myself. Let's do it! My version of the Fantastic 4. I did change a lot, but I think I kept the spirit of the characters alive. Here we go!
Young up-and-coming scientist Reed Richards and his friend Ben Grimm are flown, all expenses paid to Latveria. An old College friend of Reed's, Victor Von Doom, is unveiling a scientific achievement. An energy source that will change the world. Based off of cosmic rays found in space.
Doom makes the presentation. And opens the floor to questions. A man in the back stands up.
"Yeah! I got one. What if, and this is just me talking off the top of my pointy head here, the world exploded? Like... All of it. Just... BOOM. Right outta freakin nowhere. For no other reason then you called attention to yourself. Which was dumb. You're pretty dumb."
Guards surround the man, he snaps his fingers and they all turn into rabbits.
"Huh. Cute. Oh, right. Sorry. Who am I? What do I mean by this? I work for a guy who... Let's just say he's kind of a big deal. Anyhoozits, he's coming here to destroy your planet. I know, bummer, right? But what can you do? The guy was hungry. I'm his advance man. His scout... He calls me a herald, but I've never liked the bugle. Now, if you all just cooperate, we can get through this together. Some people say I'm hard to work with... Heck, some people say... I'm impossible."
Doom: "Who are you?!"
"Like I said. I'm the Impossible Man. And what you've got in that engine, don't belong to you."
The Cosmic Engine explodes, sending cosmic energy everywhere. It hits Doom full force, Ben gets hit by a beam of it that grazes Reed. Two others in the audience are hit. We'll get to them later.
A silver streak exits the engine and speeds off. "Oh no you don't, dipstick!" says the Impossible Man. "The boss is one wave WAY TOO STEEP to take for a ride!"
Reed wakes up in the hospital, in Quarantine after a week. He hears that Ben is dead. He's in Quarantine with one other person. A woman named Susan Storm. She asks reed for help. For some reason, the Latverian hospital won't let her see her brother Johnny. They came there with their father, who has always been shady, is now actively holding them prisoner.
But Sue has a trick up her sleeve. She can manipulate light. Meaning she can turn herself invisible and turn light hard.
Reed is hesitant at first but then finds his report. After some testing he finds out that he can control every molecule in his body. He can stretch, shrink, grow, and turn himself into a mist or fog.
They make it out and into the hospital hallways. Using their powers to steal a doctor's uniform, while Sue conceals herself. Eventually Reed is mistaken for a Med School guide, and has to teach a class. He bluffs his way through it when...
"REED!" says the skeleton in the classroom. Eyes glowing blue.
"AH!"
Its Ben. He's been floating around out of body as a cloud of cosmic energy. But they've been using so much of the stuff he hasn't been able to contact him. Some kind of interference. He goes with Reed, who promises to try to clone him a new body.
They find Johnny. Who is constantly on fire. He hasn't slept in a week and he's nearly insane. Sue calms him down to the point where he can be coherent. He calms down and Flames Off.
They are about to escape when they are stopped by Victor and his cronies. He's in Armor now. Saying that he's started a revolution to retake his country. The first order of business is killing Reed. He claims that he and the other two are threats to the planet. Possibly tools used by the impossible man. He'd soon bring his order to the whole world.
"I am the only hope this planet has to avoid it's impending Doom!"
The fight begins and it seems that Doom has the upper hand, but then some of the rubble starts to form into a huge humanoid shape. Eyes glowing blue.
"What?! What is this... Thing?!"
"You know, that ain't bad... The one and only ever-lovin' blue-eyed THING." Kicks Doom across the battlefield.
They defeat Doom and escape. Eventually picked up by SHIELD.
After their debriefed, they have a discussion on the plane.
Reed: Their setting us up with a place. Penthouse apartment. We're supposed to be working on some kind of Solution to the Impossible Man problem.
Johnny: Like... Have we been dragooned, or...?
Reed: We have to have a checkup every week but we're free to do what we like. I'm going to do what I can to help. Maybe... I dunno....
Ben (In Pac-Man like metal ball): What?
Reed: What the hell.... I always wanted to be a Superhero. *team laughs* What? I got the powers now, I'm a genius, and I like helping people. Plus, we've got trouble coming our way. The Impossible Man and his "Boss". I want to be prepared.
Ben: Welp... I guess I'm in. Until I get that new body, I gotta stick to you like glue. So yeah. I'll help. Heck, Little Lord Fauntleroy back there even gave me a name.
Sue: Okay, slow your role, Mr. Fantastic. What makes you think you're cut out to be a hero.
Reed: *shrugs* Won't know until I try. And I hold this is worth trying... Hmm... Mr. Fantastic? I like it... Its catchy.
Sue: *rolls eyes but is charmed* Alright. I want to help too. I want to find out why what happened happened. Count the Invisible Girl in. *looks from team* Best I got.
Johnny: Me and Sue haven't split up yet. I shall be... Bonfire Jamboree. *silence* Hi! I was experimented on and I haven't slept in a week. Give me.. Like... 24 hours when my brain isn't so torched.
Sue: Human Torch.
Reed: There it is!
Johnny: Perfect. Goodnight. *passes out*
And... Yeah, there it is. I made some implications as to where the story would go from there, but that's how I'd do the Fantastic 4. I gave them a lot less friction on the team, and I kept the motivations the same, but I changed up the powers a lot. I made Johnny a little bit less of the "2Cool" archetype, and Reed a little less awkward, but Sue and Ben are perfect the way they are.
What do you guys think?
You can hardly do worse than Josh Trank!
In all seriousness, it looks pretty decent.
You've combined the wackiness of the comic universe with some necessary grit and avoided falling into either too far. There's something very Discord about Mr Impossible and the interactions between Reed, Ben, Susan and Josh are very relatable and distinct.
I'd like to see more scenes of Doom and his enemies in the Latverian government (Indirect allies of HYDRA).
Let's face it, Victor Von Doom is the real face of the Fantastic 4 (Or...mask), he's way more popular with the fans and a good way to introduce him would be a sort of path to darkness cycle, his methods against the admittedly reprehensible fascist regime of Latveria growing more and more violent until it makes an enemy out of Reed Richards. Doom works best when he's a kind of Templar figure, claiming to work towards a greater good, rather than just some jealous school-rival or moody nihilist. And his own people adore him.
And also, taking a lesson from the Nolanverse Batman, I'd avoid using Doom as a starting villain. Batman Begins had Falcone, Scarecrow and Ras al' Ghul and brought Joker in later and the series was made all the better for it. Introduce his character and build it up for the sequel but use other F4 villains or anti-heroes, the Puppetmaster, the Wizard, Ulysses Claw, Mole Man, Namor and Galactus to name a few as well as the leaders of Latveria.
Watch the Smeghead's review of Fant4stic
and he includes his own ideas on how to bring the comics to film that film-makers should really be checking up on.
But regardless, its a good start.