Top 5 Fantastic Four key issues?

[Bronx]

I gave it a little twist:

 

1, 5, 46, 49, 52

 

46 because Black Bolt is the face and leader of the Inhumans and that cover.

49 because Galactus is the reason that 48-50 is so great and that cover too.

[vaillant]

No love for #3? First costumes, intro of Baxter Building and Fantasticar.

 

Kind of set the tone of the book from that moment on.

It’s absolutely a key issue (in some way more important than #1), but #5 and #4 are more important to me. Maybe #3 is more important than #2, but the Skrulls are also such a key race to be featured in the whole Marvel age in time to come that I’d be unsure.

 

@namisgr: That’s why I said "added": I voted my five. I chose Annual #6 also because here the Negative Zone is clearly defined, and explored. It existed before but here it becomes a center staple of the MU. And that final panel means everything the FF are, and should be. Not a generic "family" (even the Defenders were "family" in many ways) but a proper family and a family of superheroes. Not of "supermen" or "imaginauts" as they like to call them with that horrible neologism.

[vaillant]

My top 5 would be :

 

FF 1 ......Premiere

FF 4.......Subby

FF 5.......Doom

FF 12.....1st Hulk/Thing

FF 13.....Watcher

FF 45.....Inhumans

FF 48-50..Surfer/Galactus

FF 51......Negative Zone

FF 52.....Black Panther

FF 66-67....Warlock

 

..... so much happened in the first 10 years.... GOD BLESS....

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

 

This is true of the entire Marvel Universe, which is why it pretty much ends for me in 1972.

Unfortunately the "Marvel Universe" is not officially ended. The Marvel age surely is, and to me this happens with unmistakable and definitive precision around 1989-90 (for many documented reasons).

[Chillax23]

The first 4 are easy to rank, but number 5 is tough IMO:

 

(1) Issue #1

(2) Issue #5

(3) Issue #48

(4) Issue #4

(5) Issue #2

 

I would be fine if someone chose issue #3, 12, or 52 over issue #2.

 

What I can't understand is someone thinking that issue #45 or #52 is more important than #48

[vaillant]

The first 4 are easy to rank, but number 5 is tough IMO:

 

(1) Issue #1

(2) Issue #5

(3) Issue #48

(4) Issue #4

(5) Issue #2

 

I would be fine if someone chose issue #3, 12, or 52 over issue #2.

 

What I can't understand is someone thinking that issue #45 or #52 is more important than #48

Very similar to mine!

I was on the fence about #2 over Annual #6 but there is so much, and important, happening in Annual #6 that I had to sacrifice the Skrulls, as central as they are in the FF epos.

[seredynskib]

My picks for top 5 FF are:

 

1.) FF1

2.) FF5

3.) FF48

4.) FF49

5.) FF4

[vaillant]

We should really consider #48-50 a single story.

[Dick Pontoon]

That's what I was thinking when I singled out #48.

[thehumantorch]

We should really consider #48-50 a single story.

 

While they're all wonderful books I went with only #48 because it introduces the characters that matter. #45, 52, 13, 2, etc are more important than 49 or 50. But yes, could consider the story arc one issue for sanity

[vaillant]

We should really consider #48-50 a single story.

 

While they're all wonderful books I went with only #48 because it introduces the characters that matter. #45, 52, 13, 2, etc are more important than 49 or 50. But yes, could consider the story arc one issue for sanity

I mean that we should consider "keys" the story arcs.

#48 does not make sense without #49 and #50, #66 does not make sense without #67, and #52 does not make sense without #53, while #2, #12, #13, stand on their own.

 

If we truly mean keys in terms of importance (i.e. the stories), we shouldn’t stick to single issues just because the market favors the first…

[vaillant]

Aah! This poll is not healthy! Now I need a #1…

[chrisco37]

Hi guys!

 

Besides #1 being obviously the most important key in the run, what other four issues would top your list as the most important key issues?

 

I am more or less just getting into SA US books, but my first thoughts about this would be the following:

 

#1 First appearance of Fantastic Four

#5 First appearance of Dr. Doom

#45 First appearance of Inhumans

#48 First appearance of Silver Surfer & Galactus

#52 First appearance of Black Panther

 

What would your list look like?

 

My list would look a lot like your list.

 

-J.

 

That's a list of what's hot, not what's important.

 

When the movie hype dies down, Inhumans will fade back into relative obscurity. Same goes for Black Panther, even though I love Panther.

 

FF 4 and FF 12 take their places on the list for me.

 

I agree that Silver Age FF's should be bought in runs, and not single issues. That run is truly a masterpiece.

 

I'm with you.

 

1

4

5

12

48

 

That's the list. Inhumans are getting some run now but they've always been C-List. Once Disney/Marvel acquires the Xmen rights, nobody (except us die-hards) will care about the Inhumans.

 

1 and 5 are no-brainers. No commentary needed.

 

4 must be on a Top 5 FF list. Has to be. I even considered 6 (first Marvel Villain Team-Up, plus 2nd Subby and Doom), but think that 12 deserves that spot. 12 is really the only "iffy" pick (and not really).

 

48 has to be on the list. 1st Surfer/Cosmic Marvel. Indisputable the effect it has had on Marvel over the years.

[namisgr]

Not much love for 25 as a big key, one of my all-time most favorite comic books...

 

Ish 12 is cool for the Hulk cross-over, but the titanic first Hulk-Thing battle is in 25.

 

Synopsis of FF25 from Wiki:

 

"I'll tear the city apart, brick by brick if I have to, to find the Avengers!! And now ... there's nothing that can stop me!!

-- The Hulk

 

Appearing in "The Hulk Vs. the Thing"

Featured Characters:

Fantastic Four

Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards)

Invisible Girl (Sue Storm)

Thing (Ben Grimm)

Human Torch (Johnny Storm)

 

Supporting Characters:

Avengers

Captain America

Iron Man

Thor

Giant Man

Wasp

Rick Jones

Alicia Masters

Villains:

Hulk (Bruce Banner)

 

Other Characters:

New York policemen

United States Army

Aunt Petunia (Mentioned) (First Mentioned)

 

Locations:

New York State

New York City

Manhattan

Baxter Building

George Washington Bridge

Hudson River

New Mexico

Hulk's Cave

 

Synopsis for "The Hulk Vs. the Thing"

Reed Richards has once again created a formula he believes will cure the Thing. However this time Ben is uninterested in a cure because his girlfriend Alicia Masters loves him the way he is. When Reed presses the issue, the Thing destroys the beaker containing the cure, much to Reed's frustration. When Alicia later arrives she informs the group of the latest news about the Avengers' manhunt for the Hulk.

 

Meanwhile, in New Mexico, the Hulk flees from the authorities. With a cordon surrounding the area the Hulk forces some truck drivers to stow him in the back of their truck. As he sleeps the Hulk reverts back to Bruce Banner and when the truck is later stopped at a check point Banner flees into the desert. Banner seeks shelter in a nearby cave, hoping that he can find Rick and get some help. Unfortunately the stress causes him to transform into the Hulk once again who then seeks shelter in his cave. Elsewhere the Avengers and their ally Rick Jones search nearby wreckage for clues to the Hulk's whereabouts. As their search turns up nothing, the Hulk learns that the Avengers have replaced him with Captain America[1] and decides to get revenge against them, the Hulk then bounds off to New York City to face them.

 

Back at the Baxter Building, Reed suddenly collapses while working on an experiment and Johnny is sent out in the Fantasticar to fetch a doctor. Along the way he spots the Hulk trashing the streets and flames on to face the gamma spawned monster. The Torch is no match for the Hulk, and is quickly defeated and his flame smothered. As the news of the Hulk reaches the Baxter Building, Reed tells Ben and Sue to deal with the Hulk instead of him, leaving them to worry that his sudden illness is grim and their leader might die. When they arrive at the scene Johnny is still fighting a losing battle against the Hulk. Sue protects her brother with her invisible force field, but soon passes out from the strain. That's when the Thing steps in for a rematch against the Hulk. As the Thing and the Hulk battle it out through the city, Reed tries to leave his bed to help the team, but finds that his malady has made him too weak to do anything. Ben and the Hulk's battle take them out into the Hudson River and onto the George Washington Bridge. The ongoing battle exhausting him, Ben tries to get a reprieve by trying to bind the Hulk in one of the bridge's tension cables.

 

Meanwhile, Sue returns to the Baxter Building with a doctor and the prognosis is grim: Reed has been afflicted by an unknown virus, likely from his own experiments and all the doctor can recommend is bed rest. Meanwhile, the Hulk defeats the Thing in battle and moves on, seeking to get his revenge against the Avengers. Left behind, the Thing picks himself up and follows after the Hulk, intent on stopping him.

 

This story is continued next issue....

 

[chrisco37]

I wish I hadn't traded my 25 years ago. Such a great book. I'd still give 12 the edge. But I'd certainly put 25 above the Inhumans books. It's Top 10 for sure (7-ish?).

[tth2]

In order of importance:

 

1

5

48

4

12

[KirbyJack]

I Always make a distinction between 12 and 25. 25 is the first Thing/Hulk fight, and 12 is the first FF/Hulk fight. An arguable point, sure, but I like it.

 

25 is a really important comic, and one of the issues that defined The Thing's character.

[Dick Pontoon]

Not much love for 25 as a big key, one of my all-time most favorite comic books...

 

Ish 12 is cool for the Hulk cross-over, but the titanic first Hulk-Thing battle is in 25.

 

Synopsis of FF25 from Wiki:

 

"I'll tear the city apart, brick by brick if I have to, to find the Avengers!! And now ... there's nothing that can stop me!!

-- The Hulk

 

Appearing in "The Hulk Vs. the Thing"

Featured Characters:

Fantastic Four

Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards)

Invisible Girl (Sue Storm)

Thing (Ben Grimm)

Human Torch (Johnny Storm)

 

Supporting Characters:

Avengers

Captain America

Iron Man

Thor

Giant Man

Wasp

Rick Jones

Alicia Masters

Villains:

Hulk (Bruce Banner)

 

Other Characters:

New York policemen

United States Army

Aunt Petunia (Mentioned) (First Mentioned)

 

Locations:

New York State

New York City

Manhattan

Baxter Building

George Washington Bridge

Hudson River

New Mexico

Hulk's Cave

 

Synopsis for "The Hulk Vs. the Thing"

Reed Richards has once again created a formula he believes will cure the Thing. However this time Ben is uninterested in a cure because his girlfriend Alicia Masters loves him the way he is. When Reed presses the issue, the Thing destroys the beaker containing the cure, much to Reed's frustration. When Alicia later arrives she informs the group of the latest news about the Avengers' manhunt for the Hulk.

 

Meanwhile, in New Mexico, the Hulk flees from the authorities. With a cordon surrounding the area the Hulk forces some truck drivers to stow him in the back of their truck. As he sleeps the Hulk reverts back to Bruce Banner and when the truck is later stopped at a check point Banner flees into the desert. Banner seeks shelter in a nearby cave, hoping that he can find Rick and get some help. Unfortunately the stress causes him to transform into the Hulk once again who then seeks shelter in his cave. Elsewhere the Avengers and their ally Rick Jones search nearby wreckage for clues to the Hulk's whereabouts. As their search turns up nothing, the Hulk learns that the Avengers have replaced him with Captain America[1] and decides to get revenge against them, the Hulk then bounds off to New York City to face them.

 

Back at the Baxter Building, Reed suddenly collapses while working on an experiment and Johnny is sent out in the Fantasticar to fetch a doctor. Along the way he spots the Hulk trashing the streets and flames on to face the gamma spawned monster. The Torch is no match for the Hulk, and is quickly defeated and his flame smothered. As the news of the Hulk reaches the Baxter Building, Reed tells Ben and Sue to deal with the Hulk instead of him, leaving them to worry that his sudden illness is grim and their leader might die. When they arrive at the scene Johnny is still fighting a losing battle against the Hulk. Sue protects her brother with her invisible force field, but soon passes out from the strain. That's when the Thing steps in for a rematch against the Hulk. As the Thing and the Hulk battle it out through the city, Reed tries to leave his bed to help the team, but finds that his malady has made him too weak to do anything. Ben and the Hulk's battle take them out into the Hudson River and onto the George Washington Bridge. The ongoing battle exhausting him, Ben tries to get a reprieve by trying to bind the Hulk in one of the bridge's tension cables.

 

Meanwhile, Sue returns to the Baxter Building with a doctor and the prognosis is grim: Reed has been afflicted by an unknown virus, likely from his own experiments and all the doctor can recommend is bed rest. Meanwhile, the Hulk defeats the Thing in battle and moves on, seeking to get his revenge against the Avengers. Left behind, the Thing picks himself up and follows after the Hulk, intent on stopping him.

 

This story is continued next issue....

 

 

It's all semantics, though. There's always going to be the #12 vs. #25 camp, with people parsing the details of what constitutes a battle. FF #12 wasn't a knock-down drag-out like #25, but it was the first. If more blows were traded #25 wouldn't even be in the running but for me what causes the greatest loss in cache is the Roussos inks. He was a fine artist though perhaps not best suited to inking Kirby pencils.

 

That said, it's an important book and a comic I love but doesn't fit into the Top 5 FF keys.

[RockMyAmadeus]

Hi guys!

 

Besides #1 being obviously the most important key in the run, what other four issues would top your list as the most important key issues?

 

I am more or less just getting into SA US books, but my first thoughts about this would be the following:

 

#1 First appearance of Fantastic Four

#5 First appearance of Dr. Doom

#45 First appearance of Inhumans

#48 First appearance of Silver Surfer & Galactus

#52 First appearance of Black Panther

 

What would your list look like?

 

My list would look a lot like your list.

 

-J.

 

That's a list of what's hot, not what's important.

 

When the movie hype dies down, Inhumans will fade back into relative obscurity. Same goes for Black Panther, even though I love Panther.

 

FF 4 and FF 12 take their places on the list for me.

 

I agree that Silver Age FF's should be bought in runs, and not single issues. That run is truly a masterpiece.

 

I'm with you.

 

1

4

5

12

48

 

That's the list. Inhumans are getting some run now but they've always been C-List. Once Disney/Marvel acquires the Xmen rights, nobody (except us die-hards) will care about the Inhumans.

 

1 and 5 are no-brainers. No commentary needed.

 

4 must be on a Top 5 FF list. Has to be. I even considered 6 (first Marvel Villain Team-Up, plus 2nd Subby and Doom), but think that 12 deserves that spot. 12 is really the only "iffy" pick (and not really).

 

 

I dunno. I thought about #4 after I posted my list, but, really, Subby had only been gone since 1955...less than 7 years earlier. Fast forward, that would be like a character who last appeared in 2009 reappearing now. It seems like a lot, given the era, but it really wasn't that long.

 

I also don't know how important #12 is. I mean, sure, first "Hulk/Thing", but it wasn't the first crossover (they'd been doing that for decades), and it wasn't even the first SA Marvel crossover (see #4.)

 

Great book, no doubt, but hardly ground breaking.

 

 

48 has to be on the list. 1st Surfer/Cosmic Marvel. Indisputable the effect it has had on Marvel over the years.

 

 

Absolutely. Set the stage for much of what came later, from the X-Men (who were decidedly earthbound before then) to GOTG to Defenders to Warlock to Captain Marvel...much came from that, and it started essentially with Norrin.

 

[thehumantorch]

We should really consider #48-50 a single story.

 

While they're all wonderful books I went with only #48 because it introduces the characters that matter. #45, 52, 13, 2, etc are more important than 49 or 50. But yes, could consider the story arc one issue for sanity

I mean that we should consider "keys" the story arcs.

#48 does not make sense without #49 and #50, #66 does not make sense without #67, and #52 does not make sense without #53, while #2, #12, #13, stand on their own.

 

If we truly mean keys in terms of importance (i.e. the stories), we shouldn’t stick to single issues just because the market favors the first…

 

You have a point there. Might be an interesting poll to do best story arcs in the SA.

[Ghost Town]

FF #1

FF #5

FF #48

FF #45

FF #12