i oe oy Aerie es cee sre ACh UL CIN Ta raha Ua DN Peri TS iid KESEL ev BYSee R CU CRC UCAS Me | brother! Together, they braved the unknown terrors of outer space and were changed iN cosmic fey Wu pea more ‘than human! They td UT TLC Mr ee iris Shasta etna ne mL: Now they are the FANTASTIC FOUR, and the world will never tet Bue ae Cy Sas THE THING DOOR Reem Cm | oar to worst tribulations in their WS CEU EE en ee Le OCR RCO mR Ce CITC CRU TACUC Ie U Ra acu! together one last-time to defend humanity: A CS Sy sil THEVA cS “ a Ci “ ay Felis csi! PENCILER: LORISTS esata Ss TOL he Rls = siNOrr PE Maas Rest ae — ea SULA Rene eR ARTISTS: aU gees soars) eM eStore Ses b LU ugee aii br Ae Eee tT fr INE Secured Caily Bessie Pte Ms ess asa ocd yey ese nea sus PU en aU Se Read (© 2015 Marvel Characters, Inc. All rights reserved. All characters featured in ths issue and the distinctive names and likenesses thereof, and all related indicia are trademarks of Marvel Characters, Inc. No similarity between any of the names, characters, persons, and/or institutions inthis magazine with those of any living or dead person or institution is intended, and any such similarity which may exist i purely coincidental. WWW.MARVEL COITHE PROBLEM WITH YOUR PLAN, = ‘QUIET MAN, “YOU FORGOT 70 INCLUDE THAT IN CALCULLE 7 L/ “TME INNER STRENGTH [| THAT My FAMILY Has, [| THAT r’ve SEEN crow WITH US THROUGH THE YEARS. AND THAT IS WHAT MAKES US, the Fantastic Four!’PF 90 a3 cove POINT YOULL APPEAR A Tipy SPEECH, RICHARDS, PO IT NOW... TRY TO...AND IF THIS ENDS T PROMISE T'LL TAKE THE BLAME. T'LL SAY YOURE THE HERO WHO STOPPED "MY CRAZY PLAN.” YOULL GET EVERYTHING YOU WANT. I SWEAR, MAN DIDN'T WANT PAYMENT FOR HIS ‘SERVICES ee p> You've GIVEN HIM THE MEANS. TO CONTROL TWO WORLD!Nougat eM ase area REALITY. ote bertNow THE Psycho 15_YOUR TIME, MAN IS WEAKENED FRANKLIN! | AND DISTRACTED BUT HE WON'T Stay THAT WAY. Bur, SLEEPWALKER, ‘THEYRE PEOPLE. DAD Salp THE YOU HAVE TO CONCENTRATE. EVEN AS HUMANS, THESE CREATURES WERE MERE HUSKS--NOT REAL. vou coare Wl THEM AND NOW YOU MUST UN- ‘CREATE. is 4x RE, CLO... YOU LOOK, BUT YoU PO NOT SEE, THE FULL PICTURE:YE6,1 NO, ‘SEE THAT, RICHARDS, MOVE THE 612 FS BUT THAT WOULD MEAN TO A QUANTUM [| ZsqEy AND EERMRRE MULTIPLE OF ‘ARE EQUAL TO THE INVERSE OF ERSCENST TERMS MEANS A POWER SURGE THAT ‘COULD DESTROY EVERY CITY. NO. NAME FOR once, 7] | wit wat 2’ DOING AT JI] THING, YOU LUNATIC. WE'RE ‘QUIET MAN. ‘THIS MOMENT IN TIME, NOT WALKING OFF ARM IN iter RICHARDS... ARM, AFTER THIS, YOURE IDEAS OR PERHAPS I NEVER COIN TS EEN YOURE FINALLY SEEING DREAMED YOU hi But Li) ew: YOURE Living uP To yOUR WY aust come To es) YES, AND THAT'S AN OPIOUS THE TERRIBLE THING FOR NOW--AND YOU'VE DONE? TOGETHER SIDE ITIRELY THANKS TO BY SIDE. ‘YOUS-THE WORLD'S. IN DANGER $0-- THREE HEADS ARE BETTER THANOVERRIPE THE KILL-SWITCH-- THAT WOULD CLOSE THE PORTALS AND RENDER THE INVADING CREATURES INERT HAS BEEN ‘SUBVERTED. THERE'S A DEFENSE WALL \ PREVENTING IT FROM BEING ACTIVATED THAT THE PSYCHO MAN INSTALLED. THIS Is THE FORMULA. THAT SHOULD GET Us PAST THE PSYCHO MAN'S SUBVERSION-- WE'VE GOTTEN THAT, FAR, BUT... (11'S SUST (no#ResPonone (wating ay 16 ENACT IT. Kral THAT'S THE WORLD ‘WHERE THE HULK’S OLD GIRLFRIEND JARELLA, ‘CAME FROM, RIGHT? YES, AND IT WAS SUBATOMIC \ f LIKE THE PSYCHO. MAN'S. THEIR LANGUAGE |S UNIQUE, WITH ROOTS AND RULES TO IT UNLIKE ANY OTHER LANGUAGE IN THE MICROVERSE. MACROVERSE IT'S MORE) THAN A FORMULA, UKE THE NAVAIO WINDTALKERS IN WWII WITH THEIR 7 tat suasfirition azuenr, Boast fo ne) FORNLLA NDSYY Yh YM NYG = al \ 1, — Ti. Ss ee Ta ea a ry i JSie Fia ] sie guKNOWIN' I’ N’ THAT REED FOUN!ZE HOW YOU OWERS BACK,PROBABLY SHOULDN'T HAVE CONE THAT. BUT IT KINDA TAPPED ME OUT. WASN'T QUITE BACK TO 100%, 1 GUESS. IF LRN INTO TROUBLE... (OUT THERE-- ‘SPIDER-MAN ALL ABOUT YOU.‘S, JOHNNY! THAT GUY WON'T. Hit THIS NEIGHBORHOOD AGAIN! you DION'T. IT's JUST, \ you--THAT'S THE PLAN, YEAH. GOT A RECORD DEAL, GONNA, BE A ROCK STAR. YOU NEVER LIKED ME DOING THE ‘SUPER-STUFF EITHER, CORRIE. THAT, JOHNNY. DIDN'T YOU SEE HOW THAT WOMAN--THESE PEOPLE: REACTED, 11'S THE NEGATIVE ZONE, ANO-- YEAH, WELL, I'VE RE-THOUGHT LOTS: ‘OF THINGS... THE HUMAN “TORCH Is THE COOLEST HERO THERE Is/ YOU'RE ‘ALREADY A ROCK STAR! wy ADD. RECORDING SESSIONS AND CONCERTS THAT YOU'LL ONLY CANCEL BECAUSE YOU'RE ‘STUCK INTHE PHANTO-ZONE. ‘OR SOMETHING?RIGHT NOW 1 REALLY WANT T9 COOK YOU DINNER, OORRIE. ‘SOUNDS STUPID; BUT. TO0 BAD TM VEGETARIAN ‘NOW. THAN ME! 5 SAW A LODUCE ST.FAREWELL TO THE Wow. Talk about bittersweet. As | write this final editorial | do so with a rush of emotions and it ain't easy putting them into words. It’s why I’ve waited till the last minute to do it. |, like you, am a huge fan of the FANTASTIC FOUR. |, like you, am sad that this is the last issue. But | can’t leave without saying that | take great pride in this 18-issue run. | know that my teams (creative, editorial and production) have put in every drop of blood, sweat, and tears any human could have from their blood-sweat-and— tears tank. Our goal from our very first issue was to give you something you'll lock back on with fondness and enjoyment, something that would make you feel the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of MARVEUs first family. | know | felt them. While | thank all the many amazing creators who contributed to the grand mythos of the FANTASTIC FOUR since the legendary Stan Lee and Jack Kirby brought them to life back in 1961—inspiring generations of Imaginauts to come—all of us here at MARVEL want to thank you-the readers, the new and the longtime—for supporting this title with such enthusiasm and loyalty. You all helped to keep these characters alive in print and they'll always be alive in your hearts. And on that note, FANTASTIC FOUR FOREVER, my friends. FOUREVER. Mark Paniccia Senior Editor Marvel comicsTHIS IS, STUPID. ae pn 1 N)),[vou REALLY Know THIS. TENT YOUR FAULT. aonTce MAYBE. BUT... HOW CAN YOu LOVE ME.WHEN THINGS LIKE THIS HAPPEN AN’ MY NIGHTMARES. TURN REAL? REMEMBER THE NEGATIVE ZONE? TRIPS INTO Sle Tues SS ori t0ee WERE THE FANTASTIC FOUR. We've SEEN ALL KINDS OF ‘STRANGE SORTS, (OF "REALBUT WE STUCK TOGETHER AND LPED EACH OTHER AND. IN THE END, IT ALL CAME OUT OKAY. DIDN'T IT? ARE. AND THE BEOPLE WE LOVE 1 cue: BUT OUR HOU! ALL OKs MESSED UP. AND PICTURES.WORLD'S GREATEST COVERS! ROY THOMAS There have been two FANTASTIC FOUR covers which made a “Wow!” type of impression on me. The first was issue #1, when | stumbled upon it on sale in the summer of 1961. Though I'd never bought a single one of the Lee/Kirby monster comics Previously, | purchased two copies of this one. (As I've often said, | sold the spare when the price went up to fifty cents in the next year... 500 percent profit, you can't do any better than that, right?) The other was when.| opened my (folded. subscription) copy of FF #4 and saw Sub-Mariner running into the water carrying Sue, with the other three in hot pursuit. That signaled to me that the one-time Marvel comics group ‘of the 1940s was just liable to.be bringing back more fabled characters from its past, in particular Captain America—but most of al, L was glad to see that this was the real Sub-Mariner (despite the fed trunks), not a new yersion as had been the case with the Human Torch, JOHN BYRNE | Given the number of times | have, um, i reinterpreted it, | would expect most people to guess that the iconic original first issue cover would be my favorite. But, in fact, much as | do love that one, feet to the fire and forced to chose only ONE, I'd have to go with the one that really started it all for me, the cover of FANTASTIC FOUR #5. It's true that others have been bigger and bolder, but to my 11-year-old eyes there was so much magic there. Enough to draw (no pun!) me into a burgeoning “universe’ that | got to join very close to its “Big Bang.’ Time it was, and what a time it was! ROGER STERN nr ‘Théte-have been so many great FANTASTIC FOUR covers, how could 1 pick just one? I'll stick to those issues that first caught iy eye 25 2 reader. And with all due respect to the great John Buscema, when | think of the FF, | think of Jack Kirby: That narrows things down to just over a hundred overs. How to decide? There was that great Kirby’Sinnott cover on FF #51—"This Man... This Monster!" —though | liked that issue's splash page even more. Or how about FF ANNUAL#4, with the return of the original Human Torch? But | have to give a sentimental nod to FF #7—a rare cover, pentiled and inked by Jack. It’s a real beauty, possibly the first time the Thing started to look rocky. And check out that image of Mister Fantastic! Tell me:that doesn't look like Jack himself, Yeah, FF #7. That's my favorite cover..today. Tomortow...? TOM DEFALCO My favorite FF cover—FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL #2. Ever since his first appearance in FF #5, Dactor Doom has been THE FF villain. There was just something about the ‘200d doctor that sparked the imagination of the young (and rno-longer-young) Tom DeFalco. Jack Kirby had a habit of depicting Doom as being much larger than life on the covers of the FF, often approaching giant-size. I assume Jack, a ‘fue’master of visual storytelling, wanted to emphasize the fact that the FF were outmatched whenever they faced their greatest threat. The cover of FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUA\ #2 is a prime example of this motif. Not only was this “The World's Greatest Annual,” but it promised “The Final Victory ‘of Doctor Doom!” and also revealed the master villain's never-before-revealed origin. Who possibly could resist such ‘a cover?!? | couldn't...and stilletRALPH MACCHIO “Behold! A Distant Sta!” Bold and beautiful words for a bold and beautiful cover! One that | Ui ppers ob mya ot eter cf Te Ws Geet omic Meare The | cover of issue 37 grabbed my attention from the second | saw it on the creaky spinner rack ‘of Dave's Candy Store in downtown Cresskill. This Jack Kirby gem works on so many levels. Host signifarly becalse estore forme what the EE fal apaUt, soso exploration " and adventure, The four background figutes (aur heres) are onan alien word seers, Fi Eat fe and Wopest to belihdehtire de tretiettany-totinea cheek ventthe fakin Nigel Ang = Fanlasiica there pals miter becauedwa Gort Wow what cal thfethnd MREIMTERG fodlstrne 8 | why they're on this faraway planet. The-color palette is a muted mix of purples end greens; xe) tsg ceoos fal ect te~ fete ocQtiamiies: Pali fete patie cate= Galeay ED sett to ha bes taken by sulpice boarding dlcembsrhing fom thet spacecraft And the figures framing them, though half seen, ae quite menacing. Forme, it’ an unforgetable ploce Bete Vasc eae tree ete a ce Faas cc ee eee ee or rower, your euros Is netently piqued. And let's not forget the startling Stan Lee cover Pret TinGs Faster power Slag stblinalye7seatvesstenoul"A Distant Star” Altay) these yours stil get the Chills Feading it. So, decades ogo, for ny young eyes, this one had {bal The FE were on encther wend fedy to do who knows what for an unknown reason. The threat to them is imminent, but also unknown, And on this barren, alien landscape, surely | theta revere fo ad the EF what we'toe gh te cOVe coresantd only the tipo ths ins iceberg, And with al this wonderment, Stab even found foom for an =M.M.M.S. Wnts You" Te Us Sak yor ret lore kt New that Ie fr ssl emrensony Uinek tops he ey | back an end th ene ue take sre our four fabulous ever geo tis one | alive! See ya in the funny papers. Four forever! CHRIS CLAREMONT “TWls the sty tht ntaduced Galactus ee he Sie Sure, wen Stan lack were at their peak a creative team and (not an incidental aspect actual) the story that eA@re Gbicdon le oda, ors often ed icy ultra) spire amy the roadto where I'am today. Fd pretty much walked avy fam comics af that times the | art wasn't very interesting and the stories weren't much fun. This was a game-changer, very much like watching 70 mm widescreen Jack had a wey of presenting outrageously grandiose visuals that made them totaly relatable to the reader il remember the Eenversation between the cop and the ctizen, looking up at Galactus bulding hs machine 5 rr atop the Baxter Bullding and wondering if this was relly the end ofthe worl. And this is Meme LsI ie close to half-century later! Jack created the sual, Stan gave them voice ané emational FF focus, Two superb talents atthe top of ther game, woking together asa team, That, o P| =| eee peer eet aces eagle ce es Gee ean a Eeale ‘What more could any reader ask for? And of course, when you come to the last page, your a first reaction is: What the heck happens next?! They were the best there were at what they did and what they did best was totally Cool! MARV WOLFMAN, Choosing one’s favarite FANTASTIC FOUR cover out of all those published is like choosing your one favorite grain of rice. There are simply too many to decide. I've elected to limit my choices to only those done during the Stan Lee/Jack Kirby era. But which one? FF #1 may nat be the best-drawn FF cover, but in one picture you learn everything you need to jn order to experience a brand new comic with all new characters. It's also wonderfully laid out. FF #29's “It Started on Yancy Street” isn’t your typical action-oriented FF ‘cover, but it is dark, moody and highly evocative. Very different and very powerful, 1 think most people will select FF #51's “This Man... his Monster.” It's a pure character-driven ‘cover as well as being beautifully designed, but I've chosen to.go with “The Coming of Galactus." Talk about a quiet cover that radiated pure fear. The FF aren't even front and center; the Watcher is, but this Usually passive giant looks totally afraid at whatever he's ‘staring at. So are the ultra-heroic FF in mid-ground and the citizens of New York staring at ‘our unseen threat. All these people are staring not only at something in the distance, but they're looking up. Is the villain flying, or—as we only learn once we're inside the story —s it the towering presence of Galactus, a villain who.has no precedent in all the history of comics before this? For an incredible layout, but one that makes the reader visualize his or her ovin fears as we try to figure out what could so scare all these people, | choose. FR #48. mere MICHAEL ALLRED My favorite FANTASTIC FOUR covers easily issue 49! Listing favorites can often be a strugele, but not in this case. itis my favorite for so many reasons: historically, being the first time both the Silver Surfer and Galactus appear on the cover; compositionally, with iconic, full-figure shots of the FF running at the reader with Surfer and the “Big @” bursting forth behind them; and sentimentally, with my copy signed by Stan ‘the Man” Lee himself, to “the Allreds." It’s ro secret that the Silver Surfer is one of my all-time favorite characters, and here he is in my favorite Jack Kirby series. And with the “Galactus Trilogy” being my favorite “Stan/Jack” story ever? A clear favorite,WALT SIMONSON I'ma story guy,..'m.a design guyeAnd at this/point, I've been atlind comics longer than dirt. I've seen a lot of covers of all kinds, and there’s 0 much beautiful work aut there, I'm long past the point where | have a single favorite of anything, | might have had one years ago, but these days, | change as the wind biows. That said, | would pick the Kirby! Sinnott cover for FANTASTIC FOUR #51: “This Man...This Monster!” It's alittle atypical in that not all four members of the FF are on the cover, But FF #51 is one of my very favorite comics, no matter which way the Wind is blowing. The cover perfectly captures and symbolizes the life- and-death drama within the story, and does s0’in a beautifully balanced Composition. It's a perfect example, for me, of what @ cover is supposed to do. GERRY CONWAY Easy FANTASTIC'FOUR "#51. It's the cover of my all time favorite Fantastic Four stotyy “This Man ... This Monster.” It's beautifully designed and drawn and-colored, dtamatic and powerful without being about a fight scene—it raises questions that only reading the story can, answer, and it bints-ata deep emotional crisis. At a time when many comic book covers were about plot gimmicks, this cover promised ‘Something much more intriguing: a persanal story. Even today, 60 years later, | thinkit rarely has.been matched for impact. Cred ‘STAN LEE I picked this Cover because the Thing has always been cone of my favorite characters and the Silver Surfer is in every way the opposite of Ben Grimm. | really get a kick out of seeing two of my favorite characters, polar ‘opposites, in the same story and sharing the same cover. MARK BAGLEY Looking throuigh all the FF covers of my childhood, one of the ones that really jumps out at me.is FF #55. loved the Silver Surfer, and think this was when: Kirby, was at his prime. The story was really just an excuse for the Thing and the Surfer to have it out, but Kirby's use of dynamic storytelling and powerful imagery really knocked my socks off. His version of the Thing’ evolved over the years, and right at that time his graphic ‘representation of him was nothing short of amazing Co ee re JOE SINNOTT Of all the FANTASTIC FOUR covers that I've had the privilege to ink over the years, | would have to say that #57 would probably be ‘my favorite. To me, this is a great cover with a huge head of Doctor Doom popping right out at the reader, surrounded by the Fantastic Four. Many years later, | was asked by Christie's Auction House to recreate that cover in the samme size as Jack and | originally did it back in 1966. I recreated it, pencil and ink, and Marie Severin did 2 beautiful job coloring it. ! must say, nat surprisingly, that it sold quite well, and looking back, | wish that | had bought it myself. Picking out one FANTASTIC FOUR cover from all those great covers. that Jack and I worked on is ike picking out your favorite child ‘So many other covers do come to mind also, as there were just so ‘many great ones. Issue 51 “This Man... his Monster” is probably imy favorite FF story, and such a great cover as well. Also #72-75, those great Silver Surfer and Galactus covers, and the FF squaring off against the likes of Daredevil, Thor and Spider-Man. | was so fortunate to be a part of Kirby, the FANTASTIC FOUR, and all of those great covers that we createdLEONARD KIRK WOOF! Including the variants, collections and reprints, there are iprobably more than 750 to choose from. I'm gonna go with a pretty easy one, FF #91. It's a story | remember reading over and over again when Iwasa kid. Kirby's awesome artwork, of course. | ove the cover design and drawing itself, but I also love what it represents, that Wonderfully wacky kind of fun adventure that flourished in comics, especially the FANTASTIC FOUR, through the 1960s. Aside from the Thing in-chains, you have Skrulls disguised as 1930s gangsters holding laser-blasting tommy guns. This is the kind of story-centered ‘cover many comics have drifted away from over the years, This is the. kind of cover I would love to draw myself. KARL KESEL | still remember the first time | saw the cover to FF #92. I'dlbeen buying FF off the stands!—since 81 (a great cover BTW; good enough to get me to buy the issue!) but when \ saw FE #92 | stopped dead. | had never seen a cover like it before, No heroes fighting villains, ot even full figures of the main cheracters—just Ben's hand tearing down a poster that called him a killer! Most covers have a sense of jeopardy to them, but this cover—to imy 11-year-old self—was far more unsettling. There was @ sense of dread. And rage. And it burned itself into myimind Enough so that | paid homage to it years later whem I suggested the cover to FANTASTIC FOUR. 2099 #5. Marvel (ised alot of gray on covers in the ’60s— like on the background to FF #92—and it gave them @ certain gravitas, and really made the colorful figures and logos pop. Kinda wish they hadn't stopped doing that. Runner-up: FF-#112. Hulk vs. Thing, The two figures about to trade:biows set against a solid black background. That cover fold you everything you needed to know about the issue. Not one wasted line, not one distraction, JEPH LOEB FANTASTIC FOUR #92 always sticks in my head as one of the many outstanding covers by Jack Kirby, The design alone is stunning. At the heart of every FF story is Ben Grimm and here, using the framework of a boxing promotional piece, we get him staring right at us— ‘ohalienging us. Then, and here's the real genius, the Thing’s actual hand enters frame tearing, into the wall itself. In a single image there's movement, power, anger, excitement and most of all—intrigue! Why is the Thing fighting for sport? And if so, why is he clearly pissed off about it? Ittdemanded that you buy the book and read it right away. In fact, I'm going to dig it out of my-collection and do that right now! JAMES ROBINSON Honestly, there are so many FF covers that-have called to me through the years, but the one I keep going, back to is FF #100, When | was 2 boy, | bought my first two FF comics at the same time, These was FF #99 and #100. Jssue 99 was an issue featuring the Inhumans, so | have alvays had a love for those characters as 6 result, but getting Issue 100 at the same time was a revelation for a little boy, seeing/reading the first family confronting all its past villains in one issue, The cover to FF #100 with all those characters, and all that mayhem and action—drawn by Jack Kirby no less—is exciting to look at now as an adult. As a boy, seeing all that for the first time on one cover was:mind-blowing and 2 memory | treasure Hence this is my favorite eover. JOHN ROMITA SR. [wasn't too proud of the #102 cover (too hectic) on Jack's last issue. #103 was ‘my best FF cover, but | can’t recall. the others. | was not sure I could replace. Kirby... was thinking no one could. You recall| asked Stan who will do the FF now that Jack is gone? He said "you will.” Not what | expected to hear...but took it on: Was it four issues? Five? Toughest gig | ever had. Thank heavert John Buscema was there to relieve me. Stan always,told me that those issues sold very well.MARK MILLAR Here's the thing about my favorite FANTASTIC FOUR cover: it’s not an FF cover at all. You see, as one of those loveable foreign types, | grew up on a rain-soaked rock where American Marvel comics were packaged differently for a really wide newsstand distribution and so they were dressed up to look like British comics. When was five or six and just discovering Marvel, this meant stripping out all the color, turning the book sideways and printing two American pages on every page. They're actually weird to look at now, but this was my-introduction to Marvel heroes and the Fantastic Four shared billing with Thor, iron Man and Captain America in a weekly book confusingly called THE TITANS. To make this even weirder, the covers had to be redrawn for this strange, letterbox forrrat too, and so the cover here, THE TITANS #47, was an odd, oblong, stretched-out version of FANTASTIC FOUR #104, which had been published in America ‘some six years before. Despite all this, | was utterly hooked and enough of a‘fan-even by this point to know that Magneto being in a book meant an increased sense of jeopardy, | saw the American version of this years later in full color and it was almost too much for my senses. Marvel to me, you see, was always in black and white, everybody having just grey tones to their costumes. MARK PANICCIA i The cover to #139 stayed in my mind from the first time | saw it. John Buscema's dynamic composition and use of perspective: shoved'a sense of danger in the reader's face. Plus, best logo, exciting cover copy and one of, my favorite guest stars ever. Thundra! I Pa] Pie oo ee TOM BREVOORT ty rel Samer the cea FANTASTIC FOUR Yo 3 460; the fest sus of he Mork Wed a Mite Wego tun on the sts, Decade by begin Rome ad thes fos worked oni come Bt at cana at ioe so cee ongrtulatny So nsood Ii slct the cover to FANTASTIC FOUR 4 #200. | was a huge FF fan in the run-up months to this double- FM ehocy Wen ort rd ea ae coe E is A a miniature on the Bullpen Bulletins page hyping its release. Sadly, El Z React ces or ope eae eas etebeod be = } local stores never received any copies of FANTASTIC FOUR #200. sonst Sn EE 201 ont than alae kad ced At eh aust Mee Meee aie: Meronng tid ‘to me that was! | eventually found a copy something like nine or SRNR, WP ener oa yah ee reo Fru Wupeltraasleah te Sher aber (NE zac ida peat ot rier eereomerireipet corral ‘ek Kyi for FANTASTIC FOUR isi CARLOS PACHECO The first cover that came to my mind when 1 tried to choose my favorite FF cover was Jack Kirby's one for the very first issue: A Classic that has been homaged by artists around the world. But this is not my favorite cover, The fame of John Byrne's run on the title echoed all around the world. | read praise for his run in the French magazine METAL HURLANT; up to that paint, had no idea that he took the control of the book. Way back in the ’80s, it was very hard for an overseas fan to get American editions of ‘comic books. We were happy enaugh with our country’s editions, but I couldn't resist—I ordered a subscription to the mag through fone of the American comic stores that had sprung up in those times and sold comics to foreign countries. FANTASTIC FOUR #258 was one of the first issues | received, and it blew my mind when | had it in my hands. The image of Doctor Doom’s hands tearing the paper of the cover, showing us a glimpse of the first splash page and the reflection of Dom's face in the metal of his glove was an INCREDIBLE concept.MARK WAID It's hard for me to choose @ favorite FF cover. | ove the first one if only because, after 53 years, I’m still trying to figure out who tied Mr. Fantastic up in the first place. And FF #51 (1966) is flawless and is the best drawing of Ben Grimm ever. But the one that will always move me to tears is #524 (2005), by my late FF partner inccrime, artist Mike Wieringo. When he and | wrapped our run, he had to find just the right cover image for a send-off, and this ‘one—tiffing off a beat from the very first FF story—somehow (a word | often use about Mike's incomprehensibly amazing work: somehow") evokes both 2 sense of finality and a promise of hope simultaneously. It’s just masterful the way it communicates everything important about the Fantastic Four without one word of copy. | miss you, Mike. JONATHAN HICKMAN + STEVE EPTING + PAUL MOUNTS PAUL RYAN Thanks for thinking of me with regard to your FANTASTIC FOUR favorite issue segment. It’s been a long time since my tun on the FF-and | produced 58 covers. | had to do an internet search to remind me what they all looked like so | could answer your {question..."name your all-time favorite cover and why!” | know it sounds tite and clichéd but, after looking at them all, it was like trying to choose your fevorite child or at least your favorite cat would go with FF #388 because it featured the original ‘Avengers: Thor, Iron Man, Giant-Man and Wasp. In the story our Fantastic Four—Sue, Ben, Johnny and Scott Lang—ended up in another time and place where the FF of the early 1960s existed ‘alongside the Avengers of that period, It was exciting for me to draw the characters | grew up on. Okay, some would dispute whether or not | ever did grow up. Yes, | still have that cover. No, itis not for sale...EVER! Thanks for asking! JONATHAN HICKMAN ‘As most people know, | wasn’t a big FANTASTIC FOUR fan growing up, and | actually read the vast majority of the run both Gigitally and consecutively. As a result, [really don’t remember many of the covers beyond very popular ones that I'm sure have been mentioned by others, or ones so iconic they've been revisitedirecreated an ungodly amount of times. So, please forgive my mentioning a cover of one of the books | wrote, but i's truly ‘one that emotionally means quite a bit to me. And that would be FF #1, by Steve Epting. He's one of my favorite artists and just perfectly captured what we were going for with the new “Future Foundation” direction of the book. The bold, white costumes, the balance of the composition, all of it. | gotta tell you, I smile every time | see it. Steve Epting, ladies and gentlemen.ALTHOUGH I'VE HEARD ‘SWEETER SOUNDS OUTTA My N, AUNT PETUNIA'S PIG PE}WHAT AM T SUPPOSED TO PO WITH THAT?Heya folks! While my favorite family gets ready for their next big adventure, fanmail keeps piling up here at I Baxter Building. Mr. Richards gave ol’ Willie the go-ahead fo answer some dutiful dispatches from some ofrour mest ardent supporters, Did you make the cul Read on! From the very first day | discovered comics, the Fantastic Four were my favorite. The characters and stories found in these books have always possessed a certain magic quality that | have never been able to fully express with words. The idea of a family made up of super-powered adventurers headquartered in a New York skyscraper holds a special excitement for me that no other book has ever matched. Reed, Sue, Ben, ond Johnny have always been Stan and Jack's greatest creotions, Next month, after 645 issues of the World's Greatest Comic Magazine, there will be four empty holes in the Marvel Universe, and in my heart, Farewell {but hopefully not goodbye), Fantastic Four! Dave Bertera Agawam, MA Science offen appears to be magic fo the uninitiated, Dave! See me after class! Prof. Willie Guys I've been o loyal monthly reader of the Fantastic Four for 22 straight years and 31 out of the last 36 years. That being said, | trust a new series launch will be announced around the time the new movie makes it into the discount theaters, Jeff Howard Rowlett, TX Just as long as you didn't pick up this issue in the ‘quarter bin, Jeff! Ww To Mr, Robinson, Mr. Kirk, and everyone else involved. Ihave been reading FANTASTIC FOUR since just prior to Onslaught and, in that time (as with any series) there have been good runs and runs | would rather forget about (no, | won't be naming any names!). With that said | have to soy | am really enjoying the story Mr. Robinson is telling. Whilst it may be the end ‘of the FANTASTIC FOUR as a series (for now! | have no doubt that there will be a relaunch in due time) | om pleased the series is ending on a high note. Hove James Robinson's use of both Jim Hammond and Nomor (Mr. Robinson can actually write a sympathetic Nomor, not an easy task and one which many writers foil 1o do in my opinion!). | thoroughly enjoyed his ALL- NEW INVADERS run (which ended all t00 soon) and | can therefore appreciate the relationship he is steadily building up between the Future Foundation kids and Jim Hammond. ‘As a longtime fan of Sleepwalker (I'm apparently the ‘one fan who remembers himl), | also really enjoy seeing him. All the comeos Mr. Robinson puts in are appreciated too. Psycho Man is an interesting final villain for the series in my opinion (and it does explain why Sue has recently been demonstrating aspects of the Malice personality) My hopes for the final issue of the series are very simple though: | hope to see Johnny re-powered (| have never understood why there are so rarely both Human Torches empowered!) and | hope the characters {not only the main four but also Alex Power and some of the other Future Foundation kids) are able to find « home in, the post-SECRET WARS Marvel Universe. Whatever happens, though, | know Mr. Robinson will entertain me and | look forward to seeing how the series wraps up. Thank you for a truly enjoyable run that embraces so much of the FFs history. James Hunter Newbury, England ‘Mr. Hunter, as fans of thorough references, we salute you! -Longreads Lumpkin Really? The FANTASTIC FOUR is coming to an end? Please let us know if the Thing will be returning “home” now that the team is no more. We need time fo gather plenty of eggs and rotten tomatoes for his homecoming, The Yancy Street Gang Sent from my iPhone They finally opened that Apple Store on Yancy...New York, | hardly recognize ya! Willie Well, this is it! | have only written to Marvel once, and never really voice my opinion. In this case, asa sentimental value, | feel the occasion calls. With this final issue, | must soy that | am not heartbroken. | say this becouse | have always felt that “absence makes the heart grow fonder." | often feel that sometimes when certain things come to an end or are put on hold, one learns to appreciate the greatness from such legendary characters. The FANTASTIC FOUR was unique in that it was @ family, that was flawed like ony other human, They had their peaks and lows, ond looked death straight in the face and suceeded. Whether you're reading a classic such as “This Mon, This Monster” or a more recent arc such os the death of Johnny Storm, the FANTASTIC FOUR never changed its concept of adventure and wonder. It's as if the idea of science and discovery came before crime, fighting, ond that left the reader to ponder the way in which humanity can better itself through solutions rather than war-making. In whatever iteration the Fontastic Four do come back, | know the basic formula of family, values will always be there, no matter what. So | bid thee forewell....for now! Sorry for the tangent, it’s the sociology major in me that feels obligated to look intofamily socialization, ‘Adam Vega Brooklyn, New York Awalk down memory lane to be sure, Adam! But I wish you were as misty-eyed about one of my adventures! -Wistful Willie Dear Morvel, {'m really enjoying the inclusion of Sleepwalker into the Fantastic Four comic. If these stories are a step-up to future Marvel movies, I would love to see a Sleepwalker movie with a Vincent Price-type voice, and the song “Dream Police” in the soundtrack All the best, Maarten Bouw Melbourne, Australia The campaign starts here, folks! Sleepwalker coming fo your local cinema in 2020. Stay woke, Willie Dear Team Fantastic, ve been reading FANTASTIC FOUR ever since Fraction started in 2012, and | con honestly say I've loved every issue since, The Fantostic Four have always been my favorite super hero team because they're a family They go through problems just like ony other family, which con definitely be seen in these recent issues by Robinson, But seeing how they overcome these obstacles put before them and come out even stronger than before is what | love. There has been a lot of drama within my family lately, but seeing onother family go through all of this and shine bright in the end hos helped give me the strength to push forward. | was very sad to hear about the series ending, but | hope that we'll continue to see these characters in the Marvel Universe elsewhere. Thanks for the great stories, | can't wait to see what the Fantastic Four will be up to next! PS, Could we please get one last solo Susan Storm issue?) FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL #1 was by far my favorite issue, Seeing Sue take on Doom and destroy Latveria was so cool! Almost as cool as her taking on the Avengers by herself Don't make that mama mad! Alexander Nagata Bermuda Dunes, CA Your wish is our command, Alexander! Solo adventures right in this very issue! - Lone Wolf Lumpkin Jomes Robinson, Clearly one of the more landmark runs in the history of the FF you've got here! Right up there with Byrne, Defalco/Ryan and, I'm sure, Stan and Jack themselves The art really blows me away, all the time; Leonard Kirk iso superstar now, if he wasn't before. Don't know what you have planned for ofter "The End Is Fourever” but hold onto this guy, if you can!! Cheers, Andrew J. Shaw Hallowed names up there, Andrew. I'll see fo it Mr. Robinson receives your missive, but his response might be late as he is scripting something new for Mr. Kirk at the moment! The mail never stops, Willie J. Lumpkin For over thirty years now, the FANTASTIC FOUR has been a constant in my life. | wasn't even old enough to reod when | first began “reading” FF in the eorly 1980s, Reed, Sue, Ben, and Johnny have been there since | was a child 10 me being a father myself now, i's hard fo imagine the Marvel Universe without their original team. Best of wishes to the family as this particular journey ends! Darrick Patrick Dayton, Ohio Thanks, Darrick. Nothing ever really ends, family especially. So long my four friends. CClobberin’ time is over. Great hunger remains. Gary “Deuce” Schweder II You are a poet if you didn't know it, Gary! William Lumpspeare Marvel's First Family, You will be missed! But like most FF fons, I'd like to think the End Isn't Fourever, just the End BeFour a New Beginning! Make Mine Marvell Mark McCracken Cornelius, NC Couldn't have said it better myself, Mark! Thanks for writing! Willie McLumpkin Dear The World's Greatest Comic Magazine, lt may be too late for this email to see print, but I figured someone over there might read it anyway ond that's really all that matters. I started reading FANTASTIC FOUR when Vol. 3 premiered way back in the 90s. I read every issue for five straight years, all 60 of them and kept them in various boxes that now litter my mother’s basement, | wasn't able to keep reading consistently, due to life getting in the way, but I've been back for o while now and | have to say, | will truly miss the Fantastic Four. The team gets a bad rap in this modern age. Many comic fans fee! their too old fashioned and campy, but I still believe they're the best representation of what a comic book should be. They're the first family of comics, the first family of Marvel and my favorite team in comics, bor none. The Avengers and X-Men may get more of the lime-light these days, but they'd be nothing more than colorful costumes on a printed page if it wasn't for the Fantastic Four leading the way. | know the comic is ending, but | also know comics pretty well by now. They'll be back, maybe not now but in the future, we'll have the Fantostic Four back in print, exploring new parts of the multiverse, flaming on and. making time for clobbering. For now though, | just wanted. to say thank you to the entire staff, post and present, for years of adventures and years of great stories and as always, make mine Marvel. ‘Nuff said, Michael Mulligan ‘Nuff said indeed! :) Pills Lumpbin—Ja, WAS GONNA (SHOW FRANKLIN HOW TA.) 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LISTEN, VAL. “AROUND YOu! wth, Irs 5 constant ) 7 piscovery. ),"~o/ = YOU CAN |/ SEPARATE WHAT YOU HEAR, GET A ‘SENSE OF YOUR | ENVIRONMENT. /— SOME OF MY BEST FINDS WERE ) OVER ON THAT LITTLE SS __ ISLAND. - Yi 100 BAD 7 youcouiwt \ >) STRETCH THEN--HOW | WOULD You GET / OVER THERE? _«rm. ( statins 10 | GET THE HANG oF ity 7 AND LOOK ON, ( your RichT--ER, SEALS. HERE LIKE TO ENTERTAIN ; We can eeklty sust cates Sill Sticks LIKE... AQUATIC FINGER-WIDTH FOR eee T ALWAYS: THOUGHT THAT, TOO. “THAT TOOK ALONG TIME!"YEAH, LOOK, MAYBE NEXT. VALERIA, THEYRE TIME TILL BRING STARTING TO MATCHES. ‘COME OUT. FIREFLIES-- I'VE NEVER. ACTUALLY SEEN ANY BEFORE! MAYBE THAT'S: WHY T WAS 0 DRIVEN TO GET TO THE STARS, ‘BEE WHAT WAS OUT THERE pap? T.DON'T HAVE TO JUSTIFY THis. STORY: JEFF PARKER ART: PASCAL CAMPION LETTERS: V's CLAYTON COWLES NOT IN THE CITY. THING IT'S, FAIR TO SAY BEING OUT IN NATURE INSPIRED ME ‘TO UNDERSTAND THE WORLP BETTER,