 |
| Images copyright MARVEL COMICS |
When the November-dated first issue of The FANTASTIC FOUR debuted in August of 1961, there was a suggestion that BEN GRIMM carried a torch (no pun intended) for his team-mate SUSAN STORM. That was repeated in FF #4, but I can't recall if there were ever any further examples between that fourth issue and the eighth, in which we were introduced to ALICIA MASTERS.
You all know the story. The PUPPET MASTER lures The THING into his clutches via one of his radioactive clay figures, and is then surprised to find that SUSAN STORM has also turned up in his lair, having invisibly followed Ben there to see where he was going in his trance-like state. Gassing Sue into unconsciousness, Alicia's step-father persuades her to (unwillingly) impersonate Sue, to whom she fortuitously bears an uncanny resemblance, and then sends her back to the BAXTER BUILDING with Ben - as a "little prank". (And gasp at just how quickly The Puppet Master knocks up a duplicate costume.)
It's pretty clear from JACK KIRBY's art that Alicia has her hair cut 'n' dyed (by her father - is there no end to the man's talents?) to match that of Sue's, but STAN LEE's dialogue refers to it as a wig. (However, when Alicia pops up again later in the tale, although her hair is back to its natural colour, it's still styled after Sue's, which is shorter.)
But why does The Puppet Master go to all this bother? What does it achieve, other than to send his step-daughter into possible danger? As he later reveals, he had the 'foresight' to create a puppet of Sue, so why not just put her under his control and send her back to the Baxter Building with Ben? In fact, why even bother to do that? Why didn't he just put all four of them under his power and have the FF come to his apartment, where he could destroy them at his leisure? Or just have them 'top' themselves in their skyscraper headquarters.
Anyway, Ben might not win Sue's love, but he does end up with a Sue Storm lookalike, which is an interesting scenario I'd like to have seen explored to some degree. However, no one ever referred to Sue and Alicia looking like twins after that one issue. (Years later, in a back-up tale in FF #118, writer ARCHIE GOODWIN revealed that, in an alternate universe, Ben actually did marry Sue, as, on that world, he was Mr. FANTASTIC, and REED RICHARDS was The THING.)
H'mm, one thing's for sure. I'm either giving the matter too much thought, or Stan and Jack didn't give it enough. Which do you think it's likely to be? (Be gentle with me.)
I recall that FF 8 was a favourite of Byrne's....and didn't he have Johnny marry Alicia...................
ReplyDeleteSpirit of '64
Yeah, though a later writer had 'Alicia' turn out to be a Skrull. (Thank goodness.)
ReplyDeleteKid, have you seen the lovely replica version of Fantastic Four #1 that came out this week? Very nice reprint with all the original adverts, some text pieces and a gallery of some homages to the cover. Very nice item and something I'd like to see Marvel doing again.
ReplyDeleteWhat struck me (and I dont think I've ever noticed this before) is that the human Ben Grimm is shown as having red hair- I'm sure any time we've seen the human Ben since then, he's had brown hair, but he sure looks like a ginger in FF#1 to me.
Three of them are winging my way even as I type, DS. Ordered them a couple of months back and hopefully they'll arrive tomorrow or Monday. Just looked at my Epic collection of FF and you're right - Ben Grimm was a 'ginger'. Maybe the cosmic rays eventually caused his hair colour to change - though he's a 'ginger' in #2 as well.
ReplyDeleteI once read (and I've no idea where, maybe a letters page) a theory that the FF's powers were influenced by their own subconscious minds - Reed always wanted to stretch himself mentally, Sue felt like no-one noticed her, Johnny was a hothead etc. Ben is drawn as a craggy, rough-featured individual in FF1, maybe he felt self-conscious about his orange hair and less-than-handsome appearance and this caused him to mutate into the Thing.
ReplyDeleteThat was just a silly throwaway idea, but now I think if it, the second Ms Marvel, a red-haired woman with body-image issues, also turned into a Thing when bombarded with cosmic rays. Maybe I'm on to something here!
Maybe you are, DS. I think the FF's powers represent the elements to some degree. Reed Richards powers are a bit like water, in that he can flow and twist like liquid; Ben Grimm's powers are solid and powerful like the earth, which is maybe why he looks a bit like a mudslide; Johnny Storm's powers literally represent fire, while Susan Storm's abilities are a bit like air - which is something you can't really see. Having said all that, the theory you proposed still ties in with the way the quartet's powers manifested themselves.
ReplyDelete