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Fantastic Four Annual Vol 1 1

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Quote1 I vow to be true to the name of Namor, which means "avenging son"! I shall never rest till the insolent human race has paid for its crimes against our people! Now rise, and pledge me your hearts, your hands, your lives! Quote2
—Sub-Mariner (Namor McKenzie)

Appearing in "Sub-Mariner Versus the Human Race!"

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Synopsis for "Sub-Mariner Versus the Human Race!"

Namor has finally found his lost people of Atlantis and is reunited with his lover Lady Dorma, much to the displeasure of Warlord Krang. While on the surface world, the Thing and Human Torch are on another childish rampage through the Baxter Building; once the spat is sorted out it's suggested that perhaps a vacation is in order.

Wanting to check out reports of giant sea creatures, Reed suggests a cruise. When gigantic aquatic specimens show themselves, the FF are captured by Namor when they go to investigate. Namor demands that the FF deliver a message to the United Nations that the seas and the air above belong to the nation of Atlantis. Seeking an audience at the United Nations, after hearing the origins of Homo Mermani and the origins of Namor from Professor G.W. Falton, Reed informs the Nations that Namor is a menace.

Falton reveals himself to be Namor in disguise and declares war on the surface world. Sending an army to attack New York City, the FF's first attempt at fighting back the invading Atlanteans fails. However, Reed builds a device which causes the water in the warriors' helmets to evaporate forcing a retreat. Attacking the FF directly, Namor kidnaps Sue and takes her aboard his ship. While the FF is fighting Namor for Sue's freedom, Warlord Krang and Lady Dorma attempt to drown Sue, prompting Namor to rescue her. Needing immediate medical attention, Namor swims Sue to shore and brings her to a hospital.

The FF meeting up with him there, Namor calls off his attack against the surface world for the time being and returns to the ocean depths. However, Atlantis is deserted as Krang has convinced the Atlanteans that their sovereign is a traitor for saving the surface woman. Namor is alone again.

Appearing in "A Gallery of the Fantastic Four's Most Famous Foes!"

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Synopsis for "A Gallery of the Fantastic Four's Most Famous Foes!"

This segment features eleven full-page spreads of major rivals that the Fantastic Four had faced in previous issues. Each spread included a full-page art rendition of the character, the issue number in which they first appeared, and a brief biography of detailing the character.

Appearing in "The Fabulous Fantastic Four Meet Spider-Man!"

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Synopsis for "The Fabulous Fantastic Four Meet Spider-Man!"

Seeking to monetize his abilities, Spider-Man pays a visit to the Fantastic Four to see if they will hire him onto their team. Shooting a web-line the street, the wall-crawler tightrope walks to the Baxter Building. There he sets off the security screening alerting the Fantastic Four to his presence.

Breaking through a plastic screen, Spider-Man is attacked by the Fantastic Four. The wall-crawler holds his own against the team. Eventually, Mister Fantastic holds off his teammates and demands to know what Spider-Man wants. The masked vigilante explains that he was showing off his abilities so that the Fantastic Four to hire him. Spider-Man soon learns, much to his dismay, that the Fantastic Four is not a for-profit organization and that any revenue they generate goes toward their various scientific experiments. Furious about this rejection, Spider-Man leaves, vowing to make the Fantastic Four look bad. As they watch the wall-crawler leave, the Fantastic Four worry that this new costumed hero may become a menace.

Appearing in "The Fantastic Four!"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Fantastic Four #1

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  • Citizens of Central City
    • Unnamed Woman
    • Cab Driver (First appearance)
    • Unnamed Shopkeeper
    • Roscoe (First appearance; unnamed)
  • CCPD (First appearance)
    • Pete (First appearance)
    • Unnamed Police Chief
    • Numerous unnamed police officers
  • Mayor of Central City
  • United States National Guard
    • Five unnamed soldiers
  • James Kreig (First appearance; unnamed)
  • French Army
    • Pierre (First appearance)
    • Numerous unnamed soldiers

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  • Marvel-1 (First appearance; unnamed) (Destroyed)

Synopsis for "The Fantastic Four!"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Fantastic Four #1
Fantastic Four Vol 1 1 0001 Title

A shadowy figure fires a flare out of a window. The flare forms the words "The Fantastic Four!"

Susan Storm is having tea with a friend. When she sees the flare, she turns invisible, gets into a cab, and offers the surprised driver a banknote when she reaches her destination.

Ben Grimm is trying to find a coat that fits him. A clerk in the haberdashery sees the flare. Grimm bursts out of the too-small door, rips a manhole out of the street, follows the sewers, and bursts out when he thinks he has reached his destination. He is struck by a taxi which is wrecked.

Johnny Storm is working on his latest hot rod in a service station. The mechanic sees the flare, which turns into the number 4. Johnny bursts into flame and flies away, destroying his car. The authorities treat him as an enemy attack, so he reluctantly melts the jets that come after him. A nuclear heat-seeking missile locks onto him, and, just as Johnny's flame starts to fade, an impossibly long pair of arms grab the missile and throw it out to sea.

Johnny's savior is the same man who fired the flare. He greets Susan, Ben, and Johnny with the words, "There is a task that awaits us ... a fearful task!" But how did these four people become so fantastic?

To beat the Communists in the Space Race, scientist Reed Richards, sister and brother Sue and Johnny Storm, and pilot Ben Grimm sneak aboard a rocket; Ben had warned the others about needing sufficient shielding for cosmic rays, but Sue challenging his courage persuaded him to fly. In space, the four are bombarded by cosmic rays. The auto-pilot lands the ship back on Earth, where they find themselves physically transformed and possessing remarkable new abilities. Sue can turn invisible. Ben has transformed into an orange, muscular "thing" with super-strength. Reed's body became highly malleable, allowing him to stretch into any shape. Johnny's body bursts into flame, and he can fly. They decide to use their abilities to become the super-team known as the Fantastic Four. They give themselves the individual names Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Girl, Human Torch, and the Thing.

Fantastic Four Vol 1 1 Chapter 2 Title
Monster Isle from Fantastic Four Vol 1 1 001

Monster Isle

Atomic plants in the Soviet Union, Australia, and South America have been mysteriously attacked by cave-ins. Another attack occurs in Africa, where a huge monster burrows out of the ground but is recalled by a human figure. The Fantastic Four travel aboard their private jet to Monster Isle, which Reed has deduced is the same distance from each attack. There, they are attacked by a giant three-headed monster. Reed stops the monster, but a cave-in separates Reed and Johnny from Ben and Sue. Beneath the island Reed and Johnny land in the Valley of Diamonds, which temporarily blinds them. The Mole Man appears, revealing he is responsible for the attacks.

Fantastic Four Vol 1 1 Chapter 3 Title

The Mole Man explains his origin. Having been ridiculed by humanity, he went off alone in search of the legendary land at the center of the earth. Eventually, he washed ashore on Monster Isle. Making his way through a cavern, he was caught in an avalanche and rendered almost blind. However, due to his other heightened senses taking over, he mastered the subterranean creatures and built himself an underground empire.

Meanwhile, on the surface, Ben wrestles a rock monster. Ben and Sue find their teammates listening to the Mole Man's plan to invade the surface world. He sends his monster army against the Fantastic Four. Whilst Johnny distracts the biggest one, the team flees through a tunnel, which Johnny seals shut behind them. After the Fantastic Four escape in their jet, Mole Man destroys the island so the surface world cannot trouble him again.

Notes

Continuity Notes[]

Sub-Mariner Versus the Human Race!

  • This is the first time the Atlanteans have been depicted in their trademark blue skin. In all Timely and Atlas era comics, male members of the Atlantean race had green scaly skin, large eyes and catfish like barbels under their noses. Females had Caucasian skin, but also had larger eyes and some fish-like features. To date there is no explanation given as to this aesthetic change, however the majority of flashbacks to prior eras also depict Atlanteans as having blue skin and none of the fish-like features.
  • Although it was implied that Namor lived in Atlantis in Sub-Mariner Comics #31, this story clarifies this fact.
  • This story starts off with Namor having already found his lost people. Saga of the Sub-Mariner #7 fills the gap between Namor's last appearance in Fantastic Four #14 and this Annual. It explains that following the destruction of Atlantis in the 1950s (per Sub-Mariner #1) the people of Atlantis became roaming nomads and eventually settled in a new kingdom under the rule of Emperor Thakorr's step-son Byrrah. When Namor found his people, Byrrah was forced to surrender the throne to Namor.
  • The appearance of Nikita Khrushchev in this story should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616.
  • This is one of many retellings of Namor's origins, which was originally mentioned in Marvel Comics #1 in 1939. The first depiction of Namor's origins was in Sub-Mariner Comics #32 establishing the romance between Namor's parents Princess Fen and Leonard McKenzie. This story was expanded in greater detail in Saga of the Sub-Mariner #1.
  • Although Lady Dorma first appeared back in Marvel Comics #1 this is the first time it has been established that she had a romantic interest with Namor.
  • It is after this story that Sue realizes that she wants to marry Reed Richards, and not be Namor's queen. As seen in Fantastic Four: The Wedding Special #1.

The Fabulous Fantastic Four Meet Spider-Man!

The Fantastic Four

  • This reprint only features the first chapter of Fantastic Four #1 depicting the team gaining their powers. Some of the colors are altered, notably the color of their space suits changing from blue to purple.

Questions and Answers

Fantastic Four Annual Vol 1 1 044-045
  • This page states that Reed Richards' hair is graying at the temples due to the horrors he endured fighting the Nazis during World War II. However per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616, the fact that Reed Richards fought in World War II has been retconned from his personal history as it prematurely ages the character. Reed has stated he fought in World War II alongside Nick Fury in Fantastic Four #21 and is depicted as a member of the OSS in Sgt. Fury #3. To date these appearances have not been officially explained.
  • The schematics of the Baxter Building are expanded here from their original presentation in Fantastic Four #3. Expanding the original four-story plan to six.
Fantastic Four Annual Vol 1 1 046

Chronology Notes[]

Events happen behind the scenes between events in this issue that affect the chronology of the following characters:

Leonard McKenzie:

Princess Fen:

Mister Fantastic:

Invisible Girl:

Human Torch:

Thing:

Spider-Man:

See Also

Links and References

References

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