white pgs
1st appearance of Fantastic Four, w/ origin; 1st app. Mole Man; Jack Kirby cover/art; the Marvel Age begins here (11/61) COMIC BOOK IMPACT rating of 10 (CBI)
Fantastic Four #1 didn't just make history with the first appearance of Mister Fantastic, the Thing, Human Torch, and Invisible Girl (along with the debut of the tragically evil Mole Man). This artifact of a first issue also marks when Stan Lee and
Jack Kirby secured the Silver Age of Comics and launched the Marvel Age of Storytelling. Their bold vision for the
Fantastic Four would provide an unexpected depth to this tale of an experimental space flight gone wrong.
The Mole Man's sad backstory was just one of the many signs that Marvel was out to redefine superhero comics. For starters, this first issue of
Fantastic Four was fully dedicated to a single story. That included an epic origin establishing that the Fantastic Four didn't bother with secret identities. The generous page count also allowed for plenty of petty infighting amongst the team — who didn't even wear costumes, although Stan would give in to public demand over that by the third issue.
Fantastic Four would also redefine the Marvel Comics Group, which was literally a set of comics that distributors sent to retailers. Marvel's monster books (including
Tales to Astonish and
Tales of Suspense) began selling as well as
Fantastic Four once characters like
Thor,
Iron Man,
and Ant-Man began to take over their pages.
The pop-culture passion for the Fantastic Four has seen an impressive revival since Marvel Studios recovered the film rights to the company's first super team. In addition to the upcoming
Fantastic Four: First Steps featuring the Silver Surfer and Galactus, fans also have high hopes of (finally) getting the Mole Man as a villain. It's also been confirmed that the Fantastic Four will join Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom in both 2026's
Avengers: Doomsday and 2027's
Avengers: Secret Wars.
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Fantastic Four #1, a Stan Lee/Jack Kirby masterpiece featuring Marvel's first superhero team, is the birthplace of the modern Marvel Universe, and a landmark issue. The success of this book would lead to the creation of countless iconic titles including Spider-Man, The Hulk, The X-Men, The Avengers, and so many more. This copy earned a 7.0 from CBCS and has stark white pages. The classic Kirby cover looks gorgeous, with the vibrant iconic red logo popping in contrast to the crisp, clean, white background. With the Fantastic Four confirmed to be joining the MCU soon, collectors and investors alike have been flocking to early FF issues in recent years. The Marvel movie monolith has proven to be a recipe for success, with countless properties becoming international sensations after appearing in the franchise. Fantastic Four #1 is not only the beginning of the First Family of Marvel but also the birth of the Marvel Universe as we know it today. All-time classic keys like this are rock-solid investments and great additions to any comic book collection.
Overstreet Guide 2021 F/VF (7.0) value = $32,300
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