Fantastic Four Questions

I have just read and enjoyed the 'new' first volume of the Fantastic Four / FF and I feel the need to get more involevd and more informed.

I am somehat out of touch with all things 4 and have some questions, the mere asking of which may appall many of you, my fellow forum-eers,(?).

I am hoping someone will feel pity for me and help me out...here goes...

...What's with the genious moleoids (and the disembodied head of a moleoid?) what's their story?

...Clearly now, Dragon-Man is intelligent and cultured - is he the original Dragon-Man somehow evolved or someone else's personality transplanted ?

...oh, and the other geniuses around, 'Olemond' or whoever and is 'Bentley' a clone of the Wizard or something...?

...and so, now that I've got the ball rolling I can ask the really important/stupid/annoying questions...

...How come Franklin - who's been a child since before people like Vance Astrovick and Cassie Lang came along - and grew- through adolescence...- is still a child??

...and.....what's the origin of Valeria? For some reason I've always thought she was the illegitimate child of an alternate timeline Sue and Doom - but is that right?

 

...anyone want to play...?

 

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  • I've thought about picking up the new series but decided against it. Though I too am puzzled about Val.

  • Let me see if I can help a little:

    Clearly now, Dragon-Man is intelligent and cultured - is he the original Dragon-Man somehow evolved or someone else's personality transplanted ?

    I don't know how he gained intelligence, but yes, that is the original Dragon Man.

    oh, and the other geniuses around, 'Olemond' or whoever and is 'Bentley' a clone of the Wizard or something...?

    Yes, Bentley is a clone of the Wizard.  Also, I believe you're referring to Onome, who is Wakandan IIRC.

    How come Franklin - who's been a child since before people like Vance Astrovick and Cassie Lang came along - and grew- through adolescence...- is still a child??

    One could ask the same about Artie and Leech--in fact, I have asked those questions about Artie and Leech, both of whom should be in their mid-teens now.

    and.....what's the origin of Valeria? For some reason I've always thought she was the illegitimate child of an alternate timeline Sue and Doom - but is that right?

    To the best of my knowledge, Valeria was fathered by Reed and Sue in the 616 universe.  However, there were some complications with the pregnancy that only Doom could resolve, and considering he used magic, that may explain Valeria's accelerated development.

  • Thanks for that Randy, I'm glad it's not just me that's not that up to date in the F4 universe. - and Mark - I would recommend giving this 'new' (what 'volume' is this now?) series a look. The first tpk has the first 3 issues of the Fantastic Four with Bagley art and the first 3 FF issues with Aldred art.

    I hadf thought it all looked a bit 'retro' and 'slapstick' but actually you soon get past that and get drawn into some good tales.!

     

  • I have been reading and enjoying both Fantastic Four as well as FF since the re-launch, and I have some of the same questions as you, Richard. I stopped reading Fantastic Four regularly after Mark Waid’s departure, but I have dipped my toe in from time to time since then. The answers to many of your questions can be found in the Jonathan Hickman issues, which I myself will likely get around to reading in collected format one of these days but haven’t yet.

    Regarding Valeria’s origin, you are remembering a storyline that has since been overturned in continuity, but it did happen pretty much as you recall. If you really want to give yourself a headache, Google the Valeria Richards Wiki. The think that bugs me about her aging, is that Franklin was… oh, let’s say around ten years old… when she was born, but now they’re approximately the same age! “Marvel Time”… ya gotta love it.

  • "Franklin was… oh, let’s say around ten years old… when she was born, but now they’re approximately the same age!"

    Charles Schulz used to do that all the time.

  • In the late 90's, I remember the title being written by Chris Claremont at some point, and then written by Carlos Pacheco. (Or it could be the other way around.) During the Claremont time span, wasn't Valeria a teenager? I seem to recall her being older than Franklin at some point.


  • Richard Mantle said:

    Thanks for that Randy, I'm glad it's not just me that's not that up to date in the F4 universe. - and Mark - I would recommend giving this 'new' (what 'volume' is this now?) series a look. The first tpk has the first 3 issues of the Fantastic Four with Bagley art and the first 3 FF issues with Aldred art.

    I hadf thought it all looked a bit 'retro' and 'slapstick' but actually you soon get past that and get drawn into some good tales.!

     

    I'm holding off on pretty much all of marvel until after the reboot, if then. I just don't think of any of them as heroes anymore and the Illuminati (which if it had been made up of supervillains and not superheroes would have been a good idea) blowing up planets just confirms that too me. I cheer the supervillains in the mu.



  • Wandering Sensei: Emeritus said:
    In the late 90's, I remember the title being written by Chris Claremont at some point, and then written by Carlos Pacheco. (Or it could be the other way around.) During the Claremont time span, wasn't Valeria a teenager? I seem to recall her being older than Franklin at some point.

    I'm sure that she was switched at one point, she went from being the daughter of Doom and Sue to being the daughter of Reed and Sue.

  • I think that's more a failure of the artists' being able to accurately depict their different ages than any sort of intentional change.  For instance, there was an appearance of Power Pack not too long ago, and in the current continuity Alex is 19 which means Katie should be 12, but she still looked like she was 5.

    If I recall correctly, Franklin is somewhere in the 8-11 age range (in current continuity) and Valeria around 2-3.

    Jeff of Earth-J said:

    The think that bugs me about her aging, is that Franklin was… oh, let’s say around ten years old… when she was born, but now they’re approximately the same age! “Marvel Time”… ya gotta love it.

  • Tom Grummett and Curt Swan are two artists who were really good at being able to show characters at different ages. As the saying goes, a kid is not a short adult.

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