Issue Description

The story begins where the previous issue's cliffhanger ending left us. Mr. Fantastic is falling to his doom from a window near the top of the Baxter Building, having been beaten by Mahkizmo at the end of FF #151. Fortunately, Thundra and Medusa just happen to be standing below him and Thindra saves him. Thundra goes into the Baxter Building to Mahkizmo, who is holding a semi-conscious Human Torch. However, soon after they begin fighting, there is a blast of power and the two combatants disappear. Mr. Fantastic figures out where they went, to the city of Machus. Sue and Franklin stay behind at the Baxter Building, while Reed, Johny and Medusa chase after Thundra and Mahkizmo. After much fighting in the city of Machus, Thundra is knocked out and the three male FF members are captured and imprisoned in a large cage. Medusa is able to avoid the cage, but the FF watch her as she runs away and the Thing thinks she has turned traitor.

This is one of very few Fantastic Four issues where the story is actually eclipsed by the Fantastic Four Fan Page. Shocking as it may seem, a letter submitted by a fan actually called for the FF Bullpen to kill off Sue Storm Richards. The fan expressed anger at Sue for being full of self-pity and for not being understanding enough of her husband's situation, when Reed saved millions of lives by shooting the gun that unfortunately shut down Franklin Richards' mind. The conclusion of the letter is quite a line at that.... "I'm so steamed up that if you don't find a way to deal with the so-called 'Mrs. Sue Richards', I'll explode!"

Now almost as shocking as the call for the demise of the Invisible Girl, was a letter from another fan who said he was voting for Reed and Sue to divorce and for Sue to stay with the Sub-Mariner. The Bullpen issued a response to the two fan letters and admitted that a surprising number of readers shared the view that Reed and Sue should end their marriage and that the Invisible Girl should leave the Fantastic Four. (Apparently Medusa had made a most favorable impression on the fans since her taking Sue's place beginning with issue #131.) The Bullpen went on to say that fewer fans agreed that they should kill Sue off, though the implication was that there were multiple requests for Sue to be killed.

Fantastic Four (1961)

Publisher

Marvel

Volume Description

The Fantastic Four were created in response to DC's Justice League and soon became the Silver Age's premier superhero team. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby collaborated on the opening 102 issues of the magazine, and told the adventures of Mr. Fantastic, the Thing, Invisible Woman and the Human Torch. This first volume ran through issue #416, before it was rebooted as Fantastic Four (vol. 2) (13 issues) as part of the short lived Heroes Reborn arc. The series was restarted again with issue 1 in Fantastic Four (vol. 3) before it reverted back to the original numbering with issue #500.

Collected Editions

Marvel Masterworks: The Fantastic Four

Vol. 1 (Issues 1-10)Vol. 2 (#11-20, Annual #1)Vol. 3 (#21-30)Vol. 4 (#31-40, Annual #2)Vol. 5 (#41-50, Annual #3)Vol. 6 (#51-60, Annual #4)Vol. 7 (#61-71, Annual #5)Vol. 8 (#72-81, Annual #6)Vol. 9 (#82-93, Annual #7)Vol. 10 (#94-104)Vol. 11 (#105-116)Vol. 12 (#117-128)Vol. 13 (#129-141)Vol. 14 (#142-150, Giant-Size #2)

Essential Fantastic Four - Seven volumes printing #1-159

Fantastic Four Epic Collection: The World's Greatest Comic Magazine (#1-18)S.H.I.E.L.D.: The Complete Collection (#21)Fantastic Four Omnibus Vol. 1 (#1-30, Annual #1)S.H.I.E.L.D. by Lee & Kirby: The Complete Collection (#21)Fantastic Four Omnibus Vol. 2 (#31-60, Annuals #2-4)Silver Surfer Epic Collection: When Calls Galactus (#49, #55, #57-60, #72 and #74-77)Fantastic Four Omnibus Vol. 3 (#61-93)Fantastic Four Visionaries: George Perez Vol. 1 (#164-167, #170, #176-178, #184-186) Vol. 2 (#187-188, #191-192)Fantastic Four: Crusaders & Titans (#164-176)Fantastic Four: Reunited They Stand (#201-203)In Search of Galactus (#204-214)Fantastic Four Visionaries: John Byrne Vol. 0 (#215-218, #220-221) Vol. 1 (#232-240) Vol. 2 (#241-250) Vol. 3 (#251-257, Annual #17) Vol. 4 (#258-267) Vol. 5 (#268-275, Annual #18)Vol. 6 (#276-284) Vol. 7 (#285-286, Annual #19) Vol. 8 (#287-295)Fantastic Four Epic Collection: All In the Family (#296-307)Fantastic Four Epic Collection: Into the Time Stream (#334-346)Fantastic Four Visionaries: Walter Simonson Vol. 1 (#334-341) Vol. 2 (#342-346) Vol. 3 (#347-350, #352-354)Fantastic Four/Inhumans: Atlantis Rising (#401-402)Fantastic Four Epic Collection: Strange Days (#403-416)

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