Script: Stan Lee
Art: Jack Kirby
Inking: Dick Ayers
Lettering: Art Simek
It may have been a sign of the times. It may have been playing into the pulp archetypes that made up the Fantastic Four. It may even have been a small extension of Stan's own attitudes. But there's not getting around it - there are times when the Fantastic Four is incredibly sexist.
If I was to try and document every moment of apparent sexism towards Sue, I'd get myself into some tricky waters. Is it sexist that Sue designed the costumes for the team way back in issue #3? If the book were written today, then most likely, even if it was written in an 'ironic' way. But most people would agree that in 1962, Sue designing and making costumes was simply a product of the times.
This, however, is utterly inexcusable. (Although you can give yourself a childish snicker if you read 'morale' as a euphemism).
And thus, with the idea that Sue, the Invisible Girl, is only around to make men feel good when they look at her (a task at which she must surely fail regularly), we have our first blatant piece of sexism.
It won't be the last...
Check out our coverage of Fantastic Four #12 in our tenth episode: Hulk? Smash!
[audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/ffcast/Fantasticast_Episode_10_Final.mp3]