Fantastic Four #1: ATOMIC POWER 1

Fantastic Four #1, page 7, panel 8

Fantastic Four #1, page 8, panel 1

Fantastic Four #1, page 8, panel 2

Writer: Stan Lee

Art: Jack Kirby

Uncredited inking by George Klein and Christopher Rule

Uncredited colouring by Stan Goldberg

Uncredited lettering by Art Simek

Stan Lee has a very casual relationship with the possibilities and dangers of nuclear power. For him, nuclear power represents unlimited possibilities, the future within our grasp. Dangers such as radiation and meltdown have mostly been overcome in his mind, and the addition of atomic power to any device, no matter how impractical, instantly makes it stronger, faster and better.

So, of course, it's great fun to sit here, decades after Chernobyl and Three Mile Island, and take a look at a more innocent time.

Here, we see that the US Air Force are quite happy to launch nuclear missiles at Manhatten island. Not because there's an alien invasion spearheaded by an Asgardian god that is determined to subjugate the Earth to the rule of Thanos, the mad Titan. Oh no. Here, it's because there's a bloke flying around on fire.

Can we say "massive over-reaction"?

Instead, Reed hurls the missile out to sea where it explodes 'harmlessly'. Because all nuclear explosions are harmless and completely lack any form of fallout. Just ask the producers of 24...

Fantastic Four #1: Fear Of The Thing 1

Fantastic Four #1, page 5, panel 2

Writer: Stan Lee

Art: Jack Kirby

Uncredited inking by George Klein and Christopher Rule

Uncredited colouring by Stan Goldberg

Uncredited lettering by Art Simek

For a blog named after The Human Torch, we sure are taking our time to get onto him... other than the cover of this issue, we have yet to see him in the narrative so far!

Finally, Ben's rampage is over, and we move onto another trope of the early comics: Ben's monstrous form and the ways in which people react in terror to him. Not for nothing have we named this "Fear Of The Thing". Here, Kirby renders Ben in shadow, obscuring his eyes and humanity. Ben's temperament, coupled with his appearance, justifies the terror shown by the two men in the panel.

At this stage in the book, the claim that Ben is a Martian could have been taken seriously by the reader. The origin of the team has yet to be shown, and we've had no evidence to disprove this claim.

Eagle-eared listeners will notice that this instance of "Fear Of The Thing" hasn't been counted by us on the show. When we recorded episode one way back in November 2011, we hadn't yet decided on this category, so I now get to go back and retroactively add it in. Retcons!

Find our coverage of Fantastic Four #1 on our very first episode: Introductions, Origins and Fantastic Four #1

Fantastic Four #1: Property Damage 4

Fantastic Four #1, page 5, panel 1

Writer: Stan Lee

Art: Jack Kirby

Uncredited inking by George Klein and Christopher Rule

Uncredited colouring by Stan Goldberg

Uncredited lettering by Art Simek

The rampage is still on, as in the very next panel, without even fully climbing out of the hole, Ben smashes up a sturdy - and therefore expensive - automobile. We get a small glimpse into the early character of Ben Grimm, as instead of apologising for the damage, he yells at the driver for not seeing him in time. Yes, Ben, because we all drive down the road hesitantly in case a super-strong superhuman should suddenly burst out from the street...

Find our coverage of Fantastic Four #1 on our very first episode: Introductions, Origins and Fantastic Four #1

Fantastic Four #1: Property Damage 3

Fantastic Four #1, page 4, panel 7

Writer: Stan Lee

Art: Jack Kirby

Uncredited inking by George Klein and Christopher Rule

Uncredited colouring by Stan Goldberg

Uncredited lettering by Art Simek

Ben's rampage isn't yet over, as following a brief stroll through the sewers, he decides that the urgency of the flare overrides any concerns regarding public safety.

Find our coverage of Fantastic Four #1 on our very first episode: Introductions, Origins and Fantastic Four #1

Fantastic Four #1: Property Damage 2

Fantastic Four #1, page 4, panel 4

Writer: Stan Lee

Art: Jack Kirby

Uncredited inking by George Klein and Christopher Rule

Uncredited colouring by Stan Goldberg

Uncredited lettering by Art Simek

Just a few panels later, Ben Grimm shows himself to be on a reluctant rampage. His appearance is still new and shocking to the people of New York. A cop called Pete, his shouted warning unheeded by Ben, fire off a warning shot. To escape, Ben rips a manhole out of the ground so that he can have an easy escape route. In an early example of over-writing, the very next panel has a speech bubble explaining the actions from this panel.

Find our coverage of Fantastic Four #1 on our very first episode: Introductions, Origins and Fantastic Four #1

Fantastic Four #1: Property Damage 1

Fantastic Four #1, page 4, panel 1

Writer: Stan Lee

Art: Jack Kirby

Uncredited inking by George Klein and Christopher Rule

Uncredited colouring by Stan Goldberg

Uncredited lettering by Art Simek

We start our journey right back on the fourth page of Fantastic Four #1, with a panel showing Ben Grimm causing the first of many damages to civil and private property in New York.

This panel comes from the opening sequence of the book, showing the team individually assembling at the request of Mr Fantastic. This set of scenes was designed to show off the team's powers, having them take part in every day activities before spying the Fantastic flare in the sky and responding with urgency and haste. Sue abandons tea with a friend, runs out into the street and hails a taxi, all whilst invisible. Johnny abandons his repair work on an expensive auto, melting the roof as he flies away. And Ben, as seen above, bursts out of a mens clothing store.

Just one question, though: If the door is too narrow for Ben to exit through, then how did he get into the store in the first place?

Episodes eight and twenty of The Fantasticast presented a round up of every trope and catchphrase that we have been tracking. Eagle-eared listeners may note that there was no mention of property damage on this list. Simply, we weren't tracking it when we started the show, and I didn't have the time to invest in rereading the issues to list every instance. But now this blog is up and running, I'm taking the opportunity to backtrack and add these to the list.

Find our coverage of Fantastic Four #1 on our very first episode: Introductions, Origins, and Fantastic Four #1