10 Best Fantastic Four Marvel Comic Book Story Arcs

With 2021 being the 60th anniversary of the Fantastic Four, it’s a great time for fans to revisit the many iconic comic book story arcs featuring the team. Those stories provide a number of road maps for the inevitable screen future of the team in the MCU, making them even more compelling for diehard and casual fans alike.

The Fantastic Four launched the Marvel Universe in 1961 and has provided many of its major architectural elements over the last six decades in terms of characters and concepts. Many landmark stories contributed to modern Marvel Comics and certainly the MCU, where their influence will now be even more direct.

10 The Beginning

The early stories of the Fantastic Four by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby are absolutely essential reading for fans. The first five issues don’t necessarily constitute an arc but are among the best FF comics for all the major elements they introduce.

The first three issues guide the team through their origin, exploring their powers, and the debut of their iconic costumes. Issue four sees the Silver Age introduction of Namor, the Sub-Mariner, and issue five is the debut of their greatest villain, Doctor Doom.

9 Three

Three is the keystone arc in writer Jonathan Hickman’s run on Fantastic Four, which is among the best in the team’s history for how it modernizes the FF for the 21st century. Science and exploration have always been key elements of the team but during his 2009-2011 run, many modern concepts and ideas are introduced or expanded on.

One of these concepts is the multiverse, which has become a major part of the MCU. This storyline also features the heroic and tragic death of Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, as he saves the world from inter-dimensional aliens.

8 The Power And The Peril

Comic book fans know Doctor Doom is one of the most ambitious villains in all of Marvel Comics, and “The Power And The Peril” is a great story for showcasing early on how ambitious he was. Running through issues #57-60 of the series, Doctor Doom steals the Power Cosmic from the Silver Surfer in this arc.

For a brief time, Doctor Doom has true power but true to his character, he loses the power almost as soon as he gains it. He fails to anticipate every outcome and the power is stripped from him when he tries to breach the barrier Galactus imposed around Earth to trap the Silver Surfer.

7 The New Fantastic Four

The core team of the Fantastic Four is iconic, but there have been many great line-ups with other characters. One of the best is the “new” Fantastic Four, which features Black Panther and Storm on the team. Written by Dwayne McDuffie, it was a fun story that reveled in the team’s history even as the rest of the Marvel Universe fragmented.

This era spins out of the Civil War comic book crossover that pitted many superheroes against each other over the Superhero Registration Act. Black Panther and Storm help hold the FF together and reconnect to the broader world in the comics, while still having a fun time doing it.

6 Unthinkable

Doctor Doom is an enormously compelling villain, but he’s also capable of great evil. “Unthinkable” is a fantastic comic book story arc by writer Mark Waid and artist Mike Weringo that shows how truly heinous Doctor Doom really is.

In the story, Doom seeks the ultimate magical power to finally defeat the Fantastic Four. To do so, he harnesses his abiding love for his childhood sweetheart Valeria. When she professes her love for him, she dies, with her living energy unlocking the power he needs to succeed.

5 The Trial Of Reed Richards

Over the years, the Fantastic Four has presented a number of complex villains like Doom and Namor. In “The Trial Of Reed Richards,” it gives fans Mr. Fantastic. The founder of the FF is a villain in the eyes of the Shi’Ar Empire for his sparing Galactus’ life. After doing so, Galactus destroyed the Skrull homeworld.

In issues #261 and 262 of the series, writer-artist John Byrne explores the fallout of allowing Galactus to live, and what “evil” truly is. In the end, Richards is spared when Eternity, one of the most powerful Marvel cosmic beings, reveals that Galactus is a function of the natural order of the universe.

4 Into The Timestream

Writer and artist Walt Simonson had a great run on Fantastic Four as well, and his best story might have “Into The Time Stream,” which spanned issues #334-346. The story is great for how Simonson pushes the boundary of the form itself, stretching out panels as Mr. Fantastic stretches his arms.

Additionally, the style is subversive, as Simonson whites out entire pages as the Ultimate Nullifier is finally used to incredible effect. MCU fans will also find the story compelling as it involves the comic book version of Ravonna Renslayer, in disguise here as Nebula.

3 This Man, This Monster

Issue #51 of the series contains the story “This Man… This Monster,” often considered one of the best Fantastic Four stories. The story dives deep into the pathos of Ben Grimm’s life as the Thing, when he’s allowed to swap places with a normal human man for a brief period of time.

His human future is dashed when the other man dies and Ben Grimm reverts back to the Thing, but he finds out how much he is loved and appreciated by his friends and colleagues. The FF thinks Ben had died and are beyond relieved to find out he didn’t.

2 Secret Wars (2015)

The 2015 version of Secret Wars is one of the biggest stories in all of Marvel Comics, pulling in multitudes of characters from across the multiverse. At its heart, it’s a story of the Fantastic Four and it’s a great story because of how it hinges on the dichotomy between Doctor Doom and Reed Richards.

Doom seeks power but hates himself. Reed Richards seeks knowledge and maybe believes too much in his capability. Between them lies the answer to restoring the multiverse. Doom finally acknowledges his envy of Richards and his failings, leading to a new potential for both men.

1 The Galactus Trilogy

“The Galactus Trilogy” from issues #48-50 remains the highpoint of the Fantastic Four series and perhaps all of Marvel Comics for some fans. The story is key for a number of reasons. It introduces a number of major characters like Galactus and the Silver Surfer and also throws down some of the biggest stakes in the comics to that point.

The entire world is in danger, and the epic canvas of the comic has never been bigger. The trilogy would reverberate through Marvel Comics for decades to come and in some ways, still does.

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