Fantastic Four Get New Costumes, For The Weirdest Possible Reason

Warning! Spoilers for Fantastic Four #40 by Marvel Comics below

The Fantastic Four just made a notable change to their costumes and with an extremely strange explanation for it happening. In Fantastic Four #40, Reed Richards uses his new powers of The Watcher to give Marvel’s First Family a new (but classic) costume change. However, his reasoning for doing so doesn’t make a lot of sense as he tells the team he’s calculated it will have a calming effect on the rest of the world.

In the current Reckoning War saga at Marvel Comics, the universe is threatened by the Reckoning, who are using Watcher technology to fuel wars across the cosmos. The Reckoning has given the Badoon advanced tech to attack the Earth, leading the Fantastic Four to spring into action to save their home. The superteam encounters Nick Fury Jr., who carries the knowledge of The Watcher, which is absorbed by Reed Richards, giving him power beyond human comprehension. With his new powers, Richards just made the curious decision to change the Fantastic Four’s costumes for the weirdest reason.

In Fantastic Four #40 by Dan Slott, Rachael Stott, Jesus Aburtov, and VC’s Joe Caramagna, the super-powered Reed Richards is calculated and cold with his new powers as he plan’s to save his planet. After shaving his own beard and admitting to his family he observes their lack of faith in him; he tells the superteam they need to believe in him – and them collectively. Richards calculates that returning to their classic look will have a “calming effect on the rest of the world” as he reverts the team to their more iconic costumes.

While it’s fun to see the Fantastic Four revert back to their classic costumes and get more colorful looks, the reasoning from Mr. Fantastic doesn’t make a lot of sense. Will changing their costumes really have a calming effect during an intergalactic attack? It seems Marvel wanted to change the team back to their classic costumes for the event and needed a built-in reason during the issue to make it happen. In the end, it’s a flimsy explanation that doesn’t justify the sudden costume change.

Considering the Fantastic Four will make their live-action debut sooner than later, Marvel Comics could be changing the costumes to align the comics with the upcoming film – which will likely feature the superteam’s most iconic looks. Or, Marvel simply thought the classic costumes worked better during the event and wanted to make a change. Regardless of the intent, Reed Richards changing everyone’s costumes without permission because he believes it will create a calming effect during an actual space war is a weird explanation. Fantastic Four #40 by Marvel Comics is in comic book stores now.

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Liam McGuire
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Lead writer for Screen Rant’s comic team. [email protected]. Find me on Twitter @LiamRMcGuire for comic news and reporting.

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