Today, Marvel Comics released The Fantastic Four: First Steps #1, an official MCU comic book that reveals the origin story for Marvel's First Family.
It turns out Marvel Comics also exists in this reality, and they've enlisted Matt Fraction and Mark Buckingham to tell their story on the fourth anniversary of the day they first saved New York City from Mole Man. There's a lot here that likely won't make it into the movie, and at least a few major reveals.
From a very different outcome to the Fantastic Four's battle with Mole Man to a new take on how they gained their fantastic powers, we've got you covered with this guide to all the biggest reveals (however, you should definitely hunt down a copy as it's a must-read).
You can learn more about The Fantastic Four: First Steps by clicking the "Next"/"View List" buttons below.
4. Who Are Marvel's First Family?
There's been a lot of intrigue about how Marvel Studios would adapt these characters, and the comic better explains who they are. Reed, for example, created the world's first fully working spaceship, but the flight that gave this foursome their powers appears to have been sanctioned rather than aboard a stolen craft (perhaps lessening the guilt Reed feels for what happened to Ben, something the previous movies explored in depth).
Sue has a PhD in archaeology and was the mission specialist for that fateful flight. She's also credited with diplomatically resolving the conflict with Mole Man, a major change from the comics that we'll get to below.
Ben piloted the ship, while Johnny was enlisted to serve as the flight engineer. They have a brotherly bond, with the Human Torch considering The Thing his best friend. Interestingly, it seems Johnny hoped to become a professional golfer before acquiring the ability to "Flame On."
3. Mole Man's New Status Quo
Just like in the comics, Mole Man and his monster Giganto are the first threat faced by the Fantastic Four. As you'd expect, the team successfully defeated them, but Harvey Elder doesn't end up being sent to prison or vanquished to Subterannea.
Instead, Sue finds common ground with the villain who, in this reality, views himself as a freedom fighter seeking to establish rights for the people in his underground nation. Mole Man reveals that he has a history with Sue's grandfather, J. F. Storm, prompting Sue to help him establish sovereignty for Subterannea through her work with the U.N.
The comic confirms that Paul Walter Hauser will play Mole Man, and suggests he'll be an ally to Marvel's First Family in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, not an enemy.
2. A Link To The Celestials
Here's where things get really interesting. Now, if you're a comic book fan, you'll know that Reed, Sue, Ben, and Johnny gained their powers after being bombarded by Cosmic Rays. In the MCU, it was "Celestial radiation."
It has long been theorised that Galactus will be a Celestial. If these heroes were bathed in Celestial tradition, it might explain why the Devourer of Worlds takes such a vested interest in Franklin Richards, a child who will have been imbued with a heavy dose of Celestial energy, making him one of the most powerful beings in the universe.
Eternals introduced the idea of Celestials, but we still don't know what became of those heroes or Arishem. Perhaps that's something a potential sequel to The Fantastic Four: First Steps will explore?
1. Solve Everything
Dwayne McDuffie and Jonathan Hickman both explored Mister Fantastic's desire to "solve everything" with his scientific know-how, and it seems that's something the live-action version of this character will have in common with his comic book counterpart.
This tie-in reveals that Reed, who is frequently described as a polymath, has used his genius to improve agriculture, transportation, science, education and medicine, creating an idyllic world free of many of the problems in our own. We know H.E.R.B.I.E. is being produced for the masses, and it seems that's the idea for the Fantasticar, also.
Finally, the comic confirms that The Fantastic Four: First Steps takes place four years after the team gained their powers. We've known that for a while, of course, but it's also established that they're more than just superheroes: they're adventurers, humanitarians, and most importantly, a family.