After 60 Years, Alicia Masters Officially Joins Fantastic Four

While their name may suggest they’re a strict quartet, the Fantastic Four have recruited plenty of other heroes over the years, from Black Panther and Storm to Ant-Man and She-Hulk. Now, they finally officially recruit a hero who’s been a loyal member of the family for over 60 years.

Alicia Masters Is Officially a Member of the Fantastic Four

It Only Took 62 Years for Her to Ask for a Costume

In today’s Fantastic Four #4, the four founders unanimously declare Alicia Masters an official member of the team. The announcement is made after Alicia Masters helps save the planet from a predatory species of alien. Alicia first debuted in 1962’s The Fantastic Four #8, marrying the Thing in 2018 and adopting Kree/Skrull warriors Jo-Venn and N’Kalla as their children. However, despite helping the team many times, she’s never officially been considered a member.

A world-renowned sculptor, Alicia technically lacks superpowers, though she has shown the ability to use the radioactive, mind-controlling clay of her step-father the Puppet Master – a longtime enemy of the FF. When the team introduce Alicia to their new dog, she senses that it’s actually an alien intruder. Thanks to her blindness, Alicia is less susceptible to the UFO’s manipulation of ‘pareidolia’ – a psychological phenomenon where the brain inaccurately interprets visual information.

Alicia attempts to fight the alien and ultimately alerts Reed Richards to the idea that the family are being controlled, prompting him to create a machine that blocks all pareidolia. It emerges that the aliens have touched down all over the planet, and Reed extends his machine’s reach worldwide, saving Earth from a cannibalistic invasion.

The team congratulate Alicia as a fellow superhero, even as she objects that she isn’t an official member of the team. But the others disagree, and as Sue points out, “You just teamed up with Mr. Fantastic to save the world. I’m not sure what qualifications are higher than that.”

While she may not be a vigilante, this isn’t the first supervillain Alicia helped to defeat. She saved the team in their first battle against the Frightful Four, helped to turn the Silver Surfer to humanity’s side when Galactus first attacked Earth, and has thwarted the Puppet Master multiple times. Alicia has fought by the Fantastic Four’s side in some of their most iconic adventures, and it’s only fair she’s recognized for her efforts. Indeed, she’s aided in far more adventures than onetime member Iceman.

Alicia is the first person without superpowers to officially join the Fantastic Four, although she’s far from powerless. Alicia is capable of creating radioactive puppets that control their likenesses, in the style of her step-father, but very rarely uses them because she considers it immoral. She has also been trained in stick fighting by the blind hero Daredevil – a skill she uses to fight the alien this issue.

The Fantastic Four Are Bigger Than Superpowers

The First Family Is Always Expanding – And That’s How They Win

Family is the big theme of the Fantastic Four, and it’s a family that’s always growing. From Reed and Sue’s kids to former foes like Dragon Man, Namor the Sub-Mariner and the Inhumans, the FF are constantly growing their team and alliances, opening their hearts to all they come across. As the Thing says, “It’z a metaphorical four,” and the Fantastic Four are constantly swelling their ranks with people they can trust – Alicia Masters first among them.

Fantastic Four #4 is available now from Marvel Comics.