Marvel Makes Fun Of The Fantastic Four With A Brand-New Team's Debut

Marvel secretly introduces a brand-new version of the Fantastic Four in a Deadpool comic. The Fantastic Four have managed to be just as popular, influential, and powerful as the Avengers and the X-Men despite their comparatively low size. Marvel’s First Family deals with universal or multiversal matters just as often as Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are saving the world.

Deep into the Age of Revelation, several non-mutant heroes have adapted to their newfound mutations, the Avengers have become the X-Vengers, and multiple mutants have grown into major superhero roles. Meanwhile, heroes like Iron Man and Deadpool have seemingly struggled with their changes. Iron Man has become the fully-metal hermit Iron King, and Wade Wilson has turned into a zombie who lurks in the woods.

Undeadpool #1 reveals what Deadpool has been up to since the X-Virus turned the world upside down, but it also presents a new team of heroes with uncanny similarities to Reed Richards’ family.

Marvel’s New Fantastic Four Team Has Potential To Surpass The Original

Undeadpool #1; Written by Tim Seeley; Art by Carlos Magno & Guru e-FX

In the Louisville area of the Revelation Territories, a team of four young heroes fights to survive: the super-elastic Fantastica, the lightning-manipulating Magni, the nature-controlling Kid Man-Thing, and the psychic Fearless. Although Magni draws inspiration from Thor’s lost son, Kid Man-Thing from Ted Sallis, and Fearless from Daredevil, they’re clearly more akin to the Human Torch, the Thing, and the Invisible Woman, respectively.

Fantastica possesses the same abilities as Reed Richards, while Magni’s lightning is akin to the Human Torch’s fire powers, Kid Man-Thing is the team’s muscle like Ben Grimm, and Fearless fights with long-range defensive attacks like Sue Storm. Self-titled the Alpha Warriors, the young heroes draw inspiration from Alpha Flight and the New Warriors, and Deadpool surmises they’re also Avengers fans. However, they feel more like a family than a regular squad of mutant heroes.

While the Alpha Warriors struggle against a horde of “hill-people” zombies, they have the potential to overshadow the Fantastic Four with enough experience. The Alpha Warriors could soon become a young version of the Fantastic Four with the mutant equivalent of Mister Fantastic, Thor, Man-Thing, and Professor X coordinating their powers in battle. Hopefully, this team survives in some way once the Age of Revelation is undone.

The Fantastic Four’s Line-Up Is Just As Malleable As That Of Other Teams

The Fantastic Four Aren’t Always Reed & Sue’s Family

The Fantastic Four are famously Marvel’s most consistent superhero team, but they have occasionally shaken up their line-up. Heroes like Crystal, Luke Cage, Storm, and Black Panther have stepped in during key absences. Each Fantastic Four replacement brought a unique flavor, either through their powers or simply their personality.

Marvel has experimented even further with completely different rosters. The “New Fantastic Four” lineup of Wolverine, Spider-Man, Ghost Rider, and Gray Hulk reimagined the group with a darker, more aggressive tone. Later, 2012’s FF introduced a quirky but effective team featuring Ant-Man, She-Hulk, Medusa, and Ms. Thing. And in Dan Slott’s Fantastic Four Vol. 6, every member in FF history teams up to help the original team fight the Griever.