Fantastic Force

Fantastic Force
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Fantastic Force #1 (1994)
Created by	Tom Brevoort
In-story information
Base(s)	Baxter Building
Member(s)	Psi-Lord Vibraxas Huntara Devlor She-Hulk Black Panther Human Torch

Fantastic Force is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is a spin-off of the Fantastic Four. The team had its own title, which lasted for eighteen issues from November 1994 to April 1996. Its average monthly sales for 1995, its only full year of publication, were 33,675 copies. ^[1] The title was revived for a miniseries involving a new team in April 2009. ^{[2] [3]}

Original team

Rumors started circulating in the early 1990s that Fantastic Four was to be cancelled and a new title called Fantastic Force launched in its place. At the time the rumors were false, but the editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics, Tom DeFalco, decided that due to the amount of traction the rumor had gained that they should create a new comic book with the same title. ^[4]

A creative team was brought together; however, after it disbanded due to creative differences,^{[ citation needed ]} Tom Brevoort wrote the new book while Dante Bastianoni took on the responsibilities of cover design and penciller. It launched in November 1994 as a spinoff book to Fantastic Four rather than as a replacement. ^[5]

The founding members of the original team were: ^[6]

• Psi-Lord (Franklin Richards) was the leader, son of Mister Fantastic and Invisible Woman of the Fantastic Four
• Huntara (Tara Richards), Franklin Richards' aunt from an alternate future, armed with a scythe that enabled her to open interdimensional portals
• Vibraxas, a Wakandan with the power to generate vibratory force
• Devlor, an Inhuman who could transform into a large ape-like creature

Vibraxas later became a supporting character in Black Panther volume 2.

The Black Panther, who also served as an unofficial member of the team, joining them in the field on occasion, funded Fantastic Force. For a short time the Human Torch became team leader. ^[7] Eventually Huntara left the group for another dimension, and her slot on the team was filled by She-Hulk. ^[8]

2009 series

The new miniseries in 2009 followed the exploits of a group formerly known as "The New Defenders". This team was composed of the last superheroes of a bleak future who brought the remaining members of the human race to the present day where they settled on Nu Earth, an artificial copy of Earth. This group first appeared in the storyline "Death of The Invisible Woman" featured in Fantastic Four #558-562. This team includes a descendant of Bruce Banner/Hulk and a future version of Wolverine as well as a number of less recognizable characters.

References

1. The Comics Chronicles
2. "Fantastic Force Vol. 2 at IGN". Au.comics.ign.com. Retrieved 2011-04-14.
3. "Fantastic Force (2009) #1 | Comic Books | Comics". Marvel.com. Retrieved 2011-04-14.
4. Ahearne Populates Nu-World with "Fantastic Force", Comic Book Resources, May 17, 2009
5. Brian Cronin (2007-02-15). "Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #90". CBR. Retrieved 2020-06-09.
6. Brevoort, Tom; DeFalco, Tom; Manning, Matthew K.; Sanderson, Peter; Wiacek, Win (2017). Marvel Year By Year: A Visual History. DK Publishing. p. 271. ISBN   978-1465455505.
7. Fantastic Force #10; cover date Aug. 1995 up to Fantastic Force #18; cover date April 1996
8. Fantastic Force #13; cover date Nov. 1995

External links

• Marvel universe article on the Fantastic Force
• 'Still Bad After All These Years' - Marvel.com blog entry from writer Tom Brevoort, looking back on Fantastic Force