Nathaniel Richards | |
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Publication information | |
Publisher | Marvel Comics |
First appearance | The Fantastic Four #272 (November 1984) |
Created by | John Byrne |
In-story information | |
Species | Human |
Team affiliations | Future Foundation Fantastic Four Brotherhood of the Shield |
Notable aliases | The Warlord |
Abilities |
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Nathaniel Richards is a fictional time-traveling scientist appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the father of superhero Mister Fantastic of the Fantastic Four and is the namesake of his descendant, the futuristic villain known as Kang the Conqueror. Unlike his descendant, the original Nathaniel is more of an adventurer who has a genuine love for his son.
Nathaniel Richards first appeared in The Fantastic Four #272 (November 1984) and was created by writer-artist John Byrne. [1]
Dr. Nathaniel Richards was a successful scientist who specialized in multiple fields. He was married to Evelyn and together had a son named Reed Richards who possessed an intellectual mind like his father. When Evelyn died, Nathaniel continued to raise his son by supporting his scientific endeavors. [2] Later, Nathaniel is approached by the Brotherhood of the Shield and joins their group. Along with Howard Stark, the two meet a super powered individual named Leonid and help him resolve a dispute between the time traveling Leonardo da Vinci and Isaac Newton who had split the organization in two. These events somehow resulted in Nathaniel gaining the ability to travel through time. [3] [4]
Nathaniel found himself in the far future along with several other alternate versions of himself. The villain Immortus had gathered them together and forced them to kill each other off. [5] Nathaniel fled. To protect Reed, Nathaniel provided for his future and then disappeared from his life. [6]
Nathaniel ended up in another dimension where the Earth had become a desolate wasteland when the moon was destroyed. He married a woman named Cassandra who bore two children for him, one of which grew up to be Huntara. Cassandra turned out to be a power-mad individual who used Nathaniel's technology to rule the remaining humans. The Fantastic Four and Wyatt Wingfoot arrived in this dimension, defeated Cassandra and freed Nathaniel. After father and son had a heartfelt reunion, Nathaniel stayed behind to help rebuild. [7]
However, Nathaniel arrived in the present to kidnap Franklin Richards. [8] Nathaniel aged Franklin to a teenager in an effort to prevent Franklin from having a child with Rachel Summers. Their child would eventually grow up to become the villain Hyperstorm. [9] Nathaniel would help Franklin and the Fantastic Four battle Aron the Rogue Watcher by rescuing Uatu the Watcher. [10]
Nathaniel later trained Susan Storm to better master her powers. [11]
Nathaniel returned to help Reed jump-start the Future Foundation, using the technology he gathered over the years. [12] He then helped them battle the Kree Army and the Mad Celestials. [13] [14]
Nathaniel Richards has no superpowers, but he is a scientific genius and skilled inventor in advanced technology. He invented a device called the Time Platform, which allows him to travel through time. The armor that he built on his own granted him increased strength, physical resistance, and access to various gadgets, as well as energy weapons for defense. [15]
A version of Nathaniel Richards pulled into the far future with the other Nathaniels by Immortus, called the Beast, was a homicidal maniac who took the opportunity to slaughter all of his counterparts. The Nathaniel of Earth-616 teams up with young college-age Reed Richards, Ben Grimm and Victor von Doom in order to defeat him. [16]
In the Ultimate Marvel reality, Reed's father is renamed Gary Richards and he does not have a scientific background. He also seems to despise his son's scientific mind, preferring his friend Ben Grimm's athletic abilities. When the Baxter Building's think tank accepted Reed, Gary was glad that he was gone. [17]
When Diablo kidnapped Reed's younger sister Enid, Gary went to Reed for help even though he still resented him. [18]
When Reed quit the Fantastic Four, Gary was there to greet him, not acting surprised. [19] Gary, along with his wife Mary and two daughters, were killed in an explosion directed at the Richards household, later revealed to have been perpetrated by Reed himself, now the supervillainous Maker. [20]
Nathaniel Richards was seen in two What If stories:
A variation of Nathaniel Richards known as Mr. Richards appears in Fantastic Four (2015), portrayed by Tim Heidecker. [23] This version is Reed's stepfather.
The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in The Fantastic Four #1, helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first superhero team created by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and editor/co-scripter Stan Lee, and through this title the "Marvel method" style of production came into prominence.
Doctor Doom is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Fantastic Four #5. In his comic book appearances, Doctor Doom is the monarch of the fictional European country of Latveria whose goal is to bring order to humanity through world conquest. He serves as the archenemy of Mister Fantastic and the Fantastic Four, though he has also come into conflict with other superheroes in the Marvel Universe, including Spider-Man, Iron Man, Doctor Strange, the Black Panther, the X-Men, and the Avengers. While usually portrayed as a villain, Doom has also been an antihero at times, working with heroes if their goals align and only if it benefits him. Doctor Doom was ranked #4 by Wizard on its list of the 101 Greatest Villains of All Time and #3 on IGN's list of the Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time. In a later article, IGN would declare Doom as Marvel's greatest villain.
The Thing is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a founding member of the Fantastic Four. The Thing was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and he first appeared in The Fantastic Four #1.
Mister Fantastic is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The character is a founding member and the leader of the Fantastic Four. Richards has a mastery of mechanical, aerospace and electrical engineering, chemistry, all levels of physics, and human and alien biology. BusinessWeek listed Mister Fantastic as one of the top ten most intelligent fictional characters in American comics. He is the inventor of the spacecraft that was bombarded by cosmic radiation on its maiden voyage, granting the Fantastic Four their powers. Richards gained the ability to stretch his body into any shape he desires.
The Human Torch is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member of the Fantastic Four. He is writer Stan Lee's and artist Jack Kirby's reinvention of a similar, previous character, the android Human Torch of the same name and powers who was created in 1939 by writer-artist Carl Burgos for Marvel Comics' predecessor company, Timely Comics.
The Invisible Woman is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Fantastic Four #1. Susan Storm is a founding member of the Fantastic Four and was the first female superhero created by Marvel during the Silver Age of Comic Books.
Kang the Conqueror is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #19 as Rama-Tut, an adversary of the Fantastic Four, before being reinvented as Kang in The Avengers #8, an adversary of the Avengers. A time-traveler, several alternate versions of Kang have appeared throughout Marvel Comics titles over the years, such as Rama-Tut, Immortus, Scarlet Centurion, Victor Timely, Iron Lad, and Mister Gryphon.
Immortus is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the future self of Pharaoh Rama-Tut, Scarlet Centurion, Kang the Conqueror, and Iron Lad / Kid Immortus, and a descendant of the scientist of the same name.
Franklin Benjamin Richards is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a supporting character in Fantastic Four. He has been portrayed as a child and as a novice superhero.
The Frightful Four are a group of fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They serve as the antithesis to the Fantastic Four.
Fantastic Five is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books which were published by Marvel Comics. The team exists in the MC2 Universe, an alternate future to the Marvel Universe. A continuation of the Fantastic Four, the team was initially composed of the Human Torch, his wife Ms. Fantastic/Lyja, the Thing, Big Brain, and Psi-Lord.
Ultimate Fantastic Four is a superhero comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Fantastic Four comic book franchise as part of the Ultimate Marvel imprint. The Ultimate Fantastic Four team exists alongside other revamped Marvel characters in Ultimate Marvel titles including Ultimate Spider-Man, Ultimate X-Men, and The Ultimates.
Alicia Reiss Masters is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, she first appeared in The Fantastic Four #8. She is a supporting character to the superheroes the Fantastic Four and Silver Surfer.
Valeria Meghan Richards, originally von Doom, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is the daughter of Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman and goddaughter of Doctor Victor von Doom. She is the younger sister of Franklin Richards. Valeria made her first appearance under the code name Marvel Girl and is currently using the name Brainstorm.
Annihilus is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, primarily as an adversary to the Fantastic Four. The character debuted in Fantastic Four Annual #6, which was published in November 1968. Annihilus was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and was notably featured in the "Annihilation" event.
H.E.R.B.I.E. is a fictional robot appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was initially conceived for The New Fantastic Four and integrated into the comics continuity shortly afterwards. The character is usually depicted as an ally of the Fantastic Four.
Kristoff Vernard is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The adoptive son of Victor von Doom and biological son of Nathaniel Richards, and direct ancestor of Kang the Conqueror/Rama-Tut/Immortus/Scarlet Centurion/Iron Lad, he has been involved mainly with the Fantastic Four, as an enemy, ally, and even short-term member.
Franklin Storm is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the father of Susan Storm and Johnny Storm better known as Invisible Woman and Human Torch of the Fantastic Four respectively.
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The Maker is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writers Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Millar and artist Adam Kubert, while his Maker identity was created by Jonathan Hickman.