| Fantastic Four | |
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_title_screen.jpg) | |
| Genre | Superhero |
| Based on | |
| Written by | Ron Friedman Glenn Leopold |
| Voices of | |
| Composers |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 26 |
| Production | |
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| Producers |
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| Running time | 22 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | Syndication (The Marvel Action Hour/Marvel Action Universe) |
| Release | September 24, 1994 (1994-09-24) – February 24, 1996 (1996-02-24) |
| Related | |
Fantastic Four, also known asFantastic Four: The Animated Series,[2] is the thirdanimated television series based onMarvel'scomic bookseries of the same name.[3] Airing began on September 24, 1994, until ending on February 24, 1996. The series ran for two seasons, with 13 episodes per season, making 26 episodes in total.[3]
In the early-to-mid-1990s,Genesis Entertainment andNew World Entertainmentsyndicated a new Fantastic Four animated series as part of theMarvel Action Hour weekend block, later renamedMarvel Action Universe (second use of thename), with the addition of another show.[4] The first half of the hour was an episode ofIron Man; the second half an episode ofFantastic Four. During the first season,Stan Lee was featured speaking before each show about characters in the following episode and what had inspired him to create them.[3]
The show has also aired onFox Kids,[5] andDisney XD in the United States.
Most episodes in the first season consisted of fairly accurate re-interpretations of classic 1960sFantastic Four comic book stories by Stan Lee andJack Kirby. For instance, this series stayed true to the originalcomic book story that recounted theSilver Surfer andGalactus' coming to Earth in a two-part episode as well asDoctor Doom's theft of the Surfer's powers.[6][7] However, the season's cost-effective animation (provided byWang Film Productions and Kennedy Cartoons) and attempts to add humor through the inclusion of a fussyBritish landlady (portrayed by Lee's wifeJoan) for the Fantastic Four were generally met with displeasure by fans – to say nothing of then-current Fantastic Four comic book writerTom DeFalco, who got in trouble for penning a scene in issue #396 of the series that featuredAnt-Man watching and lambasting an episode of the cartoon.[8]
It's also the only season to usedigital ink and paint in some episodes.
In the two-part premiere "The Origin of the Fantastic Four",Puppet Master took control of theThing and used him to captureInvisible Woman.Mister Fantastic freed the Thing from his control and defeated the Puppet Master. Upon returning to his apartment to reclaim his final doll, he ended up in a fight withAlicia Masters, and then he apparently fell to his death from the apartment window. The Fantastic Four weren't able to find his body and claimed that he "vanished from Earth."
In "The Silver Surfer & the Coming of Galactus", theSilver Surfer,Firelord, andTerrax fight the Fantastic Four whileGalactus attempts to feed on Earth. By season 2 however, all but the presence of Silver Surfer in that battle is ignored as Terrax is seen again and referred to as being the replacement for the Silver Surfer. In the episode "When Calls Galactus", Terrax is turned into a worm andNova (Frankie Raye) becomes the new herald of Galactus.
In the three-part special episode, "Mask of Doom",Doctor Doom captures the Fantastic Four and forces Mister Fantastic,Human Torch, and the Thing to go back in time and obtain an object for him. In the aforementioned episode "Silver Surfer and the Return of Galactus", Doom steals the Silver Surfer's powers and tries to steal Galactus' powers, only to be thwarted by Galactus himself.
Fantastic Four andIron Man were radicallyretooled for their second seasons, sporting brand-new opening sequences, improved animation (as previously mentioned, the animation for the first season thirteen episodes was done byWang Film Productions and Kennedy Cartoons, while the second season's animation was provided by thePhilippine Animation Studio), and more mature writing (the first season was primarily written byRon Friedman, while the second season was overseen byTom Tataranowicz), though noticeably having fewer introductions byStan Lee, with several of the new shorter intros being used more than once. In addition,Four Freedoms Plaza replaced theBaxter Building as the Fantastic Four's home base in season 2. The season 2 episodes also drew uponJohn Byrne’s 1980srun on the Fantastic Four comic (as well asJohn Buscema's artwork), in addition to further Lee and Kirby adventures.
In the second season's premiere episode "And a Blind Man Shall Lead Them" (guest starringDaredevil),Doctor Doom strikes at a now fully powerless Fantastic Four and has his hand crushed by the Thing. Doom next appears in "Nightmare in Green", where he directsHulk to attack the team.
Wizard appears in the episode "And the Wind Cries Medusa" (Part One of the three-partInhumans Saga). In his debut appearance, he assemblesMedusa,Hydro-Man, andTrapster to form theFrightful Four. On a related note, this episode aired one week from Hydro-Man's debut appearance inSpider-Man. Wizard also used a device to control the Thing. Meanwhile,Crystal, along with the otherInhumans:Black Bolt (Medusa's husband),Gorgon,Triton,Karnak, andLockjaw, also make their debut in the three-part "Inhumans Saga" episode, who try to find Medusa. Crystal goes on to become the girlfriend of the Human Torch.Seeker appears in the episode "Inhumans Saga: Beware the Hidden Land". He is sent byMaximus to retrieve the Inhuman Royal Family, after he had usurped the throne and also caused Medusa's amnesia. After saving the Fantastic Four from the explosion, Seeker briefly shares the history of the Inhumans to them. After the Fantastic Four and the Inhumans teamed up to overthrow Maximus, he trapped the Inhumans in the Great Refuge in an impenetrable dome.
Susan Richards asMalice appears in the episode "Worlds Within Worlds". Malice's appearance is the result ofPsycho-Man using hisempathic abilities to make Susan turn against her Fantastic Four teammates. Eventually, Susan is freed of Psycho-Man's influence and defeats him.
TheBlack Panther appears in the "Prey of the Black Panther". He lures the Fantastic Four toWakanda to see if they are worthy enough to help fightKlaw. As in the comics, Klaw's history of killingT'Chaka is included as well as T'Challa using Klaw's own weapon on his right hand.
In "To Battle the Living Planet," the Fantastic Four ask Galactus' help in confrontingEgo the Living Planet.Thor meanwhile guest stars in two episodes. In "To Battle the Living Planet," the Fantastic Four help him fight Ego the Living Planet even when they enlist Galactus' help. In "When Calls Galactus," he andGhost Rider both help the Fantastic Four fight Galactus. Also in "When Calls Galactus",Nova volunteers to replace the treacherousTerrax as Galactus' herald. As in the comics, Frankie Raye ends up getting her powers when she is accidentally doused in the chemicals that gave the android Human Torch his powers.
Franklin Storm appears in the episode "Behold, A Distant Star". Just like in the comics, Franklin Storm lost his wife in an accident, and an altercation with a loan shark led to an accidental murder. When Invisible Woman has shrapnel in the lower part of her brain after a recentSkrull attack (Lyja is shown as a commander to the Skrull army), he has to come out of hiding to perform the surgery. He turns himself over to the arriving police. After being freed from his volcanic prison,Super-Skrull replaces him in prison and takes on the guise of the Invincible Man, who breaks out of prison, goes on a rampage on the city, and runs afoul of the Fantastic Four. They soon realize that Franklin Storm is Super-Skrull in disguise. WarlordMorrat has a concussive energy beam projector attached to Dr. Storm's chest. The projector is set to go off the moment he sees the Fantastic Four. When Storm appears, he warns the Fantastic Four to stay away and rolls over on the floor, taking the full force of the deadly concussive blast.
In "Hopelessly Impossible", Lockjaw helps the Human Torch get theImpossible Man to The Great Refuge and away from the Super-Skrull. In "The Sentry Sinister", the Fantastic Four takes a vacation on a dangerous island, upon the awakening of aKree Sentry. Meanwhile, Black Bolt destroysAttilan to free the Inhumans.
In what turned out to be the series finale, "Doomsday", Doctor Doom acquires thePower Cosmic from the Silver Surfer. The Fantastic Four and the rest of the superheroes must find a way to stop him. He once again tries to go after Galactus, only to hit the barrier that prevents the Silver Surfer from leaving Earth.
Simon Templeman reprised his role of Doctor Doom for guest appearances in two episodes, in which Doom held Washington, D.C. captive, only to be defeated byShe-Hulk, whom he later attempted to claim revenge upon. With his appearance on this show, it can be assumed that Doom survived the fate he met on theFantastic Four series, if both shows are to be considered within the same continuity.
Following Doctor Doom's first appearance (he appears again in the second-season episode "Hollywood Rocks"), comes the episode "Fantastic Fortitude" featuring his nemesis, theFantastic Four. The episode seems to place this show in the same continuity with theFantastic Four cartoon of the same decade, as this episode plays off the Hulk's appearance in the other show. More to the point,Beau Weaver (Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic) andChuck McCann (Ben Grimm/The Thing) reprise their roles from theFantastic Four series. In the episode, Mister Fantastic and the other Fantastic Four take their vacation prior to Hulk, She-Hulk, and Thing fighting Leader's Gamma Soldiers. Meanwhile, She-Hulk flirts with Thing, but Ben chooses to rekindle his relationship withAlicia Masters. While theYancy Street Gang never appear in the soloFantastic Four cartoon itself, they appear in "Fantastic Fortitude", where they pull a prank on the Thing. After he is defeated by the villain Ogress, the Gang distributes leaflets marked "THING WHUPPED BY A WOMAN!", much to his chagrin.
According to season 2 supervising producerTom Tataranowicz, had there had been a third season ofFantastic Four, he would have wanted to go into the wholeSue Storm pregnancy story arc. In Tataranowicz's eyes, this would have given the production crew a chance to do their own take on theSub-Mariner (who only appeared in season 1), as he played into the arc in Fantastic Four issues leading up to and around issue #100. Tataranowicz also wanted to bringMedusa andShe-Hulk into the mix as part of the Fantastic Four.
| No. | Title | Written by | Original release date | Prod. code | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Origin of the Fantastic Four"[9] | Ron Friedman | September 24, 1994 (1994-09-24) | 101 | ||||
| 2 | October 1, 1994 (1994-10-01) | 102 | ||||||
Notes: Based onFantastic Four #1 and #8. | ||||||||
| 3 | "Now Comes the Sub-Mariner"[10] | Ron Friedman | October 8, 1994 (1994-10-08)[11] | 103 | ||||
Notes: Based onFantastic Four #4. | ||||||||
| 4 | "Incursion of the Skrulls"[12] | Ron Friedman | October 15, 1994 (1994-10-15) | 104 | ||||
Notes: Based onFantastic Four #2. | ||||||||
| 5 | "The Silver Surfer and the Coming of Galactus"[13] | Ron Friedman | October 22, 1994 (1994-10-22) | 105 | ||||
| 6 | October 29, 1994 (1994-10-29) | 106 | ||||||
Notes: Based onFantastic Four #48–49. | ||||||||
| 7 | "Super Skrull"[14] | Ron Friedman | November 5, 1994 (1994-11-05) | 107 | ||||
Notes: Based onFantastic Four #18. | ||||||||
| 8 | "The Mask of Doom, Part I"[15] | Elwin Ransom & Ron Friedman | November 12, 1994 (1994-11-12) | 108 | ||||
Notes: Based onFantastic Four #5. | ||||||||
| 9 | "The Mask of Doom, Part II"[15] | Elwin Ransom & Ron Friedman | November 19, 1994 (1994-11-19) | 109 | ||||
Notes: Based onFantastic Four #5 andAnnual #2. | ||||||||
| 10 | "The Mask of Doom, Part III"[15] | Elwin Ransom & Ron Friedman | November 26, 1994 (1994-11-26) | 110 | ||||
Notes: Based onFantastic Four #5. | ||||||||
| 11 | "Mole Man"[16] | Ron Friedman | December 3, 1994 (1994-12-03) | 111 | ||||
Notes: Based onFantastic Four #1. | ||||||||
| 12 | "Behold the Negative Zone"[17] | Ron Friedman | December 10, 1994 (1994-12-10) | 112 | ||||
Notes: Based onFantastic Four Annual #6 andFantastic Four #62. Chronologically, this is the last episode of the first season.[citation needed] | ||||||||
| 13 | "The Silver Surfer and the Return of Galactus"[18] | Ron Friedman | December 17, 1994 (1994-12-17) | 113 | ||||
Notes: Based onFantastic Four #57–60. Although it aired as the season finale, this episode takes place before "Mole Man."[citation needed] | ||||||||
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | "And a Blind Man Shall Lead Them"[19] | Thomas Mclaughlin Jr. | Steve Granat & Cydne Clark | September 23, 1995 (1995-09-23) | 204 |
Notes: Based onFantastic Four #39–40. | |||||
| 15 | "Inhumans Saga, Part 1: And the Wind Cries Medusa"[20] | Ernesto Lopez, Graham Morris & Tom Tatatanowicz | Glenn Leopold | September 30, 1995 (1995-09-30) | 201 |
Notes: Based onFantastic Four #36 and #41–47. | |||||
| 16 | "Inhumans Saga, Part 2: The Inhumans Among Us"[20] | Ernesto Lopez, Graham Morris & Tom Tatatanowicz | Glenn Leopold | October 7, 1995 (1995-10-07) | 202 |
Notes: Based onFantastic Four #36 and #41–47. | |||||
| 17 | "Inhumans Saga, Part 3: Beware the Hidden Land"[20] | Ernesto Lopez, Graham Morris & Tom Tatatanowicz | Glenn Leopold | October 14, 1995 (1995-10-14) | 203 |
Notes: Based onFantastic Four #36 and #41–47. | |||||
| 18 | "Worlds Within Worlds"[21] | Myrna Bushman | David Ehrman Story by : Steve Granat & Cydne Clark | October 21, 1995 (1995-10-21) | 205 |
Notes: Based onFantastic Four #76–77 and #280–283. | |||||
| 19 | "To Battle the Living Planet"[22] | Ernesto Lopez | Jan Strnad Story by : Steve Granat & Cydne Clark | November 4, 1995 (1995-11-04) | 206 |
Notes: Based onFantastic Four #234–235. | |||||
| 20 | "Prey of the Black Panther"[23] | Thomas Mclaughlin Jr. | Glenn Leopold | November 11, 1995 (1995-11-11) | 207 |
Notes: Based onFantastic Four #52–53. | |||||
| 21 | "When Calls Galactus"[24] | Richard Trueblood | Jan Strnad | November 18, 1995 (1995-11-18) | 208 |
Notes: Based onFantastic Four #242–244. | |||||
| 22 | "Nightmare in Green"[25] | Thomas Mclaughlin Jr. | Glenn Leopold | November 25, 1995 (1995-11-25) | 209 |
Notes: Based onFantastic Four #12. | |||||
| 23 | "Behold, a Distant Star"[26] | Ernesto Lopez | Steve Granat & Cydne Clark | February 3, 1996 (1996-02-03) | 210 |
Notes: Based onFantastic Four #32 and #37. | |||||
| 24 | "Hopelessly Impossible"[27] | Thomas Mclaughlin Jr. | Greg Johnson | February 10, 1996 (1996-02-10) | 211 |
Notes: Based onFantastic Four #11. | |||||
| 25 | "The Sentry Sinister"[28] | Ernesto Lopez | Glenn Leopold | February 17, 1996 (1996-02-17) | 212 |
Notes: Based onFantastic Four #64. | |||||
| 26 | "Doomsday"[29] | Thomas Mclaughlin Jr. | Cydne Clark | February 24, 1996 (1996-02-24) | 213 |
Notes: Based onFantastic Four #57–60. | |||||
Chuck McCann andBeau Weaver reprised their roles (as theThing andMister Fantastic respectively) onThe Incredible Hulk.
| No. | Title | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | "Fantastic Fortitude" | Bob Forward | November 10, 1996 (1996-11-10) |
OnlyQuinton Flynn (who replacedBrian Austin Green as the voice of theHuman Torch in the second season) came back forSpider-Man.Beau Weaver,Lori Alan, andChuck McCann were replaced byCam Clarke,Gail Matthius, andPatrick Pinney asMister Fantastic, theInvisible Woman, and theThing respectively, andDoctor Doom was voiced by veteran voice actorTom Kane for parts 2 and 3.
| No. | Title | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61 | "Secret Wars" | John Semper, Karen Milovich | November 7, 1997 (1997-11-07) |
| 63 | John Semper, Mark Hoffmeier, andErnie Altbacker | November 21, 1997 (1997-11-21) | |
Despite the fact that the show ended in 1996, the success of the live-actionFantastic Four film have sparked more interest in new fans, allowing the series to air in reruns onJetix block onToon Disney due to its new owners:The Walt Disney Company.
In February 2012,Marvel.com uploaded every episode for streaming purposes, although they have now been removed.
The entire series is available to purchase on theiTunes Store,[30]Amazon Prime Video,[31] andGoogle TV.[32]
The series with both seasons combined into one complete season has been shown on Disney's streaming serviceDisney+ since its launch on November 12, 2019, however, the episode "Incursion of the Skrulls" is omitted, most likely due to the destruction of theTwin Towers during the episode.[33]
During the series' run, some episodes were released onVHS. These were from20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.
| VHS Name | Episode Titles | Release Date | Publisher | Stock Number | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Origin of the Fantastic Four | "The Origin of the Fantastic Four" Parts 1 & 2 | July 2, 1997[34] | 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment | 4193 |
In the late 1990s, another selection of VHS compilations were released byMarvel Films/New World Entertainment (these tapes were distributed in Canada by Telegenic Entertainment). These releases featured episodes edited into 40 minute movies based on the particularstory arc.
| VHS Name | Episode Titles | Release Date | Publisher | Stock Number | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Origin | "The Origin of the Fantastic Four" Parts 1 & 2 | May 19, 1998[35] | Marvel Films/New World Entertainment | 03033 | This Tape Is In SP Mode. |
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On July 5, 2005,Buena Vista Home Entertainment released the complete series on a 4-discRegion 1DVD boxset. This set was created to cash-in on the release of thelive-action film which was released theatrically a few days later. It features new introductions by Stan Lee for all 26 episodes (replacing the original introductions, which had been removed for network broadcast) as well as an interview where Stan Lee talks about how he created the Fantastic Four. Additionally, pieces of footage from the episodes themselves had also been removed for network broadcast, and it is these cut episodes that comprise the DVD set.[36]
Before the release of the boxset, the first episode of season two - "And a Blind Man Shall Lead Them" appeared on the DVD release ofDaredevil vs. Spider-Man as a bonus feature.[37]
In July 2005, Buena Vista Home Entertainment released aRegion 2 single-release DVD titledFantastic Four: A Legend Begins. It comprises the first two episodes and the trilogy of the first appearance of Doctor Doom, and includes the same bonus features as the US boxset.[38]
In April 2008, Liberation Entertainment secured the home media rights to select Marvel shows fromJetix Europe in select European territories.[39] The company were due to release both seasons in the United Kingdom, but the company shuttered their UK operations on October 22, 2008.[40] Lace International released their remaining stock, including both seasons of the show and a boxset containing all twenty-six episodes in November 2008, with remastered video and audio footage. In April 2009, Liberation released the Seasons 1 and 2 boxset in some European countries with Dutchsubtitles.
Clear Vision later took over UK and German distribution rights, re-releasing the season volumes as separate sets. Season 1 was released on May 4, 2009 and May 13, 2009, while Season 2 was released on June 10, 2009 and June 17, 2009.[41]
An 8 issues comic-book series based on the show was published by Marvel:
An action figure line based on the TV show was produced byToy Biz, and ran for four series. The line included the main characters and many of the various guest-stars, as well as characters that never even appeared on the show, such asDragon Man andThanos.
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