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| 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 afictionaltime-travelingscientist appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. He is the father ofsuperheroMister Fantastic of theFantastic Four and is thenamesake of his descendant, the futuristic villain known asKang 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 inThe Fantastic Four #272 (November 1984) and was created by writer-artistJohn Byrne.[1]
Dr. Nathaniel Richards was a successful scientist who specialized in multiple fields. He was married to Evelyn and together had a son namedReed 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 theBrotherhood of the Shield and joins their group. Along withHoward Stark, the two meet a super powered individual named Leonid and help him resolve a dispute between the time travelingLeonardo da Vinci andIsaac 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 villainImmortus 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 beHuntara. Cassandra turned out to be a power-mad individual who used Nathaniel's technology to rule the remaining humans. TheFantastic Four andWyatt 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 kidnapFranklin Richards.[8] Nathaniel aged Franklin to a teenager in an effort to prevent Franklin from having a child withRachel Summers. Their child would eventually grow up to become the villainHyperstorm.[9] Nathaniel would help Franklin and the Fantastic Four battleAron the Rogue Watcher by rescuingUatu theWatcher.[10]
Nathaniel later trainedSusan Storm to better master her powers.[11]
Nathaniel returned to help Reed jump-start theFuture Foundation, using the technology he gathered over the years.[12] He then helped them battle theKree Army and theMad Celestials.[13][14]
Nathaniel Richards has no superpowers, but he is a scientific genius and skilled inventor inadvanced 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 byImmortus, 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 theUltimate Marvel reality,Reed's father is renamedGary 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 theBaxter Building's think tank accepted Reed, Gary was glad that he was gone.[17]
WhenDiablo 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 thesupervillainousMaker.[20]
Nathaniel Richards was seen in twoWhat If stories:
A variation of Nathaniel Richards known asMr. Richards appears inFantastic Four (2015), portrayed byTim Heidecker.[23] This version is Reed's stepfather.
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