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From the Inside Dust-flap:

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO THE FANTASTIC FOUR

The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine – for more than five hundred issues, nearly every cover of Fantastic Four has boasted this bold proclamation. Forty years ago, writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby created a team of adventurers like no other that had come before. Unlike previous groups of stone-jawed super heroes who got along perfectly in their pursuit of liberty and justice, the Fantastic Four bickered, argued and fought among themselves - just like a real family. Their continued adventures around the world, into outer space and throughout uncharted dimensions have pushed the limits of the Marvel Universe, consistently challenging readers' perceptions of what a comic book could be. One might think it was sheer bravado to call a comic "the best ever," if not for the fact that for more than four decades, Fantastic Four truly has been worthy of that label.

Marvel Comics is proud to present the definitive guide to this groundbreaking title. Never before has the Fantastic Four's complete history been collected in such a comprehensive volume. This book covers it all, from their first days to the team's landmark 500th issue and beyond...

• THE EARLY YEARS: In the 21st Century, the Marvel Universe is an established icon of American pop culture- but back in 1961, Fantastic Four was a risky experiment featuring unfamiliar characters who didn't act like other heroes of the day. Where did the concept for this title come from, and why did it become such a huge hit?

• FANTASTIC FRIENDS AND ALLIES: Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben may all possess superhuman powers - but like any other family, they've always been surrounded by their friends and loved ones. Many of these characters have gone on to become starts of the Marvel Universe in their own right - including the Silver Surfer, the Black Panther the Inhumans and more!

• FEARSOME FOES: As long as the FF have existed, there have been forces seeking their destruction. Who are these enemies, and why do they harbor such all-consuming hatred? Read the origins, powers and histories of such notable foes as the world-devouring Galactus, the Wizard, the Mole Man, the shape-changing alien Skrulls - and of course, the biggest baddie in the Marvel U, Doctor Doom!

 

  Marvel Encyclopedia, Vol. 6:
Fantastic Four


List price: $29.99 (US) • $48.00 (Canada)
ISBN: 0-7851-1480-7
240 pages

Original Release Date: 11/10/04
Current In-Print Edition: First Print


Buy From:
TALES OF WONDER: $20.99 • AMAZON USA: $19.79
AMAZON UK: £14.43 • AMAZON CANADA: $25.66

CREATOR CREDITS:

Editor: Jeff Youngquist with Jennifer Grunwald
Writers: Jeff Christiansen, Ronald Byrd, Michael Hoskin, Mark O'English, Kit Kiefer

BOOK LAYOUT:

Marvel Encyclopedia Vol. 6: Fantastic Four has a collection of essays in the front of the book by Kit Kiefer, totaling 15 pages. The first chapter focuses on the many years of comics adventures of the FF. Chapter two takes a look at the TV and film incarnations of the super-team. And Chapter Three walks through all the toys and games that have been inspired by the Fantastic Four. Following that is an extensive encyclopedia in the mold, running the whole universe of the FF, from A to Z, with character bios, power ratings, and art pieces from throughout the history of the Spider-Man comic.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

I: ALL 4 ONE:
The Long Life and Fast Times of Comics' First Family

  • by Kit Kiefer (6 pages)

II: ANIMATIONS...AND CARTOONS:
Saturday-morning Series Rule the FF's Film History

  • Why the Wall-Crawler Rules Comics (6 pages)

III: PLASTIC FANTASTIC:

  • The four Vs of FF stuff: Vintage, Valuable, Vacuum-formed and Velveeta (5 pages)

IV: FANTASTIC FOUR FROM 'A' TO 'Z'

  • 6 page entry:
    • Doctor Doom

  • 5 page entry:
    • Galactus

  • 4 page entries:
    • Fantastic Four, Human Torch, Invisible Woman, Mister Fantastic, Thing

  • 3 page entries:
    • Black Panther, Namor the Sub-Mariner, Franklin Richards, Silver Surfer

  • 2 page entries:
    • Annihilus, Diablo, Frightful Four, Inhumans, Mad Thinker, Mole Man, Puppet Master, Skrulls

  • 1 page entries:
    • Aron the Rogue Watcher, Ayesha/Her, Battleworld, Baxter Building, Beyonder, Blastaar, Crystal, Deathlok the Demolisher, Dragon Man, Enclave, Lyja, Alicia Masters, Molecule Man, Ms. Marvel, Negative Zone, Nth Man, Red Ghost and his Super-Apes, Nathaniel Richards, Valeria Richards, She-Hulk, Sphinx, Supreme Intelligence, Terminus, Variance Authority, Uatu the Watcher, Kristoff Vernard, Wyatt Wingfoot

  • Mini-bios (1/2-page entries):
    • A) AIM, Air-Walker, Ant-Man, Aquarian, Arkon, Attuma, Avengers

    • B) Black Bolt, Blue Diamond, Brute

    • C) Luke Cage, Caledonia, Captain Marvel, Celestials, Champions of Xandar, Cockroaches, Crucible, Counter Earth (High Evolutionary), Counter-Earth (Franklin)

    • D) Damage Control, Darkoth, Death's Head (FPA), Doom's Lieutenants, Doom 2099, Doctor Strange, Dragon Lord

    • E-F) Ego, Exiles of Central City, Fantastic Force, Nick Fury, Fantasticars

    • G-H) Gregory Gideon, Agatha Harkness, High Evolutionary, H.E.R.B.I.E., Hulk, Huntara, Hyperstorm

    • I-K) Impossible Man, I.T., Kang, Klaw, Kral (Skrulls of), Kree

    • L) Lancer, Latveria, Liddleville

    • M) Marvel Boy/Crusader, Maximus, Medusa, Mephisto, Miracle Man

    • P-Q) Power Pack, Prime Mover, Project: Pegasus, Psycho-Man, Quasar, Quasimodo

    • R-S) Revelation, Ronan the Accuser, Salem's Seven, Sentry, Set, Starblasters, Stranger, Super-Skrull

    • T) Terrax, Terrible Trio, Thanos, Thundra, Time Bubble

    • U-Z) Ultimate Nullifier, Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation, Vibraxus, Adam Warlock, Yancy Street Gang, Yucoya-Tzin

  • Mini-bios (1/3-page entries):
    • A) Abraxas, Acrobat, Agamemnon, Ahab, AIM, Air-Walker, Akhenaten, Alpha Flight, American Eagle, Anachronauts, Android Man, Julie Angel, Ant-Man, Aquarian, Arkon, Attuma, Asbestos Man, Ashema, Atom-Smasher, Avengers, Awesome Android

    • B) Black Widow, Bonham, Boris, Bounty, Braggadoom, Brain Parasites, B-Sides

    • C) "Licorice" Calhoun, Captain Barracuda, Captain Ultra, Cat People, Champion, Code: Blue, Cold People, Walter Collins, Skip Collins, Comet Man, Cosmic Cube, Elspeth Cromwell

    • D) Daredevil, Dark Raider, Datavore, Death's Head (Minion), De'Lila, Destroyer, Devlor, Devos the Devastator, Dire Wraiths, Doctor Weird, Dreadface, Dromedan

    • E) Ebon Seeker and Firefrost, Emperor, Dorrie Evans, Willie Evans, Jr., Everyman, Exile

    • F) Fasaud, Fantastic Four (NEW: Wolverine, Hulk, Spider-Man, Ghost Rider), Fantastic Four Inc., Fantastic Four Clones, Fantastic Four's Pogo Plane, Floating Super-Hero Poker Game, Four Freedoms Plaza, Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Fox, Futurist

    • G) Gabriel the Devil-Hunter, Gator Grant, Gh'Runji Gobbler, Giant-Man, Gladiator, Goddess, Golem, Goody Two-Shoes, Gorgon, Gormuu, Gorr the Golden Gorilla, Grapplers, Graviton, Petunia Grimm, Grottu, Guardians of the Galaxy

    • H) Jim Hammond, Hate-Monger, Headmen, Hidden Ones, Hellscout, Hijacker, Hippolyta, Hunger, Hydro-Man

    • I) Icemaster, Infant Terrible, Invincible Man, Iconoclast

    • J) Lucas Jackson, Janus the Nega-Man, Jihad, Ricardo Jones, Jude the Entropic Man, Justice, Justice Peace

    • K) Karisma, Karnak, Kestorans, Khafre, Khlog, King's Crossing, Knorda, Harek Korgan, Korvac, Kurrgo

    • L) Living Eraser, Lockdown and Rosetta Stone, Dr. Cassandra Locke, Lockjaw, Locust Project, Billie Lumpkin,

    • M) Maggia, Magus, Mahkizmo, Malice, Man-Thing, Mantis, Master, Master Pandemonium, Matriculon, Mechamage, Messiah, Microns, Millie the Model, Modred the Mystic, Modulus, Monocle, Monster from the Lost Lagoon, Morgan Le Fey, Dr. Alyssa Moy, Multiple Man

    • N-O) Namorita, Necrodamus, New Warriors, Occulus, Omega, Ootah, Over-Mind

    • P) Painter, Pearla, Perrinois, Pier Four, Piranha, Prester John, Primus, Professor Jack, Psi-Lord, Punishers

    • R) Rabble Rouser, Radion the Atomic Man, Rama-Tut, Larry Rambow, Raptor the Renegade, Red Shift, Roberta, Roma, Roxxon Oil, Ruined

    • S) Saint German, Samurai Destroyer, Sandman, Scavengers/Monster Android, Nicholas Scratch, Sentries, Shadow Hunters, Shambler, Shaper of Worlds, Shellshock, Slave of Souls, Sleepwalker, Sorcerer, Spider-Woman, Spinerette, Staak the Evolver, Franklin Storm, Straw Man, Stygorr the Nightlord

    • T) Taranith Gestal, Terminatrix, Texas Twister, Tigra, Tomazooma, Torgo, Trapster, Triton, Twisted Sisters, Tyrannus

    • U-V) Ultron, Umbra & Jaagur, Valeria, Vangaard, Victor Von Doom Clone

    • W-Y) Warhead, Warlord, Wendy's Friends, Wildstreak, Wizard, Word and Ultima, Wrecker (Kort), Xemnu the Titan, X-Men, Yeti, Zarrko the Tomorrow Man, Zemu, Zorba, Zsaji

V: ALTERNATE EARTHS:

  • Earth-X, Earth 1602, Earth 2099, Earth-A, Bullpen, Challengers of Doom, Fantastic Five, Ultimate, 1961, Five for the Future, Alternate Powers, Larval, Mangaverse, MC2, Mutant X, Erred Richards' Rocket Group

VI: ALTERNATE EARTHS APPENDIX

VII: APPENDIX

  • A to Z debriefing on even more obscure entries in the FF universe, with first appearance credits and brief factoids (11 pages)

VIII: INDEX

IX: POWER RATINGS


-- synopsis by Gormuu

       
     

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