Fantastic Four #16

Featuring: Fantastic Four
Release: April 9, 1963
Cover: July 1963
12 cents
Script: Stan Lee
Art: Jack Kirby
Inking: Dick Ayers
22 pages

I read this story in Fantastic Four Omnibus vol. 1.

Astute readers are noting that this comic is from April of 1963 and recall that we’ve been reading comics from May of 1963. So what gives? Why is this one here in the reading order? Am I even paying attention to what I’m doing?

Well, issue 17 will pick up right where 16 leaves off, and the battle with Dr. Doom basically continues from one issue to the next. So I thought it would be good to read the two stories together.

One other chronology note. This issue also came out a month before Ant-Man’s appearance in Tales to Astonish #46. Which would leave me inclined to put that story after this two-part adventure. However, Ant-Man rides a flying ant in this. He first meets a flying ant in his own comic in issue 46. Prior to that, he always catapulted places. That suggests to me this story fits best after Tales to Astonish #46, despite the publication dates.

Now you’re wondering how Dr. Doom can be in this story when you recall him shrinking to nothingness. I, too, was convinced we would never see him again. But it turns out he didn’t shrink to nothingness but ended up in a micro-world populated by micro-people.

It turns out sentient life is all around us. We know now the stars are populated by many aliens, some as close as Saturn. We’ve encountered–let’s see, carry the one and… 10 alien races in these superhero tales.

Plus other races live in neighboring dimensions, under the sea, beyond the Rainbow Bridge… and there are at least four underground kingdoms.

So we now add a micro-world kingdom to the list.

I started reading comics over 25 years after these stories we are reading, so my impressions of these characters were formed by the later comics. Dr. Doom is my favorite super-villain. But the Dr. Doom of these stories has not been the Dr. Doom I know.

Here, we start to get a bit closer in some ways, but not others. I think of Doom as a conqueror and a ruler. And here we first see him conquer a world, a micro-world. But why? He claims it’s because he was opposed to seeing people content and happy, living in peace. This is the opposite of the Doom I know. Later versions of Doom will seek to rule precisely to bring peace, contentment and happiness to people. His fault will be that his ego drives him to believe these things can only be achieved with him in control. Here, he seems to be motivated mostly by evil for its own sake.

Beyond the return of Doom, this issue is notable for introducing Fantastic Four to Ant-Man. Recall, I’m reading these stories precisely because they are an interconnected tapestry. However, there is not yet much interconnection. The Fantastic Four are presently the only glue that binds the stories together into a universe. They have met Sub-Mariner, Hulk, Spider-Man, and Ant-Man. Spider-Man has casually mentioned Ant-Man’s existence. Thor, Iron Man, Dr. Strange, and Sgt. Fury stories remain isolated. Perhaps surprisingly, Sgt. Fury will be the next character whose stories intertwine with the Fantastic Four.

Continuity is getting tighter, but plot irregularities remain. At some point, weird stuff needs to stop being surprising. Each of the Fantastic Four has an experience where they found themselves shrunken, yet none tell the others because they find the whole notion too fantastic.

At this point, there is nothing fantastic about being shrunk. They have plenty of experience with that very concept.

In Fantastic Four #7, Mr. Fantastic invented a shrinking ray which he used to shrink an entire planet’s population. Now, that’s a story they seem to have ignored before as well, for example when they treated going into space as novel in issue 13.

This story is mostly not ignoring Fantastic Four #10, as its entire premise is based around the shrinking ray Dr. Doom invented while inhabiting Mr. Fantastic’s body. But this would suggest they recently had a working shrinking ray in their headquarters; so, again, nothing too surprising about shrinking.

Finally, after they all admit that they’ve shrunken, they decide to call Ant-Man, implying they already recognize him as a famous shrunken crimefighter. So, again, nothing too surprising about shrinking.

The story has a cool opening vignette that isn’t quite connected to the rest of the tale. As Johnny streaks across the sky, we see the effect the appearance of his flame has on people around him. It’s a pretty cool little bit.

Once again, Ben temporarily turns human. Reed has been working on a formula to turn him human since the first issue. This time, he is so excited that he feeds Ben the formula while Ben is holding a piano. Not a good idea. Alicia doesn’t like Ben in his human form; that is oddly superficial of her.

In general, Fantastic Four has been Marvel’s centerpiece title, and Human Torch’s solo stories in Strange Tales the odd relative they don’t like to talk about. However, this issue finally mentions that Johnny goes to Glenville High, where his solo stories place him. That’s the closest thing to a nod to that series this series has been willing to grant.

The story seems to run out of pages more than end. Dr. Doom chooses to retreat despite still seeming to have the advantage. And the invasion of the Lizard Men is repelled rather easily. Thing hits their ship with a control tower. Invasions of alien armies are almost always dealt with in about a panel.

Sue gets interviewed by Molly Margaret McSnide. Perhaps a nod to Mary Margaret McBride.

Rating: ★★★☆☆, 55/100
Significance: ★★★★☆

Characters:

• Dr. Doom
• Johnny Storm/Human Torch
• Ben Grimm/Thing
• Susan Storm/Invisible Girl
• Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic
• Molly Margaret McSnide
• Ant-Man
• Wasp
• Alicia
• King of Micro-World
• Princess Pearla
• Lizard Men of Tok

Story notes:

• Thing finds a 3-ton weight easy to lift.
• Reed has a guinea pig.
• Ant-Man rides flying ants.
• Wasp left at home.
• Ant-Man leaves them two drops of shrinking/reducing serum.
• Mr. Fantastic notes he may be able to invent a shrinking formula, but it would take time–it took him a few hours in issue 7; Doom already did it in his body.
• Why does Mr. Fantastic give Thing the serum when he’s holding a piano?
• Alicia prefers Ben as Thing, so he asks Reed to stop trying to make him human.
• First mention of Glenville in the pages of FF.
• Sue attempting to create perfume that will mask her smell to dogs– has that been a problem?
• Tok another world in the micro universe.
• Ant-Man to the rescue.
• It is unclear why Doom retreats.

#84 story in reading order
Next: Fantastic Four #17
Previous: Tales to Astonish #46