As theFantastic Fourbegin a new era in Marvel Comics, a core member is showcasing some permanent new powers. WithThe Fantastic Four: First Stepsheading to the big screen, Marvel just launched a new volume ofFantastic Four. The opening story pushes the team to their limits, revealing one hero’s full potential.
With multiple new abilities across the team, it’s clear that pushing the core heroes' powers to new limits is a big focus for Marvel.
Fantastic Four’s Invisible Woman Unveils Creative New Powers
Sue Storm’s Powers Are No Longer Just Invisibility, But Manipulating Light
In a preview ofFantastic Four #2shared by Marvel, Sue Storm’s Invisible Woman is stranded in the future by Doctor Doom. Sue begins searching for the Forever Stone - an artifact that the team have set up as a cross-temporal meeting point in this kind of situation. As her quest progresses,Invisible Woman uses her abilitiesin several unusual ways. First, she makes herself immune to the increased heat of the sun. Second, she directs light down into a cave so she can see. Third,she bends light to create a microscope, studying the last remaining life so far in Earth’s future.
The comic - from Ryan North, Humberto Ramos, Victor Olazaba, Edgar Delgado and Joe Caramagna - emphasizes the fact thatInvisible Woman’s power isn’t just to turn invisible - she actually has control over light, which she can use in a variety of unique ways. As scientists, it makes sense that the FF are constantly finding new ways to use their powers, but this isn’t even the first time this year that Invisible Woman has shown off a new power.
These Aren’t the Only New Upgrades to Sue Storm’s Powers
Sue Can Control Sound and More
While Sue’s use of her powers inFantastic Four #2showcases how versatile she is, this is only the latest showcase of her unexpected powers. In the recentOne World Under Doom #1, Invisible Woman created a series offorce fields so complex, they combined into a working jet. Meanwhile, inFantastic Four #31she was able to block soundwith a particularly thick force field. Given how Sue uses her force fields to channel light underground in the preview above, it’s likely that with a little experimentation, she could do similarly creative things with sound.
According toFantastic Four #25, Sue can also perceive different kinds of radiation. There, she sensed when Doctor Doom teleported the family off-Earth because of the shift in EM radiation.
While Sue Storm started out as the team’s weakest member (with the original codename of Invisible Girl),the last few decades have seen her become the strongest, with versatile abilities so powerful, her force fields areeven capable of shattering Celestial armor. The new volume ofFantastic Fourhas made it clear that Sue is considered the team’s leader, and her upgraded abilities show exactly why - Invisible Woman’s powers are so much more than they seem. Especially when combined with other members of the team…
Invisible Woman used her force fields to convert Johnny’s intense heat into light, creating a laser cannon.
The Fantastic Four’s New Era Has Upgraded All Their Powers
With Wild New Abilities Still to Come, Like Reed Richards Duplicating His Body
In the recentFantastic Four #18(from North and Carlos Gómez), Invisible Woman revealed yet another new ability when combined with the powers of her brother, the Human Torch.Invisible Woman used her force fields to convert Johnny’s intense heat into light, creating a laser cannon.Again, this is something the family haven’t done before, but is a result of them constantly experimenting with and theorizing about how to apply their powers.
Interestingly, that issue ends with SHIELD’s Maria Hill poring over a list of hypothetical power combos/applications the Fantastic Four may use in future. These include Human Torch being able to create"ultraviolent incendiaries,“Invisible Woman using the Thing’s rocks to create advanced holograms, andReed Richards splitting into multiple bodies. It’s clear that pushing the core heroes' powers to new limits is a big focus for Marvel at the moment.
There’s a big reason to think these new powers will make the jump to the MCU.
However, these new powers aren’t just hypothetical. Johnny Storm has similarly been experimenting with his abilities, developing his power to create ‘flame constructs’ to the point wherehe can manifest a duplicate being he’s nicknamed ‘Flame-O.’ Similarly, Reed Richards has spent years experimenting with his abilities, from stretching his eyes to function as telescopes or microscopes to enlarging his muscles to lend him superstrength. Reed can even move his eyes around his body, allowing him to extrude them on his fingertips, as well as altering his appearance at will (mostly to dodge over-eager fans.)
Unlike other heroes who are dedicated to fighting crime or protecting the Earth, the Fantastic Four are explicitly adventurers and scientists, and that spirit has always been present in how they utilize their powers.Fans can expect even more new powers as the new volume ofFantastic Fourcontinues.
Can These New Powers Make It to the MCU?
The Way They’ve Been Introduced Suggests It Will Happen
WithFantastic Four: First Steps, the FF are making their entry into the MCU. However, after their first adventure, they’ll need to grow and develop like any other characters. These new comic abilities are an easy way to do that, as well as expressing their nature as heroes who are constantly pushing boundaries and trying to evolve.Thankfully, there’s a big reason to think these new abilities will make the jump to the movies.
WhileInvisible Woman’s new abilities are impressive, they’re presented as a natural extension of her classic abilities. Superheroes often develop new powers or gain new gadgets, but it’s often a case of ‘easy come, easy go.’ In this case, the Fantastic Four have the same powers as ever - the only thing that’s changed is their knowledge and experience. That makes it essentially impossible to take back these new evolutions.
While Miles Morales currently has a vibranium spidersuit andDoctor Strange is channeling Asgardian magic, fans know they’ll eventually revert to their status quo.However, the Fantastic Four’s new abilities are different, and are likely to exist in perpetuity.That kind of stability vastly increases the chances that they’ll appear in the movies eventually, and that MCU fans will get to see Invisible Woman and Human Torch firing lasers, and Reed Richards bulking up to give himself superstrength.
Fantastic Fouris continuing to earn its reputation as Marvel’s most creative title, as heroes like Invisible Woman and Human Torch unlock new ways to use their already impressive powers.
