From Comics To The Big Screen

The Fantastic Four is one of the most recognizable superhero teams in all of comicdom. Even with several reincarnations the team is still as popular as ever. And of course, with a series this popular, it is bound to get its fair share of TV shows and movies.

For those who know nothing about the franchise is all about the adventures of a team of superheroes as they fight of villains to protect their city and the world in general. The group is lead by Reed Richards, known as Mr. Fantastic and has the ability to stretch his body. He is joined by his Girlfriend (and later wife, Sue Storm - Invisible Woman), who can go invisible, and Her brother Johnny (the Human Torch), who can make fire anytime he wants. The team is completed by Ben Grimm, the Thing, whose body is similar to a rock.

What makes this series different from other comic book heroes during those days in the they don't need to wear masks to conceal their identities. In fact all of the city's residents (and interestingly, all of the villains) their secret identities, and they are treated rather like celebrities. This part of the comic's story is very much used in their other appearances in TV.

The cartoons are by far, the most popular reincarnation of the Fantastic Four outside of the comic books. There are actually four animated series shown form the 1960's to the present. Each is a different take on the Fantastic Four.

Perhaps the most popular of the four is the first series shown in 1967, done by Hanna Barbara. It followed closely the original comic books and features many of the recurring villains. The cartoon was episodic in nature, with each episode independent of the others. It is also interesting to note that there was no episode that featured the origins of the Fantastic Four and instead it was explained in a short narration at the opening of each episode.

The second series, aired in 1970's, is also rather interesting. The show pretty much followed the features of the first, but with a notable exception. There was no Human Torch, but is replaced by a robot named HERBIE. This was the only cartooned that didn't feature all the characters together. No clear explanation was given as to why the character was not included in the series, though some say that it was a precaution to avoid kids from playing with fire.

And then, there are the movies. You are probably all too familiar with the two special effects movies shown in recent years. But here's a thing that you probably don't know. There is actually a third film, which was made way before the two films. Simply titled Fantastic Four, it was a rather low budget take on the story. It was not released commercially and was intended only to get hold of the copyright. The film is quite rare and many fans would probably have a hard time looking for a copy of it.

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