Frightful Four

Superteambox

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imagesize=
caption=The Frightful Four, victorious over Human Torch, The Thing, and Storm.
Art by Michael Turner.
team_name=Frightful Four
publisher=Marvel Comics
debut="Fantastic Four" #36 (1966)
creators=Stan Lee
Jack Kirby
base=Various
members=Wizard
Trapster
Hydro-Man
Titania
Klaw
memberlist=
subcat=Marvel Comics
hero=
villain=y
sortkey=PAGENAME|

The Frightful Four are a group of fictional characters in Marvel Comics who serve as the opposite number to the Fantastic Four.

Publication history

The Frightful Four first appeared in "Fantastic Four" #36 (March 1965), and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

The team subsequently appears in "Fantastic Four" #129 (December 1972), #177 (December 1976), "Spectacular Spider-Man" #42 (May 1980), "The Amazing Spider-Man" #214-215 (March-April 1981), "Fantastic Four" #326-328 (May-July 1989), "Fantastic Four Ultimited" #5 (March 1994), "Incredible Hulk" (Vol. 2) #418 (June 1994), "Deadpool" (vol. 3) #35 (December 1999), "Fantastic Four" (vol. 3) #29 (May 2000), and "Fantastic Four" #514 (August 2004), and #547-549.

The Frightful Four received an entry in the "Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89" #3.

Fictional team biography

The Frightful Four first appeared in "Fantastic Four" #36, consisting of the Wizard, The Sandman, Paste-Pot Pete (the latter two who freed the Wizard), and Medusa (who had amnesia at the time). The villains were originally fairly successful, almost defeating the Fantastic Four in their first appearance and even stealing the Fantastic Four's powers which later almost killed them in their second appearance. Another plot involved them capturing Spider-Man and impersonating the web-slinger to infiltrate Four Freedoms Plaza, taking out the Fantastic Four one at a time, although they were defeated when Spider-Man escaped and came to Mr. Fantastic's aid.

One conflict came about when the Wizard's daughter fell in love with the Human Torch.

A new 'Frightful Five' has appeared, consisting of Wizard, Hydro-Man, Titania, the Trapster and Klaw. ["Fantastic Four #548"]

Membership

First appearing in "Fantastic Four" #36, and led by the Wizard, the team was put together to fight against the Fantastic Four.

Wannabees

The wannabees were a group of superhumans who gathered in response to an advertisement to join the team ["Fantastic Four" #177] .

* Captain Ultra
* Osprey
* Texas Twister

Other versions

An alternate universe Frightful Four also included Quicksand and the Hooded Haunt.

1602

The Marvel 1602 miniseries "1602: The Fantastick Four" includes the Four Who Are Frightful, comprising Jacobean versions of the four original members. The Sandman resembles his Earth-616 counterpart, except for pale skin and glowing eyes, and can conjure up nightmares; a reference to another comic book Sandman, created, like the 1602 universe, by Neil Gaiman [http://www.newsarama.com/WWPhilly06/Marvel/MondoMvl/1602FF/Fantastick.html] . Medusa has snakes for hair, and can turn men to stone like her namesake. The Trapster wears forester's clothes, and is described by the Wizard as an "expert huntsman". The Wizard, in addition to seeing himself as the greatest scientist of the period, is also an actual magic-user.

Marvel Adventures

In an unidentified alternate universe visited by the Earth-20051 Human Torch in "Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four" #25, the Frightful Four consists of Mr. Devious (Reed Richards), the Unstoppable Woman (Susan Storm), Monsterman (Ben Grimm) and the Human Pyre (Johnny Storm). Blaming non-existent enemies for the accident that transformed them, the paranoid villains attempted to take revenge on the entire world. They are opposed by the Iron Man-like hero Doc Iron, secretly mild-mannered research scientist Victor von Doom.

Ultimate Frightful Four

In the Ultimate Marvel universe, the Frightful Four are zombie counterparts of the Fantastic Four from the Marvel Zombies dimension. It should be noted that Zombie Reed himself was the one who named his team, and he did so with a sarcastic tone. They possess all the powers of the Fantastic Four, along with many more years of experience, but are in a state of gradual decay, and a hunger for living flesh. They have repeatedly stated their goal is to spread the virus they carry on to the superhumans of the Ultimate universe.

The Four were captured upon their arrival to the Ultimate Universe, and have been kept in a special holding cell designed by Ultimate Mister Fantastic to contain the Hulk. They escaped in "Ultimate Fantastic Four" #31, tricking the guards into thinking they'd teleported out when really they had merely turned invisible. They were quarantined to the top 40 levels of the Baxter Building where they kill and eat anyone who was trapped with them. The group begin work on a portal which would allow their fellow zombies to gain access to this universe.

In "Ultimate Fantastic Four" #32, The Ultimates gathered at the foot of the Baxter Building as plans were made to drop the field and attack the zombies, when Van Damme in Mister Fantastic's body returned. Using the distraction of a genuine threat to Johnny, which is taken care of via Van Damme's magical knowledge, Van Damme/Reed gains access to the building. Further using magic, he swiftly defeated the entire Frightful Four. Because of their undead nature as zombies and Reed's unwillingness to commit execution, it is unlikely that the four have met their demises, as Reed was sending what remain of their bodies back to their dimension before switching his body back with Van Damme. Apparently, Reed have permanently disabled the four's bodies to prevent them from harming others again after the battle and haven't seen since. Their Baxter Building Headquarter was later used by their universe's versions of Black Panther and Forge for their own purposes during the four's forty years of absence on "Marvel Zombies 2" .

What If?

In the recent Mike Wieringo tribute issue "What If This was the FF?", looking at a world where the new Fantastic Four consisting of Spider-Man, Wolverine, Ghost Rider and the Hulk remained a team due to the death of their predecessors. Doctor Doom attempted to destroy them and hence the legacy of the original FF by enlisting the aid of Mephisto to empower a new Frightful Four with demonic energies, the new team consisting of Sandman, Venom, Sabretooth and Abomination only for all four to die during the fight due to the demonic energy Mephisto had placed within them.

Other media

Television

* The Frightful Four appeared in the 1978 "Fantastic Four" cartoon series where the line-up consists of Wizard, Trapster, Medusa and Sandman.

* The Frightful Four appeared in the 1994 "Fantastic Four" episode "And the Wind Cries Medusa." The line-up consists of Wizard, Trapster, Medusa and Hydro-Man.

* The Frightful Four appeared in the episode "Frightful". The line-up consists of Wizard, Trapster, Klaw and Dragon Man.

References

External links

* [http://marvel.com/universe/Frightful_Four The Frightful Four on the Marvel Universe Character Bio Wiki]
* [http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix4/coleff.htm Profile of Cole at the Appendix to the Marvel Handbook]