Mister Fantastic's Encounters with Magic

In the Marvel Universe, science fiction and the supernatural coexist and often collide in spectacular fashion. Enter Mister Fantastic, the Marvel Universe's ultimate man of science. Though Reed Richards' outlook is firmly rooted in logic and scientific reasoning, he and the Fantastic Four have had plenty of encounters with magical phenomena that defy conventional explanation. Faced with these incredible sights, Reed has tried to rationalize and solve these crises with science, though occasionally he tacitly concedes to the existence of things even he can't explain.

Here are all the major instances in which Mister Fantastic has faced the supernatural side of the Marvel Universe, and how he has reacted to phenomena that defy his extensive scientific background.

THE FANTASTIC FOUR SAVE GALACTUS

Whenever Galactus appears, it's all hands on deck to stop the Devourer of Worlds from consuming another planet (and all those unfortunate enough to be on it). The Fantastic Four have defeated, outsmarted, and bargained with Galactus on multiple occasions to save Earth from becoming his latest meal. 

In FANTASTIC FOUR (1961) #243, the Fantastic Four received plenty of super hero backup—including a surprise appearance by Doctor Strange, who put Galactus down faster than anyone else had before. Strange's spell attacked Galactus with the countless souls he's killed over the eons. This magical attack caused Galactus to collapse on the spot, leaving him barely alive from the supernatural ordeal he endured from the Sorcerer Supreme. 

Rather than being impressed, Reed observed that Galactus was a necessary part of the universe. He quickly intervened, ultimately restoring the Devourer of Worlds to maintain the natural order.

Reed Meets Ghost Rider

When the Fantastic Four went missing and were presumed dead as part of a Skrull plot, a different quartet of heroes stepped up to replace them in FANTASTIC FOUR (1961) #348. This motley crew consisted of Spider-Man, the Hulk, Wolverine, and the new Ghost Rider, Danny Ketch. The Fantastic Four turned out to be alive, but kidnapped and depowered by a Skrull named De'lila.

The new Fantastic Four met Reed in the following issue, amidst a showdown with the Skrulls, Mole Man, and his vast army of monstrous Moloids. Recognizing Ghost Rider's mystical powers, Reed relied on Danny's hellish abilities to break up a magically protected bomb and prevent it from detonating. Though Reed may still be uncomfortable around magic, moments like this show he recognizes its strengths, especially in situations where his usual technological tricks have no effect.

Doctor Doom's Magical Revenge

Reed's longstanding feud with Doctor Doom fell to new depths in FANTASTIC FOUR (1998) #500, when Doom took the rest of the Fantastic Four prisoner and stranded Reed's son Franklin in Hell. Taunting his superiority over his nemesis, Doom left Reed with his vast library of arcane knowledge, confident that Mister Fantastic could never master the magic to save his family. Running out of time and options, Reed approached Doctor Strange to teach him how to use magic for his impending showdown with Doom.

Strange advised Reed to stop handling magic from an analytical perspective or as an absolute that can be controlled, like science. When Reed finally conceded his inability to properly handle magic, he began to be able to channel it. He used this newfound power to defeat Doom and rescue his son from Hell. Caught off-guard, Doom was banished to Hell, though Reed was scarred by his longtime enemy during their magical duel.

The Fantastic Four Meet Their Creator

When Reed lost his best friend and longtime teammate Ben Grimm, he went to the afterlife itself to get his buddy back. Possessed by Doctor Doom, the Thing nearly murdered the Human Torch, forcing Reed to use lethal methods to stop his friend. After detecting Ben's faintly active brain waves on another plane of existence, Reed investigated further despite Sue Storm's misgivings about potentially attacking Heaven.

After a wave of sword-wielding angels warned them they weren't welcome, the Fantastic Four ventured deeper into Heaven and reunited with Ben, restored back to his human form. Ben decided not to abandon his team for the afterlife and agreed to rejoin them. For their troubles, the Fantastic Four got to meet God in FANTASTIC FOUR (1999) #511. Resembling the characters' co-creator Jack Kirby at his trusty drawing board, God healed Reed's recent injuries and sent the team back to Earth.
 

The Thing is Possessed by an Asgardian Demigod

In the crossover event FEAR ITSELF (2011), the Serpent—the long-lost, evil brother of Odin—escaped his millennia of captivity and planned to conquer Earth. Drawing from his powers as the Asgardian God of Fear, the Serpent summoned magical hammers to fell to Earth, transforming select individuals into his generals. Among them was the Thing, who was possessed by the malevolent energies of a hammer that landed in New York.

Corrupted by the Serpent, the Thing attacked the Fantastic Four in FEAR ITSELF: FF (2011) #1, going as far as to harm Alicia Masters when she tried to talk sense into him. Reed and Sue became overwhelmed by their friend's new monstrous state, and the Thing changed his focus to battle Thor. Though Franklin Richards was able to restore him, the incident was a traumatic one for the Thing and a bitter reminder for Reed of Asgard's raw supernatural power.

Mister Fantastic Enters Wakanda's City of the Dead

The bond between Reed and T'Challa, Wakanda's Black Panther, runs particularly deep. In fact, Black Panther even temporarily replaced Mister Fantastic on the Fantastic Four! 

In FANTASTIC FOUR (1999) #608, T'Challa took Reed to one of the most sacred locations in Wakanda: the Necropolis. Underneath the oldest part of the African nation, beyond its Wall of Knowledge, this subterranean city of the dead acts as the final resting place for Wakanda's greatest warriors and rulers. In this issue, T'Challa ventured inside to determine the fate of his country and the Black Panther mantle.

Inside the Necropolis, T'Challa and Reed faced Bast, the patron deity of Wakanda and the Black Panther legacy, who welcomed Reed as T'Challa's second for his trials. In doing so, Reed agreed to have his fate intertwined with T'Challa's for the rest of eternity as a show of loyalty to his longtime friend. Though Reed was unsure of the paranormal experiences he witnessed, he remained with T'Challa to the end, reaffirming him as the Black Panther.

The Rise of a New Frightful Four

Among the Fantastic Four's oldest enemies are the Frightful Four and their fiendish leader, the Wizard. The Wizard and his usual allies came from a scientific background before they gained their awesome abilities and challenged Mister Fantastic and his family, but the villain changed his strategy in FANTASTIC FOUR (2014) #10. Aware of Reed's inadequacies against the supernatural, the Wizard recruited figures from magical super villain team Salem's Seven to strengthen his own entourage.

This tactical shift was nearly successful, with Reed ill-prepared to stop the magical Frightful Four when they launched their harrowing attack. The timely intervention of the Scarlet Witch ultimately saved the day, as she defeated this version of the Frightful Four before they could end Reed's life. In the aftermath, Reed admitted to Wanda Maximoff that he was still weak and ignorant when it came to the ways of magic, which lack the empirical absolutes he had studied all his life.

Reed Witnesses the Power of Mjolnir

Most of the Avengers are used to Thor's Asgardian magic, given his long history on the team. But Reed, who hasn't teamed up with Thor and his fellow Asgardian heroes often, often finds himself surprised by what the God of Thunder is truly capable of. This was visibly evident in the crossover event EMPYRE (2020), as the heroes faced a combined Kree/Skrull armada headed for Earth.

In the opening issue, Thor went head to head with Hulking, who spearheaded the attempted invasion as the leader of this formidable interstellar alliance. Thor flung Mjolnir at the attackers, only for Hulking to block the magical hammer with his cosmic sword, causing a brilliant flash of energy. Even with the stakes heightened, Reed couldn't help but be visibly amazed by the violence collision of magic and science.

Blood Hunt and the Vampire Problem

When an army of vampires magically blotted out the sun and overwhelmed all the major cities on Earth in BLOOD HUNT (2024) #1, Reed was initially hesitant to attribute this to the supernatural undead at all. However, when it became clear that vampires were indeed behind the all-out nocturnal assault, Reed decided to counter the bloodthirsty hordes with scientific strategies. This included assembling special lights that recreated the sun's ultraviolet rays, which incinerated any vampire caught in its glow.

As Reed used these modified lights to create safe havens for those seeking refuge around New York, he also set out to develop a cure for vampirism. Comparing it to a contagious blood disorder, Reed began researching a way to save the hundreds affected around the globe. However, for all of Reed's scientific insight, he will find himself tested by how cunning and relentless this vampire army truly is.

Behold Mister Fantastic's latest magical challenge in BLOOD HUNT #1, now available in Marvel Unlimited!

Want to read more about Mister Fantastic? Join Marvel Unlimited for instant access to 30,000+ comics on the Marvel Unlimited app or on the web, with digital issues spanning Marvel Comics classics to ongoing series!

Grab these comics and more at your local comic book shop! Or redeem then read your digital copy on the Marvel Unlimited app by using the code found in your print comic. Find and support your local comic book shop at ComicShopLocator.com.

To read your Marvel comics digitally, download the Marvel Unlimited app for iOS and Android devices. Gain an expansive catalog of 30,000+ comics spanning Marvel Comics history, plus access your entire digital library including comics redeemed from print.