Fantastic Four #237-239 (1981-1982): Frankie has powers; 1st Aunt Petunia

The main story in #237 is a fine done-in-one but essentially unimportant, but reminiscent of the Lee/Kirby days, about some aliens who need help getting home.  It’s a fun sci-fi yarn.  The only significance of this issue long-term, though, is a tease—literally.  Frankie Raye takes off her clothes for Johnny, who is astonished to see…What?  We won’t find out until next issue. But it’s a bathing suit that won’t come off–it’s the start of her having powers.

And speaking of implied breasts, here’s an interesting side note: This issue also introduces Frankie’s roomate, Julie Angel, who has nipples in the original paper comic, but in subsequent versions she gets more…Prudish.

Also across these issues, the team has the body of Dr. Doom after defeating him in #236, where he was rendered comatose. So there’s this hilarious cover to #238…

John Byrne’s appearance on the cover, breaking the fourth wall, is, of course, supposed to remind you of how Stan and Jack used to appear in the FF from time to time.  Byrne keeps, consistently, going back to the tried and true basics of those first 100 issues of Fantastic Four, which were probably the best 100 issues of any comic, ever.

Throughout the issue, Frankie’s backstory emerges: Her step daddy was the creator of the original, android Human Torch from WWII’s Invaders, and she had some Human Torch chemicals spilled on her as a young lady.  So…

Where we once had no Human Torch because he was replaced by a H.E.R.B.I.E., we now have two!  And speaking of HERBIE, Reed Richards rebuilds him as a babysitter for Franklin.  (The last one got destroyed by Franklin’s accidental use of his powers.)  About twenty-five years later, this will enable the Calvin-and-Hobbes inspired “Franklin Richards—Son of a Genius” series by Chris Eliopoulis.  It’s a joyful all-ages series that, seriously, gets my highest recommendation.  Even if you’re not a kid, you’ll love it—particularly in the early issues.

Anyway, as if introducing a new character (and a female at that!) and reintroducing (and repurposing) an old favorite were not enough, John Byrne also uses this issue to revise one of the original four…

Reed Richards, in one of his wacky schemes to cure Ben Grimm of his rocky form, instead makes it all worse.

Thing transforms from Rocky to … Lumpy.

It’s a little strange to do this so soon after Marvel Two-in-One #82, where his form also changed, but it’s a good way to put his stamp on these issues—and to bring us back to Jack Kirby’s original design of the character (because this is how he appeared in the very early issues of the book).

Also…

Yes, Virginia, there is an Aunt Petunia.

She was first mentioned in Fantastic Four #25, but we’ve never actually seen her before.  And we won’t see her again until issue #568, where she dies.

There is so much more in these issues as well, including seeding the plot for the next storyline, which will involve The Inhumans. Byrne obviously learned from Chris Claremont about weaving complex tales across multiple issues.

These issues exemplify why this is one of the greatest runs on any comic, ever.