Remember last post, when I said that the one where Thing gets shipped into outer space to be a gladiator for Al Capone was one of the weirdest stories so far? Well, #94–the ninth-to-last issue of Jack Kirby’s run–got stranger. Ghosts and demons and mysticism abound in Agatha Harkness’ first appearance. It’s a fantastic issue.
It starts with the revelation that Franklin’s middle name is Ben.
The team drops the baby at the house, in upstate New York, leaving baby Franklin with the nanny, and the Frightful Four decide to pull a home invasion.
But Agatha kicks the bad guys’ collective behinds using magic.
Nice.
At the same time, Medusa’s alliance with the Fantastic Four and The Inhumans, appears solid when she beats the crap out of Wizard.
And at the end, the always superstitious Thing gets a scare…
In Fantastic Four #94, Agatha Harkness speaks of “all her charges” so who besides Franklin Richards had she been governess to? It could’t be the Seven, since it’s unlikely she’d refer to her children as her charges!
Reed would never have entrusted his child to her if he didn’t know of her reputation!? So how did he come to know of her “reputation”?
However, being a witch would surely not be it, so it had to be in relation to her being governess to other important “charges” he knew of!
Did it have anything to do with her reputation as a governess being “world-famous”?
If so, what charges across the world had she governed?
Was she his, or his father Nathaniel’s, governess perhaps?
Who else in Marvel’s “world” had she been governess to?
these are all good questions for which i have no answer.
but it sounds like a great opportunity for a michael bendis retcon.