Fantastic Four

On October 22, 2005, a sequel was announced, tentatively directed by Tim Story and written by Mark Frost. Source: Steeler's All-Time Roster by Jersey Number. It stars Ioan Gruffudd as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Jessica Alba as Susan Storm/Invisible Woman, Chris Evans as Johnny Storm/Human Torch, Michael Chiklis as Ben Grimm/The Thing and Julian McMahon as Victor Von Doom, with Stan Lee making a cameo appearance as Willie Lumpkin, the mailman.
. Fantastic Four opened in approximately 3600 Theaters and despite predominantly poor reviews grossed US$156M in North America and a total of $329M worldwide, weighed against a production budget of $100M and an officially undisclosed marketing budget. Other Hall-of-Famers associated with Steelers. Another feature film adaptation of The Fantastic Four was released July 8, 2005 by Sony, and directed by Tim Story. Elected on the basis of performance with Steelers.

It was only made because the studio who owned the movie rights to the Fantastic Four would have lost them if it had not begun production by a certain deadline date (a tactic known as creating an ashcan copy). ^At the end of the 2005 NFL season, the Steelers All-Time Record is 523-502-21 (including playoffs). It was ultimately revealed by Stan Lee that unbeknownst to the cast and crew, this movie was never intended to be released in the first place. Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties. The film was made on a shoestring budget and is largely mocked by fans of the comic book foursome for what they see as poor acting and disappointing special effects (at one point, The Human Torch — played by a human actor — turns into an obvious cartoon upon "flaming-on"). Needing a way to excite the fans during a 1975 playoff game against the Baltimore Colts, Cope urged fans to take yellow dish towels to the game and wave them throughout. While this movie was never released to theaters or video, it has been made available from various bootleg video distributors. The "Terrible Towel" is a gimmick created by Myron Cope, a broadcaster, for the Steelers.

A movie adaptation of The Fantastic Four was completed in 1994 by famed b-movie director/producer Roger Corman. Since the late 1990s, each player has worn a Steelers logo patch on left side of his jersey. The Fantastic Four also appeared in the Super NES and Sega Genesis video games based on the 1990's Spider-Man animated series, and inevitably, they starred in their own multi-platform games based on the 2005 movie. The helmet is solid black with a gold central stripe and small white uniform numbers on the forehead. The game was widely panned by critics for having weak storyline and handling of the characters' powers. The design consists of gold pants and either black jerseys or white jerseys. In the game you and a friend could pick among the Fantastic Four characters (along with the She-Hulk), and battle your way through various levels until you faced Doctor Doom. The Steelers started to use the uniform design that they wear today since the late 1960s.

In 1998 a side-scrolling video game was released for the Sony PlayStation home video game system / platform, based on the Fantastic Four characters. [1][2] A year after introducing the logo, they switched to black helmets to make it stand out more. The Fantastic Four also guest-starred in the "Secret Wars" story arc of the 1990s Spider-Man animated series. (It's also been rumored the team's longtime equipment manager, Jack Hart, wasn't happy with slapping the logo on so many helmets and refused to do both sides). There have been three Fantastic Four animated TV series and two feature films (though one of the movies went unreleased, and is only available in a widely circulated bootleg). At first, it was a test to see how the logo appeared on their gold helmets, but its popularity led the team to leave it that way permanently. Marvels Comics: Fantastic Four (2000) was a mock-up of what the comic book published in the Marvel Universe might have looked like, and was (within the fictional context of the story) produced with the official approval of "Fantastic Four, Inc.". The Steelers are the only NFL team that puts their logo on only one side of the helmet (the right side).

Byrne made use of this comic-within-the-comic notion in his 1990s Senasational She-Hulk run. While the "Steelmark" logo only contains the word "Steel", the Steelers were given special permission to add "-ers". At the end of the issue, Byrne submitted his story. The original meanings behind the astroids were, "Steel lightens your work, brightens your leisure and widens your world" and later the colors came to represent the ingredients of steel, the yellow representing coal; the orange, ore; and the blue, steel scrap. He was about to make up a story when the Watcher whisked him away to take part in the FF's latest adventure. It consists of the word "Steelers" surrounded by three astroids (hypocycloids of four cusps). Byrne explained he had been unable to contact the Fantastic Four for the latest story, since they were away. Steel, by Cleveland, Ohio based Republic Steel, and now owned by AISI.

1984), which depicted writer-artist John Byrne being asked by editor Michael Higgins for the latest issue, since it was almost late. The Steelers logo was then introduced in 1962, and is based on the "Steelmark", originally designed for U.S. This conceit was again used in #262 (Jan. Unlike most other cities, the colors are currently also used by the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team and the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team, making it the official team colors of every professional sports team in the city. Lee, Kirby, writer Thomas, issue artists George Perez and Joe Sinnott, and Marvel staffers Gerry Conway, Archie Goodwin, Marie Severin, Marv Wolfman, and John Verpoorten all made cameo appearances. Originally, the team wore solid gold helmets and black jerseys. 1976), "Improbable As It May Seem — The Impossible Man Is Back In Town!" Here he invaded the Marvel offices demanding to have his own comic. The Steelers have used black and gold as it colors since the 1950s.

The second story marked the introduction of the impish Impossible Man, who starred in writer Roy Thomas' self-referential update in Fantastic Four #176 (Nov. With their Super Bowl XL victory, the Steelers became the first sixth-seeded playoff team, since the NFL expanded to a 12-team postseason tournament in 1990, to win the Super Bowl. 1963). Overall, Cowher has taken his team to the playoffs in 10 out of his 14 seasons, including appearances in Super Bowl XXX in 1996 and the franchise's record-tying fifth Super Bowl win in Super Bowl XL in 2006. This was in "A Visit with the Fantastic Four", the first of two stories in issue #11 (Feb. Cowher led the Steelers to the playoffs in each of his first six seasons as coach, a feat that had only previously been accomplished by legendary coach Paul Brown of the Cleveland Browns. The following issue reinforced this notion of "real-world superheroes" by having the Fantastic Four, in civilian clothes, stroll to a newstand hopeing to pick up the latest comic book. In 1992 Chuck Noll retired and was succeeded by Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Bill Cowher, a native of the Pittsburgh suburb of Crafton.

Sharp-eyed fans would later note that this "real-world" Marvel was even more fictional than it seemed: Not only was penciler Jack Kirby working at a drawing table there, rather than at home per his wont, but the office door was labeled "Lee and Kirby" — suggesting the kind of comradely partnership fans wanted and expected. Mean Joe Greene retired after the 1981 season, Lynn Swann and Jack Ham after 1982, Terry Bradshaw and Mel Blount after 1983, and Jack Lambert after 1984. In this issue, Doctor Doom himself came to Marvel's Madison Avenue offices. The team was then hit with the retirements of all their key players from the Super Bowl years. 1963) established the conceit that the Fantastic Four (and by extenstion the rest of the Marvel universe) existed in the same world as Marvel Comics; the team-members, it was explained, had licensed their names and likenesses to the company, and the rights to adapt their "real-life" adventures. 1981 was no better, with an 8-8 showing. Issue #10 (Jan. The Steelers suffered a rash of injuries in the 1980 season and missed the playoffs with a 9-7 record.

Franklin Richards(son) Valeria Richards (daughter). This group of players formed the base of one of the greatest teams in NFL history, making the playoffs 8 seasons in a row and winning 4 Super Bowls. For a list including one-shots, miniseries, graphic novels, and trade paperback collections, see Thing Bibliography. Noll's most remarkable talent was in his draft selections, taking Hall of Famers "Mean" Joe Greene in 1969, Terry Bradshaw and Mel Blount in 1970, Jack Ham in 1971, Franco Harris in 1972, and finally, in 1974, the best draft in Steelers history, pulled the incredible feat of selecting four Hall of Famers in one draft year, Mike Webster, Lynn Swann, John Stallworth and Jack Lambert. Another ongoing solo series, also titled The Thing, debuted with a premiere issue cover-dated January 2006. Their luck changed with the hiring of coach Chuck Noll. 1974 - June 1983), with seven summer annuals (1976–1982), and was immediately followed by the solo title The Thing #1-36 (July 1983 – June 1986). That would be Pittsburgh's last playoff game for 25 years.

The series ran 100 issues (Jan. This forced a tie-breaking playoff game at Forbes Field, which the Steelers lost 21-0. The "ever-lovin', blue-eyed Thing", as Ben Grimm sometimes refers to himself, appeared in the team-up title Marvel Two-in-One, co-starring with Marvel heroes not only in the present day but occassionally in other time periods (fighting alongside the Liberty Legion in #20 and Doc Savage in #21, for example) and in alternate realities. The Steelers made the playoffs for the first time in 1947, tying for first place in the division at 8-4 with the Philadelphia Eagles. "The Human Torch" shared the "split book" Strange Tales with fellow feature "Doctor Strange" for the majority of its run, before finally flaming off with issue #134 (July 1965), replaced the following month by "Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.". In 1944 they merged with the Chicago Cardinals and were known as "Card-Pitt" and informally known as the "Car-Pitts" or "Carpets". 1964). This team went 5-4-1.

The FF made occasional cameo appearances, and the Thing became a co-star with #123 (Aug. During the 1943 season, they merged with the Philadelphia Eagles forming the "Phil-Pitt Eagles" and were known as the "Steagles". (She was seen again in a 1970s issue of Fantastic Four, having become a heavyset but cheerful wife and mother.) Ayers took over the penciling after 10 issues, later followed by original Golden Age Human Torch creator Carl Burgos and others. They twice merged with other NFL franchises in order to field a team. Supporting characters included Johnny's girlfriend, Doris Evans, usually seen only in consternation as Johnny cheerfully flew off to battle bad guys. During World War II, the Steelers experienced player shortages. (Decades later, a retcon revealed that his friends and neighbors knew of his dual identity all along, from Fantastic Four news reports, but had humored him). But the team maintained a long history of futility for the next three decades.

Here Johnny was seen living with his elder sister, Susan, in fictional Glenview, Long Island, New York, where he continued to attend high school and, with youthful naivete, attempted to maintain his "secret identity". In 1941, the team was renamed the Steelers after the city's prominence as a steel-making center. 1962), in 12- to 14-page stories plotted by Lee and initially scripted by his brother, Larry Lieber, and drawn by penciler Kirby and inker Dick Ayers. Supreme Court to what was at the time the biggest contract in NFL history, but he only played one year with the Pirates before signing with the Detroit Lions. Johnny Storm starred in a early Silver Age solo series beginning in Strange Tales #101 (Oct. Pittsburgh did make history in 1938 by signing Byron White, a future justice on the U.S. Recent issues have revealed that this is a deliberate move by Reed Richards, who works to keep the team highly visible and well-regarded out of guilt for causing their mutations. Through the 1930s the Pirates never finished higher than second place in their division, or with a record better than .500 (1936).

Unlike most superheroes, the Fantastic Four's identities are not secret and they maintain a high public profile, enjoying celebrity status for their scientific and heroic contributions to society. The Pittsburgh NFL team first took to the field on September 20, 1933, losing 23-2 to the New York Giants. The children of Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman, Franklin Richards and Valeria Richards, are also regulars in the series. . Although not strictly related, The Thing's role is that of the beloved Dutch uncle, and his relationship with Mister Fantastic and the Human Torch is nonetheless quite sibling-like. The team was renamed the Steelers in 1941 after the city's prominent steel industry to reflect the "blue collar" work ethic of the many Pittsburgh fans. Three of the four members are directly related, with The Thing being the exception. paid a $2,500 fee.

The comic has typically emphasized that the Fantastic Four, unlike most superhero teams, are truly a family. Originally named the Pittsburgh Pirates, the team along with the Philadelphia Eagles and the now-defunct Cincinnati Reds football team joined the NFL as 1933 expansion teams, after Art Rooney, Sr. In the mid-2000s, an orbiting satellite version of the Baxter Building has been used. The team has appeared in six Super Bowls, winning five of them, and thirteen Conference Championship Games winning six of them. Pier 4, a warehouse on the New York waterfront, served as a temporary headquarters for the group after Four Freedoms Plaza was condemned, due to the actions of another superhero team, the Thunderbolts. They currently belong to the Northern Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Fantastic) Doctor Doom. The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The Baxter Building was replaced by Four Freedoms Plaza, built at the same location, after the Baxter Building's destruction at the hands of Kristoff Vernard, adopted son of the Fantastic Four's seminal villain (and rumored half-brother of Mr. National Football League (1933-present). They have had a number of headquarters, most notably the Baxter Building in New York City. Bill Cowher (1992-Present). Propelled mainly by Richards' innate scientific curiosity, the team have explored space, the Negative Zone, the Microverse, other dimensions and nearly every hidden valley, nation and lost civilization on the planet. Chuck Noll (1969-1991). The team of adventurers have used their fantastic abilities to protect humanity, the Earth and the universe from a number of threats. Bill Austin (1966-1968).

They also appear to be inspired by co-creator Kirby's similarly unmasked though non-superpowered DC Comics quartet the Challengers of the Unknown. Mike Nixon (1965). Fantastic). Raymond "Buddy" Parker (1957-1964). The four characters were modeled after the four classical Greek elements: earth (The Thing), fire (The Human Torch), wind (The Invisible Girl) and water (the pliable and ductile Mr. Walt Kiesling (1954-1956). Filled with anger, self-loathing and self-pity over his new existance, he dubbed himself the Thing, the term Susan used in her initial, startled reaction to his transformation. Joe Bach (1952-1953).

and a nearly invulnerable hide. John Michelosen (1948-1951). Finally, pilot Ben Grimm was transformed into a monstrous, craggy, humanoid with orange, rock-like skin, incredible strength. Jock Sutherland (1946-1947). Her younger brother, Johnny Storm, possessed the incendiary powers of the Human Torch, enabling him to control fire, project burning bolts of flame from his body, and fly. Jim Leonard (1945). She later developed the ability to project force fields, create invisible objects, and turn other objects visible or invisible. Walt Kiesling (1941-1944).

His fiancée, Susan Storm, gained the ability to become invisible at will and named herself the Invisible Girl (later the Invisible Woman). Bert Bell (1941). Richards, who took the name Mister Fantastic, was now able to stretch his body into nearly any shape he could imagine (similar to Timely Comics' Thin Man and Quality Comics' celebrated Plastic Man). Aldo Donelli (1941). Upon crash landing back on Earth, the four impromptu astronauts found themselves transformed and possessed of bizarre new abilities. Walt Kiesling (1939-1940). The Fantastic Four acquired superhuman abilities after an experimental rocket ship designed by scientist Reed Richards passed through a storm of cosmic rays on its test flight to outer space. John McNally (1937-1939).

Other ongoing-title spinoffs have included the 1970s quarterly title Giant-Size Fantastic Four and the 1990s Fantastic Four Unlimited, and there have been numerous miniseries. Joe Bach (1935-1936). Additionally, Marvel launched Marvel Knights 4, a spinoff Fantastic Four series, in April 2004. Luby DiMelio (1934). In February 2004, Marvel launched the series Ultimate Fantastic Four, a version of the group in the "Ultimate" alternate universe. Forrest Douds (1933). Byrne also staked bold directions in the characters' personal lives, having the married Sue and Reed Richards suffer a miscarriage — as well as a separation that seemed headed for divorce. Josh Miller.

His key contribution was the modernization of the Invisible Girl into the Invisible Woman — a self-confident and dynamic character whose newfound control of her abilities made her the most powerful member of the team. Rod Woodson. Then, with issue #232 (July 1981), the aptly titled "Back to the Basics", Byrne began his triple-threat run as writer, penciller, and (initially under the pseudonym Bjorn Heyn) inker on the celebrated title. Dwight White. 1980) before writer Doug Moench and penciler Bill Sienkiewicz took over for 10 issues. Supreme Court Justice). Byrne then scripted two tales as well (#220-221, July-Aug. Byron White (U.S.

1979), doing pencil breakdowns for Sinnott to finish. Bobby Walden. He started on the title with issue #209 (Aug. Yancy Thigpen. In the 1980s, John Byrne created what many critics call the series' best run since Lee & Kirby's. Kordell Stewart. Jim Steranko contributed a handful of covers. Andy Russell.

After Kirby's departure from Marvel in 1970, Fantastic Four continued with Lee, Roy Thomas, Gerry Conway, and Marv Wolfman as its consecutive regular writers, working with artists including John Romita, Sr., John Buscema, Rich Buckler, and George Perez, with longtime inker Joe Sinnott helping to provide some visual continuity. Eric Pegram. In the book's most groundbreaking yet utterly natural development, Fantastic Four presented superhero comics' first pregnancy, culminating with the birth of a superhero family's first child, Franklin Benjamin Richards, in Fantastic Four Annual #5 (1968). Actor Ed O'Neill was signed by the Steelers as a free agent in 1969, but was subsequently cut during training camp. As well, the daring duo of Lee & Kirby, who eventually shared credited as co-plotting collaborators, introduced such concepts as the Negative Zone and unstable molecules, two core elements of the Marvel mythos. Neil O'Donnell. Through its creators' lengthy run, the series produced many acclaimed stories and characters that have become central to Marvel, including Doctor Doom; the Silver Surfer; Galactus; the Watcher; the The Inhumans; the Black Panther; the rival alien Kree and Skrull races; and Him, who would become Adam Warlock. Gerry Mullins.

Lee's intended swan song became unexpectedly and phenomenally successful; Lee and Kirby stayed together on the book and began launching other titles from which the vaunted "Marvel Universe" of additional interrelated titles and characters grew. Bam Morris. To forestall possibly upsetting DC^{[citation needed]} (which, in addition to being a competing publisher, was also the distributor of Marvel's limited line of comics), Lee and Kirby deliberately avoided making the new book look like a competing superhero comic; the new characters appeared on the cover without costumes and had no secret identities. Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala. And the characters would be the kind of characters i could personally relate to: they'd be flesh and flood, they'd have their faults and foibles, they'd be fallible and feisty, and — most important of all — inside their colorful, costumed booties they'd still have feet of clay".³. Ray Mansfield. "For just this once", Lee wrote, "I would do the type of story I myself would enjoy reading... Greg Lloyd.

Lee teamed with artist Jack Kirby to produce a groundbreaking series featuring a family of superheroes who were fallible and more naturalistically human than virtually anything seen in superhero comics to that time. Louis Lipps. ...[H]er little dissertation made me suddenly realize that it was time to start concentrating on what I was doing — to carve a real career for myself in the nowhere world of comic books".². Tim Lester. She wondered why I didn't put as much effort and creativity into the comics as I seemed to be putting into my other freelance endeavors. Carnell Lake. "[My wife] Joan was commenting about the fact that after 20 years of producing comics I was still writing television material, advertising copy and newspaper features in my spare time. Jon Kolb.

Lee, who'd served as editor-in-chief and art director of Marvel and its predecessor companies, Timely Comics and Atlas Comics, for two decades, had by now found the medium restrictive. Levon Kirkland. ' If the Justice League is selling ', spake he, ' why don't we put out a comic book that features a team of superheroes?' "¹. Ernie Holmes. .. Merril Hoge. "It was a book called The [sic] Justice League of America and it was composed of a team of superheroes. Greenwood.

"Martin mentioned that he had noticed one of the titles published by National Comics seemed to be selling better than most", recalled Lee in 1974. L.C. Whether or not this mythic meeting actually occurred, Goodman, a publishing trend-follower aware of the JLA's strong sales, directed his comics editor, Stan Lee, to begin publishing a comic-book series about a team of superheroes. Kevin Greene. 1960). Eric Green. 1960) before going on to its own hit title (premiere cover-date: Nov. Joe Gilliam.

Liebowitz, according to the story, bragged about DC's success with the superhero team the Justice League of America, which had debuted in The Brave and the Bold #28 (Feb. Jason Gildon. National Periodical Publications. Roy Gerela. a.k.a. Frenchy Fuqua. Legend has it that in 1961, longtime magazine and comic book publisher Martin Goodman was playing golf with rival publisher Jack Liebowitz of DC Comics. Barry Foster.

. Amos Zereoue. The comic-book series, which famously added the hyperbolic tagline "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine!" above the title starting with issue #4, dropped the "The" from the cover logo with #15, becoming simply Fantastic Four. Buddy Dial. The Fantastic Four have have remained more or less popular since, and have been adapted into other media, including three animated television series, an aborted 1990s low-budget film, and a major-studio motion picure, Fantastic Four (2005). Dermontti Dawson. The team launched the revival of Marvel Comics in the early 1960s, giving it a pivotal place in the history of American comic books. Bennie Cunningham.

Uniquely at the time, and also breaking convention with comic-book archetypes, its members would squabble and even hold animosities both deep and petty toward one another at times, though ultimately truly caring for and supporting each other. Craig Colquitt. Since its introduction — in which the groundbreaking team did not even hew to the convention of superhero costumes its first two issues — the Fantastic Four has been portrayed as a somewhat dysfunctional yet loving family. Plaxico Burress. Although the group's membership has occasionally changed temporarily, it almost always consists of these four core friends and family-members, who gained superpowers after being exposed to cosmic rays during an outer space science mission:. Bubby Brister. 1961). Rocky Bleier.

The Fantastic Four is Marvel Comics' flagship superhero team, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and debuting in The Fantastic Four #1 (Nov. Kendrell Bell. In the PBS cartoon Arthur (TV series), a 'daydream' sequence features Buster Baxter, Arthur's best friend, emerging from a space shuttle and exhibiting the powers of the FF (one limb streches, one bursts into flame, one turns invisible, and one turns into orange rock). Matt Bahr. Since various parts of that future have been referenced since (Gert becoming an Avenger, Victor as the son of Ultron) it may be that the Richards family will continue to grow... Gary Anderson. In Runaways volume 2 #1, a time-traveller made reference to a future team called the Fantastic Fourteen. Walter Abercrombie.

Had the Fantastic Five book lasted longer, the team would have been succeeded by their superpowered offspring. Mike Tomczak. Fantastic(Lyja), Psi-Lord(Franklin Richards), Big Brain(a robot with the mind of Reed Richards), and the Thing(though he may be dead). The number hasn't been used since. It's membership consists of the Human Torch, Ms. According to legend, the equipment manager--who assigns jersey numbers to new players--later stripped Seabaugh of the number because the player "wasn't Jack Ham". In the MC2 imprint, a team called the Fantastic Five exists. 59 was used once in 1984 by Todd Seabaugh, who played one season with the team.

In Family Guy, in the episode "Petarded", Peter Griffin refers to Fantastic Four while playing Trivial Pursuit. Note: After Jack Ham retired, no. The name of the comics company that turns out Garfield was placed instead of Marvel Comics, as Paws Comics Group. Used four times officially since Mel Blount's retirement, most recently to safety Scott Shields in 2000. Fantastic, Nermal was the Human Torch (who was trying to blow out his flaming tail), and Arlene was the Invisible Woman. 47 has been issued during the preseason regulary, and on some occasions to the final 53-man roster. Garfield was the Thing, Odie was Mr. Note: No.

The opening of a Garfield Sunday strip parodied the opening of a FF comic book. 31. Ghostmare was later renamed Matriarch, paralleling the Invisible Woman's role in the Fantastic Four family as well. Since Donnie Shell's retirement after the 1987 season, Logan is the only Steeler to wear no. In issues 50-52 of Power Pack, a quartet of Kymellian heroes called Force 4 (Teamleader, Ghostmare, Firemane and Thunderhoof) was based in powers (though Teamleader's power was only his superior intelligence, and not any variation of Mister Fantastic's stretching power) and in name (with the exception of Ghostmare, the real names of these heroes was a Pig Latin version of their Fantastic Four counterparts') on the Fantastic Four. 31 is currently being used by backup safety Mike Logan, a native of the Pittsburgh suburb of McKeesport, Pennsylvania, and is currently in his fifth season with the Steelers. In issues 29-30 of the 1989 Legion of Super-Heroes series, a team of four villains (Elasti-Kid 5, Ghost 6, Flare and Alloy 12) had powers based on those of the Fantastic Four. Note: No.

Similarly, Duke Nukem's condition was brought about due to radioactive exposure. 75 (Joe Greene). The animated series Captain Planet and the Planeteers featured a villain named Duke Nukem, who had rocky skin similar to that of the Thing. 63 (Dermontti Dawson). Fantastic and the Invisible Woman. 59 (Jack Ham, see below). They are counterparts to the Fantastic Four in many ways, mostly in their powers and in the relationships between the analogs to Mr. 58 (Jack Lambert).

The Wildstorm comic series Planetary has as its main villains a group called simply The Four. 52 (Mike Webster). Fantastic, and the Thing, including their traditional colors. 47 (Mel Blount, see below). An episode of "Atomic Betty", featured three Betty clones possessing the powers of the Torch, Mr. 32 (Franco Harris). Only the invisibility stone was used, however. 31 (Donnie Shell, see below).

An episode of "The Mask" animated series featured four stones that granted the exact same powers as those of the Fantastic Four. 12 (Terry Bradshaw). (Another family-member has superspeed.) Marvel Studios chairperson Avi Arad told Entertainment Weekly that, "In the words of Stan Lee, when someone asked him about The Incredibles, he said, ' You know, it feels like I wrote it.'"⁵. However, the Steelers no longer issue the following numbers, which are in essence retired as well:. The 2004 Disney/Pixar animated feature The Incredibles is built around a family of superheroes whose powers include stretching, super strength, invisibility/force field, and, to a more briefly seen extent, flame. Are the only officially retired number. The universe of writer Kurt Busiek's various Astro City comics includes a Fantastic Four-like group called The First Family. Ernie Stautner's #70 And, Jerome Bettis (#36).

In another episode of The Simpsons entitled "I Am Furious, Yellow" guest-starring Stan Lee, a boy in the comic book shop wants to buy a Batman action figure, but Stan tries to sell the boy an action figure of The Thing instead. Myron Cope, Pittsburgh Steelers broadcaster, was awarded the 2005 Pro Football Hall of Fame's Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award. In The Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror XIV episode, Bart discovers a magic stopwatch; near the end of the episode he gives it to Lisa, who presses the button repeatedly — at one point briefly turning the family into the Fantastic Four. 16 Len Dawson, QB, 1957-59. In The Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror X episode, Bart and Lisa are exposed to radiation and transformed into 'Stretch Dude' and 'Clobber Girl'. 36 Marion Motley, RB, 1955. The hit cartoon show The Simpsons has also poked fun at the Fantastic Four.