Frightful Four

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Frightful Four

The Frightful Four, victorious over Human Torch, The Thing, and Storm.
Art by Michael Turner.
Publication information
Publisher Marvel Comics
First appearance Fantastic Four #36 (1966)
Created by Stan Lee
Jack Kirby
In story information
Base(s) Various
Member(s) Wizard
Trapster
Hydro-Man
Titania
Klaw

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

Contents

[edit] 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.[1]

[edit] Membership

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

Character Real Name Joined In Notes
Known members
Wizard Bentley Wittman Fantastic Four (vol. 1) #36 The founder and leader of the group, also legally changed his name to Wizard.
Sandman William Baker) Fantastic Four (vol. 1) #36 Has also been a member of the Sinister Twelve, Sinister Six, Outlaws, an Avengers reservist and the Wild Pack.
Paste-Pot Pete Peter Petruski Fantastic Four (vol. 1) #36 Currently known as the Trapster, he has also been a member of the Lethal Legion and Sinister Six.
Medusa Medusalith Amaquelin Boltagon Fantastic Four (vol. 1) #36 Inhumans, a Queen of Attilan, wife of Black Bolt.
Thundra Thundra Fantastic Four (vol. 1) #129 A warrior woman and time traveller from the 23rd century. Has also been a member of the The Grapplers. Some times later, mole of the Fantastic Four.
Constrictor Frank Payne Deadpool (vol. 3) #35 The Test Team member. Has also been a member of the Sinister Syndicate, Six-Pack, Masters of Evil and S.H.I.E.L.D.. Currently a member of The Initiative.
Deadpool Wade T. Wilson Deadpool (vol. 3) #35 A human(mutate), mercenary and assassin. The Test Team member. Has also been a member of the Six Pack, Weapon X, Heroes For Hire, Great Lakes Initiative, X-Men and Maggia. Currently a member of Agency X.
Taskmaster Unknown Deadpool (vol. 3) #35 The Test Team member. He will work for nearly anyone for the right price. Has also been a member of Thunderbolts and Agency X. Currently a drill instructor and is tasked with training registered superheroes for the Fifty States Initiative.
Brute Reed Richards Fantastic Four (vol. 1) #177 An alternate version of Mr Fantastic.
Electro Max Dillon Specatacular Spider-man (vol. 1) # 42 Has also been a member of the Sinister Twelve, Sinister Six,Emissaries of Evil and Exterminators.
Llyra Llyra Morris Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 1) # 214 Daughter of Llyron, a member of the water-breathing Homo mermanus who dwell in Lemuria, and Rhonda Morris, a surface woman who inherited her father's oceanarium in Hawaii.
Hydro-Man Morris Bench Fantastic Four (vol. 1) #326 Has also been a member of the Sinister Twelve, Masters of Evil and Sinister Syndicate.
Klaw Ulysses Klaw Fantastic Four (vol. 1) #326 Black Panther archenemy. Has also been a member of the Masters of Evil.
Dragon Man N/A Fantastic Four (vol. 1) #328 An android built by Professor Gregson Gilbert of Empire State University as an experiment. Has also been a member of the New Enforcers.
Absorbing Man Carl "Crusher" Creel Incredible Hulk (Vol. 2) #418 Husband of Titania (Mary MacPherran). Has also been a member of the Masters of Evil.
Living Laser Arthur Parks Incredible Hulk (Vol. 2) #418 Has also been a member of the Mandarin's Minions, Batroc's Brigade, Lethal Legion and MODOK's 11.
Mister Hyde Calvin Zabo Incredible Hulk (Vol. 2) #418 Father of Daisy Johnson. Has also been a member of the Masters of Evil.
She-Thing Sharon Ventura Fantastic Four Ultimited #5 Also known as the Ms. Marvel. Has also been a member of the Thunderiders and Fantastic Four. Former Thing girlfriend.
Red Ghost Ivan Kragoff Fantastic Four Ultimited #5 A Soviet scientist, who assembled a crew of three apes — Mikhlo the Gorilla, Igor the Baboon and Peotr the Orangutan.
Dreadknight Bram Velsing Spider-man: Chaos in Calgary #4 When the criminal Black Knight died fighting Iron Man, Dreadknight was likely meant as a new/legacy version of the villain.
Man-Bull William Taurens Spider-man: Chaos in Calgary #4 Has also been a member of the "Death Squad".
Blastaar Blastaar Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Comics Magazine #10 A member of an alien race of the planet Baluur in the Negative Zone. Enemy of Annihilus, another Fantastic Four villain.
Punisher N/A Fantastic Four (vol. 3) #29 A cyborg created by the Galactus.
Cole Cole Fantastic Four (vol. 1) #514 A daughter of Wizard and Salamandra. Current whereabouts is unknown.
Salamandra Unknown Fantastic Four (vol. 1) #514 A mother of Cole. Former wife of Wizard.

[edit] Test Team

First appearing in Deadpool vol. 3 #35, the Test Team consisted of Constrictor, Deadpool, Taskmaster and Wizard

[edit] Wannabees

The wannabees were a group of superhumans who gathered in response to an advertisement to join the team[2].

[edit] Other versions

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

[edit] 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[1]. 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.

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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 the soldiers and sciensts 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 Doom in Mister Fantastic's body returned. Using the distraction of a genuine threat to Johnny, which is taken care of via Doom's magical knowledge, Doom/Reed gains access to the building. Further using magic, he swiftly kills the entire Frightful Four.

[edit] In other media

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 Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes episode "Frightful". The line-up consists of Wizard, Trapster, Klaw and Dragon Man.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Fantastic Four #546
  2. ^ Fantastic Four #177

[edit] External links

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