Fantastic Four #1Fantastic Four #1
Title: “The Fantastic Four!”
“The Fantastic Four Meet the Mole Man!”
“The Moleman’s Secret!”
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: Jack Kirby
A giant cloud spreads through the sky with the words “The Fantastic Four!” written on it. The people of Central City on the street all stop and stare at it. The police see the words and wonder what they mean. One cop notices that the people are getting panicky and another says that there are rumors of an alien invasion going around.
High above the panic, a strange figure stands at the window holding a still smoking flare gun. He says that it is the first time that he has found it necessary to give the signal and he hopes that it will be the last.
In another part of town, Susan Storm is
having tea with a society friend when her friend looks out the
window and sees “The Fantastic Four” in the sky. She
asks Susan what they mean, but by the time she turns around Sue
has turned invisible and is walking through the door. Susan says
that she must be true to her vow and go. 
She says that
it is time for the world to meet the Invisible Girl. On the
street below, people are knocked over as Invisilbe Girl rushes
past them to get to a cab. She says that she has no time to lose
and people think that she is a ghost. She gets in the back of a
cab still invisible. The cabbie is cruising around looking for a
fare. While stopped, Susan decides to get out. She thanks him for
the ride and holds out some money. The money seems to be
levitating in the air and the cabbie stares at it dumbfounded. He
freaks and says that he is getting out of there. Susan stands on
the corner and thinks to herself that it really does work and
that she really is invisible. She says that all that remains is
the mission.
At a men’s clothing store in another
part of town, a large man in a green trench coat and a hat stands
before the counter. The man behind the counter says that he is
sorry, but that they just don’t have anything in his size.
The man says that it is the same everywhere and that he just
lives in a world that is too small for him. The man behind the
counter tells him to look out the window at the words “The
Fantastic Four” and asks him what it means. He says,
“So! The time has come!” He takes off his hat and
sunglasses. As he starts to take off his coat the man behind the
counter tells him not to and that he already told him that he
doesn’t have anything in his size. Suddenly the man sees the
man’s orange rocky skin. The salesman passes out. The giant
rocky man says, “What a relief to get rid of those tight
rags.” 
As he walks
through the door he shatters the frame. He asks why they have to
make doorways so narrow. The people start freaking out and
shouting about a monster. The police ask each other what that is.
One says that he doesn’t know, but that he isn’t taking
a chance. He yells to halt or he will shoot. When he doesn’t
stop the cop starts shooting. He says that the cop missed because
he was nervous, but that he isn’t giving him another chance.
He rips up the street around a manhole cover. He drops down into
the sewer and floats along until he thinks that he has gone far
enough.
There is no
manhole cover above him, but he decides that he can’t delay
any longer. He says that he will make his own opening. He bursts
through the ground right in front of a car. He holds his arms up
over his face and the car smashes into him. He says, “Fool!
Did you not see me in time?”
The people
start running and shouting about martians.
Minutes later, the police riot squad reaches the scene but they don’t find anyone there. The chief says that something is going on with those words in the sky and the various reports of monsters.
At a local service station, the mechanic
tells Johnny that they have his car “purrin’ gentle as
a lamb”. Johnny says that is the way that he likes her. He
says that there is only one thing that interests him more than
cars. The machanic asks him what that is, but then points out
that the words in the sky have come together as a number 4.
Johnny starts smouldering. The mechanic asks where all that heat
is coming from, but when he sees Johnny he asks what is happening
to him. Johnny tells him not to worry about it. The mechanic says
that he is becoming a human torch. Johnny says that this is the
one thing that he cares about more than cars. 
Johnny flies
off leaving his car melted. The people spot him flying across the
sky and think for a second that it is a burning comet.
The mayor of Central City says to call the governor and tell him to alert the National Guard. Before the hour is out, Washington responds. They order the jets to attack an unknown flying object over Central City. The pilots think that someone must have flipped out until they see Human Torch. Torch tells them to bak off, but the jets get too close and they start to melt. Torch says that at least all the pilots parachuted to safety. Suddenly Torch hears a sound and looks to see a hunter missile coming after him. He flies away and sees that the missile has a nuclear warhead. He says that if it explodes that he is a goner. Torch’s flame starts to fade and the missile is closing in on him. Suddenly two impossible long arms reach up and grab the missile. With dazzling speed the arms redirect the missile out to sea where it explodes. Torch’s flame goes out completely and he starts falling to the ground. The man with the long arms stretches across two buildings. He tells Johnny to grab onto him. The stretchy man then swings both of them into a window. He tells Johnny that they are safe now. All four of them now stand in the same room. He says that he is glad that they all heeded his summons. He says that a fearful task await them.
Not long ago. Ben Grimm tells Reed Richards that if he wants to fly to the stars that he can fly the ship, but to count him out. He tells Reed that he knows that they haven’t done enough research into the effects of cosmic rays. He says that they might kill them all out in space. Susan Storm says that they have to take the chance unless they want the commies to beat them into space. Sue says that she never thought that Ben was a coward. Ben slams a table and says that nobody calls him a coward. He says that he will fly the ship no matter what happens.
They sped out to the spaceport on the outskirts of town. Reed tells Sue that he and Ben know what they are doing, but that maybe she and Johnny shouldn’t come. Sue says that she is Reed’s fiance, and that where he goes she goes. Johnny says that he is tagging along with his sister so it is settled.
At the spaceport, they sneak past the guard and Reed says that there is no time for official clearance since the conditions are right tonight. Before the guard can stop them, the ship that Reed Richards spent years building rockets towards outer space. Reed says that the ship is behaving like a baby and that everything is perfect. Ben says, “Yeah, except the cosmic rays! No one knows what they will do…” Someone says that they had to do it. They had to be the first. Ben says that they are reaching the cosmic storm area. The ship starts to make noises. Ben says that is the cosmic rays and that he warned him about them. The rays start penetrating the ship. The shielding isn’t strong enough. Someone says that they don’t feel anything. They are answered that the cosmic rays are just rays of light, but that they will affect them just the same. Their heads start to pound. Johnny says that Ben was right and that they should have gotten heavier shielding. Susan asks Johnny what is happening to him. Johnny says that he doesn’t know, but that he feels hot like he is burning up. Ben says that someone else has to take the control because his arms are too heavy to hold up. He says that he has to lie down and can’t move.
The automatic pilot kicks in and manages to get them back to the ground. The landing is rough but not fatal. As they walk out, Reed says that he is grateful that they are all alive. Sue says that all of Reed’s work and dedication and they failed. Ben asks what they expected. Reed says that they still aren’t completely safe. He says that they still have to see whether the cosmic rays affected them in any way. Sue says that she feels strange. Sue starts to fade away. Reed says that somehow the cosmic rays have altered your atomic structure making her grow invisible. Sue asks how long this is going to last. Reed says that he has no way of knowing. Johnny wonders what happens if she never turns visible again. Suddenly Sue reappears. She says that it happened al by itself. Reed and Sue hug. He says that thank heavens she is all right. Ben asks him how he knows she is all right. He asks how he knows that she won’t turn invisible again. He asks how he knows what will happen to the rest of them. Reed says that he is sick and tired of his insults and complaining. He says that he didn’t purposely cause the flight to fail. Ben says that he is sick of Reed too, and that he is going to punch him in the face. Ben starts to transform and Reed says that Ben is changing. Ben tells him not to try and talk his way out of the beating. Ben rips up a tree to hit Reed with. Sue says, “Run, Reed darling! He’s turned into a… a.. some sort of thing! He’s strong as an ox!” Ben asks Sue how she can love that weakling while he is around. Ben says that he will prove that she loves the wrong man. Ben swings his tree, but Reed dodges it as his body starts getting all stretchy. Reed says that Ben has had this coming for a long time. Reed’s arms grow longer and longer as he wraps them around Ben again and again. Sue says that it happened to Reed too. Reed wonders what he is doing and what has happened to all of them. Johnny says that they are both monsters. He says that it was those terrible cosmic rays. Johnny says that now he knows why he has been feeling so hot. He says that the rays must have affected him too. His body turns to flame. Johnny flies into the air and says that he is lighter than air and that he can fly. After his flame dies down, Johnny lands near the others. They all stand watching the fire burn itself out. Each of them stands silently lost in their own thoughts. All of them think that they have changed and that theya re more than human. Finally Reed speaks and says that they have more power than any human has ever possessed. Ben says that Reed doesn’t have to make some big speech. He says that they all understand that they need to use their power to help mankind. Reed says that is right. Johnny puts his hand in and says that he is calling himself the Human Torch. Sue puts her hand in and says that she is Invisible Girl. Reed’s hand is in and says that only Ben’s hand is missing. Ben puts his hand in and says that he isn’t Ben anymore, but that he is what Sue called him… The Thing. Reed says that he will call himself Mister Fantastic.