History Comicbook / FantasticFour

* LegacyCharacter: The Human Torch is loosely based on the [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] Human Torch.

* MostCommonSuperpower: For a time during the [[UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks mid-90s]], the Invisible Woman wore a skimpy costume with a cut-out "4" on her cleavage. This was before writers and editors realized that they didn't have to dress Sue up in a slinky costume to make her sexy -- she was already a MILF.

The World's Greatest Heroes. The Fabulous Foursome. The Greatest Team Ever.

Creator/MarvelComics' ''First'' Family.

'''''[[TropeCodifier The]]''''' {{Superhero}} [[BadassFamily Family]].

* TakeThat: When HERBIE the robot was infamously introduced for the 1978 cartoon, Marvel's writers were evidently not too happy about it. First, Johnny explains to [[ComicBook/{{Nova}} Richard Rider]] that he was absent when the others signed the contract for the show (as, much to Ben's ire, Reed was busy creating a real HERBIE robot with a Xandarian scientist so they could get back to Earth easier). A few issues later, it's revealed [[BrainInAJar Doctor Sun]], [[RoguesGalleryTransplant a former enemy of]] [[ComicBook/TheTombOfDracula Dracula's]] who had joined Nova and company in an attempt to gain the knowledge of Xandar's computers, uploaded himself into HERBIE and attempted to kill the team. HERBIE/Sun ends up getting blown up by the end of the issue.

* TrueCompanions: [[Characters/SpiderManPeterParker Spider-Man]] is one of the most trusted allies and friends of the Four. After the [[spoiler:Torch's supposed death]], Spidey temporarily became a member of the ''Future Foundation''.

* WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway: Susan used to have only invisibility in the early stories until Lee and Kirby realized that it was next to useless compared to the male members' powers. As a result, they gave Susan her force field powers, but it was only later under John Byrne's period that she learned to really make it a kick ass power set, using it with a new aggressiveness in battle. Since then, different writers have her being considered not only the most powerful member of the team, but one of the most powerful heroes, period. To give an example, she's used those forcefields to ''knock out the [[Characters/IncredibleHulkBruceBanner Hulk]]''. It's further implied that if Sue didn't adhere to the rule of [[ThouShaltNotKill heroes not killing their enemies]] she could easily defeat most of her opponents by simply generating force field bubbles in their bodies and/or vital organs and making said force fields expand.

* {{Worthy Opponent}}s: Ben Grimm and the [[Characters/IncredibleHulkBruceBanner Hulk]] to each other. Banner himself has said that if Hulk ever really cut loose, Ben would probably be the only hero on Earth with even a chance of slowing "ol' Jade-Jaws" down.

** One universe, depicted in ''ComicBook/WhatIf'' #11, is one where [[SelfInsert the original Marvel Bullpen]] was the Fantastic Four, with Creator/JackKirby as the Thing, Flo Steinberg as the Invisible Girl, Sol Brodsky as the Human Torch, and none other than Creator/StanLee as Mr. Fantastic.

** Johnny and [[Characters/SpiderManPeterParker Spider-Man]] have a friendly rivalry with each other; so do Ben and Characters/{{Wolverine|JamesLoganHowlett}}. Encounters of the two duos are common in crossovers.

** [[Characters/SpiderManPeterParker Spider-Man]] sometimes takes this role for Franklin. Notably when he consoled Franklin after Johnny Storm's death. In a {{Video Will|s}} he left behind, one of Johnny's reasons for asking Spider-Man to take his place in the team line-up was because he knew Franklin would be thrilled.

* LastNameBasis: The Thing seems to be on a permanent last-name basis with Bruce Banner (possibly having to do with his main rival being [[Characters/IncredibleHulkBruceBanner Bruce's alter-ego]], and when he gets sufficiently pissed at Reed he'll start referring to him exclusively as "Richards".

* LeaveHimToMe: Happened in an old comic, as shown [[http://www.superdickery.com/the-thing-loves-sloppy-seconds/ here]]. Mr. Fantastic tells The Thing to leave Namor to him.

* TheNicknamer: Ben. Some of his nicknames include "Stretcho" for Reed, "Bic-head" and "Matchstick" for Johnny, "Suzie-Q" for Susan, "Jade-Jaws" for [[Characters/IncredibleHulkBruceBanner Hulk]], etc.

* OrpheanRescue: To save Ben.

** {{Invoked}} in Mark Waid's run, where it's revealed that companies pay Reed gobs and gobs of money to ''not'' commercialize his patents, because he'd put them out of business if he did.

** Spider-Man's close relationship with the Fantastic Four has had him serve as this multiple times well before being inducted into the group proper as the Future Foundation. He would later lead a modified incarnation of the team (simply referred to as the "New Fantastic Four") comprised of himself, the [[Characters/IncredibleHulkBruceBanner Hulk]], Characters/{{Wolverine|JamesLoganHowlett}} and ComicBook/GhostRider (Danny Ketch)[[labelnote:*]]Was replaced with ComicBook/IronMan in a modern-day "What If?" story.[[/labelnote]], which in turn saw some of their [[LegacyCharacter successors and counterparts]] (like X-23, Amadeus Cho, Gwen Stacy and Robbie Reyes) form their own variants for certain occasions.

* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: ComicBook/SheHulk was a member of the team for a while when the Thing went solo. Having the same powers let her fill the role effectively.
** Earlier, Characters/LukeCage had filled in for Ben for a few issues during a period when Ben was depowered.

* DeafComposer: Alicia Masters is a blind sculptress. More impressive because she makes lifelike statues based purely on description.

* CatchPhrase: "IT'S CLOBBERIN' TIME!" "FLAME ON!!"