Line #17 Heartwarming/FantasticFour


1	* One of the earliest Fantastic Four stories: "This Man... This Monster" counts as one of the greatest Heartwarming moments. In the story, a rival scientist to Reed steals the Thing's powers to impersonate him, so that he can get a chance to get close to Reed and kill him. He finds Reed in mortal peril, trapped in a barrier between dimensions... [[spoiler: and leaps in to save him. Reed is horrified at his friend apparently choosing to die with him, and tells him ItsBeenAnHonor. This inspires the scientist to do a HeroicSacrifice: he uses the Thing's body to hurl Reed out of the barrier to safety, while [[RedemptionEqualsDeath he is left behind]]. Reed thinks he has lost his friend and is absolutely grief-struck, blaming himself for the loss of his friend... Meanwhile, the original Ben Grimm, finding out he has been impersonated, comes across this and comforts Reed, to his shock and joy.]] This tale of is consistently ranked as one of the best stories of the Four, or of Lee. And it's not hard to see why.
2	* From the old ''Marvel Knights: 4'' series:
3	** Reed comes across a jumper and instead of tritely getting him off the ledge, stretches up and has a conversation. The guy's wife left him, he's got terminal cancer, and his son died in a car crash. He's going to jump because he's got no one left. Reed gives him his personal number and tells him to call when his cancer gets to the worst; Reed will sit with him as he passes so he's not alone. Later in the series, Reed ''walks out of an Illuminati meeting'' to uphold his promise. It's a low-key rebuttal to some criticisms of Reed and his cold, hard logic, and it must be [[http://imgur.com/gallery/jelby seen to be appreciated.]]
4	* Bens' reaction to discovering that Franklin's middle name is "Ben" which makes him the godfather, since throughout the comic at the time he was very rarely happy and you can just see him immediately light up.
5	* Before the Reveal that Johnny was marrying Lyja and not Alicia the wedding between the two was extremely sweet, especially with Ben and ''Alicia'' talking to each other before the wedding begins and at the end the Puppet Master overhearing the conversation, decides that his step-daughters happiness is more important than anything else and stops the villains from gatecrashing it.
6	* In Mark Millar's first story arc, Reed reunites with Alyssa, his former college girlfriend who's almost as smart as he is. After solving a crisis, Alyssa asks when Reed will admit "we married the wrong people," noting her husband is smart but has no real passion while Sue, Johnny and Ben just aren't as smart as Reed and asks why would he waste time with someone "you have to dumb down to talk to and their eyes glaze over when you talk of your passions." In other words, Alyssa is asking why Reed stays with Sue when she's not his intellectual equal. Reed shuts Alyssa up with his simple, beautifully matter of fact reply:
7	-->'''Reed''': Because I love her. Or is that something you can't work out on a calculator?
8	* The ending of the "Solve Everything" arc. Reed discovers that the difference between him and all the other members of the Council of Reeds is that they gave up friends and family in order to completely devote themselves to their work. Faced with a choice between his loved ones and the Council, Reed returns to Earth-616, erases his room of ideas and opens the door to find Sue waiting for him.
9	** As this happens, there's a flashback to what Reed's father told him before leaving.
10	--->'''Nathaniel Richards''': But I want you to remember one last thing before I go. The world is ugly. It should not be, but it is. It will force you to do things you know you should not do -- to compromise -- simply because you feel like you have no other choice. This weakens us. It makes us men less that what we should be, and it will be even more difficult for you because you have an extra burden... because you have a gift that will affect many people. But this [a brain]... without this [a heart]... means nothing. It's a terrible thing for someone not to reach their full potential... I know. As I've grown older, I've realised that I do not have the character to be both good and great at the same time. But you do, Reed... and as such, all of my hopes and desires rest in you becoming what I am not. When you grow up, I expect more. Son... I expect better. I want you to be a better friend than I was. Be a better husband. Be a better father. Reed... be a better man.
11	* From Johnny Storm's death:
12	** After the death of the Human Torch, Spider-Man spots a depressed Franklin Richards sitting alone on the roof of the Baxter Building, before swinging over to talk to the boy & taking him to get hot dogs whilst telling him about his own Uncle who died.
13	** In a follow-up issue of ''[[ComicBook/SpiderMan Amazing Spider-Man]]'', Reed, Sue and Ben invited Peter Parker to the Baxter Building for a private memorial to Johnny. Reed played a portion of Johnny's recorded will to Peter, in which Johnny told Peter that he should take Johnny's place on the Fantastic Four's roster.
14	*** Presented in its textual beauty: ''If you’re hearing this, I’m sorry, pal. Sorry that I’m gone. ‘Cause... well... I know how you feel when it comes to losing family. And that’s what you are to me. Family. So... if you’re thinking of this as my last will and all... I’m not leaving you my sports cars or stuff like that... I’m leaving you the best thing I ever had... My spot on this team. A place in this family. The best sister, two brothers, niece, and nephew a guy could ask for. [[PlatonicDeclarationOfLove They— We all love you, Pete.]] So? You up for it, bro? We’re all here for you.''
15	** Spider-Man's reaction when he finds Johnny, alive in the Negative Zone.
16	*** The rest of the team's reactions when Johnny announces his return in a way only he would - by lighting up the sky above New York with a flaming 4. Reed's astonished, Sue's crying tears of joy, and Ben finally fights past the DespairEventHorizon he had been approaching since Johnny's death in the first place.
17	** Hulk and Thor allowing Ben to work his frustrations out on them after Johnny's death. Especially with Hulk when one considers all the fights and confrontations these two have had over the years.
18	** Later, when Ben was [[AchillesInHisTent avoiding the rest of the team]] at Avengers' Mansion, Spider-Man was the one who managed to convince Ben to come back to his family.
19	** Victor Von Doom turning up at Johnny's funeral. He doesn't bother the Richards family, he just turns up & pays his respects before leaving.
20	* The end of one Christmas issue (#361, "Miracle on Yancy Street") sees Ben return home after being humiliated by the Yancy Street Gang, angrily ranting about what he'd like to do to them. He's immediately welcomed by the others, Reed offers him eggnog, Franklin hugs him, and Sue and Alicia both kiss him under the mistletoe. Though he does protest that "Yer all spoilin' a perfectly good bad mood," he's smiling and wishing everyone a merry Christmas by the next panel.
21	* The now-famous scene from the first issue of the Mark Waid/Mike Wieringo run where Reed tells Valeria about his real reason for starting the Fantastic Four: He knew it was ''his'' fault that his teammates ended up with their powers, and that they would be doomed to live lives as freaks or lab specimens... unless he turned the table and made them beloved celebrities and heroes. So that was exactly what he set out to do. And so that maybe, someday, he might be able to forgive himself.
22	--> '''Reed:''' Someday.
23	* The classic story "This Man, This Monster!" Reed is planning his first trip into the newly discovered Negative Zone and asks Ben to hold his safety line and pull him in. Unbeknowst to him, "Ben" is actually a jealous fellow scientist who plans to get rid of him. After spending some time with him, however, he begins to think Reed doesn't deserve his hatred. It climaxes when he ends up following Reed into the Zone.
24	** Reed, knowing that the two of them will die when they hit the atmosphere of the anti-Earth, repeatedly tells "Ben" that he shouldn't have come and gives him an "ItHasBeenAnHonor" speech.
25	** "Ben" having thrown Reed back in the direction of the portal, spends the last few moments of his life pondering how lucky he is to have had a chance to make up for what he's done wrong and to see what friendship is like.
26	** Ben comes into the lab just in time to see Reed grieving with Susan over his "death".
27	-->'''Ben''': The jaw-breaking, egg-headed square! He does have feelings after all!
28	** He then gets hugged by both Reed and Susan.
29	** Reed describing the imposter's HeroicSacrifice by saying that "some of [Ben's] heroism reached out... and touched him."
30	* Franklin's giddy excitement over meeting his future self.
31	--> '''Kid!Franklin''': I've always wanted a [[spoiler:pet Galactus]]!
32	--> '''Old!Franklin''': Me too.
33	* The Future Foundation kids decide that their first project will be giving Ben Grimm what he's always wanted - his normal body. ''And they do it'', but with slight catch: Ben will only be normal for one week of a the year, he'll have to be the Thing for the rest of the time.
34	** When Ben finally takes the formula, Johnny proceeds to give Ben the best week he's had in a long time, by taking him to do all of the things he's unable to do as the Thing, culminating in driving Ben to see Alicia.
35	* Valeria encouraging Bentley to talk to his "dad". He responds to his dad's attempt at BreakThemByTalking speech with a GroinAttack. Afterwards, there's Val holding Bentley's hand, leading to this:
36	--> '''Val''': You were awesome in there.
37	--> '''Bentley''': Thanks... I think I love you.
38	--> '''Val''': I'm three years old.
39	--> '''Bentley''': Don't ruin this for me.
40	--> '''Val''': Okay.
41	* Showing that even villains can have a heartwarming moment, ''Spider-Man Family'' #4 includes a short comic where the Puppet Master is creating a ComicBook/SpiderMan doll to use in one of his evil schemes, when he meets a young boy named Louis, who tells Puppet Master about his deceased mother and how his most treasured possessions are the action figures she gave him before her death. Louis is then attacked by 3 bullies, ({{Expy}}s of WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy), who throw his action figures into the lake. Here's the heartwarming part - Puppet Master not only comforts Louis, telling him he knows how Louis feels (his own mother died when he was young and he was often picked on, causing him to turn to his puppets as "friends"), he gives him the Spider-Man doll he was working on. I repeat - ''he abandons one of his evil plans to comfort a distraught boy''. If that isn't a PetTheDog moment, I don't know what is.
42	* ''ComicBook/MarvelTwoInOne'' #96 has Ben Grimm stuck in the hospital after a fight and a bunch of heroes go in to visit him. Even more, a bunch of villains decide to take the opportunity to beat him down, except for Doctor Doom, who deems it beneath him.
43	** The first heartwarming bit comes from the fact that numerous heroes and rivals come together to protect Ben from the army of villains.
44	** The second bit has Sandman being the only villain to break through... and he gives a six-pack and some cigars, noting that probably everyone else gave him flowers instead.
45	*** The reason Sandman was visiting Ben in the first place is pretty heartwarming; in MTIO #86, Ben encountered Sandman and instead of the usual dust-up, they ended up having a few beers together and Ben convinced Sandman to [[HeelFaceTurn go straight]]. Sandman had come to the hospital to thank him for being there when he needed someone.
46	* In The Thing's solo series, Ben decides to open a youth center on Yancy Street in order to help the kids there get a chance at a better life. At first, nobody's impressed because he decided to call it the Grimm Youth Center - until the end, when it's revealed that he was naming it after his deceased brother, the founder of the original Yancy Street Gang.
47	* Franklin's birthday during Hickman's run. Apart from the ComicBook/PowerPack reunion and Spider-Man giving Franklin a web-swinging piggy-back ride, Reed, Sue and Franklin invited Leech and Artie to stay with them, and Franklin and Val gave Artie a device that simulated his mental projection powers that he used to communicate, and that he lost during [[ComicBook/HouseOfM M-Day]].
48	* In ''Fantastic Four'' #606, when their beloved postman and family friend Willie Lumpkin is diagnosed with an inoperable tumor. the team shrink themselves to microscopic size and arrange to have themselves injected into his bloodstream to remove the tumor and save his life. Ben Grimm's reaction when the doctor informs the team the only hope is for a miracle says it all:
49	-->"A miracle...does that guy have any idea who he's talking to?"
50	* In issue 2 of the 2018 relaunch, we find the Richards family coming against a villainess who is out to obliterate the universes they created since ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015''. Reed claims that if he had the rest of his family, she would be defeated easily. She calls his bluff and demands he bring them there. She's expecting just Ben and Johnny. What she gets is more than Ben and Johnny, but a who's who of those who have been a part of the Fantastic Four or made their own FF. To Reed, they're not "teammates", they're extended family.
51	* In the third issue, before joining the combat with their extended family, Reed pulls the four in for a tearful group hug.
52	* In the first issue of the 2018 relaunch, Ben and Alicia get engaged. By the fifth issue, they finally get hitched and the comic makes sure that they go through with it thanks to the wonders of Reed's super-science.
53	* During the Point of Origin arc in the 2018 relaunch, the Four discover that their original mission, which they have decided to redo and complete, would have taken them into the planet Spyre, the ruler for whom amplified the cosmic rays bombarding the team. Reed’s shields really ''would '' have been strong enough. When they come back to Earth, Ben pulls out the battle of champagne that he was going to christen the Marvel-1 with, having saved it for all these years, and sharing it with Reed, apologising for all these years of blaming him for something that wasn’t his fault.
54	* There’s an old interaction from when Franklin was much younger. Ben was babysitting and patiently answering AdorablyPrecociousChild questions, when Franklin dropped this bombshell:
55	-->'''Franklin''' '''''Benjamin''''' '''Richards''': Uncle Ben, me and my dad have the same last name, so that means we’re related. But you and I have the same middle name. Does that mean ''we’re'' related, too?
56	-->'''"Uncle" Benjamin Grimm''': [[TearJerker Works for me kid.]] Works for me.
57	* In the alternate universe story ''Silver Surfer: Requiem'', the Surfer allows Mary Jane Watson-Parker to use the Power Cosmic (which amounted to flying in space on his board for a few hours) for her birthday as a favor to ComicBook/SpiderMan. When she returns, deeply moved by the experience, Spider-Man asks Norrin to use the Power Cosmic and let the entire world feel the freedom that the Surfer feels (and Mary Jane felt). Norrin complies with the request and unleashes a wave of energy so powerful, the entire world stops in its tracks.
58	--> '''Spider-Man:''' The only thing he ever wanted was to bring peace to the world. And for five minutes, he did just that.
59	** From the same story, Galactus returns to Zenn-La to offer the dying Norrin Radd a chance to live, but the Surfer refuses. Galactus, expecting Radd's final wish, promises to never harm Zenn-La or allow harm to befall it ("I would never allow anyone to harm the world that was the heart and soul of the most honorable being I have ever known"). The planet eater stays on Zenn-La during the three days of mourning for Norrin, then launches the Surfer's body into space, where it forms a bright new star to watch over the universe.
60	* In ''1-2-3-4'', written by Creator/GrantMorrison, when Reed undoes the reality altering affects of Doom's alien computer, he sums up his feelings for the Fantastic Four quite eloquently:
61	-->''"My family are an equation: alter one part of the equation and it no longer tells the truth. You failed at the start; you can't change our essential nature anymore than you can change E=Mc[[superscript:2]]...Alicia's part of the equation too. Daughter of the Puppet Master. My secret weapon. Oh, Sue, Johnny, Ben, my dearest friends, all of us so beautiful like a perfect emotional molecule turning in mathematical space."''
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Context Heartwarming / FantasticFour