MA4 6889 Advanced Game Official Accessory The FANTASTIC FOUR™ Compendium by David E. Martin All Marvel characters and the distinctive likenesses thereof The names of characters used herein are fictitious and do are trademarks of the Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. not refer to any person living or dead. Any descriptions MARVEL SUPER HEROES and MARVEL SUPER VILLAINS including similarities to persons living or dead are merely co- are trademarks of the Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. incidental. PRODUCTS OF YOUR IMAGINATION and the ©Copyright 1987 Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. All TSR logo are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. Game Design Rights Reserved. Printed in USA. ©1987 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. b Table of Contents Introduction . 2 A Brief History of the FANTASTIC FOUR . 2 The Fantastic Four . 3 Friends of the FF. 11 Races and Organizations . 25 Fiends and Foes . 38 Travel Guide . 76 Vehicles . 93 “From The Beginning Comes the End!” — A Fantastic Four Adventure . 96 Index. 102 This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written consent of TSR, Inc., and Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Distributed to the book trade in the United States by Random House, Inc., and in Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors. All characters appearing in this gamebook and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of the Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. MARVEL SUPER HEROES and MARVEL SUPER VILLAINS are trademarks of the Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. © Copyright 1987 Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Game Design © 1987 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. Credits: Author: David E. Martin Typographer: Marilyn Favaro, Kim N. Lindau Editor: Christopher Mortika, Scott Haring Keyliner: Stephanie Tabat Cover Artist: Butler and Machlan Interior Artists: The Marvel Bullpen This book is dedicated to Jack Kirby in A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE the starship on a secret, unauthorized appreciation of his unique contribution to FANTASTIC FOUR test flight. Reed would ride as co-pilot. the field of comic books. Sue and Johnny Storm forced Reed to The Fantastic Four has its origins at let them come along as observers. INTRODUCTION Empire State University in New York The flight began smoothly; the four Welcome to the world of the Fantastic state. There, two young geniuses and a snuck into the launch site and blasted off Four. The FF are a unique group unlike rough-hewn athlete came together. Reed before anyone noticed. The trouble came any other in the modern Marvel Uni- Richards, son of the billionaire inventor when the ship was in orbit. Reed had verse. They were the first members of Nathaniel Richards, was roommates with been forced to cut back on the radiation the class of modern superhumans. They football player Ben Grimm. Although they shielding of his prototype. It was safe were the first superheroic team to form came from opposite backgrounds, Reed enough for the normal hazards of space, since the disappearance of such groups and Ben became close friends. They but it was unprepared for the freak com- in the early 1950s. The FF were the first confessed their dreams to each other. bination of sunspot activity and cosmic superheroic team to be financially self- Reed wanted to build a starship. Jok- radiation that affected the ship and the supporting. Most importantly, two and a ingly, Ben agreed to pilot the ship when foursome. The ship dove back to Earth. half decades of printed adventures make it was built. The ship crashed near Ithaca, New the FF the stablest team in the history of Reed also met the strange genius, York. Miraculously, the four had survived, the Marvel Universe. Victor von Doom, from the eastern Euro- but they had been changed. The weird The FF represent a curious blend of pean country of Latveria. Reed recog- energy had mutated their genes and traditional superheroes and scientific nized a genius equal to his own. He did given them super powers. In the middle adventurers. The FF have never been not realize that Von Doom’s ego far sur- of the crash site, they realized they now primarily a crime-fighting organization. passed his intellect. Reed discovered had a responsibility to use their powers Their primary efforts have instead in- von Doom was carrying on dangerous to help humanity. Henceforth they would volved discovery, investigation, and ex- experiments and using flawed calcula- be known as the Fantastic Four. ploration of unknown or abnormal tions to guide his efforts. When Reed Fortunately, Reed still had enough of scientific phenomena. Through Reed attempted to correct von Doom’s calcula- his fortune left to bankroll what was to be Richards’ leadership, the FF have intro- tions, the latter saw it as interference and the first new super-hero team since duced such things as Earth’s first star- sabotage. Von Doom’s experiments liter- World War II. They left California to set ship, the Negative Zone, the Microverse, ally blew up in his face. He left the U.S. up operations in New York City. In the alien races, new worlds, and a nearly to pursue other studies that would even- years that followed, the Fantastic Four infinite array of inventions including the tually transform him into the dreaded Dr. fulfilled Reed’s dream of benefitting and superheroes’ tailor’s friend, Unstable Doom. protecting humanity. Reed’s inventions Molecules. As Reed progressed in college, he met made giant strides in technology. More Like any benevolent superheroic team, a young girt, Sue Storm, who would importantly, the group fought the emerg- the FF possess a Rogues’ Gallery of someday become his wife, and her pre- ing string of self-proclaimed super- adversaries. The FF’s annals have cocious brother, Johnny. villains and the early wave of alien brought us such memorable villains as Eventually Reed began to apply his invasions. The FFs greatest feat was Dr. Doom, Galactus, the Skrulls, and the skills to increase mankind’s knowledge. defending the Earth against Galactus, ne’er-do-wells of the Frightful Four. His father had disappeared and left him Devourer of Worlds, not once but three This book is designed to serve as a two billion dollars. Reed decided to use times. guide to the world of the FF. It may be the money to build his starship. He gath- Time changed the team. Reed and read as a comics reference book or as a ered additional funding from the U.S. Sue married and had a son. Ben fell in sourcebook for gamers seeking to play government, which supplied him with a love with with Alicia Masters, a famous out the FF’s history. The first chapter base of operations near Central City, sculptor, then lost her to Johnny. Reed covers the team itself in all its various California. Sue joined Reed there. While and Sue separated over Reed’s drastic incarnations. The second chapter deals Reed’s ship was still in the planning method of dampening their son’s powers. with family and friends of the FF. The stage, the four met and defeated their Other members came and went. Their third section is an overview of various first alien invader, Gormuu. This spurred headquarters, the Baxter Building, was races and organizations closely tied to Reed to double his efforts because he wrecked several times, then sliced from the FF, whether as allies or adversaries. saw his inventions as a way of defending its foundation, and finally destroyed. Now Important individuals in each group are humanity from alien threats. Reed was they have a new headquarters and a new detailed as well their homelands and soon to know how correct he was. team roster. Reed, Sue, and Franklin equipment. Fourth comes the Fiends and The government began to have sec- have left the team for a life in the sub- Foes, the listing of various of the FF’s ond thoughts about their financial role in urbs. Ben now leads the team. Life goes adversaries. In fifth place is the Travel Reed’s project. Reed feared they would on, things change, and so it goes with Guide, a guide to places and buildings soon withdraw their support. Since Reed the Fantastic Four. featured in the FF’s history, including the had exhausted much of his own fortune, Baxter Building and Four Freedoms the project would come to a halt unless Plaza. The book concludes with a sec- he took a drastic step. He reminded his tion detailing the vehicles that have old friend Ben, now an Air Force test served the FF through its long history. pilot, of an old promise. Ben was to fly 2 THE FANTASTIC FOUR The Fantastic Four Inc. is one of the best hold the rest of Fantastic Four). known super-heroic organizations in the • Imitation—Reed can alter his basic world. It makes its services available features to resemble any other man without charge anyplace in the world with his hair and skin tone. there is a threat beyond the capabilities • Phasing—Reed can lower his body’s of conventional forces. The group also cohesion to such an extend he can does applied scientific research; rev- actually flow through minute openings. enues from patent leases makes the FF • Shapeshifting—Reed can transform one of the most profitable groups himself into any solid mass he can around. Like most superheroic teams, imagine. Normally he takes such forms the FF remain an independent organiza- as spheres, rectangular solids, pyra- tion free of government control.