Fantastic Four Vol 1 94

	Published
	January, 1970
"The Return of the Frightful Four"
	Writer Stan Lee; Penciler Jack Kirby; Inker Joe Sinnott; Letterer Sam Rosen; Editor Stan Lee;

I merely seek revenge... Revenge on the Fantastic Four in anyway I can get it!

-- The Wizard

Appearing in "The Return of the Frightful Four"

Featured Characters:

Fantastic Four

Supporting Characters:

Agatha Harkness (First appearance)

Antagonists:

Frightful Four

Other Characters:

Franklin Richards (Real name first revealed)
Ebony (First appearance)

Locations:

United States of America
- New York City, New York State
  - Manhattan
    - Baxter Building
- Whisper Hill (First appearance)

Items:

Paste-Gun

Vehicles:

Fantasti-Car MK II

Synopsis for "The Return of the Frightful Four"

Deciding to name their baby Franklin Benjamin Richards (honoring both Sue's father and Ben) Reed informs his friends that they are going to bring baby Franklin to a child rearing expert named Agatha Harkness, who lives in a mansion on Whisper Hill. What the team is unaware of is that the Frightful Four has reunited and plans to attack during their visit with Agatha Harkness.

That night after introductions are made, the FF retire for the night as guests of Agatha. When the Frightful Four break into the mansion, they incapacitate Ben and the Torch, then trap Reed and Sue in their room. Planning to kidnap Franklin, they are first stopped by Medusa who had only joined up with the group to help protect the FF from them. However, she is bound by the Trapster's paste, but the Frightful Four are then defeated by Agatha and her cat Ebony, unleashing her magical might and defeating each member with ease.

When the FF free themselves, they are shocked to find all the villains defeated. They find Agatha quietly rocking Franklin to sleep. When the Thing spies a book about the Salem witches, Agatha hints at the fact that she herself is truly a witch, which spooks Ben.

Solicit Synopsis

The return of the Frightful Four! With mystic witchcraft — and a brand new character!

Notes

Continuity Notes

Reed and Sue's son was born in Fantastic Four Annual #6, his name here is in honor of Sue and Johnny's father Franklin Storm who sacrificed his life to save the Fantastic Four from a Skrull bomb in Fantastic Four #32.

Although heavily implied here, Agatha Harkness it is clarified that Agatha Harkness is a witch in Fantastic Four #110. Her origins have been years in the making, her earliest noted appearance was in Silver Surfer Vol 3 #135 which dates her existence to half a century prior to the fall of Atlantis. In more recent times she was seen in the town of Salem, Massachusetts during the Salem witch trials circa 1692 as seen in Nova Vol 2 #6-7. She later established the hidden community of New Salem, Colorado. Eventually, she abandoned her commune to live on Whisper Hill as explained in Fantastic Four #185.

The period of time is briefly visited by the spirit of Ben Grimm's future self in Domination Factor Fantastic Four #1.1 who was on a quest to retrieve a slice of a Golden Apples of Idunn. As a result of the events in Domination Factor Fantastic Four #1.1-4.7 and Domination Factor: Avengers #1.2-4.8 a divergent reality of Earth-8921 is created.

Publication Notes

This issue features a letters page, Fantastic Four Fan Page. Letters are published from Andrew Warner, John Daugherty, Drew Zuckerwise, Wayne Fredrickson, and R.E. Plummer.

Trivia

The Fantasti-Car depicted this issue has no side passenger components. It is noted to have been recently modified by Johnny Storm and appears to be more aerodynamic.