Reed Richards has always been something of a prodigy, enrolling in college level courses at het age of fourteen. Richards attended numerous colleges including State University in Hegeman, New York. At State University, het met and became the roommate of Benjamin J. Grimm. Reed had already begun designing a starship capable of traveling in hyperspace. Sharing his plans with his new roommate, Grimm jokingly volunteered to pilot the craft. When Reed conttinued his education by attending Columbia University in Manhattan, he rented a room in a boarding house owned by the aunt of a young girl named Susan Storm. To his embarrassment, the young girl instantly fell in love with him. Years later, Richards began using his inheritance, along with goverment funding, to finance his reseach.  

Determined to reach the stars, the project began, based in Central City. Susan Storm, now an adult, moved into the area and within a short time found herself engaged to Reed. Likewise, Reed's old college roommate had gone on to become a successful test pilot and astronaut and was indeed slated to pilot the craft. All seened well; however, when the goverment threatened to cut funding and cancel the project, Reed, Grimm, Sue an her younger brother Johnny, all decided to sneak aboard the starship and take it up immediately. They knew they had not completed all the testing that had been planned but Reed was confident they would be safe. However, when their ship passed through te VAN ALLEN belt they found their cockpit bombarded with nearly lethal doses of cosmic radiation. Reed had somehow neglected to account for the abnormal radiation levels in the atmoshere. The cosmic rays wreaked havoc on the starship's insufficient shielding and they were forced to return to Earth immediately. The crew succesfully landed and almost instantly found that they had all been mutated. Reed found that his skin was malleable and that could elongate any portion of his body at will. Each member of the fateful crew in turn discovered how they had been significantly changed. Deciding to us this unexpected turn of events for the benfit of mankind, Richards convinced the others to band together. They soon came to be known as the Fantastic Four. Mr. Fantastic was chosen to lead the group. Under his guidance, the team went on to become Earth's most celebrated band of heroes. Together, they would save the wold countless times. Even driven by the quest for knowledge, Richards is believed by most to be the Earth's foremost intellingence. There is little that he cannot create, fix, or understand given time. The patents and royalties on his inventions alone have funded the group over the years. The use of the term "Fantastic" to describe anything about this man would not only be modest, it would indeed be a considerable understatement.

Ben Grimm is the hideously misshapen monster known as the Thing. Once a World War II veteran and ace test pilot, his life was changed forever on that fateful day when he was goaded by "Suzie" to fly Reed's ship. Sue even gave him his frighteningly appropriate name; "Ben's turned into some kind of a -- Thing!" Early on (and between issues #238-245) Ben was a lumpy Thing, unlike the rocky Thing we now know and love. Also, early on he was depicted as something of a monster with an incredible temper. He never truly got over being the Thing, although he did calm down -- a lot.

(known aliases include: Invisible Girl, Malice, Susan Benjamin)

Susan Storm is the eldest of the two children of Dr. Franklin and Mary Storm. She was born in Glenville, New York and was raised like most children, with the exception of one thing: her father was jailed for performing illegal medical procedures. When she was 12, she met Reed Richards (then 23) at her aunt's bording house. She was quite infatuated and tried to keep tabs on Reed for years to come.As Susan grew older, she became interested in acting and got a few small television roles. Upon learning that Reed was moving to California, she left to pursue both of her dreams: Reed Richards and a career in Hollywood.

She quickly captured Reed's heart and to pledge her faith in him, she offered her and her younger brother, Johnny, as human guinea pigs for his experimental rocket ship. Sue was the first to find her super powers after the rocket crashed just outside of Central City, California. Initially, Sue could only become invisible at will; but over the years she gained the strength to render other objects invisible as well as create invisible force fields. Reed and his father, Nathaniel, have theorized the her powers stem from Hyperspace, giving her virtually a limitless supply of energy.

Shortly after the creation of the Fantastic Four, Susan designed their first uniforms. And not long afterwards she married Reed Richards and bore him a son, Franklin. Her first pregnancy was filled with complications, and she would have died if the remaining members of the FF borrow Annihilus' Cosmic Control Rod to save her life. Although her second pregnancy was not as life-threatening, their second child was still-born. It seems unlikely that she can bear any more children, and her doctor has recommended against it.

After Reed's apparent death, Sue took up leadership of the Fantastic Four. She quickly became more than a power to be reckoned with. After Reed's return however, she had been somewhat reluctant to give up her status of authority. Since her son was captured by Onslaught, and his powers severely depleted by creating and maintaining the Franklinverse, Susan seems to be returning to a more motherly role, hoping to raise her child in a more stable environment.