The Fantastic Four's debut in the MCU finally brings the iconic comic book team to the franchise, opening up the possibility for decades of stories and characters to emerge in live-action. The 1980s in particular offer many great storytelling opportunities for the MCU, as this period saw the team evolve in considerable ways.

She-Hulk joined the team during the 1980s during John Byrne's legendary run on the title, something that feels inevitable in the MCU. The cosmic supervillain Galactus also gained new dimension in a critical storyline certain to play out on screen in the future, especially as the MCU continues to add more nuance to its villains.

Secret Wars #12

An image of Mr. Fantastic and the Fantastic Four in Marvel Comic's Secret Wars.

Avengers: Secret Wars likely leans on the 2015 comic storyline, among the most important Marvel Comics ever, for inspiration. But the 1985 original may offer some as well, especially as it represents a key moment for the Fantastic Four and especially The Thing. In Secret Wars #12, Ben Grimm leaves the team.

Grimm chooses to stay on Battleworld after he discovers that he can revert back to his human form there. This shakes the team's roster in major ways that could happen in the MCU, though likely not for a long time.

The Thing #35

Sharon Ventura becomes Ms. Marvel in Marvel Comics.

The Thing #35 from the character's first solo series introduced Sharon Ventura as Ms. Marvel for the first time, an often-overlooked character now but a key figure in Fantastic Four lore. Her transformation in this issue makes it not only a milestone in Ms. Marvel lore but important as she eventually joins the Fantastic Four.

Sharon falls in love with Ben Grimm and goes back to the team with him after his series ends with the very next issue, setting up a complex and unusual narrative arc that eventually transforms her into the She-Thing.

Amazing Spider-Man #258

Spider-Man goes to the Fantastic Four for help with his black costume in Marvel Comics.

The Fantastic Four play a small but key role in Amazing Spider-Man #258, a momentous issue in the saga of Spider-Man's black costume. This issue also ranks among the best Spider-Man comic books from the 1980s as this is where Spider-Man, with Mr. Fantastic's help, discovers the black suit is actually a living alien symbiote.

Mr. Fantastic examines the suit and confirms his worst fears, leading to a fraught storyline that ultimately produces Venom when the symbiote bonds with Eddie Brock in later issues.

Fantastic Four #284

Sue Storm becomes the Invisible Woman in Marvel Comics.

Fantastic Four #284 not only features one of the most iconic She-Hulk comic book panels ever, it also includes a monumental moment in Fantastic Four history. The issue, written and drawn by Byrne, sees Sue Storm leave behind The Invisible Girl moniker for The Invisible Woman after a battle with Psycho-Man.

This change seems obvious in retrospect but took twenty years to emerge in the comics. Sue grows in leaps and bounds during this period, in character as well as in power.

Fantastic Four #267

Mr. Fantastic learns Sue lost their baby in Marvel Comics.

The team faces all kinds of extraordinary cosmic threats like Galactus or Annihilius but Fantastic Four #267 distinguishes itself with a much more personal story. Sue Storm suffers a miscarriage in this issue from Byrne's seminal 1980s run, introducing true heartbreak and tragedy into the team's dynamic for really the first time in their history.

Mr. Fantastic races against time to avoid the tragic outcome, going so far as to enlist Doctor Octopus' help. This leads only to petty conflict and Reed can do nothing in the end.

X-Men Annual #14

Rachel Summers and an adult Franklin Richards are attacked in Marvel Comics.

Marvel Comics fans know Rachel Summers plays an important role in X-Men mythology but she also shares a powerful connection to the Fantastic Four. X-Men Annual #14 goes back to the future to explore Rachel's relationship with Franklin Summers, who died in the unforgettable Uncanny X-Men #141, the opening gambit in Days of Future Past.

Franklin comes back to the present in the story, surprising Rachel and everyone else given his tragic fate in the future. This issue, featuring incredible art from Art Adams, sees Rachel come to terms in many ways with her tragic past. She also finds acceptance among the present-day X-Men and Fantastic Four who are bonded in another major way - Reed and Sue play a role in Jean Grey's resurrection in Fantastic Four #282.

Fantastic Four #265

She-Hulk and Human Torch joining the fight in Fantastic Four 265.

Byrne established his appreciation for She-Hulk in the best She-Hulk comic books ever but his connection to the character goes back even earlier. He brought her to the Fantastic Four in Fantastic Four #265, making this issue a must-read for fans of the team and She-Hulk alike.

She-Hulk comes to the team after The Thing remains on Battleworld, and he establishes a rapport with her. She injects new energy to the team and remains with them for some time, participating in their greatest battles from the era.

Fantastic Four #236

The Fantastic Four run to their rocket in Marvel Comics.

Byrne took the team away from epic battles once again in issue #236, an unusual story with lingering power. The twentieth-anniversary issue celebrates the team's iconic origin but splinters off into an unsettling alternate reality where the team lives quaint suburban lives in Liddleville, with no memory of their adventures.

They slowly rediscover their memories through unsettling nightmares and learn their reality isn't reality at all. The story prefigures atypical Marvel stories that would follow, including The Vision by Tom King, and The Vision And The Scarlet Witch by Steve Englehart and Richard Howell, which inspired WandaVision.

Fantastic Four #262

Reed RIchards on trial for saving Galactus in Marvel Comics.

The team evolves far beyond simple superhero adventures in the 1980s and few comic book issues from the period reflect that better than Fantastic Four #262. This issue, perhaps the apex of Byrne's run, sees numerous alien races put Reed Richards on trial for saving Galactus' life in a previous storyline.

Few people accept Reed's decision, especially given the destruction that the cosmic entity inflicts on existence, but the story examines Galactus' role in nature. Eternity appears during the trial to reveal Galactus plays a natural role in the cosmological cycle, functioning as any other predator in their respective environments. This puts Galactus in a completely different light and positions the Fantastic Four as a much more sophisticated book than many others at the time.