The Fantastic Four are the first family of Marvel Comics, kicking off the nascent Marvel Universe in 1961. As much as they're related through blood and marriage, the team is also a tight-knit group of friends that includes more than just the core four. And some of those friendships aren't exactly what fans might expect.
With so many years and adventures under their belts, the Fantastic Four have been there and back again with many of their villains, allies, and even themselves. And, many unexpected twists and turns produced some unique friendships in the comics that might provide some inspiration for the upcoming MCU movie.
Doctor Doom And Reed Richards
Doctor Doom and Reed Richards have been bitter rivals since the very beginning of Marvel Comics. They've even killed each other, in some of the most heartbreaking deaths in Fantastic Four history.
But through it all, they've developed a grudging respect for one another. At the end of the 2015 Secret Wars storyline, Reed Richards remakes reality, and in doing so, he heals Doom's scarred face. In Marvel Two In One #5 a few years later, the two worked side by side together to save the world.
She-Hulk And Jazinda The Skrull
The Skrulls and Fantastic Four are traditional enemies, but not so with one-time member She-Hulk and the daughter of the Super Skrull, Jazinda. Jazinda came to Earth in search of a relic but abandoned her mission. She became unlikely friends with She-Hulk after her first appearance in She-Hulk #22, with the two finding some common ground as women who don't quite fit in.
Jazinda even morphed into the human form of Jennifer Walters, creating an odd dynamic between them. With all the Skrull action in the MCU, their relationship is definitely one She-Hulk comic storyline that could play into the upcoming streaming series.
Namor And Hope Summers
Namor is a sometimes villain, sometimes ally of the Fantastic Four. He's also part of one of the team's strangest romances. But the prickly, arrogant prince of Atlantis can show a softer side, too, as he did with Hope Summers.
The two became unlikely friends after the fallout of the huge Avengers Vs. X-Men event, which saw both teams duke it out over the fate of Hope. This bond is strictly platonic, and based on a mutual respect for one another that is very, very rare for Namor.
Doctor Doom And Silver Sable
Doctor Doom is one of the most heinous Marvel supervillains, which makes any alliance with heroes unlikely. And yet he does maintain some allies, even if they're strategic. A good example is Silver Sable, whose home country of Symkaria is adjacent to Doom's Latveria. Sable has on occasion acknowledged Doom as a friend, though that may have been political.
That said, the political relationship between their countries goes back to at least World War II, and is valued on both sides. The two hold an annual dinner at Castle Doom, where Sable and Doom put aside any differences they may have.
Silver Surfer And Alicia Masters
One of the more charming and unexpected friendships among the Fantastic Four involves Alicia Masters, the longtime love interest of Ben Grimm, and the Silver Surfer.
In his first appearance, he crashes into her apartment after fighting the Fantastic Four. It's Alicia's pleas for him to consider the value of life, which he had forgotten somewhat as the Herald Of Galactus, that leads him to rebel against his master. Surfer and Alicia were later romantic, but their relationship is rooted in true friendship.
Reed Richards And Galactus
Galactus is one possible successor to Thanos as the big bad in the MCU. He's certainly among the greatest rivals of Reed Richards, which is why it's unlikely that the two ever found common ground. But they did, and it actually saved Richards' life.
Reed Richards is in fact Galactus' favorite Marvel superhero, as revealed in Fantastic Four #262, written and drawn by John Byrne, when Richards is on trial for his life. Galactus intervenes and testifies that Richards once saved him after the Avengers had killed Galactus in an earlier battle.
Agatha Harkness And Scarlet Witch
Agatha Harkness is a phenomenon now thanks to WandaVision, but the powerful witch actually has her strongest association with the Fantastic Four. She was introduced as the governess for Franklin Richards in her first comic storyline in Fantastic Four #94.
From there, she went on to form an unlikely but critical friendship with the Scarlet Witch. The two are enemies in the MCU, but they were teacher and student in the comics, with Agatha teaching Wanda about magic and helping her expand her powers greatly.
Doctor Doom And Valeria Richards
One of the most unusual relationships in the Fantastic Four is between Doctor Doom and the daughter of Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman, Valeria Richards. Doom helped deliver the girl in a difficult moment with his expert knowledge of magic. Doom then named her after his first love, Valeria.
Doom being Doom, he forged a magical link with her to use her as a spy effectively to bring down the FF, but this failed. Nevertheless, he maintains a special bond with her and is very protective of her now that she is a teenager. Likewise, she cares for him and has had a humanizing effect on him.
The Thing And Human Torch
Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm are two of the closest people in the very tight-knit Fantastic Four, but it didn't start out that way. The two were oil and water in the beginning.
Johnny is the happy-go-lucky member of the team, ecstatic over his newfound powers, whereas Ben was burdened by them. This friction led to a lot of blow-ups early on in the legendary run by writer Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, but the two eventually became close friends and in many ways, family.
Human Torch & Spider-Man
Another classic pair that didn't start out so hot is the Human Torch and Spider-Man. Today, Peter Parker and Johnny Storm are close friends. Peter even took Johnny's place on the Fantastic Four when it had appeared Johnny died. But like with Ben Grimm, things didn't start great.
The team actually played a role in The Amazing Spider-Man #1 back in 1963, and Johnny speaks at Peter's school. His advice about never giving up motivates Peter, but when they meet after Johnny blows him off. Johnny was later upset about Spidey's press, and this professional jealousy continued into the 70s until they became fast friends.