COMICS: Marvel Reveals Which Member Dies In Fantastic Four #587!

SPOILER WARNING: Read no further if you don't want to know which member of the Fantastic Four perishes in the latest issue of the comic that is set for an early release today...

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By Josh Wilding - 1/25/2011
Reed Richards, Mr. Fantastic, is trying to save millions of people from perishing as Galactus consumes a planet. His wife Susan Richards, Invisible Woman, is right in the middle of a vicious underwater meeting with old Atlanteans and Namor. And Sue's brother Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm (who's temporarily reverted back to a human condition from his usual monstrous Thing mode) have to save the world and a group of kids when Annihilus and his bug-like army try to escape the Negative Zone.

WARNING: Major Spoilers Ahead! Read no further if you've not read the issue or would rather not find out who dies!

But is in fact the Human Torch who dies in battle, as Johnny sacrifices himself to close the door and fend off the horde as Grimm reverts back to his orange rocky self, too late to help.

Here are some excerpts from the press release which Marvel released earlier today after several news outlets actually leaked the news hours before the issue hits stands in the US.

"We didn't want to give it away," Hickman says. "It's so impossible to keep it a secret nowadays. Readers are smart enough that if you do too much revealing or foreshadowing, they'll completely pick up on it. There's probably a pretty large segment out there where plenty of people will have guessed it was Johnny. But we left enough confusion that the story's still interesting and a sense of peril to everyone only heightens attention."

"This isn't just bread and circuses for the sake of doing bread and circuses," Brevoort explains. "This is about a larger transformation of the Fantastic Four — the book, the characters, the franchise, everything."

"By this time next year, it will be something completely different that will still have some of the touchstones and flavor of the current Fantastic Four, but that hopefully it will seem exciting and different and new and modern to people who maybe have taken the FF as a property and a crew of characters for granted because they've been around for so long."


So, why Johnny?

"There were a lot of reasons why Johnny. It wasn't like his time had come or anything like that."

And the future of Johnny Storm?

"Who knows — next year or 10 years from now, it could be an entirely different crop of people going, 'I'd really like to bring the Human Torch back. That'd be fun!' I can't worry about that. What I can worry about is telling the strongest, most touching stories we can."
Source: SF Gate
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broncosfantx - 1/25/2011, 5:54 AM
DAMN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
imnotwearinghockeypants - 1/25/2011, 6:10 AM
Comic deaths. Pfffftt.
StrangerX - 1/25/2011, 6:10 AM
Damn you Chris Evans,, you killed the Human Torch.
dellamorte1872 - 1/25/2011, 6:11 AM
obviously! i woulda killed ol' matchstick myself if it was my book too. he is the most expendable character
Grimm - 1/25/2011, 6:11 AM
He was always the smart ass anyway... At least I'm still here.
Comedian03 - 1/25/2011, 6:13 AM
Congrats on posting something that was already posted on here a few hours ago lol
avengingson - 1/25/2011, 6:16 AM
Yeah, I kinda wish it was Sue. Maybe they'll try to make her more interesting now.
NextHero08 - 1/25/2011, 6:19 AM
This was always obvious, Reed and Susan eventually have two kids, Ben eventually lives his life wit someone, everybody has a future and a story, Torch didn't, he was more like the comic relief and he's more powerful than any of the other fantastic four so he never really fit anyway.Could be a solo hero if he wanted, be a great team up wit Spiderman since they like to talk. Didn't take genius to figure this out.
sithenor - 1/25/2011, 6:21 AM
good times and bum times, I've seen 'em all and my dear, I'm still here.
Plush velvet sometimes, sometimes just pretzels and beer, but I'm here.
marvel72 - 1/25/2011, 6:23 AM
the right one died.

maybe franklin powers will start devolping more & he will become the newest member of the fantastic four.

anyway see you in a year or so,no one stays dead for to long.

marvel trend of killing decent characters continues.

-cable
-nightcrawler
-sentry
-doc samson
-black bolt
-jean grey (7 years must be close to a record)
SageMode - 1/25/2011, 6:35 AM
He'll be back. I mean come on, its comics. They Always come back.
Skeletor - 1/25/2011, 6:38 AM
@Xenix

Killing the thing automatically means I won't be buying Fantastic Four books. He's pretty much the only visually unique person on the team, even when they aren't fighting villains.
StrangerX - 1/25/2011, 6:38 AM
@SageMode- Yea, and I'm sure bringing him back will be a major event in 2-3 yrs.
imnotwearinghockeypants - 1/25/2011, 6:41 AM
You know what would be interesting? If Marvel started aging the characters in real time. So if Franklin is 10 or whatever now, he'll be 20 in 10 years and his parents would age equally. Then we could see some upheaval in Marvel that would actually stick and kids could get in on new heroes that would be only for THEIR generation. How outdated is the FF? No one cares anymore.
robdel - 1/25/2011, 6:50 AM
They should have killed off Sue. This way Reed could eventually meet a new woman and start over. Franklin or Johnny can get revenge. Killing Johnny is inconsequential since he's single, but it could cause friction between Sue and Reed.

They'll bring Johnny back right before the new FF movie reboot opens.
LEEE777 - 1/25/2011, 6:56 AM
Lol, he'll be back in 5 months! : P

Till then bring in SHE-HULK!



; )
kirynthemighty - 1/25/2011, 6:56 AM
@Marvel72 Really?? The fuqin Sentry was a decent character?? That has to be the worst character they have come up with in a long time. During Dark Reign and The Siege, I was so freakin sick and tired hearing about this stupid, boring, yet god like character it was ridiculous. Best thing they could have done was kill him off, and I hope he stays dead permanently. Worst character ever, well worst character ever that had a HUGE part in the marvel universe.

No offense to you btw, I just really hate that character and couldn't believe it was in a list of "decent" character.
Watcher - 1/25/2011, 6:57 AM
:(
LEEE777 - 1/25/2011, 6:57 AM
P.S. I hope ULTIMATE SPIDEY stays dead tho... now just gotta kill the rest off! ; D
JoshWilding - 1/25/2011, 7:00 AM
I'll reserve judgement until I read the issue, but they've killed the one character I was most desperate for them not to. Hickman hasnt impressed me at all with his run so far, and I'm now having second thoughts about picking up "Fantastic Three". :(

R.I.P Johnny. (but only for a few months I hope, lol)
ThePunisher - 1/25/2011, 7:14 AM
The only two characters that Marvel killed off which they shouldn't have were Captain America and The Punisher. It doesn't matter though because both of those characters are back now.
icebergslick - 1/25/2011, 7:17 AM
@ Grimm LOL! That was great

As far as Johnny dying.....at least he died a heroic death. He'll be back when Marvel sees fit. I was more hurt when The Sentry died last year. Looking forward to 3 shirts being manufactured for the fans since there is no more Fantastic Four.
cptamericanotsomuch - 1/25/2011, 7:19 AM
This one is for u Hommie!!!
marvel72 - 1/25/2011, 7:21 AM
@ kirynthemighty

i actually liked the sentry,i thought he was pretty good.

very powerful up there with the silver surfer & the phoenix.

marvel.com done a poll the other day,that was which character would you like to see come back from the dead ? sentry won with 32% of the vote ares was second.

so you never know.
zachman2013 - 1/25/2011, 7:38 AM
i nominate spiderman hes gone on adventures with them before...but no change to the costume
Shadowmaster35 - 1/25/2011, 8:21 AM
Marvel is killin off a lotta people in the last few years; cable, nightcrawler, sentry, black bolt, and vulcan and now johnny. i was pretty sure that it was gonna be sue who bit the dust leavin reed to mope around with the kids. ohh well; next up up to bat is spider-man isn't it?
Shaman - 1/25/2011, 8:24 AM
Well that sucks. Now, with Johnny gone, all they'll do is replace him with Iceman and it will be as if nothing had changed because he's practically the same character.
SHHH - 1/25/2011, 8:30 AM


KidZombie - 1/25/2011, 8:48 AM
Wow everyone was predicting Reed. Cool it wasn't him. I guess Human Torch is the only member who hasn't died yet in some shape or form, so it was his due. Knew it wouldn't be Thing, he is an avenger now.
dancingmonkey08 - 1/25/2011, 8:50 AM
nooooooooooo...I know he will be back next week but still..nooooooooooooooo

why couldnt it have been the nerrrrrrrrrrddddddd?!

lol@SHHH
MeanMachineAngel - 1/25/2011, 9:04 AM
@SHHH Any idea what that is from?
SHHH - 1/25/2011, 9:11 AM
Commercial for TOSH 2.0...
Rhys - 1/25/2011, 9:17 AM
I knew it was gonna be Johnny or Sue. It makes sense who they picked though, really.

Although I gotta admit, as soon as I heard the word GALACTUS, I was hoping he'd murder someone! XD
SpiderBat209 - 1/25/2011, 9:18 AM
R.I.P Johnny Storm! :(
Akercocke - 1/25/2011, 10:18 AM
It had to be the torch, I mean, he's Captain America now.
xinstituto - 1/25/2011, 10:47 AM
They can borrow Match from X-Men
batfan39 - 1/25/2011, 11:09 AM
@toughGrappler... yeah.. that's about the average. Might be less.
Growler - 1/25/2011, 11:34 AM
Ten years?
RIght.
Armageddon26 - 1/25/2011, 12:12 PM
Nightcrawler,Cable,Sabertooth,Sentry,Ares,Black Bolt,Doc Sampson,..........and now The Human Torch,what is marvel coming to,killing off all the lesser importance characters to bring new guys in
ACira - 1/25/2011, 12:19 PM
my heart sank when i read this, Torch is my favourite member of the F4 and he had so much potential...
spectre88 - 1/25/2011, 12:44 PM
Bring back Hammond! They might be able to use him like they used Bucky.
Mercenary - 1/25/2011, 12:51 PM
the human torch is probably going to be replaced with steve rogers
BaneNascent - 1/25/2011, 12:54 PM
I liked Johnny Storm the way he was. People complain about light hearted characters as if it is a crime. I think Marvel creators are running out of ideas. Every new story arc somebody dies. Sentry (and Ares but he came back to life) died in Siege, Wasp died in Secret Invasion, bolth Captain A and Goliath died in Civil War. Most everybody died in Onslaught and then was reborn in "Heroes reborn". They did a simular story swap with House of M where the characters got recreated in some way with the alternate reality of Scarlet Witch.

Basicly Marvel takes a fat sweaty dump on their heroes and calls it soap opera. Marvel characters feign death more then a hunter with agro. It used to work but I think people are catching on...
thereaper27 - 1/25/2011, 1:06 PM
he was the only decent character.....should have killed off the rest
Armageddon26 - 1/25/2011, 2:02 PM
It is 616 universe
skullboy - 1/25/2011, 3:07 PM
Sigh, another death for sale's sake.

Photobucket
question83 - 1/25/2011, 3:11 PM
From the words of the writer himself :

Johnny was the choice because, thematically, all the stuff I’m trying to do — the world as it is, and Reed always saying how the world should be — this elevates the conflict in that. Johnny represents childlike idealism, and he’s always been that guy on the team. Removing him from that, I guess it makes the world of the FF more like our own, a little darker.

So why the hell everything has to be "dark" or "gritty" or "realistic" ? You know what ? I blame The Dark Knight. It was a great movie in his own right, but both movie and comic book writers have yet to realize that NOT EVERY SUPERHERO HAS TO BE BATMAN ! Whats wrong with idealism and optimism ? To me FF was always all abot escapism from mundayne reality. FF are explorers, inventors, not gritty urban vigilantes.And their team dynamic was perfect.
This whole thing represents the worst case of publicity stunt. Everybody knows that Torch will be back, and ten years from now Hickman will be trying to forget about this.
comicb00kguy - 1/25/2011, 3:47 PM
Meh. Johnny Storm will be back in a year or so. Here we have yet another desperate attempt to use a "cheap shock" to sell books. It seems like the only way they can sell comics anymore is with endless overblown "events" or with cheap shocks- something lame like killing off a major character or revealing a secret identity. Whatever happened to the days when comic creators could sell books by having interesting ideas and writing good stories?

Am I to understand that we do have one exception to this, and Jean Grey has stayed dead again for several years now? Amazing.

Wiredwizard - 1/25/2011, 4:44 PM
=shrug= Whatever. No-one stays dead in the comics, plus I never cared for the FF to begin with.
cgrass5150 - 1/25/2011, 9:12 PM
I've been a diehard F.F. fan since 1975 and have to admit that Hickman deserves credit for breathing some life back into this title and creating a buzz. However, I feel Johnny's death was unoriginal, underwhelming, and unnecessary.
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