Frightful Four

Publication history

The Frightful Four first appeared in Fantastic Four #36 (March 1965), and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

The team subsequently appears in Fantastic Four #94 (January 1970), #129 (December 1972), #148 (July 1974), #177 (December 1976), Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #42 (May 1980), The Amazing Spider-Man #214-215 (March–April 1981), Fantastic Four #326-328 (May–July 1989), Fantastic Four Unlimited #5 (March 1994), The Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #418 (June 1994), Deadpool vol. 3 #35 (December 1999), Fantastic Four vol. 3 #29 (May 2000), and Fantastic Four #514 (August 2004), and #547-549, and Superior Carnage #1-5 (2014).

The Frightful Four received an entry in The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89 #3.

Fictional team biography

The Frightful Four first appears in Fantastic Four #36, consisting of Wizard, Sandman, Paste-Pot Pete (later called Trapster), and an amnesiac Medusa. The villains are originally fairly successful, almost defeating the Fantastic Four during Susan Storm and Reed Richards's engagement party in their first appearance. They capture all the members except the Human Torch, who frees the others.

Wizard uses a hypnosis device on the Thing to enslave him at Medusa's request. When the Fantastic Four attempt to rescue the Thing, they are overcome by the Frightful Four and captured. Human Torch and Invisible Woman manage to free themselves from their respective traps and counterattack the Frightful Four, allowing Mister Fantastic to free himself. However, the Human Torch is recaptured and brainwashed. The Frightful Four incapacitate the Human Torch, but learn that he had been pretending to be mind-controlled. Meanwhile, Mister Fantastic tries to use a device to reverse the brainwashing on Thing. However, Thing tries to destroy the machine to escape, causing an explosion that exposes him to a near-lethal dose of radiation. Although it worked and Thing is freed of the brainwashing, he is placed in a bed to examine the radiation's potential effects on him. The Frightful Four return to the Baxter Building and attack Mister Fantastic and Invisible Woman, showing them that they have taken Human Torch hostage. However, Thing revives just long enough to crush Wizard's body armor, giving Human Torch the chance to free himself from the gigantic anti-gravity disc he is tied to. The Fantastic Four defeat the Frightful Four and capture Wizard, Trapster, and Sandman while Medusa escapes.

After Medusa regains her memories, she leaves the Frightful Four, with Thundra taking her place. The Frightful Four capture the Fantastic Four and hold an audition to find a permanent member, with Texas Twister and Captain Ultra unsuccessfully auditioning. When Tigra arrives and frees the Fantastic Four, Wizard announces that whoever can defeat them can join the Frightful Four. Out of the villains that left, only Brute remains. Brute joins the Frightful Four and assists them in fighting the Fantastic Four.

Wizard later assembled Hydro-Man, Titania, and Klaw as the Frightful Four when attacking the Four Freedoms Plaza following Sandman's reform. During the battle, Thing regresses to his human form. The Frightful Four manage to take down the other members of the Fantastic Four as Klaw was defeated. When Dragon Man is brought in as Klaw's replacement, Thing rescues his teammates and stops the Frightful Four.

Membership

First appearing in Fantastic Four #36, and led by the Wizard, the team was put together to fight against the Fantastic Four.

Wannabes

The wannabes were a group of superhumans who gathered in response to an advertisement to join the team.

Captain Ultra

Osprey

Texas Twister

Other versions

Earth-98

An alternate universe iteration of the Frightful Four from Earth-98 appears in Fantastic Four Annual (1998), consisting of the Wizard, Blastaar, Quicksand, and the Hooded Haunt.

Marvel 1602

An alternate universe iteration of the Frightful Four from Earth-311 called the Four Who Are Frightful appear in Marvel 1602: Fantastick Four, consisting of Jacobean variants of the Wizard, Medusa, the Sandman, and the Trapster.

Marvel Adventures

An alternate universe iteration of the Frightful Four appear in Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four #25, consisting of Reed Richards / Mr. Devious, Susan Storm / the Unstoppable Woman, Ben Grimm / Monsterman, and Johnny Storm / the Human Pyre. This version of the group are evil, paranoid counterparts of the Fantastic Four who blame non-existent enemies for the accident that transformed them, seek revenge on the world, and are opposed by Victor von Doom / Doc Iron.

Ultimate Marvel

Zombified alternate universe versions of the Fantastic Four, renamed the Frightful Four, from the Marvel Zombies universe appear in the Ultimate Marvel imprint. They travel from their native universe to Earth-1610 to spread their zombie virus to it, only to be captured by its version of Mister Fantastic. The Frightful Four escape in an attempt to bring more zombies from their universe to Earth-1610. However, Mister Fantastic uses Doctor Doom's body and magic to kill them.

What If?

An alternate universe iteration of the Frightful Four appear in What If This was the Fantastic Four?, consisting of the Sandman, Venom, Sabretooth, and the Abomination. This version of the group was formed by Doctor Doom and empowered by Mephisto with demonic energy to combat Spider-Man, Wolverine, the Ghost Rider, and the Hulk, though the energy would later kill the Frightful Four.

In other media

The Frightful Four appears in a self-titled episode of The New Fantastic Four, consisting of Wizard, Trapster, Medusa, and Sandman.

The Frightful Four appears in the Fantastic Four episode "And the Wind Cries Medusa", consisting of Wizard, Trapster, Medusa, and Hydro-Man.

The Frightful Four appears in the Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes episode "Frightful", consisting of Wizard, Trapster, Klaw, and Dragon Man.

The Frightful Four appears in Ultimate Spider-Man, consisting of Wizard, Klaw, Thundra, and Trapster.