The Scene that Defines Reed Richards

[proteus_lives.insanejournal.com]

Greetings True Believers! After spending a week singing the praises of Doctor Doom, I'd thought I'd spend a moment on his most accursed foe. Reed Richards. Sometimes a story or scene or even a panel so perfectly defines a character, you kind of want to frame it. Another perfect example is the one Quicksilver X-Factor page by He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. This was posted on the Scans_Daily-That-Was. But I felt that it deserved another round.

These scans are from Fantastic Four #60/489. The story is that Reed has hired a PR firm to power up the image of the FF. So this PR agent follows them around for week and gets to know them. He realizes the true heroic natures of Reed/Sue/Ben and Johnny. But everyone wonders, why did Reed hire them in the first place? Why does he care? Find out.






Another sub-plot is that Reed didn't get invited to a Science-Big Brain meeting and everyone is pissed about it.




I like this guy's description of the FF. It's spot-on.




Reed tells the truth to Val.










Hugs for Reed for being a Science!woobie. It includes every part of his personality: genius, arrogance, love, emotional disconnect, family, Science! Of course Ben and Johnny save the day with their hi-jinks.

Anyone else want to post what they think is a "perfect" scene/story/panel for a character?

Comments

[blunderbuss.insanejournal.com]

See, I liked this Reed. He was an amazing but perfectly flawed and normal human being.

Civil War? What Civil War?

[filkertom.insanejournal.com]

Pretty freakin' much. And he's a very caring man, filled with love and respect for humanity. He just shows it differently.

Gaaaaaaah. As you say, now I'm reminded how much I hated Civil War, and why.

[hybrid2.insanejournal.com]

"Gaaaaaaah. As you say, now I'm reminded how much I hated Civil War, and why"

Me to. Thanks a lot. :-(

j/k those where great FF comics....Why cant we have nice things?!

[jlroberson.insanejournal.com]

My constant complaint about Mark Waid is that he cannot write a superhero scene where he is NOT trying to be "defining and iconic." That he needs to pull his copy of HERO WITH A THOUSAND FACES from up his ass. That he goes over the line from "deep analysis" to "more thesis than story."

Which is exactly why he's exactly the perfect guy to write a comic like THIS one, however.

It's hard to take that too seriously, though, when not too many pages earlier we were introduced to "It's Clobberin' Time," where Mark Waid proves that either (a) rap must be wiped out before someone really records it, and (b) Mark Waid is the whitest man alive.

And all respect to the late artist, but everyone but Ben looks like a toy. And in the last panel, that's very unfortunate placement of Sue's left hand.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_dante_sparda_/ (from insanejournal.com)]

. And in the last panel, that's very unfortunate placement of Sue's left hand.

Looks just fine to me. :3

[greenmask.insanejournal.com]

So step off, haters! Cos it's CLOBBERIN' TIME!

:D!

[lieut_kettch.insanejournal.com]

And in the last panel, that's very unfortunate placement of Sue's left hand.

Isn't that what big sisters are for?

[yaseen101.insanejournal.com]

I remember this comic book as a kid and I remember loving the art and everything.

[icon_uk.insanejournal.com]

See, it shows how long I've been on this community that I read this, perfectly lovely, little scene and think; "This is worthy of the Black Cat, if she were ever to venture into the FF-verse"

[icon_uk.insanejournal.com]

Oh, and credit where credit is due, that's some lovely Mike Wieringo artwork here (Though some of the hair has a very odd "netting" like look to it.)

[stig.insanejournal.com]

I miss him. He drew the first serious comic I ever read.

[icon_uk.insanejournal.com]

I think we all do... :(

[cmdr_zoom.insanejournal.com]

He left us far too soon.

[proteus_lives.insanejournal.com]

Motto, he was taken too soon.

[queenrikki.insanejournal.com]

He died on my birthday and since I rather liked his worked, it was a bit of a downer.

[fromtheaether.insanejournal.com]

The only other scene I can think of that defines Reed more (and that's debatable) is from Morrison's 1234. I don't have a scanner, but here's the dialogue:

DOOM!: Richards. In one short night, I've taken everything.

The boy is blinded, crippled, and enslaved. The monster is shattered, lost, his lover now the Mole Man's bride in his kingdom of filth. Your wife is drowning in the fathoms of her adulterous frenzy.

And all that remains... is Doom. While you've been locked away, I've been busy destroying your life and the lives of your family forever, Richards. Tell me... what have you been doing?

Reed: Well Victor... I've been thinking.

Reed Richards may actually be the only superhero more dangerous when he ISN'T using his powers.

[fromtheaether.insanejournal.com]

Oh, and a single panel that encapsulates three classic Marvel characters:

[proteus_lives.insanejournal.com]

That's great! +1!

[(Anonymous)]

Yes, I love that panel too! 'For myself' indeed. You go, Loki!

[icon_uk.insanejournal.com]

I like the Reed in Gaiman's 1602 who, when trapped for years in a dungeon, basically went through the entire Renaissance in his head, formulating several centuries worth of scientific advance and categorising the likes of physics, chemistry and astronomy into 12 categories named after the Knights of the Round Table.

[jarodrussell.insanejournal.com]

Peter David wrote 1602.

[icon_uk.insanejournal.com]

No PAD wrote the sequel "1602: New World"

Gaiman wrote the original "1602"

[jarodrussell.insanejournal.com]

You're right. I didn't go far enough down he rabbit hole. Thanks!

[icon_uk.insanejournal.com]

For which the he rabbit is truly thankful! ;)

[luxshine.insanejournal.com]

The original miniseries was Gaiman's. And that was when Reed spend much of his time in a tiny, tiny cell under Doom's castle, while Sue was trapped in a glass column, Jhonny in a steaming cave full of water and Ben... I don't remember where Ben was.

But that was all Neil Gaiman.

[icon_uk.insanejournal.com]

Worse yet, Sue was trapped in a glass column in Doom's bedroom, which raises the "ICK!" factor by rather a lot.

[lanternicity.insanejournal.com]

"Your wife is drowning in the fathoms of her adulterous frenzy. "

Wait what?

[fromtheaether.insanejournal.com]

Doom was exaggerating, as is his wont. Part of his plan was to get Namor to seduce her (instead, Sue convinced Namor to switch sides)

[bluefall.insanejournal.com]

I would think it would be obvious from the fairly tortured puns that he's talking about Namor....

[lanternicity.insanejournal.com]

I've never read/heard of this particular storyline, and I didn't really look that much into the phrase, but whatever.

[bluefall.insanejournal.com]

Well, you just gotta know two things: 1) Namor wants in Sue Storm's pants, and 2) Namor is a fish-man.

It does puzzle me a bit that Doom would make such jokes about the Sub-Mariner, though. Not because I expect Doom to respect his allies that much, just that he seems like he'd be above that kind of fish pun.

[l_arlesienne.insanejournal.com]

*see icon*

[batcookies.insanejournal.com]

The thing is, while this is a very good and likable Reed, it's also a reminder that Reed Richards is incredibly arrogant sometimes. It's not so much that he's egotistical, but here's a guy that got his friends mutated with his massive arrogance, and then, upon realizing what he'd done, he came up with a plan for how to fix it without really discussing the true nature of his plan with his loved ones, the ones affected the most.

Any time you see Reed Richards acting like a dick, you can argue "Reed wouldn't use that tone," or "Reed isn't that emotionally cold," or anything like that. But one thing I'm not sure you can ever say is "Reed Richards wouldn't do that because he's not that arrogant."

[tavella.insanejournal.com]

he came up with a plan for how to fix it without really discussing the true nature of his plan with his loved ones, the ones affected the most.

Yup. And that's pretty much why I don't like Reed Richards. Oh, some writers can make him tolerable, and even in his arrogance he has decent moments, but nearly everyone else goes "awww" and I go "Jesus, Reed, you dick, why don't you *ask* them what they want to do? Tell them what you think will happen, and let them decide instead of manipulating them."

[mullon.insanejournal.com]

Ben has the best fashion sense, as usual.

[cmdr_zoom.insanejournal.com]

"Someday." always brings a tear to my eye.

[mykie1234.insanejournal.com]

Dude or dudette, GREAT idea for a week! Perfect moment is the best theme ever... and thats following a week of Doom!

Thank you!

[proteus_lives.insanejournal.com]

I like it because if we share the best moments of our favorite characters, other people will be tempted to learn more and everyone's comic knowledge increases!

BTW, despite rumors spread by my enemies, I am must assuredly a dude! ;)

[sir_mikael.insanejournal.com]

Awww... this made me a bit teary eyed. Very defining of Reed as you say. And clearly more evidence I haven't read nearly enough of the Waid/Wieringo run. Then again, one could say I still have the joy of exploring them ahead of me :)