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"We appreciate your concern, Stephen, but it's not the Scarlet Witch that we fear. From our experience, the greatest danger to the Multiverse, it turns out, is Doctor Strange."
Doctor Reed Nathaniel Richards was a genius scientist with the ability to stretch his body, which gave him the name Mister Fantastic, under which he acted as the leader of the Fantastic Four. Richards joined the Illuminati and helped them killThanos on Titan. Richards and the Illuminati later gathered to hear the case of Doctor Strange, though their proceedings were interrupted by Scarlet Witch, who was dreamwalking using her alternate self's body. Richards confronted Maximoff with his allies, but was swiftly torn apart and killed in the ensuing confrontation.
Reed Richards was a brilliant scientist who gained the ability to stretch his limbs at will. Along with three other members, all of whom had also received superhuman abilities, they became a superhero team known as the Fantastic Four, with Richards being given the codename Mister Fantastic. Richards also had children with his wife Sue Storm.
Richards was regarded both as a great hero and as the smartest man alive; this reputation was what caused Stephen Strange to recruit him for the Illuminati, a group of powerful individuals that would make the difficult decisions that no one else could. While operating with the Illuminati, Richards founded the Baxter Foundation, a research institute based out of the Illuminati Headquarters in New York City.[2]
"One night, you called us all together, confessed that you had been dreamwalking, and in your words, 'Things had gotten out of hand.' You never told us the details of what had happened, only that you had inadvertently triggered an Incursion. You, our friend, had caused the annihilation of another universe."
When the Mad Titan Thanos launched his offensive, the Illuminati banded together to stop him. However, Doctor Strange decided to search for ways to stop him on his own, and making use of the Darkhold, began dreamwalking to find solutions across the Multiverse. While he was unsuccessful in his searches, the Sorcerer Supreme continued dreamwalking, only stopping when he caused an Incursion, which led to the destruction of a universe.
Guilt-ridden by what he had inadventently caused, Strange confessed his deed to Richards and the others, and renounced the Darkhold; instead, the group found the Book of Vishanti and used it to defeat the Mad Titan on Titan, ending his crusade. Unfortunately, the corruption of the Darkhold had grown too deep within Strange, so the Illuminati, Strange included, decided to eliminate him, as he posed a threat to not only their universe, but to others as well.
Mister Fantastic held Strange's Cloak of Levitation and solemnly watched along with his fellow teammates as Strange was executed by Black Bolt with his sonic scream. After this, the group covered up the event, instead claiming Strange sacrificed himself to ultimately defeat Thanos, with Baron Mordo taking over Strange's role of Sorcerer Supreme and position within the Illuminati. The group later informed Strange's former love interest Christine Palmer the true circumstances regarding his death.[2]
Meeting a Doctor Strange Variant[]
Mister Fantastic introduces himself
"Stephen, your arrival here confuses and destabilizes reality. The larger the footprint you leave behind, the greater the risk of an Incursion."
When an alternate Doctor Strange alongside America Chavez was discovered in Earth-838, the two were captured by Baron Mordo, and Strange was brought before the Illuminati so they could decide his and Chavez's fates. As Mordo introduced the members, Richards teleported to his council seat with the Time Platform and greeted Strange, who did not seem to recognize him and quipped about the Fantastic Four; in return, Richards seemed mildly amused.
Mister Fantastic then enlightened Strange on the situation: his presence destabilized reality, and amplified the risk of an Incursion occurring. As Strange wasn't familiar with the term, Richards explained the concept and its severity to him. Strange then attempted to warn them about the threat Scarlet Witch posed to the Multiverse, but he was shut down by Captain Marvel.
Mister Fantastic states Doctor Strange is the greatest threat to the Multiverse
Richards claimed that Strange was more dangerous to the Multiverse than Scarlet Witch, to the latter's confusion, and the Illuminati told him how their version of Doctor Strange was corrupted by the Darkhold and destroyed another universe, leading to his execution; this experience made the group believe that every version of their friend was capable of such destruction, thus their weariness about his presence.[2]
Mister Fantastic tries to reason with Scarlet Witch
Just before Scarlet Witch could reach Chavez, the four responding Illuminati members arrived to block her path. Mister Fantastic attempted to reason with Scarlet Witch, appealing to her humanity and relating to her grief, stating he had kids of his own. This only prompted Scarlet Witch to ask if their mother was still alive. When Mister Fantastic told her that she was, Scarlet Witch ominously mused that they would still have someone left to look after them.
Mister Fantastic warns Scarlet Witch of Black Bolt's power
Accepting that a peaceful solution was no longer an option, Mister Fantastic tried to intimidate Scarlet Witch into standing down by claiming that Black Bolt could easily destroy her with a mere whisper, only to find that Scarlet Witch had used Chaos Magic to remove the Inhuman King's mouth. Mister Fantastic and the others could only watch in horror as Black Bolt panicked from the realization and accidentally killed himself by blowing his brains out trying to scream.
Mister Fantastic is ripped apart by Scarlet Witch
Quickly reacting to his teammate's violent demise, Mister Fantastic stretched his arm in an attempt to restrain Scarlet Witch, who easily repelled his attack and raised him into the air with her Chaos Magic. Scarlet Witch then used her powers to rapidly tear his limbs and torso apart, shredding them into strings. Helpless, Mister Fantastic screamed out in agony as Scarlet Witch used her magic to burst his head, killing him instantly while his shredded remains were left scattered across the floor.[2]
Personality[]
"Wanda, stop. You've possessed an innocent woman, but you can still do the right thing. Let her go. Please. I have children of my own. I understand your pain."
Reed Richards was a highly intelligent, thoughtful, kind, and rational man. In contrast to most of the Illuminati's lineup, he was calm and reasonable with Doctor Strange during his trial, remaining patient with him and providing thorough information regarding Incursions. He possessed immense respect for his fellow Illuminati members, and was visibly saddened at the prospect of witnessing Black Bolt kill Doctor Strange to save their reality and when Black Bolt was killed by Scarlet Witch. Richards immediately and selflessly tried to restrain Maximoff in an effort to save his remaining teammates, knowing very well it would mean his death. Despite Richards' willingness to use force, he will only resort to combat as a last resort, as when Scarlet Witch broke into the Illuminati Headquarters, Richards tried to empathize with her, despite the obvious danger she posed, by mentioning his love for his own children and his desire to protect them.
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers[]
Elasticity:
Mister Fantastic stretching his arm
Reed Richards was capable of stretching and distorting his anatomy to extraordinary lengths and proportions.
Abilities[]
"The smartest man alive: Reed Richards, of the Fantastic Four."
Genius-Level Intellect: Richards was regarded by Karl Mordo as "The Smartest Man Alive" on their native Earth. Richards' intelligence was so great that he was able to explain abstract Multiversal concepts such as Incursions and their dangers to Doctor Strange, showcasing a knowledge and understanding of the Multiverse that surpassed Strange, despite the latter's status as a Master of the Mystic Arts.
Master Scientist: Richards is the founder and leader of the Baxter Foundation, a scientific research organization with Multiversal studies as one of its fields.
Equipment[]
Fantastic Four Uniform: Richards wore one of the Fantastic Four uniforms. It was attuned to his elasticity powers, meaning that it also became elastic whenever he used his powers.
Time Platform: Richards used this teleportation device to enter the Illuminati's council room.
An alternate version of Balder the Brave, portrayed by Daniel Craig, initially occupied Mister Fantastic's spot on the Illuminati. However, due to concerns surrounding COVID-19, Craig backed down from the role and was subsequently replaced by John Krasinski's Mister Fantastic.[5]
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