Written By Ken Hulsey
Growing up, I was always captivated by Marvel's Fantastic Four comic book series. So you can imagine my excitement when NBC announced they were launching a cartoon adaptation featuring my beloved heroes! The series included many of the iconic elements I adored from the comics: Reed Richards, also known as Mister Fantastic, with his incredible ability to stretch his body in almost every way conceivable, the brilliant Sue Storm, famously dubbed The Invisible Girl, and the tough-as-nails Ben Grimm, who transforms into The Thing. The stories also prominently featured the Baxter Building and the Fantasticar, and even included guest appearances from other Marvel favorites like the Inhumans, Spider-Man, and the X-Men.
However, fans were taken aback by one notable absence: Johnny Storm, better known as The Human Torch. Instead of this fiery character, the series introduced H.E.R.B.I.E.—a quirky, wisecracking robot intended to fill the gap. For years, I heard speculation that Johnny's exclusion was due to copyright concerns linked to a potential Human Torch movie. Yet, the reality was quite different. Both DePatie–Freleng Enterprises and NBC expressed fears that children might mimic the Human Torch’s fire abilities, potentially leading to dangerous situations. This decision was based on a somewhat outdated perspective that kids couldn’t differentiate between fantasy and reality. After all, no child ever set themselves ablaze after reading the comics or watching the earlier 1967 Hanna-Barbera version of the Fantastic Four!
The New Fantastic Four took a noticeably different approach compared to the comics, trading the thrilling superhero versus supervillain battles for more gentle ethical discussions. In this version, instead of a heart-pounding showdown with villains like Magneto, who can control metal, Reed Richards used a wooden gun. It’s puzzling to think that it was deemed acceptable to use a gadget against a villain rather than engage in a classic fistfight. This softer style of superhero storytelling didn’t resonate with viewers, and as a result, the series only lasted one season.
Interestingly, despite the lackluster reception of the New Fantastic Four, DePatie–Freleng didn’t back down from creating animated superhero content. The following year, they launched a Spider-Woman show for ABC, which unfortunately met a similar fate, drawing in few viewers. It’s curious how these shows attempted to adapt beloved characters to fit a certain mold, but fans of the comics ultimately craved the excitement and adventure that these animated portrayals just couldn’t replicate.
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