Blue Beetle and The Fantastic Four

 

Nothing like a Kirby-Ditko combo to deliver some Silver Age action!  Blue Beetle previously met the FF along with Booster Gold in STF #3590. The FF met the Jaime Reyes Blue Beetle in STF #1632.

Fantastic Four and Space Cabbie

 

More recent versions of Space Cabbie depict him with a very futuristic looking taxicab.  There was something cool to me about the original version, just a regular looking taxi with a big ol' fin in the back, zipping through the cosmos.

The Fantastic Four and The Phantom Stranger

 

Haunted houses are bad enough, but a haunted Baxter Building, including Reed's Lab? That's a whole new level of trouble to deal with.

Invisible Girl and Sue Dibny

 

Thanks to Mike Selinker for the suggestion to pair these two together!  Sue Dibny is one of my favorite supporting characters, so his idea inspired me.  I had to do a bit of image extension before I could add the second Sue in.  Here's a look at the behind the scenes progress:

Fantastic Four Vs. Starro

 

It's too bad we never saw Starro the Conquerer on the Saturday morning cartoons back in the day. I think he would have fit right in in The Super-Friends.  

The FF first faced Starro way back in STF #278...

The Fantastic Four in the House of Mystery

 

Happy Halloween!  I can only imagine the kind of treats a stop at The House of Mystery would get you!  

This cover required some de-cluttering before I could add in the FF - here's a look at the behind the scenes progress:

Mister Miracle and Invisible Girl

 

I hear Vanessa Kirby is a standout as Sue Storm in Fantastic Four: First Steps.  I look forward to seeing what kind of innovative ways she uses her powers in the film, as well as her relationship with Reed, Johnny and Ben.

Fantastic Four and Power Girl

 She would make a formidable addition to the team!  Power Girl and She-Hulk have a history on this blg.  They first met in STF #1482, They faced the Psycho Pirate in STF#3743, and were last seen battling Mr. Universe in STF #4580...

Fantastic Four and Amanda Waller

 

This is an example of where I had an image to use, but the printing quality on it was low. In those cases, I have to "recolor" through use of the clone stamp tool.  It can be time consuming, but it is a necessary step for a cohesive cover.  Wouldn't you know it, for this particular splash page, I did find a nice crisp clear image of it just a couple of days after I had completed the cover!  I could have saved myself a lot of time if I had found that sooner!  Here's a look at the behind the scenes progress:

Fantastic Four and Hawkman

 

Of all the DC characters that I wish I had seen Jack Kirby illustrate more, Hawkman would be at the top of the list.  He worked on the character in the Super Powers mini-series, and a sketch or two - and I really loved his take on the winged wonder.  How cool would it have been to see Kirby really let loos with a Hawkman series of his own?

Invisible Girl and Challengers of the Unknown

 

The Challengers have met the Fantastic Four as a team on the blog, as well as Ben (more than once), Johnny and Reed in individual tales.  I felt that it was time for Sue Storm to have a solo outing with the Team on Borrowed Time. 

Fantastic Four and The Authority

 

With The Engineer set to make an appearance in the upcoming Superman movie, it looks like James Gunn is serious about bringing the entire Authority team to the big screen. I do remember really the first few years of stories in their original comic. They were pretty much on their own though, it will be interesting to see how they fit into a world populated with DC heroes.

The Fantastic Four and Four Famous Co-Stars

 

It was fun coming up with a DC Comics analogue of the Fantastic Four.  What better issue to feature them in than in than STF #4444? This seems like the kind of tale that might have shown up in a FF Annual back in the 70's or 80's.

Fantastic Four Vs. The Metal Men

 

For this Anniversary Issue, I knew The Fantastic Four would have to be involved.  I figured this would be a good opportunity to present a match-up that I have wanted to get to for a while now and have them share an adventure with The Metal Men. Here's a closer look at the individual stories:

Fantastic Four and The Spectre in: "Ghost Intervention!"

 

I hope all who celebrate have a great Thanksgiving today, and those visiting STF: The Lost Issues from outside of the US have a great Thursday!

The Spectre has encountered The Fantastic Four previously on this blog.  He passed judgment on Reed Richards in STF #3721, and shared and adventure with the team in The Negative Zone in STF #1046...

The Fantastic Four and Kamandi

 

Time for another all-Kirby cover. Like many writers, I am using poor little Franklin Storm as a human mcguffin.  That youngster and his burgeoning powers provided a plot device that moved many a story forward.

Kamandi previously met The Thing on a MTIO MS Paint cover from back in 2011...

Darkseid Vs. 4 Famous Co-Stars

 

It's nice to be able to do an all Walt Simonson cover.  His instantly recognizable signature style conveys epic imagery and powerful action in a way that rivals Jack Kirby, in my opinion.  I was lucky enough to meet him briefly at a convention about 15 years back, and I remember that he was very enthusiastic and kind to me his other fans.

Fantastic Four and Green Lantern in: "Judgment From Korugar!"

 

Time for another all-John Byrne cover.  Let's hope the upcoming MCU versions look at least half as cool as when Byrne illustrated them.

GL and The FF have met on the blog before  - the last time GL was under an evil control... before that, it was the FF that were possessed... but at least they were working together during their first meeting.

Fantastic Four and Deadman

 

Here's an example of where I had to declutter and complete an image before I could use it.  This awesome great shot of The FF in the Fantasticar was just what I needed, but I had to do some prep work to get it ready.  Here's a peek behind the scenes:

Fantastic Four and The Atom Vs. Doctor Doom

 

Another day, another riff on one of my favorite comic issues.  "Terror in a Tiny Town" was a real highlight during John  Byrne's stint on the FF.  Doctor Doom had a lot of twisted plans against Reed Richards and company, and this one was truly epic.

The Fantastic Four and The Atom first crossed paths in STF #1499... and The Atom first clashed with Doctor Doom way back in STF #80.