The Fantasticar of the MC2

 

Bear with me as I try to get back into the habit of writing again after what has been an unintended hiatus. Today I thought it would be fun to look at the famous first family’s physics-defying flyer, the Fantasticar. So, let us talk about The Fantasticar in the MC2.

 

For consistency, I will follow the designations used in the FF: Fifty Fantastic Years handbook to refer to the various Fantasticars. The first Fantasticar (‘Fantasticar I’), sometimes styled ‘Fantasti-Car’ and colloquially referred to as the ‘flying bathtub,’ debuted in the pages of Fantastic Four #3. Hallmarks of future Fantasticars including Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) and the capability to separate into four separate compartments independently pilotable also debuted here.

 

The second Fantasticar or ‘Fantasticar II’ first appeared in Fantastic Four #12 where the fan reaction to the origin ‘flying bathtub’ design was directly referenced. This design would not only become the longest running but also the template for future iterations of the Fantasticar in years to come.

 

Breaking the numbering system already, the ‘Long-Range Fantasticar’ appeared in Fantastic Four #293 and was larger, more enclosed, and capable of trans-sonic speed which allowed for longer flights.

 

The last Main Marvel Universe model Fantasticar which is relevant to the MC2 does not originate in the Main Marvel Universe. In the pocket universe known as ‘Heroes Reborn’ created by Franklin Richards to save his family and the various other heroes who sacrificed themselves during the Onslaught event, the ‘reborn’ Reed Richards modified a hyper-sonic transport loaned from the ‘reborn’ Tony Stark. This Fantasticar was capable of hyper-sonic sub-orbital flight and could travel trans-globally in a matter of hours.

 

Now, the MC2’s Fantastic Five have their own Fantasticar which is first glimpsed in Spider-Girl #3. Visually similar to the Fantasticar II albeit with an appropriate five compartments capable of independent piloting. We see one section on its own in Spider-Girl #10 piloted by Franklin Richards.

 

In the pages of Fantastic Five (vol. 1) #3, we see a more modern version of what appears to be a single compartment from the Fantasticar, again piloted by Franklin Richards. We see the more classic design a few more times, with at least some compartments seen in Spider-Girl #25 and Spider-Girl #34, though one seems to double as the Big Brain 2.0’s omni-pod used for transportation in some appearance. which depending on the artist resembles a section of either the classic or modern Fantasticar.

 

Finally, we see a variety of Fantastic Five-branded vehicles in the second Fantastic Five series, including what appears to be the aforementioned earlier Fantasticar II.

 

That is all I have for today but rest assured, I think I have found yet another niche topic to explore in the future.

 

Until I stop seeing Star Trek starships in random comic panels, I remain

 

frogoat

       

History of the Latverian Flag

 

Thanks to my delightful younglings and extended family, I have recently been indoctrinated into the cult known as Fortnite. For those who don’t know on the 16^th of August 2024, the popular video game Fortnite’s Battle Royale released its latest narrative update, Chapter 5: Season 4 called ‘Absolute Doom’, which focuses on Marvel’s premier villain and the Fantastic Four’s most fearsome foe, the self-appointed Monarch of Latveria himself, Victor Von Doom aka Doctor Doom.

 

In terms of plot, Doctor Doom has seized control of the current formation of the Battle Royale Island, known as Helios, remaking much of it to resemble his beloved home country of Latveria as his ‘Kingdom of Doom’. This includes new landmarks such as Doomstadt, Doom’s Courtyard and Castle Doom, all adorned in Latverian Flags. Which finally brings me to my extremely belaboured point, the topic for today: the History of the Latverian Flag.

 

The Kingdom of Latveria first appeared in Fantastic Four Annual #2, which also presents the first time we see what could be considered a national flag, emblem or regal symbols. We’ll see a few reoccurring motifs in later stories, such as Doom’s stylised capitalised ‘D’ and the emblem with an eagle.

 

Following this is in Fantastic Four #85-#87 we glimpse various more banners and designs with the most notable this time an eagle on a sceptre, and the return of the ‘D’ logo, the latter of which may simply be Victor’s personal mark.

 

Oddly, Incredible Hulk #143 is the first time we get a clear look at what is unmistakeably a flag for Latveria outside their embassy in New York when Doom brings the Hulk there, and it’s also very different from what has come before. Depicted as a red flag with a completely different black eagle-like design in the centre, with a nighttime exception inverting this colour scheme (presumably a simple case of artistic licence) and on the issue’s final page we see the bird as simply a lighter red, notably alongside other flags.

 

In the 1987 Marvel Graphic Novel Emperor Doom, we again see various stylised capital ‘D’ insignia adorning various items after Doctor Doom uses the Daredevil villain Purple Man’s mind control powers to become ruler of the entire planet Earth.

 

In the graphic novel Doctor Strange and Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment the eagle and sceptre design returns, helping create something of a throughline across the decades.

 

I’ve discussed the significance of both the Onslaught and Heroes Reborn events to the MC2 in the past, and here we have another situation where it might apply as Doctor Doom was among those who apparently perished saving the world from the psychic entity known as Onslaught. It's revealed that Franklin Richards used his amazing abilities to create a pocket dimension to save his parents and all the other heroes. The reborn heroes would awaken in this pocket dimension to live out new lives, unaware of their pasts. In this new world, Doctor Doom again rules Latveria and we see an assortment of flags on display in Fantastic Four (vol. 2) #4, including the ‘D’ and eagle designs.

 

We get the first iteration of what has become the most iconic Latverian flag on the covers for Doom: The Emperor Returns #1 and #2. It may be argued this is not a national flag at all, but a flag symbolising the sovereign himself, Doctor Doom. This one is a bit questionable as it first appears on the Counter-Earth created by Franklin Richards at a point after the MC2 branches off or diverges from the Main Marvel Universe. Doctor Doom finds himself back on this Counter-Earth and sets about conquering it, dubbing it ‘Planet Doom’.

 

We’ll see versions of the above design continue to crop up back on the regular old Marvel Earth in Secret War #5, Penance: Relentless #4, Books of Doom #6 and Captain America (vol. 5) #23 right up until the date of this writing. A version of this flag is what appears in the video game Fortnite and sparked the idea for this post, which speaks to its popularity.

 

However, it’s worth mentioning we do get at least one more markedly different Latverian flag in the Marvel Atlas #1 from 2007. This depicts an armoured gauntlet grasping lighting bolts. This design does not appear to have caught on however as I haven’t seen it reused anywhere.

 

There may be many more examples of possible Latverian flag designs I am unaware of, but hopefully this has proven informative. With all this context in mind, I wonder what the MC2’s Latverian flag looks like? The war between Namor, the Sub-Mariner and Doctor Doom left Atlantis destroyed and Latveria’s former capital city Doomstadt in ruins, and in it’s wake Doom was presumed dead for 12 years. We do not know much about its political situation, but the nation’s flag may well have changed to reflect it’s new status. Just something to think about.

 

A huge shout out to the classic Doctor Doom fan site, Doom2099.com for the much-needed obscure fictional vexillological information. I miss discovering such places online and I would encourage you all to seek them out and support them whenever possible while they remain! Major props to arias-98105 as always for the constant support.

 

Until I rescue my beloved mother’s soul from the grasp of the dreaded demon Mephisto, I remain

 

frogoat