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

       

The Surprising Connection Between the MC2 and Doctor Who

 

Another relatively short and sweet post today, but one that I stumbled upon, delighted at having uncovered a sneaky link between another of my favourite fandoms, Doctor Who.

 

In a long-ago History of the MC2 post, I pointed out that the established history of the MC2 includes the events of Onslaught, Heroes Reborn and Heroes Return as is confirmed via a reference to Franklin Richards creating a pocket universe in Fantastic Five (vol. 1) #4.  While it’s not exactly clear precisely when the published history of the Main Marvel Universe (aka Universe-616) branches off into what we know as the MC2 (aka Universe-982), it’s evident they share a great deal in common from the 1960’s up to and including the real-world published comics of the mid-to-late-1990’s.

 

This brings me to today’s tiny tidbit of confirmed comic commonality: Pier Four. This was an apparently unassuming building located on the docks which the Fantastic Four used as their temporary home and headquarters following their return from Franklin’s Counter-Earth pocket universe, having discovered the Thunderbolts had been given their former home, Four Freedoms Plaza, in their absence.

 

Pier Four first appeared in Fantastic Four (vol. 3) #2 and we learn from Johnny Storm that stored on the premises is a second hand ‘antique London Police Call Box’ obtained by Reed Richards from a ‘weird “Doctor” friend of his’,  one which from the outside appears barely able to fit a single person but once inside, the interior is near infinite, allowing Reed to use it as a kind of warehouse (Fantastic Four (vol. 3) #9) . While the exterior 'Police Box' is red in colour, this is no doubt a reference to the iconic blue time and spaceship known as The TARDIS owned by the time-travelling Doctor from the world’s longest-running science fiction show Doctor Who.

 

Now, Pier Four is also canon to the history of the MC2’s own Fantastic Five, being utilized once more in the pages of Last Planet Standing #4 as the team’s temporary base of operations during Galactus’ final plan following the destruction of the Fantastic Five Headquarters.

 

Here is where I get to really geek out, because The Doctor is not just a throwaway reference, he is an established colleague to Mister Fantastic himself Reed Richards. Marvel held the comic publishing rights to Doctor Who during the 1980’s in much the same way they published other licenced works such as The Transformers. In fact, it’s through the Transformers by way of Doctor Who that the Freelance Peacekeeping Agent known as Death’s Head would first arrive in the Main Marvel Universe proper, having once been shrunk down to human size (Doctor Who Magazine #135) and later being deposited atop the Four Freedoms Plaza, headquarters of the Fantastic Four, by The Doctor (Death’s Head #8-#9).  

 

Bringing this all back to the MC2, the established existence of Pier Four in Earth-982 implies events following the Fantastic Four’s return from Franklin Richards pocket reality transpired in a similar manner to those on Earth-616. This means some version of events depicted in those early issues of Fantastic Four (vol. 3) played out in the MC2 also. On Earth-616 Pier Four was destroyed by Diablo in Fantastic Four (vol. 3) #36, though it appears this was not the case in the MC2. While I admit it’s speculation, we can also assume that the MC2 Fantastic Four (later Five) at some point returned to the former site of their most iconic headquarters and rebuilt it into the Fantastic Five Building (first seen in What If #105 and more fully in Spider-Girl #3). This presumes in the MC2 the  Four Freedoms Plaza was likewise damaged significantly in Thunderbolts #10 and the remains teleported to the Moon in Fantastic Four (vol. 3) #13) as it was on Earth-616.

 

That is all for today, everyone. I truly live for these little pieces of continuity that the MC2 incorporates into its

own unique history. The implications of Doctor Who and Transformers being connected to the wider shared Marvel Multiverse (or Megaverse if you prefer) are exciting to consider.

 

Until I stop delighting at these unexpected connections, I remain

 

frogoat

 

 

 

From Thunderbolt to Avenger: Jolt in the MC2

 

Marvel Studios has released its latest Marvel Cinematic Universe entry with the Thunderbolts* movie. But the Thunderbolts in the comics have a long and storied history, and the MC2 specifically featured the first Thunderbolt to become an Avenger. So today, let’s finally take a look at the often-overshadowed Jolt in the MC2.

 

But first, the basics! Helen ‘Hallie’ Takahama first appeared in 1997 in the pages of Thunderbolts #1 where we learn she has been living rough since her 15^th birthday, when both her parents were crushed to death during the Onslaught event. Abducted and experimented on by the unseen amoral villain Arnim Zola, Hallie eventually gained superpowers and used them to escape, heading to Four Freedoms Plaza to seek help from the Fantastic Four. Finding instead the Thunderbolts, Hallie joins them in their mission to apprehend her captor and soon after becomes a member of the team unaware of their true motives (Thunderbolts #1-4).

 

Jumping into the MC2 now, Jolt made a surprise cameo in the pages of What If #105 as a member of the new Avengers team alongside Jubilee, Speedball, Thunderstrike, the Vision and *ahem* J2.

 

Hallie Takahama shows up again in A-Next #1, a story set a little earlier than her above cameo, providing readers with the new Avengers team’s origin which involved Kevin Masterson transformation into the new Thunderstrike as a result of the machination of Loki. During this adventure, we learn Jolt is semi-retired with (at least) two school-aged children. As such, Hallie declines the offer to join the team as a full-time member but does mention they can call if they need her.

 

I’ve always imagined the fledgling full-time new Avengers contacted the more established heroes for assistance with setting up the Avengers Compound and perhaps a photo shoot between the pages of A-Next #1 and A-Next #2, which would explain their presence in What If #105 and the Daily Bugle’s front-page photo seen in American Dream #4. Speaking of which, it’s notable that Jolt doesn’t appear in the image, itself a direct reference to the cover of A-Next #1. Though, word of god (tongue no doubt firmly in cheek) says Jolt *is* present, just behind J2!

 

In Spider-Girl #32, we catch a tantalising glimpse of the largely unseen interim Avengers team who attempted to fill the void left after many of the original Avengers perished on their final mission (mentioned in A-Next #7). Jubilee was a member of this line-up alongside Nova, the Steel Spider, Speedball and, of course, Jolt. It’s heartening to learn that members of the X-Men, New Warriors and Thunderbolts all came together in the wake of the tragic loss of many of the Avengers to try and carry on their legacy.

 

Finally, in a nice little story published on the Marvel Unlimited digital comic reading app as Avengers Unlimited Infinity Comic #37, Jolt makes it onto the cover of an MC2 comic! In a story set between the panels of A-Next #1 we learn an interesting fact about Hallie Takahama: she can party like an Asgardian!

 

Jolt is a possibly the earliest example of the MC2 including elements from across the decades of Marvel’s published history, even (at the time) very recent additions such as the youngest member of the Thunderbolts, in their stories. It’s a wonderful tradition, and one I hope we see again someday.

 

Until I find out I’m working with a team of disguised super villains posing as heroes, I remain

 

frogoat