MISTER FANTASTIC
Earth-8101
Real Name: Reed Richards
Identity/Class: Alternate Earth (Earth-8101) primate mutate
Occupation: Superhero
Group Membership: Fantastic Four (Invisible Simian/Susan Storm, Simian Torch/Johnny Storm, Thing/Ben Grimm)
Affiliations: Ape-Vengers (Ape X/Roy Reyna, Gro-Rilla/Henry Pym, Iron Mandrill/Tony Stark, Speedball/Robbie Baldwin, Spider-Monkey/Peter Parker, Thorangutan/Thorangutan Odinson, Wasp/Janet van Dyne), Daredevil (Matt Murdock), Forbush Mandrill (Irving Forbush), Silver Surfer (Norrin Radd), X-Simians (Angel/Warren Worthington III, Beast/Henry McCoy, Cyclops/Scott Summers, Icemonk/Robert Drake, Marvel Girl/Jean Grey);
formerly Captain America (John Falsworth)
Enemies: Baron Blood (John Falsworth), Frightful Four;
presumably Dr Doom (see comments)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Baxter Building, Monkhattan
First Appearance: Marvel Apes I#1/1 (November, 2008)
Powers/Abilities: Mister Fantastic possesses the ability to stretch, reshape, and contort his body into virtually any form. His elastic physiology allows him to elongate his limbs, alter his density, and absorb physical impacts, making him highly adaptable in both combat and scientific exploration.
Height: Unrevealed (approximately 5'8")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 140 lbs.)
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Brown
History:
(Marvel Apes I#1/1 (fb) - BTS) - Brilliant scientist Reed Richards took his best friend, his girlfriend, and her brother into outer space, where they were struck by cosmic rays and each acquired extraordinary powers. Richards gained elasticity, Johnny gained the ability to generate fire, Ben gained superhuman strength, and Sue gained invisibility. However, the cosmic rays also transformed the love of his life into something less than simian: a human.
(Marvel Apes I#1/1 - BTS) - Reed, Ben, Johnny, and Sue chose to use their newly acquired abilities for the good of all primates and became the Fantastic Four, dedicated to defending the primate world.
(Marvel Apes I#1/1 (fb) - BTS) - Ridden with guilt, Reed repeatedly attempted to cure Sue's condition, but every effort ended in failure.
(Marvel Apes I#1/3) - During what would become known as the Silver Age of heroes, Mister Fantastic and the Fantastic Four would fight alongside other costumed superapes such as Daredevil, Forbush Ape, the X-Simians and the Ape-Vengers.
(Marvel Apes I#2/3) - While recounting the history of the Marvel Apes universe, the Watcher referenced Reed Richards alongside Hulk and Spider-Monkey when speaking of radiation-based accidents.
(Marvel Apes I#2/1 (fb) - BTS) - For a long time, Reed suspected that something was wrong with the Ape-Vengers' leader, Captain America. Believing the enigmatic hero to be a vampire, Reed secretly hid a wooden stake in his laboratory. In truth, the real Captain America had been replaced during the Second World War by the über-vampire Nazi Baron Blood, John Falsworth, a fact unknown to the world.
(Marvel Apes I#1/1) - While at the Baxter Building, Reed and the Fantastic Four received an unexpected visit from Ape-Venger Speedball, who had encountered Earth-616's Gibbon and Dr. Fiona Fitzhugh stranded on the ape world. Startled by Fitzhugh's resemblance to Sue, Reed initially assumed they sought a cure to restore her to a primate form, until they explained that her human appearance was her natural state and that they hoped Reed could send them back to their home dimension. Shocked by the existence of a reality populated by non-primates, Reed asked Sue to reveal herself, confirming that she too appeared human. Realizing such a reality might finally offer a way to cure Sue, Reed became determined to help Fitzhugh and the Gibbon return home.
(Marvel Apes I#2/1 (fb) - BTS) - Reed and Dr. Fitzhugh discussed the construction of a new interdimensional gateway, with Reed acknowledging her brilliance. Working together, he believed they could return Fitzhugh and the Gibbon to their home reality quickly, and construction on the gateway began.
(Marvel Apes I#2/1 (fb) - BTS) - Several days later, Reed informed the Ape-Vengers that the gateway was complete.
(Marvel Apes I#2/1 (fb) - BTS) - Before it could be used, the Fantastic Four were forced to leave the Baxter Building to confront the Frightful Four, who were plotting to sink Monkhattan Island. Unbeknownst to them, the Frightful Four had been dispatched by Captain America himself as a diversion, allowing Falsworth to possibly gain access to the gateway hoping to invade a new reality filled with fresh blood to feast upon.
(Marvel Apes I#2/1 (fb) - BTS) - Monitoring the gateway through a security camera feed linked to the Fantasticar, Reed witnessed the Gibbon enter his laboratory and immediately turned back, leaving Ben, Sue, and Johnny to handle the Frightful Four alone. When Reed saw "Captain America" enter the lab, his suspicions were confirmed, and he realized the vampire intended to use his gateway to invade another reality.
(Marvel Apes I#2/1) - Reed returned just in time to stop "Captain America" from killing the Gibbon, crashing through the laboratory window and restraining the vampire with his elastic body. Grabbing the wooden stake he had hidden earlier, Reed attempted to destroy him. However, he underestimated Falsworth's combat prowess, and Captain America forced the stake back, driving it through Reed's heart and pinning him to the wall. As Reed was dying, Falsworth revealed his vampiric fangs and fed on the scientist, horrifying both Fitzhugh and the Gibbon.
(Marvel Apes I#2/1 - BTS) - Although Fitzhugh and the Gibbon successfully escaped Baron Blood, they were publicly framed for Reed Richards' murder, a lie accepted even by the remaining members of the Fantastic Four.
Comments: Created by Karl Kesel.
A continuity inconsistency occurs in Marvel Zombies: Evil Evolution#1 in which Reed Richards appears alive despite having been killed before. Luckily it's only in two small panels so we can draw it up to an art error.
In Marvel Apes: the Amazing Spider-Monkey #1/2 (April, 2009), when the Simian Torch comes across Charles Darwin (send from 1862 on Earth-616 to Earth-8101 by the Ancient One) he mentioned Darwin speaks like Dr. Doom. This would be a clear indication that the Fantastic Four had encountered Dr. Doom at some point, or at the very least were aware of his existence.
The Marvel Apes limited series (2008) was conceived as a playful companion to the earlier Marvel Zombies phenomenon. Following the unexpected commercial success of Zombies, Marvel looked to replicate the formula by reimagining its superheroes in another offbeat, high-concept alternate reality. Writer Karl Kesel, inspired by Silver Age whimsy and the classic "What If?" tradition, pitched a world where Marvel's heroes and villains were evolved primates rather than humans. The project was greenlit as a four-issue miniseries, launching with a tongue-in-cheek promotional campaign that leaned into its absurdity while still delivering a surprisingly dark, satirical storyline. The series spawned several tie-ins and one-shots, positioning the Ape-Verse as both a parody of and homage to Marvel's multiverse storytelling.
Earth-8101 is the main Marvel Apes reality, but there are three others as well:
- Earth-81218, possible future of Earth-8101 set in the year 2099.
- Earth-90543, monkey Speedball was send back to his world and branded a traitor by the Ape-Vengers. This was a bad dream of the Gibbon.
- Earth-95019, diverged from Earth-8101 when zombies invaded their world. The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Update #5 indicates that the timelines designated Earth-95019 and Earth-21050 were seemingly erased when Earth-616's Gorilla Girl went back to the moment the portal was opened and destroyed it.
Profile by MarvellousLuke
CLARIFICATIONS:
Mister Fantastic has no known connections to
Images: (without ads)
Marvel Apes I#2, p16, pan1 (main image)
Marvel Apes I#2, p27, pan1 (with other heroes)
Marvel Apes I#2, p16, pan4&5 (death)
Appearances:
Marvel Apes I#1/1 (November, 2008) - Karl Kesel (writer), Ramon Bachs (pencils, inks), Tom Brennan (editor)
Marvel Apes I#1/3 (November, 2008) - Tom Peyer (writer), Barry Kitson (pencils, inks), Stephen Wacker, Tom Brennan, Tom Brevoort (editors)
Marvel Apes I#2/1 (November, 2008) - Karl Kesel (writer), Ramon Bachs (pencils, inks), Tom Brennan (editor)
Marvel Apes I#2/3 (November, 2008) - Tom Peyer (writer), Karl Kesel (pencils, inks), Stephen Wacker, Tom Brennan, Tom Brevoort (editors)
First Posted: 12/22/2025
Last Updated: 12/22/2025
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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