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WOMEN'S CANASTA AND MAH JONG SOCIETY

Membership: Unrevealed, only a delegation of four women were seen. All remained unnamed

Purpose: To compete against one another in games and tournaments of Canasta and Mah Jong

Affiliations: Unrevealed

Enemies: None, though the society wasn't too fond of the Fantastic Four

Base of Operations: New York City, near or in the Baxter Building

First Appearance: Fantastic Four I#22 (January, 1964)


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History:

(Fantastic Four I#22) - When Mr. Fantastic accidentally forgot to lock the doors and turn on the alarm system to the FF headquarters, a delegation of the Women's Canasta and Mah Jong Society was able to make its way inside. The four middle-aged women started complaining bitterly about the Fantastic Four's activities. The representatives wanted Reed to stop his dangerous experiments, claiming he was liable to make the whole neighborhood radioactive if anything should go wrong. And that would interrupt their annual Mah Jong tournament, which would be a real shame. Mr. Fantastic tried to calm the ladies down, suggesting they write him a letter in which they fully detailed their complaints. He unsuccesfully tried to show them out, but the women weren't so easily appeased and refused to leave. That all changed when Thing, turned invisible by the Invisible Girl, barged in holding a weird robotic creature he assembled from spare parts lying around Reed's lab. Seeing the odd, floating creation come towards them, the terrified women ran off. However, their visit did convince Reed that he might need to find a new place to conduct the team's larger experiments. 








Comments: Created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, George Roussos (as G. Bell).

Forcing the FF to deal with the worriwarts of a local women's club was an inspired bit of silliness on the part of Lee and Kirby. Still, the Canasta ladies' complaints also served as the impetus for the issue's main story which saw the FF visit an island that was boobytrapped by the Mole Man, so the women were used for more than simple comic relief. They've never appeared since, nor was it made clear where exactly they held their meetings and tournaments. If they rented a space in the Baxter Building, it's not unthinkable one or more of the Women's Canasta and Mah Jong Society members were seen in Fantastic Four I#251, during the FF's first tenants meeting after buying the Baxter Building.

Profile by Norvo.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Women's Canasta and Mah Jong Society has no known connections to


images: (without ads)
Fantastic Four I#22, p8, pan1 (main image)
Fantastic Four I#22, p7, pan5 (facing Reed Richards)


Appearances:
Fantastic Four I#22 (January, 1964) - Stan Lee(writer), Jack Kirby(pencils), George Roussos(inks), Stan Lee(editor)


Last updated: 09/18/13.

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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