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proteus_lives (proteus_lives) wrote in scans_daily,
@ 2009-06-07 04:42:00

Current location:	Outer Dark
Entry tags:	char: mr. fantastic/reed richards, creator: mark waid, creator: mike wieringo, group: fantastic four, publisher: marvel comics

The Scene that Defines Reed Richards
Greetings True Believers! After spending a week singing the praises of Doctor Doom, I'd thought I'd spend a moment on his most accursed foe. Reed Richards. Sometimes a story or scene or even a panel so perfectly defines a character, you kind of want to frame it. Another perfect example is the one Quicksilver X-Factor page by He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. This was posted on the Scans_Daily-That-Was. But I felt that it deserved another round.

These scans are from Fantastic Four #60/489. The story is that Reed has hired a PR firm to power up the image of the FF. So this PR agent follows them around for week and gets to know them. He realizes the true heroic natures of Reed/Sue/Ben and Johnny. But everyone wonders, why did Reed hire them in the first place? Why does he care? Find out.

Another sub-plot is that Reed didn't get invited to a Science-Big Brain meeting and everyone is pissed about it.

I like this guy's description of the FF. It's spot-on.

Reed tells the truth to Val.

Hugs for Reed for being a Science!woobie. It includes every part of his personality: genius, arrogance, love, emotional disconnect, family, Science! Of course Ben and Johnny save the day with their hi-jinks.

Anyone else want to post what they think is a "perfect" scene/story/panel for a character?

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fromtheaether
2009-06-07 08:14 am UTC (link)

The only other scene I can think of that defines Reed more (and that's debatable) is from Morrison's 1234. I don't have a scanner, but here's the dialogue:

DOOM!: Richards. In one short night, I've taken everything.

The boy is blinded, crippled, and enslaved. The monster is shattered, lost, his lover now the Mole Man's bride in his kingdom of filth. Your wife is drowning in the fathoms of her adulterous frenzy.

And all that remains... is Doom. While you've been locked away, I've been busy destroying your life and the lives of your family forever, Richards. Tell me... what have you been doing?

Reed: Well Victor... I've been thinking.

Reed Richards may actually be the only superhero more dangerous when he ISN'T using his powers.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	fromtheaether 2009-06-07 08:18 am UTC (link)
	Oh, and a single panel that encapsulates three classic Marvel characters: (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	proteus_lives 2009-06-07 01:48 pm UTC (link)
	That's great! +1! (Reply to this) (Parent)

	(Anonymous) 2009-06-07 05:46 pm UTC (link)
	Yes, I love that panel too! 'For myself' indeed. You go, Loki! (Reply to this) (Parent)

	icon_uk 2009-06-07 08:38 am UTC (link)
	I like the Reed in Gaiman's 1602 who, when trapped for years in a dungeon, basically went through the entire Renaissance in his head, formulating several centuries worth of scientific advance and categorising the likes of physics, chemistry and astronomy into 12 categories named after the Knights of the Round Table. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	jarodrussell 2009-06-07 12:39 pm UTC (link)
	Peter David wrote 1602. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	icon_uk 2009-06-07 12:44 pm UTC (link)
	No PAD wrote the sequel "1602: New World" Gaiman wrote the original "1602" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	jarodrussell 2009-06-07 01:31 pm UTC (link)
	You're right. I didn't go far enough down he rabbit hole. Thanks! (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	icon_uk 2009-06-07 02:09 pm UTC (link)
	For which the he rabbit is truly thankful! ;) (Reply to this) (Parent)

	luxshine 2009-06-07 12:50 pm UTC (link)
	The original miniseries was Gaiman's. And that was when Reed spend much of his time in a tiny, tiny cell under Doom's castle, while Sue was trapped in a glass column, Jhonny in a steaming cave full of water and Ben... I don't remember where Ben was. But that was all Neil Gaiman. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	icon_uk 2009-06-07 02:11 pm UTC (link)
	Worse yet, Sue was trapped in a glass column in Doom's bedroom, which raises the "ICK!" factor by rather a lot. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	lanternicity 2009-06-07 11:27 am UTC (link)
	"Your wife is drowning in the fathoms of her adulterous frenzy. " Wait what? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	fromtheaether 2009-06-07 12:05 pm UTC (link)
	Doom was exaggerating, as is his wont. Part of his plan was to get Namor to seduce her (instead, Sue convinced Namor to switch sides) (Reply to this) (Parent)

	bluefall 2009-06-07 01:51 pm UTC (link)
	I would think it would be obvious from the fairly tortured puns that he's talking about Namor.... (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	lanternicity 2009-06-07 06:32 pm UTC (link)
	I've never read/heard of this particular storyline, and I didn't really look that much into the phrase, but whatever. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	bluefall 2009-06-07 06:35 pm UTC (link)
	Well, you just gotta know two things: 1) Namor wants in Sue Storm's pants, and 2) Namor is a fish-man. It does puzzle me a bit that Doom would make such jokes about the Sub-Mariner, though. Not because I expect Doom to respect his allies that much, just that he seems like he'd be above that kind of fish pun. (Reply to this) (Parent)

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