In this episode:
Mike and Ed discuss how the Fantastic Four, inventors of flying cars and indestructible clothing, went bankrupt because Mr. Fantastic was playing with the stock market. What does this say about the viability of superheroes, and their independence?
In this issue:
Namor the Submariner is watching TV underwater when he hears the news rocketing around the world - the Fantastic Four are bankrupt! It turns out that Reed Richards was playing with the stock market and lost all of their money. The Fantastic Four lose all of Reed’s amazing inventions, and the future of the team is in doubt. But then, fortune shines on the Four - they receive an offer to star in a movie for an incredible amount of money. The team readily packs up for Hollywood to shoot the film and earn enough money to return to the adventuring life. Once there, they find out that none other than Namor the Submariner, their kinda enemy, is financing the movie. They nonetheless continue with the project, with Namor hitting on Sue Storm while trying to incapacitate the other three. Sue rejects Namor and, along with the rest of the team, teaches Namor a lesson. The movie ends up being finished - and it’s a hit!
Assumed before the next episode:
The world marvels at seeing the Fantastic Four in a movie, exhibiting their amazing powers and forever relegating traditional special effects to B movie status.
This episode takes place:
After the Fantastic Four emerge from bankruptcy in the greatest movie of all time.
Episode 28: Bankrupt! (Fantastic Four #9, Part 1) -- Dec 1962