In this episode:
Mike and Ed discuss the latest “full disclosure” Reed Richards press conference. Now that we know their powers came from a cosmic storm rather than just a trip into space, do we need to invest in space meteorologists?
In this issue:
In today’s meta-news, this comic book opens with the Fantastic Four walking by a newsstand as excited men, women, and children clamber to buy the latest Fantastic Four comic book. They briefly interact with their fans before returning home to the Baxter Building, whereupon Reed and Ben recount their friendship over the years. They recount their fateful rocket ship adventure which led to them, as well as Sue and Johnny Storm, flying through a cosmic storm and transforming into super-powered adventurers.
The story continues with the introduction of the Impossible Man from the planet Poppup. He arrives on Earth and demonstrates his amazing powers to turn into anything he wants, with impish glee. The Fantastic Four are called into service by the police to deal with the childish menace posed by the Impossible Man. They find that they cannot defeat them head on,which leads to Reed telling the world to just ignore him so that he will go away, which he does.
Assumed before the next episode:
The world is left wondering why the Fantastic Four’s origin story keeps changing, and whether this means that whatever else they are being told about them and their adventures are true, embellished, or something worse.
This episode takes place:
After Reed Richards has recounted their origin story, and also after their adventure with the Impossible Man.
Episode 42: Confessions of a Stretching Man; Or, the Ever-Changing Origin Story of the Fantastic Four (Fantastic Four #11, Part 1) -- Feb 1963