Marvel's first superhero family, the Fantastic Four, collectively has one of the universe's most interesting power sets. While fire, invisibility, rocky skin, and elasticity may seem straight-forward on the surface, the theory behind their specific powers has shifted and changed in the decades since their introduction. There is a simple reason each member got their particular abilities, however, and it boils down to one thing: Mister Fantastic.

In Fantastic Four #532 by J. Michael Straczynski and Mike McKone, Richards revisits the Fantastic Four's initial encounter with cosmic rays, but this time he has the benefit of seeing them through a new lens. Cosmic energy did not choose abilities for the would-be astronauts at random. Instead, the power was filtered through Reed's mind and his perception of each of them.

Human Torch, Invisible Woman, and the Thing were shaped by what Mister Fantastic believed to be their most important qualities and temperaments. The cosmic rays gave shape to Reed Richards' perception, and the team's powers continue to reflect that interpretation.

Mister Fantastic Shaped the Fantastic Four’s Powers

Fantastic Four #532 by J. Michael Straczynski, Mike McKone, Paul Mounts, and Randy Gentle

Time travel allowed Reed Richards to re-experience the moment they were struck by cosmic rays, revealing that his thoughts about Ben, Sue, and Johnny directly influenced their superpowers. Sue's quiet nature as a child translated into her powers of invisibility; Johnny's hot temper became his flame abilities; and Ben's soft soul surrounded by a hard exterior became the blueprint for the rocky form he has struggled so long to accept. These qualities are only small facets of the characters as a whole, but they were strong enough in Reed's mind to translate directly into the powers that the cosmic rays bestowed.

With more time with each of them, Reed's perception may have been changed enough to result in different powers, potentially making the timing of their encounter a crucial factor in gaining those exact results.

Given that the Fantastic Four's initial encounter with the cosmic rays happened so long ago, as they've now been Marvel's premiere superhero family for half their lives, it's possible that Mister Fantastic's assessment of his teammates would have changed if their flight took place later in their lives. While he was already close friends with Ben Grimm and pursuing Sue, Johnny was a more unknown quantity. With more time with each of them, his perception may have been changed enough to result in different powers, potentially making the timing of their encounter a crucial factor in gaining the exact results that fans have come to know.

As Mister Fantastic makes his grand discovery, he its that he had always assumed that there was a greater intelligence behind their powers. While there's a certain degree of unpredictability to the cosmic rays themselves, the conditions for the exact outcome that the Fantastic Four received were incredibly precise. Learning that Reed himself was the "intelligence" he always suspected fills in a value no one else could have guessed.

The Fantastic Four Are Tied to the Elements

Reed's Influence Is Only Part of the Puzzle

Yet Reed's influence on the moment their powers formed is hardly the only explanation Marvel has provided over the years. For obvious aesthetic reasons, one of the longest-standing theories is that each Fantastic Four member represents a basic element. Mister Fantastic symbolizes water, the Invisible Woman is air, Human Torch is fire, and the Thing is earth. This notion is shored up by comics like Timeslip #1 and Earth-1610's universe, where that reality's version of Reed Richards theorized that their powers aligned with the elements. Visually, and because there are four specifically, it's a popular theory.

Timeslip Collection #1, published in 1998, featured an alternate Fantastic Four origin by writer Dan Jurgens and artist Brett Breeding.

With that said, it's never been explicitly stated that the elemental theory is the truth. The particular Reed Richards who proposed it went on to become the villainous Maker character, and the Fantastic Four of his universe suffered greatly, so any truth to his theory was never proven. In Marvel's primary continuity, Earth-616, nothing concrete suggests that the Fantastic Four are meant to represent the four elements, but there's always a possibility that they played a role. Even an inkling of the idea could have helped inform Reed's thought process, thus influencing the way that the team's powers manifested.

The Fantastic Four's Origin Is Linked to an Ancient Being

The Most Mystical Explanation Yet

Alongside Reed’s involvement and a potential elemental connection, the Fantastic Four have also been linked to a “primal avatar” within the Marvel Universe. In Defenders #4 by Al Ewing and Javier Rodriguez, Dr. Strange introduces the concept of the Four-Are-One, an “archetypal being” that hinges upon the One-Is-Four connected to Bruce Banner and the Hulk's origin. While the One-Is-Four is a single being with four different faces, representing the different Hulks housed within Banner, the Four-Are-One is the opposite: one force split into four, which coincides perfectly with Ben, Johnny, Sue, and Reed each becoming a piece.

The Four-Are-One and One-Is-Four are mirroring, contrasting forces in the world that Dr. Strange encounters, suggesting that where one exists, the other must always be found. In turn, that seems to guarantee that where the Hulk exists, some iteration of the Fantastic Four would also follow. The Hulk's history with the Fantastic Four, and specifically with Reed, makes this theory seem plausible, tying them together in some foundational, cosmic way. However, even if the Four-Are-One is taken as a true origin, it doesn't explain the specific powers they gain, so the theory still works in conjunction with Reed's influence.

The Truth Behind the Fantastic Four Is More Complex Than Fans Might Expect

No Single Answer Is the "Real" Truth

The real answer behind the Fantastic Four's powers is likely found somewhere in the middle of all the winding and connecting theories. While their encounter with the cosmic rays initially seemed random, there was actually very little left up to chance. Reed's time traveling adventure made him realize how much control he unknowingly had over their original encounter with the rays, consequently putting any replication firmly in his hands. He chose not to pursue any recreation efforts. The idea that his personal assessment of his teammates helped form their gifts makes it strange to consider them being used another way.

With so much history under their belts, the truth behind the Fantastic Four spans an endless number of possibilities - from massive, cosmological explanations to the opinion of a single man tasked with returning balance to the universe. On a grand scale, the team may be the four branches of an ancient being or chosen representatives of the elements themselves. If narrowed down to something smaller and personal, a single man's perception of each of them wrote their fates. Regardless of the “why” behind their powers, the Fantastic Four's powers continue to expand and aid in their heroic adventures.

Fantastic Four #532 is available now from Marvel Comics.