Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) #1

by Matt Fraction, Mark Buckingham (Artist), Phil Noto (Cover Art)

FROM THE WORLD OF THE UPCOMING FILM, AS AUTHORIZED BY THE FUTURE FOUNDATION! Four years ago, the world was transformed as an amazing cosmic-powered quartet revealed themselves and their astonishing abilities to the public! Since that time, they have become world-famous as the Fantastic Four! Now, to celebrate that anniversary, Marvel Comics recounts their very first exploit, when they clashed with the subterranean Mole Man and his underground legions! MATT FRACTION and MARK BUCKINGHAM bring you this all-new adventure marking the moment that all of history changed!

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Science Fiction, Superheroes, Comic Book

Kindle Edition

Published July 9, 2025

About the author

"How he got started in comics: In 1983, when Fraction was 7 years old and growing up in Kansas City, Mo., he became fascinated by the U.S. invasion of Grenada and created his own newspaper to explain the event. "I've always been story-driven, telling stories with pictures and words," he said.

Education and first job: Fraction never graduated from college. He stopped half a semester short of an art degree at Kansas City Art Institute in Missouri in 1998 to take a job as a Web designer and managing editor of a magazine about Internet culture.

"My mother was not happy about that," he said.

But that gig led Fraction and his co-workers to split off and launch MK12, a boutique graphic design and production firm in Kansas City that created the opening credits for the James Bond film "Quantum of Solace."

Big break: While writing and directing live-action shoots at MK12, Fraction spent his spare time writing comics and pitching his books each year to publishers at Comic-Con. Two books sold: "The Last of the Independents," published in 2003 by AiT/Planet Lar, and "Casanova," published in 2006 by Image Comics.

Fraction traveled extensively on commercial shoots. Then his wife got pregnant. So Fraction did what any rational man in his position would do -- he quit his job at MK12 to pursue his dream of becoming a full-time comic book writer.

Say what? "It was terrifying," said Fraction, who now lives in Portland, Ore. "I was married. We had a house. We had a baby coming. And I just quit my job."

Marvel hired Fraction in June 2006, thanks largely to the success of his other two comics. "I got very lucky," he half-joked. "If it hadn't worked out, I would have had to move back in with my parents.

- 2009. Alex Pham. Los Angeles Times.

Reviews

[Chris Greensmith · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Congratulation--its a Moloid."

[lami ♡ [eyes on sudan]]

Read this before I went to see the movie and it was cute.

[Machiavelli · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars - This one landed a little flat for me. The concept is fun — a retro-style MCU prequel with some clever in-universe touches — but the story didn’t really connect, and the emotional beats felt a bit muted. The highlight was definitely the fake vintage ads, which added some charm and authenticity to the vibe. Overall, it’s a light, mildly entertaining read, but not one that stuck with me.

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este quadrinho foi lançado simultaneamente em diverso países do globo e a PaniniTM realizou um bom trabalho com essa publicação, tanto é que ele chegou em algumas lojas antes do lançamento do filme do Quarteto Fantástico. Trata-se de uma revista contando a primeira missão do Quarteto Fantástico contra o Toupeira, dentro do Universo Cinematográfico da Marvel, espelhando a primeira edição da equipe que inaugurou a Era Marvel dos quadrinhos de super-heróis. Mas ela não é apenas quadrinhos. Também simula um magazine dos anos 1960, não apenas em texto mas também no design das páginas. Além disso, o roteirista Matt Fraction trouxe uma nova interação com o leitor, com citações dos personagens colhidas dos mais diferentes lugares (fictícios, obviamente). Os desenhos de Mark Buckingham trazem aquele encantamento que ele sabe imprimir nos gibis que faz e aquela carinha retrô que a sua arte tem. Este é, no fim das contas, um quadrinho competente.

[The Void Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Fantastic Four: First Steps #1
Writer: Matt Fraction | Artist: Mark Buckingham | Cover Art: Phil Noto

“Fantastic!” This comic hits the nostalgia nerve with the force of a cosmic ray blast—reviving the essence of the original Fantastic Four tales that shaped a generation of storytelling.

Fraction pens a celebratory flashback that’s more than a rehash—it’s a reawakening. Framed around the world-shifting debut of Marvel’s first family, we’re thrown into a beautifully rendered clash with the Mole Man, bringing the subterranean drama full circle for longtime fans. Buckingham’s art balances vintage dynamism with clean, cinematic composition, while Phil Noto’s cover is a sleek homage to pulp-era grandeur.

There’s something deeply satisfying about watching Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben step into the spotlight again—not as polished icons but as flawed heroes at the edge of transformation. Fraction understands that history isn’t just recounted; it’s relived. And this issue makes you feel the seismic rumble of change beneath your feet.

Verdict: A must-read for fans who grew up marveling at cosmic chaos, dysfunctional team banter, and subterranean mayhem. It’s not just a tribute—it’s a tribute with punch.

Happy reading 4️⃣🚀🤖📚

[Elizabeth Hannigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

nice easy read

It was an adorable short story perfect way to introduce the fantastic four: First Steps to the movie going audience

[Glenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
es un lindo preludio para la peli

[oli · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5* just a cute little companion to the movie.

[alesandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

i’m so excited to watch the fantastic four movie

[Sekarima · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

I wish I could find a print version where I am, I'd love to have it. I really, really love this. The art style is sooo cute with the actors' faces. This subplot was cut short from the movie so I'm glad I read it before watching, it gave Mole Man's appearance more significance. I adore the pages of ads for Johnny's fan club and articles about Reed's achievements.

[Cybernex007 · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, I love the vibe of this book so much. Like we are really jumping into the world and picking up a teen magazine dedicated to our favorite heroes and retelling their first adventure. It’s full of charm and quite a lot of questions on what parts of this we will end up seeing pieces of in the movie, and I love all the interludes like the Johnny Storm fan club and the scientific journal article glazing Reed. I also especially love that this is all sponsored by the future foundation! I’m still weary on the idea of their alternate world making it out of the first movie in one piece, but it’s fun to see how much has been built up in this world. This world’s fantastic four is very similar to the others, one trip on their ship, the excelsior, a but of celestial radiation, and they came back transformed into something new and fantastic! They spent some time cooped up in quarantine testing their powers before they were needed and the society of subterranea, led by mole man, decided to strike back at the surface world for all the disturbances they brought their people. I’m not exactly sure who, but it seems like mole man is very much designed with a specific person in mind, which gives me hope he will show up. I haven’t read the original FF, so I won’t pretend to know the original story and the differences with this one. The FF go to New York, they end up fighting a giant green monster, the thing says his famous line and John t absolutely looses it…even though he’s coping a bit with people being afraid of his own powers, before eventually jumping into them and doing a great job on his own. After mole man stole a building and brought it into subterranea, the FF followed and that’s where the real battle ensued as the FF ended up capturing mole man and taking him into custody. Did I say the real battle? That was a bit of a lie, as the real battle actually takes place in the court rooms! Sue refuses to accept that their powers are meant to be used by hitting anything they don’t understand, so she opens a dialogue with Mole Man and grands him a platform for their society and troubles to be heard on the global stage. Helping to coexist with them instead of continuing to fight. Honestly, heck yeah! That’s what I’m talking about, go Sue!

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a novel way to tell the origin story of MCU heroes without having to tell the origin story as the focus of a movie. It's presented as an in-universe comic created by the Future Foundation to celebrate the four year anniversary of the Fantastic Four becoming a team of superpowered people, and I love it when companies release real-life versions of literature that exist within a fictional film universe.

The comic is basically a retelling of the very first Fantastic Four comic strip, showing how the team obtained their powers from cosmic rays after journeying into space, and how their first superhero battle was with Mole Man and Giganto. The resolution, with Sue negotiating for Earth's resources to be shared between the surface world and the underworld and Subterranea is very clever, and highlights how the team are more the thinking man's superheroes rather than the kind of vigilantes like Iron Man and the Hulk who rush into battle.

One of the coolest aspects of this comic is the in-universe adverts and extracts from the Fantastic Four's public life. For instance, there's an advertisement for Johnny Storm's 'flaming hearts' fan club, and a School of Science newsletter about Reed Richards' scientific achievements. It helps a great deal to build the world of Earth-828 and how Reed and the team fit into their universe as major celebrities as well as heroes. It's very similar to WandaVision in that regard, and it makes me hope there are future comics based on the MCU Fantastic Four that adopt a similar approach. I'd like to spend longer in this world, and hopefully I can see the film the comic is a prequel to fairly shortly.

[RubiGiráldez RubiGiráldez · Rating 4 out of 5]

En el standard de estos one shots precuelas de las películas del Universo Cinematográfico de Marvel Studios me alegra que este dedicado a la nueva oportunidad cinematográfica de Los 4 Fantásticos no caiga en ese inane lugar común. Es cierto que no "adelanta" gran cosa de lo que la propia película nos sitúa y asienta en los primeros compases del film que despliega como nunca en live action la genial idiosincrasia "pijamera" clásica de estos personajes. Sí que extiende un poco más lo concerniente al primer encontronazo con el Hombre Topo y el mundo subterráneo, al situarlo como el evento canónico que consagra a Reed, Sue, Johnny Benjamin como supergrupo de pleno derecho. Pero quizás interesaba tener más datos del evento espacial de la energía cósmica y ese primer momento de descubrir sus habilidades (sobre todo por la parte de La Cosa) aunque sea algo tan visto que se agradece que la propia película pase de largo de forma tan ocurrente. Lo que sí que hace genial este one shot de Primeros Pasos es la presentación del ejemplar como una revista del mundo de estos 4F donde son las mayores celebridades como para tener concursos y espacios televisivos, publicitar productos o ser entrevistados en diferentes medios. Todas estas ocurrencias editoriales se intercalan con suma gracia.

[Norrin Shearer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was alright. I can’t really judge how effective a prequel it is since the movie isn’t out yet. As a story, it was fine. It had a lot to cover in a short amount of time, and it was more focused on the narrative recap than diving into the meat of the story. I think the best part of this book is the presentation. The replacement of ads with the in-universe interviews and magazine excepts was really cute. I think this comic serves better as a fun piece of tie-in merch than it does a comic book telling a story.

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked all the world-building ephemera, the fan club and the interview interludes etc. The story was a pretty basic retelling of their origin as I assume it will be in the movie. The mole man was very confusing, I have no idea what prompted him to live underground. And so much of the end of the book revolved around that that it was bad. But overall I enjoyed the book. Lots of Stan Lee esque words, and good likenesses of the actors.

[readershushu · Rating 3 out of 5]

“ ‘but ‘reed’ felt great concern. for his… his cohort.’ ‘family. the word he was looking for was ‘family.’”

a good introduction to the mcu fantastic four! i personally don’t like cbm synergy in comics but i did enjoy the in world ads for things such as the fantasticar or johnny’s fan club. the issue just fell a little flat for me and i found myself getting bored a bit. i hope that the first steps run starts to pick up after the movie release but, im not too sure.

[Chandler Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the movie, and wanted more content on this iteration of the characters. This story was fun for world-building and learning more about the characters on earth 828. I can tell Matt Shakman and the writers put a lot of thought and detail into these characters and worlds. Learned more about the beginnings of the Fantastic Four, as well as the tensions between Subterranea and the world. Though, I feel like this story was all over the place.

[Ross · Rating 2 out of 5]

Prequel-esque thing that you COULD read before watching the movie...
but why would you want to?

They definitely paid homage to the classic era of comics. It feels like a fanzine from the 60s. As an afternoon read, I'd probably give it one more star. Fans of the FF will enjoy the winks and nods to
classic scenes and villains. As a comic, the story is super thin.
====
Bonus: S.T.E.M. or S.T.O.R.M?

[Aiden Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great prelude to the film! This is a great refresh of the characters origins and helps provide some context to the world of the film!
Also the ads in the issue are fake ads that are FF themed and correspond to different characters, like a Johnny Storm fan club or an ad for the Fantasticar!
Can't wait for the movie in 2 weeks!!!

[Ana Karen Eng Vargas · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
Si amaste la película amarás este cómic. Te da un mejor contexto de que fue en esta nueva versión cuando estos personajes obtuvieron sus poderes y más detalles de su primera misión. Me gustó mucho ver más de la interacción entre Sue Storm y el Sr. Elder y como en la película por esa misma razón son más cercanos. Ame mucho las fotografías que nos dan de la película y en fin fui fan.

[Raymond Paquette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun throwback to the original version, but with Sue in a stronger position and Reed less bossy. I enjoyed the introduction, but did find some of the promotional materials a little annoying.

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Changing the ships name from Marvel-1 to Excelsior and HERBIE to KERBIE? Fantastic. No notes.


Johnny Storm getting interviewed by Tommy Hanson was an Easter egg I’m sure only me and like two other people understood just from reading Tommy’s name.

Congrats to Moleman on becoming a father

[Madison · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was cutesy and gave some good background on the characters prior to the movie coming out. I enjoyed it but I loved how immersive it was with the ads all catering like this was a real world and F4 really are the heroes and people to look up to.

[Azel Bimarajasa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Should've been in the movie. It's kinda hilarious tho, how Mole Man's struggle is basically a decolonization allegory. A terrible one, but still. Also, no mention on how the Fantastic Four turned the UN into the Future Foundation.

[AJ Easterday · Rating 3 out of 5]

*2.5 stars

Despite supposedly being a prequel to the Fantastic Four: First Steps film, the writing in this comic feels very inconsistent with the writing of the film. I do think, however, that Matt Fraction does a decent Stan Lee impression.

[grace ⧗ · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was so fun 😭😭😭 i love that this ties into the movie and is like a comic that would’ve been released to the public in the film. that’s so so clever!! i loved the articles and ads that also fit the movie universe. obsessed!!!

[Ashley Juarez · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good introduction to read before seeing the movie!
It gives more depth to their background with Mole Man and why he was integral to the second act.
I also liked that each member of the Fantastic 4 were able to comment on the events of the comic and give their thoughts and points of view.

[Joshua Rodriguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reminiscent of the first Fantastic Four comic

[Candice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has got me hyped for the movie! I love all the ads and interviews they include along with the story. It makes the Fantastic Four’s MCU universe more fleshed out.

[Rum · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love my family