The Fantastic Four’s fearless leader has caused his own version of Thanos‘ Blip from the MCU, but this one is arguably worse. Reed Richards may be the smartest man on Earth, but his intelligence does not always take the feelings of others into account. The Fantastic Four have saved the day in the long run, but for an entire year, families are separated in Reed Richards’ worst decision yet.
Fantastic Four #4, written by Ryan North with art by Iban Coello, begins with an alien invasion descending upon Manhattan. After exhausting all other options, Reed Richards activates a device that removes the Baxter Building and all aliens attacking it to deep space. Unfortunately, he also transports everyone inside the building as well – and while he assures they’ve “only” been transported forward in time and will appear safe and sound one year from now, the damage is still done. Families are separated, jobs are lost, and the Fantastic Four are eventually run out of town.
Reed Richards Causes A Thanos Snap Of His Own
The aftermath of Reed’s decision also closely mirrors that of the infamous “blip” after Avengers: Infinity War, in which the world attempted to move forward without families, friends and important leaders and government officials. But unlike Thanos, who planned his actions meticulously for years, Reed decided to erase the entire population of the Baxter Building on a whim. While this means he had other plans in mind, the fact that he acted so drastically without even consulting his wife, let alone others, lends credence to Reed’s long-rumored superiority complex.
Reed Richards Will Do Whatever He Thinks Best
Thanos and Reed have another similarity: both believe their actions are for the greater good. Reed goes out of his way to not kill people in this issue – but that hasn’t always been the case. In Marvel Zombies, the reader meets a version of Richards who considers the zombie plague to be the next step in human evolution…and infects his family with it without their knowledge or consent. In many ways, Reed is the “heroic” version of Thanos, prioritizing what he believes is the “correct” thing to do over what everyone else feels is the “right” thing to do.
For now, the hundreds of people inside the Baxter Building are missing, including the Fantastic Four’s own children. If Reed Richards’ calculations are correct, everyone will eventually rematerialize one year from now without any awareness that time has passed. Unfortunately, the Fantastic Four’s Blip of their own making will undoubtedly have lasting consequences for the team’s standing in New York.
