In Marvel Comics, which issue introduced the superhero team the Fantastic Four?

Fantastic Four #1 introduced Marvel Comics’ superhero team the Fantastic Four.

Published with a cover date of November 1961, the issue was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. Its central characters were Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm, who gained powers after exposure to cosmic radiation during an unauthorized space flight.

The team’s debut helped establish the distinctive Marvel approach of placing superpowered characters in recognizable personal conflicts. Reed and Sue’s relationship, Johnny’s impulsiveness, and Ben’s anguish over becoming the Thing gave the group tensions beyond straightforward battles with villains.

Fantastic Four #1 is sometimes confused with the team’s first appearance in a film or with later landmark issues such as Fantastic Four #5, which introduced Doctor Doom. The debut issue also established the team’s headquarters, the Baxter Building, and the recurring importance of scientific exploration in their stories. The Fantastic Four became one of Marvel’s foundational properties and helped define the company’s early-1960s superhero line.