Karl Disley... my Fantastic Four Forever

Invention #462  - Subterranean Scanning System (Fantastic Four vol.3 #575)

In this issue, we see that Reed has a device capable of scanning the interior of the Earth.

Invention #464  - Fantastic Four Long Range Transport Vehicle (Fantastic Four vol.3 #576)

The Fantastic Four travel to Antarctica to visit a science team investigating signs of a massive super-structure in a huge underground lake.  The family takes Reed’s new long-range transport vehicle for the journey to the south pole.  We also get to see Johnny showing off his immunity to cold weather.

Invention #468  - The Future Foundation Cure for Ben Grimm (Fantastic Four vol.3 #580)

Reed gives his new Future Foundation permission to come up with their first project.  They decide to cure Ben Grimm.

Invention #470  - Upgraded Baxter Building Observatory (Fantastic Four vol.3 #584)

Reed continues to upgrade the Baxter Building’s rooftop observatory.  What he finds on this particular evening is something unexpected.

Just because I thought it would be fun, here is a collection of the major Fantastic Four team line-ups over the years.  Enjoy!

1) The Human Torch, Invisible Girl, Mister Fantastic, and the Thing

The classic line-up.  The original four.  Marvel’s first family that we all know and love.

http://marvel.wikia.com/Fantastic_Four_(Earth-616)

2) Crystal, the Human Torch, Mister Fantastic, and the Thing

During the Susan’s first pregnancy, Johnny’s girlfriend Crystal the Inhuman temporarily takes her place on the team.

http://marvel.wikia.com/Crystalia_Amaquelin_(Earth-616)

3) The Human Torch, Medusa, Mister Fantastic, and the Thing

In the 1970’s Reed and Sue separate due to marital issues.   During this time, the Inhuman Medusa stands in for the Invisible Girl.

http://marvel.wikia.com/Medusalith_Amaquelin_(Earth-616)

4) The Human Torch, Invisible Girl, Luke Cage (Power Man), and Mister Fantastic

When Ben Grimm is finally cured and returns to human form, the Hero-For-Hire Luke Cage, Power Man is chosen as his temporary replacement.

http://marvel.wikia.com/Luke_Cage_(Earth-616)

5) The Human Torch, Invisible Girl, Mister Fantastic, Nova, and the Thing

When Johnny Storm’s girlfriend Frankie Raye manifests powers similar to the Human Torch, she unofficially joins the team. 

http://marvel.wikia.com/Frankie_Raye_(Earth-616)

6) The Human Torch, Invisible Girl, Mister Fantastic and She-Hulk

After the Secret Wars, Ben decides to stay behind on the Beyonder’s planet.  There, he is able to change back and forth between Ben Grimm and the Thing at will.  When Johnny and Reed return to Earth, it’s with Ben’s replacement, the Sensational She-Hulk!

http://marvel.wikia.com/Jennifer_Walters_(Earth-616)

7) Crystal, the Human Torch, Sharon Ventura (She-Thing), and the Thing

Reed and Sue decide to leave the team, so that Reed can focus on his scientific studies.  Now with Ben in charge, he chooses Crystal and Sharon Ventura to complete the team.  Not long after joining, Sharon is transformed into a rocky form very similar to the Thing, while the Thing’s form becomes even more exaggerated.

http://marvel.wikia.com/Sharon_Ventura_(Earth-616)

8) Ben Grimm, the Human Torch, Invisible Woman, Mister Fantastic and the She-Thing  

When Ben once again finds himself de-powered, Sharon Ventura (the She-Thing) takes his place as the team’s heavy-hitter.  But Ben remains,using high-tech weapons and his piloting skills to aid the team.

9) Ghost Rider, the Hulk, Spider-Man, and Wolverine

When all of the Fantastic Four are captured, four heroes come together for two issues to rescue them.

http://marvel.wikia.com/Ghost_Rider

http://marvel.wikia.com/Hulk

http://marvel.wikia.com/Spider-Man

http://marvel.wikia.com/Spider-Man

10) The Human Torch, Invisible Woman, Lyja the Lazerfist, Mister Fantastic, Sharon Ventura, and the Thing

For a while the team consisted of six regular members.  She-Thing had been returned to her Sharon Ventura form by Doctor Doom and was secretly spying on the team for him.  And after it was discovered that Johnny had been married to a skrull masquerading as Alicia Masters, Lyja joins the team.

http://marvel.wikia.com/Lyja_(Earth-616)

 11) Ant-Man, The Human Torch, Invisible Woman, and the Thing 

When Reed Richards is presumed to be dead, Ant-Man Scott Lang joins the team as a technical consultant.

http://marvel.wikia.com/Scott_Lang_(Earth-616)

12) The Human Torch, Invisible Woman, Mister Fantastic, and the Thing

After years of shifting team members, the team is composed of the original four again for many years.

13)  The Black Panther, the Human Torch, Storm, and the Thing

Marvel’s Civil War has caused serious damage to Reed and Sue’s relationship.  When they decide to take some time off to work on their marriage, the Black Panther and Storm graciously offer to take their places on the team.

http://marvel.wikia.com/T%27Challa_(Earth-616)

http://marvel.wikia.com/Ororo_Munroe_(Earth-616)

15) Invisible Woman, Mister Fantastic, Spider-Man and the Thing

When Johnny is killed in the Negative Zone, Spider-Man replaces him on the team.  Johnny had selected Spidey as his replacement in his will.

http://marvel.wikia.com/Peter_Parker_(Earth-616)

16)  Ant-Man, Medusa, Ms. Thing, and She-Hulk

When the Fantastic Four take a trip across time and space and the mulitverse, they each choose a replacement to stand in for them for the four minutes they think that they will be gone.  Reed chooses Ant-Man.  Sue chooses Medusa.  Ben chooses She-Hulk.  Johnny forgets to choose anybody and at the last minute gets his pop-star girlfriend Darla Deering to stand in for him.  However, when the Fantastic Four don’t return after the expected four minutes, these four become their replacements until they return.

http://marvel.wikia.com/Darla_Deering_(Earth-616)

Invention #472  - Third Generation Unstable Molecules  (FF vol.1 #1)

A synthetic material created by the famous scientist Reed Richards which can be altered easily and adapt to a certain environment, allowing them to be incredibly resilient to drastic changes in heat, cold, pressure, density, dirt, etc. making them ideal for use as superhero costumes.

Unstable Molecules are configuration of unknown atomic nuclei and electrons discovered or synthesized by Reed Richards, which is responsive to certain energized matter around it. Used in the making of clothing for the Fantastic Four and certain other superhuman beings, unstable molecular cloth mimics its wearer’s physical properties, allowing it to stretch like Mister Fantastic and burst into flame without burning like the Human Torch.

The third generation of unstable molecules was able to let Spider-Man change his costume’s coloring and markings, allowing him to switch between his future foundation outfit and his regular outfit.

Invention #475  - Augmenting Iron Man’s Armor to Amplify Invisible Woman’s Force Field  (Fantastic Four vol.3 #600)

With a Kree Armada bearing down on New York City, Reed’s got to do something to fend it off.  With the help of Spider-Man and Tony Stark, he modifies Iron Man’s armor to amplify Susan’s force-field so that it will extend across New York.

http://marvel.wikia.com/Susan_Storm_(Earth-616)

Invention #478  - The HERBIE Home Network  (Fantastic Four vol.3 #604)

A telecommunications network is a collection of terminal nodes, links and any intermediate nodes which are connected so as to enable telecommunication between the terminals.  The transmission links connect the nodes together. The nodes use circuit switching, message switching or packet switching to pass the signal through the correct links and nodes to reach the correct destination terminal.Each terminal in the network usually has a unique address so messages or connections can be routed to the correct recipients. The collection of addresses in the network is called the address space.  

We can assume that the HERBIE Home Network is a combination private telecommunications and computer network build by Reed and monitored by HERBIE for the use of the Fantastic Four and family.

Invention #481  - The Orbital Space Station Foundation  (FF vol.1 #16)

After rebuilding the Baxter Building due to its destruction fighting off a Kree Invasion, a Negative Zone invasion and an attack by Mad Sentinels, Reed constructs Foundation:  an orbital space station/educational facility in geosynchronous orbit above the Baxter Building.

Invention #486  - The Think Tank  (Fantastic Four vol.4 #1)

Due to Reed’s elasticity, his body is much more durable than the normal human’s.  Bullet’s ricochet off of him.  

So, when he’s unexpectedly hurt by being bitten by a T-Rex, he knows there’s a problem.  

He retreats to “the Think Tank.”  An isolated research and analysis chamber that utilizes cutting edge interactive holographic controls, robotic probes and advanced scanning equipment.

(I love the way Mark Bagley draws Reed, by the way)

Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #21

Discovery #488  - Cellular Entropy in a Cosmically Irradiated Human   (Fantastic Four vol.4 #1)

Reed discovers that something is causing the unstable molecules in his cosmically irradiated body to break down.  And he fears this might start happening to the other members of the Fantastic Four too…