The New Fantastic Four

The New Fantastic Four (on-screen title: The Fantastic Four) is an animated series produced by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises and Marvel Comics Animation in 1978.[1] It is the second animated series based on Marvel's comic book series Fantastic Four, following a 1967 series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions.[2]

The New Fantastic Four
GenreSuperhero
Action
Adventure
Created byStan Lee
Based on
Fantastic Four
by
Written byStan Lee
Directed byBrad Case
Voices of
Narrated byDick Tufeld
Theme music composer
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13
Production
Executive producerLee Gunther
Producers
Editors
  • David H. DePatie, Jr.
  • Richard Gannon
  • Richard Corwin
Running time21–22 minutes
Production companies
Release
Original networkNBC
Original releaseSeptember 9 (1978-09-09) –
December 16, 1978 (1978-12-16)
Related

The 1978 series replaced the character of the Human Torch with a robot named H.E.R.B.I.E. (Humanoid Experimental Robot, B-type, Integrated Electronics) because the 1978 television rights to use that character were tied up by a proposed television pilot movie in development by Universal Studios that ended up never being produced.[3][4]

Ownership of the series passed to Disney in 2001 when Disney acquired Fox Kids Worldwide, which also includes Marvel Productions.[5][6][7]

Plot

After getting exposed to cosmic radiation, Reed Richards, Susan Storm, and Ben Grimm, alongside their robot H.E.R.B.I.E., fight crime as the Fantastic Four.

Episode list
No Title Written by Original air date PC
1"A Monster Among Us"Stan LeeJanuary 18, 1978 (1978-01-18)101
A spaceship containing a giant alien monster crash-lands on Earth and heads for New York. The Fantastic Four must find a way to contain the giant alien monster before a second spaceship arrives.
2"The Menace of Magneto"Stan LeeJanuary 25, 1978 (1978-01-25)102

Magneto challenges Mister Fantastic for leadership of the Fantastic Four. Magneto wins and makes the team commit crimes disguised as good deeds.

Note. This episode lifts its conclusion from Incredible Hulk #6 in which Hulk used a cardboard gun to trick Metal Master into believing he lost his powers.
3"The Phantom of Film City"Story by : Roy Thomas
Teleplay by : Stan Lee		February 1, 1978 (1978-02-01)103
When the Fantastic Four are invited to make an epic film adventure, the movie set is plagued by the mysterious Phantom of Film City and some all too real Skrull actors.
4"Medusa and the Inhumans"Stan LeeFebruary 8, 1978 (1978-02-08)104
Upon investigating reports of mysterious beings living in the Alps, the Fantastic Four are captured by the Inhumans led by Medusa who are making plans to take over the Earth.
5"The Diamond of Doom"Story by : Stan Lee
Teleplay by : Christy Marx		February 15, 1978 (1978-02-15)105
Queen Sebel of Manopal hires the Fantastic Four to retrieve the Great White Stone that was stolen from her not knowing what Queen Sebel plans to do with the Great White Stone.
6"The Mole Man"Stan LeeFebruary 22, 1978 (1978-02-22)106
When power plants from all over the world sink beneath the Earth, the Fantastic Four discover that Mole Man is behind this.
7"The Olympics of Space"Roy ThomasMarch 1, 1978 (1978-03-01)107
Thing is abducted by aliens and forced to compete on the Moon in a contest between warring factions. Thing ends up fighting the other alien race's champion Monstro.
8"The Fantastic Four Meet Doctor Doom"Stan LeeMarch 8, 1978 (1978-03-08)111
Doctor Doom introduces himself to the Fantastic Four and takes them back to Latveria where he forces them into going back in time and recovering the treasure of Blackbeard.
9"The Frightful Four"Story by : Stan Lee
Teleplay by : Bob Stitzel, Bob Johnson		March 15, 1978 (1978-03-15)108
In order to combat the Fantastic Four, Wizard brings together Medusa, Sandman, and Trapster to form the Frightful Four.
10"Calamity on the Campus"Roy ThomasMarch 22, 1978 (1978-03-22)109
Professor Gregson Gilbert introduces his creation Dragon Man to the Fantastic Four in order to use it for good. Unfortunately, Professor Gilbert's assistant George steals the controls to Dragon Man in order to use it for his own purposes.
11"The Impossible Man"Stan LeeMarch 29, 1978 (1978-03-29)110
A green alien that can do anything lands on Earth and is called Impossible Man by the criminal Grogan as he befriends him and his gang. Now the Fantastic Four must find a way to expose Grogan to Impossible Man and get him off Earth.
12"The Final Victory of Doctor Doom"Stan LeeApril 5, 1978 (1978-04-05)112
Doctor Doom blackmails the United States into making him its leader causing the Fantastic Four to spring into action.
13"Blastaar, the Living Bomb Burst"Story by : Roy Thomas
Teleplay by : Stan Lee		April 12, 1978 (1978-04-12)113
Mister Fantastic discovers the Negative Zone and unknowingly lets Blastaar onto Earth who goes on a rampage.

Cast

Additional voices
  • Jack Angel (uncredited) - Eddie (in "The Impossible Man"), Joey (in "The Impossible Man")
  • William Boyett (uncredited) - Grogan (in "The Impossible Man")
  • Joan Gerber - Medusa
  • Don Messick - Wizard (in "The Frightful Four"), Gorgon (in "Medusa and the Inhumans"), J.J. Colossal (in "The Phantom of Film City")
  • Marvin Miller (uncredited) - Blastaar (in "Blastaar, the Living Bomb Burst")
  • Gene Moss - Trapster (in "The Frightful Four"), Dean Johnson (in "Calamity on the Campus")
  • Vic Perrin - Inhuman Guard (in "Medusa and the Inhumans")
  • Hal Smith - Karnak (in "Medusa and the Inhumans"), Mole Man (in "The Mole Man")
  • John Stephenson - Doctor Doom, Magneto (in "The Menace of Magneto"), Professor Gregson Gilbert (in "Calamity on the Campus"), Presenter at Science Convention (in "The Final Victory of Doctor Doom")
  • Nancy Wible - Crystal (in "Medusa and the Inhumans")

Marvel Mash-Up

In July 2012, scenes from Fantastic Four were re-cut, edited, and re-dubbed into comical shorts as part of Disney XD's comedic Marvel Mash-Up series of shorts for their "Marvel Universe on Disney XD" block of programming that included Ultimate Spider-Man and The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes.[8]

Home media

The company Liberation Films was going to release this series on DVD in the UK in November 2008, but due to the company going into bankruptcy, that never happened. However the company Clear Vision in the UK which had acquired the rights to the Marvel shows, released the series on DVD in March, 2010.

Morningstar Entertainment has released 2 episodes on Region 1 DVD in Canada, however both The Impossible Man and Meet Dr. Doom are reissues of Volumes 2 and 7 of the 1980s Prism Video Marvel Comics Video Library. Both DVDs were mastered from VHS copies of those old releases, and therefore contain the Spider-Man episodes that were added on as bonus episodes to the VHS releases.[9] Meet Doctor Doom is only available in the Villains Gift Set by Morningstar.

References
  1. Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 317–321. ISBN 978-1476665993.
  2. Woolery, George W. (1983). Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946-1981. Scarecrow Press. pp. 96–98. ISBN 0-8108-1557-5. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  3. "Is it true that the Human Torch was replaced in the 1978 Fantastic Four cartoon show because the network was afraid that kids would imitate him and set themselves on fire?" -- POVOnline.com. Retrieved on 7 December 2007. Archived 28 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  4. "Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #16!". 15 September 2005.
  5. "U.S. Copyright Public Records System".
  6. "Disney+ and Missing Saban Entertainment & Fox Kids-Jetix Worldwide Library - StreamClues". 14 September 2022. Archived from the original on 26 December 2022. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  7. "Liste - BVS Entertainment | Séries".
  8. "Marvel News, Blog, Articles & Press Releases | Marvel".
  9. "The New Fantastic Four DVD news: DVDs Planned in Canada for 1978's The New Fantastic Four Cartoons". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on 2010-01-19. Retrieved 2011-04-20.
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