lurkerwithout | Tuesday Tangents: The Four

Yes I know its technically no longer Tuesday. Not like I was awake for most of that day. But this week we return to Marvel and take a look at an alternate Fantastic Four. But first we look at the alternate Marvel we've got going on. Most of our "super-heroes" are mystically enhanced beings, while even the more super-science and alien inspired ideas don't have much to tie them to the ideas of 4-color spandex. Much of it feels more "operate from the shadows" rather than the common costumed crime-fighting of super-hero comics. Just an observation...

The Four are a globally hunted team of killers and espionage freelancers. Led by the genius inventor and amoral monster Dr. Reed Richards. His fantastic, if evil, devices have made them the most wanted people on the planet. The others include master of stealth and disguise Sue "Invisible" Storm and her explosives expert brother Johnny "Torch" Storm. And expert pilot and brutal killer Ben "The Thing" Grimm. Grimm gained his nickname after surviving being shot down but with horrific scarring...

Though wanted by every law enforcement agency around, The Four are the personal white whale of the Advanced Ideas Squad of INTERPOL. Each member is a brilliant police officer as well as having varied and personal motivations for hunting the Four. Latverian nobleman Victor Von Doom attended the same schools as Reed. The two were at first friendly rivals. But as Richards revealed himself to have no concern for the human costs of his research, Von Doom distanced himself returning home. The good doctor had specialized in cybernetics and robotics, planning to use his genius to help the people of his small country. Latveria had become a democracy over the last several decades but their former ruling family were respected and revered. The former Contessa, Victor's mother, was a leading humanitarian. It was her work at building peace that caused her enemies to hire the Four to eliminate her. This murder drove Von Doom into joining INTERPOL and forming the A.I.S.

Other members include the Americans Bentley Wittman: surveillance (FBI) and Phillip Masters: tactics (CIA), Italian Jose Santini: counter-terrorism (Guardia di Finanza), Spaniard Esteban Corazon De Ablo: demolitions/chemical weapons disposal (National Police) and Russian Ivan Kragoff: ex-commando and small unit tactics (Arggh! Work computer sucks! How hard is it to let me look at the damn Wiki page for the Russian police so I can see what their DAMNED NAME IS?). The elite team is dedicated to the pursuit and capture of the Four at any cost...