The Fantastic Four: First Stepssaw some interesting power adjustments for Marvel’s First Family, but they make perfect sense in the context of the film. The MCU has built up an impressive roster of characters adapted from the comics. However, some powers need to be altered in the translation from page to screen.
This can be seen universally across the board, with some heroes being significantly less powerful than their comic book counterparts, like Mantis, who has a range of psychic powers in the comics, but specifically influences emotions in the MCU. Then, in other cases, thepowers can be completely altered, likeKamala Khan becoming a mutantwho can wield light instead of her more fantastic stretching powers from the comics.
Now, with The Fantastic Four joining the fray, these iconic heroes have finally had a chance to shine in the MCU. And while their powers remain largely unaltered from the comics, there are somesmall differences that set these versions of the heroes apart.
Johnny Storm’s Space De-Powering Is Technically An MCU Nerf
The Human Torch Has Limited Range In The Fantastic Four: First Steps
For instance,Johnny Storm, the hot-headed member of the team, and the younger brother of Sue Storm, shows off his abilities from the start, when he saves several people in need, and manages to absorb the roaring flames from surrounding emblazoned buildings. As impressive as these feats are, and they revealJohnny has clearly honed his powersover the four years that these heroes have been operating, there are limits.
When Johnny Storm and the rest of the team take off into the depths of space, they are all equipped with specially designed suits from their leader, Reed Richards. Adjusting for the more hostile environment of space,Reed has equipped their suits with oxygen, and for Johnny in particular, this proves to be vital to him exercising his abilities.
In this iteration,Johnny is unable to “flame on” in deep space, as, despite his powers, the lack of oxygen means he can’t sustain his powered-up form. This is a departure from other versions of the character, who can continue in their fired-up form even as they fly into the stars.
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Now, this may be seen as a downgrade of the heroes' powers, but itmakes sense in the story portrayed inThe Fantastic Four: First Steps. While this family of heroes have been operating for the past four years, and they have been honing their abilities to an impressive level, facing Galactus was a totally new challenge. Up to this point, the heroes of Earth-828 have been the only beings with genuine superpowers on their planet.
And beforeGalactus and his herald, Shalla-Bal, made themselves known, the existence of other powerful beings beyond the clouds was merely a speculation that Reed was hoping to uncover through messages sent out into the void. With all of this in mind, Johnny has never had toput his powers to the test in space.
Sure, heacquired these abilities while in spaceon a rocket with the rest of the team, but Reed would have vigorously tested their abilities on Earth. And since then, Reed, overwhelmed by guilt for having changed his friends and family’s lives forever, has avoided updating the suits or spaceship until it was essential.
All in all, Johnny’s lack of experience is likely abig factor in why he can’t use his powers in space. He still has room to grow and to develop his powers, but for this outing, and their first encounter in space, it makes sense for Johnny to rely on a suit with extra oxygen, and Reed to try and prevent a scenario where he has no control.
The MCU May Be Building Up To Letting Johnny Storm Use His Powers In Space
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We already know that Johnny Storm and the rest of The Fantastic Four will return inAvengers: Doomsday. Now, to get to this point, the heroes need tomake their way to Earth-616, and from that point, they will likelyencounter new challenges that take them beyondthe surface of just one planet. This will be the perfect environment for these heroes to grow and improve their abilities.
And chief among them, Johnny Storm’sability to use his powers in space may become vitalfor such a scenario. While Sue could conceivably use her powers to create bubbles to transport her family through space, Johnny’s ability to propel himself at high speeds and launch fire blasts may be incredibly important.
But, Johnny will need to spend some more time honing his powers beyond the comfort of the atmosphere, and learn where his limits truly lie. No doubt, Reed and the others will do all they can to help him in this pursuit, which againprovides a great opportunity for the family to grow together.
Establishing this moment requires Johnny to start out at a point where he is still learning about his abilities. Just like many other heroes, when push comes to shove, these characters have a chance to grow and overcome overwhelming odds, just as they did inThe Fantastic Four: First Steps, and as they will surely do again inAvengers: Doomsdayand beyond.
