The Marvel Comics Universe has no shortage of Omega-level powerhouses like Jean Grey, Scarlet Witch, to name a few. And then there are the Eternals, the godlike Celestials, and Galactus. But one of the most powerful characters in Marvel history is likely debuting in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. And that character is probably going to be a baby. We’re talking about the firstborn child of Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman, Franklin Richards. With the confirmation that Vanessa Kirby’s Sue Storm is pregnant in the film, it no doubt means Franklin is about to make his MCU debut, even if it’s just as an infant. And this is quite a big deal for the Multiverse Saga, and the MCU as a whole.
The Son of Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman Is Born in Fantastic Four Annual #6
Franklin Benjamin Richards first appears in Fantastic Four Annual #6 in 1968 in story by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. In this issue, he was born to Reed and Sue Richards, whose genes were altered by cosmic rays. Initially, the assumption was that Franklin was a mutant whose X-gene was even more powerful thanks to his cosmic-powered parents. Thanks to the magic of “comic book time” Franklin was a toddler for the entire decade of the ‘70s, but began manifesting his powers quite early. His powers were psionic in nature, including telekinesis, telepathy, astral projection, as well as manifesting matter and energy manipulation. Because he was just a small child, his father, Mister Fantastic, placed mental dampers to limit Franklin’s use of his powers.
Franklin Richards, Kid Superhero
Throughout much of the ‘70s and ‘80s, Fantastic Four writers portrayed Franklin as an average little boy. Well, an average boy with nearly unlimited power. Because of this, he needed special care. His original nanny was none other than the witch Agatha Harkness, and later, his caretaker was H.E.R.B.I.E., the robot. Despite the power dampening, his innate abilities were so strong that in moments of great stress, or perceived danger to himself or his family, they would manifest in grand ways. Franklin was able to take out villains like Annihilus, Blastaar, and even the demon lord Mephisto with a thought. He was a tiny deus ex machina. While still a small child, he even joined the superteam Power Pack, who were all little kids. As a member, he used the codename Tattletale.
From time to time during this era, we did see glimpses of what an older Franklin Richards would be like. We learned that the adult Franklin was in a relationship with Rachel Summers, the daughter of Cyclops and Jean Grey. This reveal came in the classic Uncanny X-Men story, “Days of Future Past.” In one reality, Franklin and Rachel even had a child together, Jonathan Richards, who was the villain Hyperstorm. This villain didn’t last, though. As a bad guy with the combined DNA of the primary X-Men and Fantastic Four members, he was just too OP to keep around.
The ’90s Were a Chaotic Era for Franklin Richards
The ‘90s were a tumultuous time for Franklin, as his grandfather, Nathaniel Richards, kidnapped him, took him into the future, and returned him to the present as the teenage Psi-Lord. This teenage Franklin was part of a team using the name the Fantastic Force. This spin-off of the Fantastic Four ultimately proved not to be very popular. Fans mocked what a blatant ripoff Psi-Lord was of the X-Men’s Cable. After just a few years, Marvel writers removed Franklin’s abduction into the future from the timeline entirely. Just like that, Franklin was just a little kid again, no older than six or seven. But somehow, things still got worse for him.
Onslaught Unlocks Franklin Richards’ Highest Potential
The villain Onslaught, a combination of Magneto and Charles Xavier, wanted to use Franklin’s unlimited genetic potential for himself. To save his parents, as well as the Avengers and the Hulk, Franklin created a pocket universe for them to exist in for over a year. That’s when Marvel revealed that Franklin’s reality-warping powers could literally create another universe. With this potential unlocked, even the godlike Celestials considered elevating the child into a member of the Celestial Host. Readers eventually learned that Franklin is immortal, and will stand by Galactus’s side when the universe ends. In fact, in one distant future, Galactus will be the Herald of Franklin.
Franklin Saves His Little Sister, Valeria
In the early ’80s, Susan Richards became pregnant with a second child, but her baby was sadly stillborn. Many years later, Franklin used his power to go back in time and save the baby from death. He whisked her to another dimension, where Doctor Doom raised her. She returned to the present much older, named Valeria Richards. Eventually, Franklin altered time even further, so that she was raised alongside him. She has no superpowers, but inherited her father’s superior intellect. And because of her brother’s interference in the timestream, she had a second chance at life. This meant that Franklin got to grow up with a kid sister.
Secret Wars Aftermath, Franklin Richards Creates New Realities
After the Multiverse was destroyed in the 2015 series Secret Wars, Doctor Doom fused the remnants into Battleworld, where he ruled as God Emperor. In the aftermath, after Reed Richards and Doom fight it out, the Multiverse is restored. Franklin and his family leave for other dimensions, and he uses his vast power to restore reality, as well as create new universes. When the FF eventually return to Earth 616, more time has passed where they were on their journey than on Earth and Franklin is now a young teenager when he returns. Thanks to the massive effort of creating countless new universes, upon returning to Earth-616, Franklin exhausts his powers.
Teenage Franklin Discovers He’s Not a Mutant
Franklin and his family try to resume a normal life. Now an emo teen, Franklin dyed his blonde hair jet black. However, “normal” is never in the cards for long in the Richards family. During a time when his powers were seemingly gone, Professor Xavier informed Franklin that he was not actually a mutant. His cosmic powers were so vast, that he unconsciously rewrote his own DNA to appear as if he had an X-gene. But he was something far greater than human or mutant. Recently, he’s discovered that his powers are slowly returning. But Franklin chooses to only use them one day a year, and in secret. It’s only a matter of time before Franklin’s full powers bloom once more.
Franklin Richards in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and His MCU Future
So what does Franklin Richards’ arrival mean for the MCU? Well, if his reality-warping powers are even somewhat similar to the comics, he could be the key to the future. It’s likely that at the end of Avengers: Secret Wars, Doctor Doom will be defeated and the Multiverse reborn. But if Franklin uses his powers to restore reality, they could use him to make some significant changes. We wouldn’t be shocked if Franklin Richards somehow fuses the histories of the MCU Earth 616, the X-Men’s Earth-10005, and his own Fantastic Four retro ‘60s Earth into one cohesive history. Yes folks, a Marvel reboot. Because of this, this as-yet-uncast actor (as far as we know) could be the most important player in the MCU since Tony Stark put on his Iron Man armor.
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