Throughout the history of Marvel comics, there have been many characters that have been created and then fumbled about either because those who were writing them didn’t know how to truly handle them, or because they lost interest. Sadly, there have been years when Sue Storm has been included in both categories since her character didn’t get the wake-up call she needed until the 2000s. Many might want to scoff at thinking that she hasn’t been given her due for so long, but this is where even I have to agree that as a superhero and a character, Sue Storm really did get the short end of the stick for a while. Belonging to a group that as important as the Fantastic Four, one would think that Sue would be treated like comic book royalty, not only because of her status as a hero but because of the fact that she can effectively shut down her other teammates if she really wanted to. Obviously her desire to see her team, her family, flourish is far greater, but starting in the 90s and finally culminating in the 2000s, Sue put her foot down in a big way and became more than just the wife to Reed Richards, the sister to Johnny Storm, and the mother to Franklin Richards.
She became the Invisible ‘Woman’, not the Invisible Girl, and she established herself in a very big way. The power that Sue holds is immense when one really thinks about it since her control over her abilities has grown along with her sense of character. She still has limits that are directly related to her ability to focus, her stamina, and her own human physiology, but she’s not the type of character to mess around with when she’s rested and fully ready to go. It’s also not a wise move for anyone to test her resolve since she’s the type to push herself to the limit when it’s absolutely necessary, and her upper limits are rather impressive.
As far as having her own movie or TV series goes, it makes a lot of sense to explore her character and perhaps have her interact with many other characters in the Marvel universe to really get a feel for who Sue is outside of the comics. These days the MCU is really digging into the character of each individual and seeking to define them as human beings, not just two-dimensional constructs that have been brought to life. The effort hasn’t been perfected yet obviously, but it’s still something that is fun to see since it gives the sense that the heroes and villains are actual people in their own universe and not just a gathered assortment of stereotypes that people can pick up when they’re interested and ditch when they’re no longer useful. Getting a better sense of who Sue Storm is would be a lot of fun since she’s not just a superhero, she’s a mother to her own child, a wife, and a sister and mother-figure to her brother Johnny as well. And in a big way, it does feel that she’s often taken for granted by her genius husband and hot-headed brother.
Even Ben Grimm, aka the Thing, who usually treats her respectfully, isn’t always as on top of things as he should be when it comes to really value her place on the team. For too long she was seen as Invisible ‘Girl’, which was a little bit insulting without a doubt. But after being given a real sense of purpose, Sue Storm is a much deeper and interesting character that needs to be explored a bit more. What her story would be about and who would even play the part is hard to say since Jessica Alba and Kate Mara were obviously not well-liked when they took on the role. But giving Sue her own series would be great since it might highlight her place in the Marvel universe and make it known that much like the other women that have been showcased, she is powerful and very capable. Kind of like Black Widow, she’s the only woman on an all-male team and yet she’s been kind of overlooked for years.
There’s no doubt that if she was given her own series that she would need to have her teammates around her from time to time since the whole point of The Fantastic Four is that they’re a unit and work better together. But it would still need to be her show in order to keep the focus on her and to make it clear that she’s a much bigger deal than many people think. Not only is she intelligent and capable in a fight, but she’s been the team’s saving grace quite often since between her powers and level-headed manner, she is the heart of the Fantastic Four.
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