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Possessing a mastery of mechanical engineering, chemistry, all levels of physics, and human and alien biology, Richards is one of the most intelligent human beings in the Marvel universe. He is the inventor of the spacecraft bombarded by cosmic radiation on its maiden voyage, granting the Fantastic Four their powers. Richards gained the ability to stretch his body into any shape he desires.
Mr. Fantastic is the leader of the Fantastic Four, although his methodical manner sometimes makes him seem cold and distant to his teammates, particularly best friend the Thing, who somewhat blames Richards for his transformation into a large, rocky creature. He is, however, the loving husband of the Invisible Woman and mentor of the Human Torch.
Born in Central City, California, Reed is the son of Nathaniel and Evelyn Richards. Nathaniel was a scientific genius, and Reed inherited the same level of intellect. A child prodigy with special aptitude in mathematics, physics, and mechanics, Reed Richards had enrolled in college by the time he was fourteen, attending such prestigious universities as the California Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Columbia University, and the fictional Empire State University.
It was at Empire State University that he met and became the roommate of Benjamin J. Grimm. Reed had already begun designing a starship capable of traveling in hyperspace. Sharing his plans with his new roommate, Grimm jokingly volunteered to pilot the craft.
When Reed continued his education by attending Columbia University in Manhattan, he rented a room in a boarding house owned by the aunt of a young girl named Susan Storm. To his embarrassment, the young girl instantly fell in love with him. Even though Reed had to move on, they continued to carry a torch for each other. Also while at Columbia, he met a brilliant fellow student, Victor Von Doom. In Richards, Doom had met the first person who could rival him intellectually; regarding Richards as his ultimate rival, Doom became increasingly jealous of Richards. Determined to prove he was better, Doom conducted reckless experiments which eventually scarred his face and would lead him to become Doctor Doom.
Moving on to Harvard, Reed earned Ph.D.s in both physics and electrical engineering while working as a military scientist, all this by the age of 22. Two years later, Reed then began using his inheritance, along with government funding, to finance his research. Determined to reach the stars, the fateful project began, based in Central City. Susan Storm, now an adult, moved into the area and within a short time, found herself engaged to Reed. Likewise, Reed’s old college roommate, Ben Grimm, had gone on to become a successful test pilot and astronaut and was indeed slated to pilot the craft.
All seemed well; however, when the government threatened to cut funding and cancel the project, Reed, Ben, Sue and her younger brother Johnny, all decided to sneak aboard the starship and take it up immediately. They knew they had not completed all the testing that had been planned, but Reed was confident they would be safe.
It was on Reed's initiative that the fateful mission which had Susan Storm, Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm accompanying him into space took place. However, when their ship passed through the Van Allen belt they found their cockpit bombarded with nearly lethal doses of cosmic radiation. Reed had somehow neglected to account for the abnormal radiation levels in the atmosphere. The cosmic rays wreaked havoc on the starship’s insufficient shielding and they were forced to return to earth immediately. When they crash-landed they found that their bodies were changed dramatically. Reed found that his entire body was elastic and that he could reshape any portion of his body at will. It was at Mister Fantastic's suggestion that they decided to use their new abilities to serve mankind as the Fantastic Four. Mr. Fantastic was chosen to lead the group.
He has complete mental control of seemingly every molecule in his body. He has been observed as being able to utilize his stretching form in a variety of offensive and defensive manners, such as compressing himself into a ball and ricocheting into enemies or flattening himself into a trampoline or a parachute to rescue a teammate. He can twist or reshape his body or stretch roughly three miles, and as thin as a single molecule. He can flatten himself to the thickness of a sheet of vellum. He also can expand his lungs, allowing him to hold his breath longer. Because of his elastic nature, Mr. Fantastic cannot be harmed by bullets or other projectile weapons, including knives, missiles, darts, etc, and all projectiles rebound to the attacker. Despite this, Reed is not invulnerable to harm. Though rare and extremely difficult to do, Reed's skin has been cut at least once, by an evolved form of a Brood queen (or possibly an as of yet unnamed alien race). On another recent occasion, his face was badly scarred by a vengeful Doctor Doom before he was imprisoned in Hell. The scars were healed however while in heaven on a mission to bring back The Thing. He has also occasionally demonstrated other applications of this molecular control. While imprisoned by Psycho-Man, he willfully reduced his body to a nearly liquid state in order to flow out of a glass encasement specially prepared by the villain to have only the most infinitesimal of openings.
Reed can neither be grasped nor held, as his body can become slippery as an eel. However Reed is vulnerable to types of energy weapons, as well as taffy-puller-style machines that forcibly stretch him far enough and fast enough to cause Reed to suffer incredible pain, as well as the temporary loss of his elastic body's natural tendency to snap back to its original shape and proportions.
Reed can alter his physical makeup; he can, for instance, disguise his appearance to mimic another person or even an inanimate object, or extend spikes from his body. He can also concentrate his mass into a single body part, such as when he enlarges a fist into a fifty-pound hammer. All of these feats can be performed within milliseconds. Another ability Reed has (though it has only been exhibited once) is that he can increase his size and mass density, in effect bulking his malleable body to "Thing"-like proportions while increasing his strength to greater than normal human dimensions as well... Get Your Own! | View Slideshow
