Comic Title: Marvel Masterworks:The Fantastic Four Vol. 1 – Barnes & Noble Edition TPB
Publisher: Marvel
Cover Date: 2003
Approx. On Sale Date: April 1, 2003
Cover Price: $12.95
Page Count: 256

See Also: The Guide to Graphic Novels and Collected Editions

Title: "The Fantastic Four Meet the Skrulls from Outer Space"
Pages: 24

Feature(s):
Fantastic Four

Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: Jack Kirby
Inker: George Klein

Reprinted From:
Fantastic Four #2 (1962)

Feature Character(s)

• Fantastic Four (last appearance in Fantastic Four #1; next appearance in Fantastic Four #3)
• Mister Fantastic (last appearance in Fantastic Four #1; next appearance in Fantastic Four #3)
• Invisible Girl (last appearance in Fantastic Four #1; next appearance in Fantastic Four #3)
• Thing (last appearance in Fantastic Four #1; next appearance in Fantastic Four #3)
• Human Torch (last appearance in Fantastic Four #1; next appearance in Fantastic Four #3)

Villain(s)

• Skrulls (first appearance; next appearance in Fantastic Four #18)
• The leader of the Skrull infiltration team (disguised as Mister Fantastic; next appearance in Avengers #92)
• Three Skrull imposters (disguised as Invisible Girl, Human Torch, and the Thing; next appearance in Avengers #92)

Other Character(s)

• The police chief of Central City (no further appearances)
• A jeweler and a sculptor (no further appearances)

Comments:
Part 2: "Prisoner of the Skrulls"
(Part 3): "The Fantastic Four Fight Back"
(Part 4): "The Fantastic Four... Captured"

The Thing briefly reverts to the human form of Ben Grimm in this story.

This issue contains a full page pin-up of the Thing.

Synopsis:
The public turns against the Fantastic Four after witnesses see them committing acts of theft and destruction. The military apprehends and imprisons the team, but each one is able to use their powers to escape. Reed realizes that imposters are responsible for ruining their names.

Johnny goes undercover to find those responsible. He soon makes contact with a quartet of shape-shifting aliens known as Skrulls. They are the advance force sent to Earth to prepare for an invasion. Johnny summons the rest of the team to defeat the Skrulls.

The Fantastic Four then takes the Skrull ship into space to rendez-vous with the mother ship. Reed is able to convince them to call off the invasion. When the team returns to Earth, Ben briefly reutrns to human form before transforming back into the Thing. The team then clears their names by showing the authorities the captured Skrulls. One of them escapes. Reed assumes that he rejoined the retreating invasion force. The others are hypnotized and changed into milk cows to live the rest of their lives peacefully.