‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Tie-In Comic Is A Meta-Retelling Of The Team’s MCU Origin

Back in the day, Marvel Comics characters used to visit the offices of Marvel Comics all the time, particularly as their adventures were “documented” by the writers, artists, and editors who existed inside the 616. Heck, for a time, Steve Rogers worked as an artist at Marvel! Really! And now the MCU is getting a turn as Marvel — the real one — will release Fantastic Four: First Steps #1, a comic that purports to be a retelling of the origin of the team, from inside the universe of the upcoming movie.

The meta-concept is that it’s the fourth anniversary of the debut of the Fantastic Four. So Marvel has teamed up writer Matt Fraction and artist Mark Buckingham to commemorate the event with a new comic showing how Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch and The Thing become international superstars.

“What an honor to be asked to help celebrate the fourth anniversary of the Fantastic Four!” Fraction said via a press release in the real world. “It was a thrill to bring their first legendary adventure to the world of comic books for the first time! It’s a story we all know by heart, but I think Magic Mark Buckingham and I have found a way to tell it as you’ve never heard or seen before — and who knows, this could be the start of something big!”

Per the cover by Phil Noto, it looks like the team started out the same way they did in regular comics: fighting the Mole Man and his monsters. Except in this comic, it’s the visages of Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, from the upcoming movie of the same name.

Four years ago, the world was transformed as an amazing cosmic-powered quartet revealed themselves and their astonishing abilities to the public! Since that time, they have become world-famous as the Fantastic Four! Now, to celebrate that anniversary, Marvel Comics recounts their very first exploit that saved our city from near destruction!

In a rare case of these sorts of comics actually hitting on time, Fantastic Four: First Steps #1 will hit stores on July 2, 2025, before the movie hits theaters on July 25. You can check out the cover, below.

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