Fantastic Four: Unstable Molecules

Startling Stories: Fantastic Four #1-4

by James Sturm (Author/Designer/Layouts), Guy Davis (Artist)

Collecting Unstable Molecules #1-4, and Fantastic Four #1.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Marvel, Fiction, Superheroes, Science Fiction, Historical Fiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

James Sturm is the author of several award-winning graphic novels for children and adults, including James Sturm’s America, Market Day, The Golem’s Mighty Swing and Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow. He is also the founder of the Center for Cartoon Studies and the National Association for Comics Art Educators. He created Adventures in Cartooning with collaborators Alexis Frederic-Frost and Andrew Arnold. Sturm, his wife, and two daughters live in White River Junction, Vermont.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/jamess...

Reviews

[Molly™☺ · Rating 1 out of 5]

The foreword is the most interesting and well executed part of this whole collection. The Fantastic Four are iconic in their own right, but this book is quick to tell you that they’re actually based on real people. With this premise, Strum attempts a re-telling of marvel’s first family set during the 60s. The main problem is the fact that none of the core four are likeable or portrayed as anything past stereotypes. It’s page after page of unpleasant characterisations. For something so short, it sure does drag on….With a better execution, it could work, but sadly it’s not able to deliver what the writer intends.

[Rick Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

A completely unique take on Marvel's classic series that is elegantly told and has masturful artwork by Guy Davis. The fact that Marvel even got James Sturm to write a comic for them is wonder enough, but the fact that it feels completely unadulterated by editorial oversight is something else altogether. This might be the best spin on the Fantastic Four ever, and it's a bit of a shame that the follow up comics never came to pass.

Sturm takes a classic Cold War-era spin on the Fantastic Four, pitching each issue as a take on the classic characters. Guy Davis renders a highly retro aesthetic to the book that creates a sublime experience. It all goes together really well and makes for a masterful retelling of the Fantastic Four mythos.

[Mutant Mike · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nothing but clichéd, unlikeable stereotypes, right down to the '50s Biff Tannen bullies and incomprehensible beatniks. Everyone is awful to each other, because that's just the premise. Then, we conclude with Reed's unemotional realization that he dodged a bullet by not marrying Sue. The author puts a lot of effort into 'world-building' this idea that the FF are based on real people, but I think along the way conflated 'realistic' with 'miserable'. Everyone is miserable; even Johnny's best friend, one of the more sympathetic characters in the book, whose circumstances at home drove him to contemplate suicide. He winds up a pathetic, defeated, old, hoarder recluse in the end. But don't worry, kids! Things totally won't end up that way for you! Chin up, true believers!

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure I understand the basis of this book, but that didn't stop me from liking it immensely.
The author posits that in 1958, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and some other Marvel bullpenners made the acquaintance of a dysfunctional extended family. These four flawed characters, by the names of Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben became the basis for the comic book that changed superhero fiction forever: the Fantastic Four. Does this have any basis in fact? Is it an urban legend or a total work of fiction? Does it matter?
James Sturm and Guy Davis present a unique look at the stifling societal roles of a repressed 1950s America while telling the small, personal story of four unimportant people. Each of the characters has their chance to shine, but the real star is Sue. Hers is a heartbreaking portrait of a strong, smart, ambitious woman trapped in the pre-sexual revolution role of a homemaker trying to keep her family together.
Despite the title, there isn't a costumed adventurer in sight. (Except for the comics Johnny reads, which serve as a counterpoint to the drama and a commentary on the stature of comic books compared to art and literature, both then and now.) This is a character driven experiment that really works, leaving me to wish DC and Marvel would take more chances like this with their established characters.

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Writer James Sturm and artist Guy Davis recount the life of the troubled group of non-super powered individuals that influenced the creation of the comic book foursome. Set in the 1958, Fantastic Four: Unstable Molecules relates the stormy relationship between Dr. Reed Richards and the much younger, orphaned Susan Strum, who functions as guardian to her teenage brother, Johnny. War hero Ben Grimm, Reed's best friend, manages a gym. Since Reed is often absent researching, the lovelorn Ben and the bored Sue develop a flirtatious friendship. The angry Johnny runs off with a group of beatniks. All these events come to an explosive finale at a Strum party. In attendance are the Sturm cartoonist neighbor and several of his comic book pals including the duo, Stan and Jack.

Strum's and Davis's multi-layered story encourages multiple readings, each time garnering new insights. By using 1950s stereotypes, Unstable Molecules presents new and interesting incarnations of these well known characters.

[Erik Erickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no idea that the Fantastic Four was based on real people (and if I had I would've thought their resemblance to actual humans would be superficial at best) so this was a particularly interesting read for me. I think it's fascinating how Marvel creators - including Jack Kirby, Stan Lee and others - used real documents from the contracted exploits of Dr. Reed Richards and his relationship with girlfriend/fiance, her son and Ben Grimm to craft the original heroes' personalities and group dynamics. It's even more fascinating coming from a descendant of Sue Sturm - the basis of the character of Sue Storm aka the Invisible Woman.

The afterward provides more info on everything using recent interviews and books on the subject. Highly recommended for anyone, even if you (like me) don't care at all about the comic-versions of the Fantastic Four.

[Amal El-Mohtar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great idea fantastically (badum-tsh!) executed. A look at the lives behind the lives of the Fantastic Four, set in the '50s, this book could be a case study in How to Pass the Fucking Bechdel Test Effortlessly You Bastards. Ostensibly the story of three men and one woman in the FIFTIES, Sue's chapter was the longest and most heartfelt, featured her thoughts and her day-to-day doings, her frustrations, her conversation with neighbours, her inheriting a Women's Group from her deceased mother and examining the implications of that -- it was just brilliant. Johnny and Richard's chapter was phenomenal. Several punches to the gut throughout, but very well worth it.

[Josh Busby · Rating 5 out of 5]

The real-life story of the real-life foursome that inspired Stan & Jack to make 'em Fantastic, James Sturm's Eisner Award-winning spin on the FF begins as a pretty wonderful examination of various angles of 1950's American life & ends up making the fabulously poignant statement that it is those whom we care for irrationally & love uncontrollably that will always make the most extraordinary contributions to the molecular fabric of our own unstable selves.

It. Is. Beautiful.

[Hal Clayton-Ton · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of, if not the first Fantastic Four series I ever read. I love the initial story being the possibility that the FF could have been based on real people that creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby knew. I love the artwork as well.

Genre: Superhero

Appeal: For someone looking for a fresh spin on a superhero story, and great read for any Fantastic Four fan.

[Jake · Rating 4 out of 5]

a marvel story completely devoid of any 'super-powered' people? and it's also the fantastic four still?

this could have been a car crash but i really, really did enjoy it.

refreshing take on the classic fifties/sixties world of golden age marvel.

up there with the vision series from a few years back. and this came out in like 2003.

[Mike Jozic · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot praise this book enough. What Sturm, Davis, Sikoryak, Thompson, and Vrana have created here is an absolutely sublime work of alternate history retelling the origin of Marvel's first family, the Fantastic Four. Unstable Molecules is heartfelt and heartbreaking. I doubt it will suit everyone's tastes but for my money this just might be the best Fantastic Four story I have ever read.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I owned a few of these issues, but found this trade and picked it up because it was such a steal.

Sturm and Davis not only create a pre-history of the FANTASTIC FOUR, but do it in a way that feels more real than the comic book counterparts.

Great artwork, great story. Pick this UP!

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Put aside the whole pretense-at-history thing . . . .

What this really is is the Fantastic Four as an off-Broadway play about the 1950s. It feels very novel. It's too bad the mocked-up sequels never came into being.

[Brannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sturm and Davis's metafictional faux-history of the "real" Fantastic Four reveals multiple layers with repeated readings.

[Aviv Zippin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unstable Molecules in relation to the Fantastic Four is what Watchmen is in relation to comics

[Jason Craft · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dials the inherent angst of the original Lee/Kirby FF comics up to 20. Maybe the best Fantastic Four comic ever.

[Reyel2107 · Rating 4 out of 5]

great guy davis , he is the best of this !!!!!!

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sturm's script and Davis' art do a brilliant job creating utterly real characters upon whom the Fantastic Four are "inspired." This is the best thing Marvel's put out in years, if not ever.

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read this several times over my 35-ish years of comics fandom, and I wind up loving it more every single time. A brilliant read, and an even better re-read.

[Alessandro · Rating 5 out of 5]

What if the Fantastic Four were real?
“Fantastic Four: Unstable Molecules” takes a bold, fascinating leap: imagining Reed, Ben, Sue, and Johnny not as Marvel superheroes, but as real people living in early-1960s America — complex, flawed, and human. In this reality, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby didn’t invent them out of thin air; instead, they drew inspiration from these very lives, translating personal dramas into cosmic adventures.
This framing is brilliant because it blurs the lines between history and imagination. The story isn’t about battling Doctor Doom or exploring the Negative Zone — it’s about the tensions, ambitions, and quiet struggles of four interconnected lives in a changing era. Writer James Sturm and the art team capture the period perfectly: the social pressures, gender expectations, and generational clashes of the time feel authentic and layered.
It’s a comic that rewards slow reading. There’s an emotional resonance here that’s rare in superhero-related stories — moments of subtle sadness, moments of small triumph. And the “meta” conceit — that we’re glimpsing the real people behind a pop culture myth — makes it both intimate and oddly believable.
If you’re expecting spandex and supervillains, you won’t find them here. But if you want a beautifully crafted meditation on identity, inspiration, and the messy humanity that might lie behind larger-than-life legends, Unstable Molecules is an absolute gem.

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Como é possível entender que uma história em quadrinhos tão boa quanto Moléculas Instáveis demorou mais de vinte anos para ser publicada no Brasil? Não sei explicar. Mas temos que comemorar que esse trabalho tão interessante de James Sturm, Guy Davis e companhia finalmente pode ser acessados pelos brasileiros. A proposta dessa HQ é a de contar a "história real" das pessoas que inspiraram os quadrinhos do Quarteto Fantástico. O resultado é uma trama com teor alternativo ou indie que se passa nos anos 1950. Outra ideia é convencer o leitor de que tudo aquilo aconteceu realmente, já que na história não temos nenhum poder fantástico ou uniformes de super-heróis. Temos sim é a personalidade dos personagens trabalhadas de uma forma "mundo cão" como fazem Clowes, Tomine, Brown e tantos outros que tiveram seu auge entre os anos 1990 e 2000, época em que Moléculas Instáveis foi publicada. Então esse é um quadrinho que não fica devendo em nada para esses criadores ao mesmo tempo que tem aquele gostinho especial por ser uma tentativa de trazer veracidade para uma família que teria realmente existido e inspirado Lee e Kirby (eles mesmos participam da história) a criar o Quarteto Fantástico da Marvel.

[DrCrower · Rating 4 out of 5]

Llevaba mucho tiempo sin echar un vistazo a nada relacionado con los 4 Efe (diría que desde la etapa escrita por James Robinson, que terminaba con la disolución del grupo), y este proyecto me atrajo principalmente por contar con las ilustraciones de Guy Davis, del que me volví un fan irredento tras "Sandman Mystery Theatre" y "Baker Street - Honor entre Punks". Pero me he encontrado una historia muy curiosa, que no es exactamente un cómic de "Los 4 Fantásticos", sino que presenta a los personajes "reales" que inspiraron a Stan Lee y Jack Kirby para crear a Reed, Sue, Ben, Johnny y hasta el Hombre Topo. Los protagonistas son desgraciados y también se comportan como tales (especialmente Reed, que de todos modos siempre me ha parecido un listo muy tonto ya en su contrapartida standard), y el cómic tiene un tono mucho más cercano a "Revolutionary Road" o a "Lejos del cielo" que al advenimiento de Galactus. No hay cohetes, ni superpoderes, ni edificio Baxter, solo la ansiedad estadounidense de finales de los 50. Un proyecto muy interesante y original que aporta una vuelta de tuerca a los cómics Marvel muy sugerente y nada canónica y que disfrutarán especialmente los fans de Davis.

[Adam Gerber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book rules. I had no idea marvel’s first family was based on real people and I absolutely love the blend of familiar FF elements while simultaneously ardently holding strong to the facts of these folks real lives. My favorite part surprisingly is the last page where you get more context on the history and research that resulted in the story you just read. I am so sad the planned 2 additional arcs referenced at the end of issue one never came to pass cause I would love to have more of this series. If I had any sway at all in comics publishing this would be my first order of business. Here’s hoping the readership on Marvel Unlimited so strong corporate takes note. More depressing real life inspirations of super heroes please

[Artur Coelho · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uma forma diferente, visualmente interessante, de rever o mito de origem do Quarteto Fantástico. Em vez de heroísmos, descobrimos Reed Richards como um investigador universitário prestes a ser cooptado para projetos militares, Sue como a eterna namorada que tem de lidar com a pequenez quer do  mundo suburbano, quer do ambiente académico, e suprimir constantemente os seus sentimentos. Johnny Storm é um adolescente isolado e problemático, que se junta a um grupo de beatniks, e Ben Grimm um ex-piloto e lutador de boxe incapaz de manter relacionamentos. Estas linhas narrativas colidem no ambiente estético de uma small town americana dos anos 50.

[Octavio Aragao · Rating 3 out of 5]

Há anos queria ler essa “biografia baseada em fatos nada reais” do Quarteto Fantástico e, apesar da ideia apaixonante (contar a biografia por trás das pessoas que inspiraram Lee e Kirby a criar Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Bem Grimm e Jhonny Storm), o resultado soa desconjuntado..
Dentre brigas de beatnicks e fatores feministas, a história tenta desvelar o nível de traumas e decepções por baixo das quatro personalidades protagonistas, mas não tem fôlego para suas ambições.
A produção gráfica esmerada, resultando em um álbum de acabamento digno de aplausos, não são suficientes para catapultar essa história ao patamar que seus autores acreditam merecer.
Ainda assim, é bem divertida.

[Summer · Rating 1 out of 5]

As interesting as this premise is, I absolutely cannot stand this interpretation of the characters. Everyone is miserable and unlikeable, with the exception of Sue and Johnny. Everyone else can choke. Also, the day writers stop writing Reed’s autism as being an uncaring asshole who doesn’t care about Sue or Johnny is the day I will know peace, because wtf was this. They both deserved so much better.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

The artwork is totally reminiscent of the time period (early 60's). An interesting premise, that the Fantastic Four were patterned after real life people from that era. Even the writing seems to be from that era, when things seemed simpler, less intense, and just a tad sillier.

[Kev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three and a half stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨. Amazing idea. I just wish it had bigger scope. I would have loved to see more of them, not just a day in their lives. Unfortunately, I don’t think it stick the landing for me. But the first two issues were fantastic.

[Mark Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Imagines that the Fantastic Four were based on unhappy 1950’s people.

[Paul · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was just depressing and pointless.