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If you're here, that means you've devoured The Fantastic Four: First Steps ending and are busy wondering what went down and what it all means for the future of the MCU as we head towards Avengers: Doomsday.
With Galactus casting a long shadow over The First Steps, another addition to the Fantastic clan, and talk of teleportation and parallel Earths, you may have surmised you need a Reed Richards-level intellect to take in everything from the Fantastic Four finale. Not quite. Below, we'll break down all your burning questions on everything from Doctor Doom to the Silver Surfer, any key deaths, and what exactly the Power Cosmic is.
But before we take our first tentative steps towards the Fantastic Four ending, let's get everyone on the same page with a recap of the third act. If you're already looking towards the future, be sure to dive into our guides on Marvel Phase 6 and upcoming Marvel movies. Then catch up on the story so far with the full Marvel timeline and a complete breakdown of how to watch the Marvel movies in order.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps ending recap
As Fantastic Four: First Steps heads towards its final act, the group is torn between two impossible choices: sacrifice all of Earth to Galactus, or Reed and Sue must give up their child Franklin, who contains the Power Cosmic and enough energy to satiate Galactus' hunger.
Reed Richards, though, has a third way. After Galactus induces Sue's labor and she gives birth to Franklin, the group retreats through an FTL gateway and traps the Silver Surfer for around a month in space due to the effects of cosmic time dilation.
That gives them just enough time to get the plan in motion. Using Reed's experimental bridge device – previously used to move an egg only six feet – the planet comes together to build several bridge links to move the Earth to another solar system.
Despite everything looking peachy with the plan, the Silver Surfer interrupts during the countdown and destroys the world's bridges. After a heated debate over what they should do with Franklin, Reed and Sue decide to use their baby as a bait-and-switch for Galactus. The new idea: lure the Devourer of Worlds to Times Square and the last remaining active bridge to send Galactus into the farthest reaches of space – and millions of light-years away from Earth.
Johnny also unleashes his own ploy to convince the Silver Surfer to lay down her arms – and surfboard – and stop Galactus. By using the messages he's received from signals over the years, plus Shalla-Bal's own portent of doom towards Johnny, he is able to learn her language and discover more about her history. Namely, she became Galactus' scout in exchange for her planet's safety. After hearing the voices of those she let die on various planets, she flees.
Meanwhile, Mole Man is enlisted to help New Yorkers evacuate to his underground home of Subterranea.
In Times Square, the Fantastic Four have only 37 seconds to push Galactus into the portal. To get things in motion as Galactus comes to Earth, Johnny switches the pod containing Franklin in Times Square for an empty pod. However, the planet-eater doesn't fall for the trap and finds Franklin in the Baxter Building, destroying the upper floors of the headquarters.
The Fantastic Four attempt to fight Galactus, though Ben is thrown into space (saved by Johnny) and Reed is caught and brutally stretched, before being rescued by The Thing's clobberin' time dive bomb on the gigantic Marvel villain.
Reed then manages to save Franklin, as Sue pushes Galactus towards the open portal. Just when the plan looks to have worked, Galactus returns with 10 seconds remaining. Johnny is getting ready to sacrifice himself to save the day, but Shalla-Bal steps in and sends both herself and her former master through the portal.
But things aren't all rosy back on Earth. Sue collapses after using her powers and dies, despite Reed performing CPR on his wife. Then, baby ex machina: Franklin revives his mother, and all is well.
Later, at the 5th anniversary celebrations of the Fantastic Four on the Ted Gilbert show, Sue is given a surprise super suit for Franklin backstage, complete with the number '5' on its torso. Reed and Sue both reject it.
As they stand behind the curtain, the group receives an alert and heads off – but not before Ben, Reed, and Johnny struggle immensely with Franklin's car seat in the Fantasticar.
Four years later, in the only story-centric Fantastic Four post-credits scene, Sue is seen reading Franklin The Hungry Caterpillar. When HERBIE suggests Charles Darwin's On the Origins of Species, Sue gets up to grab another story. Then, Doctor Doom (facing away from the camera) arrives and crouches down to see Franklin.
Who died in The Fantastic Four: First Steps?
For a movie about a cosmic villain who goes around chomping on planets, Fantastic Four has a surprisingly low fatality count.
If you want to be pedantic, Sue Storm dies in The Fantastic Four: First Steps – but is almost immediately brought back to life by her son, Franklin.
There's also the (likely) billions of unnamed casualties on the planets that Galactus already destroyed before the events of the movie, as well as the one that gets broken up when Marvel's First Family follows the Silver Surfer's heat signature back to the Devourer of Worlds.
How did Sue Storm come back to life?
We can thank Franklin for keeping the Fantastic Four's Invisible Woman alive and kicking after using up her power to resist Galactus.
That's all because of the Power Cosmic contained within him. In essence, Franklin is a vessel for an unlimited source of cosmic energy, one that – apparently – can bring people back to life. We even see its effects briefly as Sue's eyes contain a purple, starry image.
First Steps is a slight deviation from the comics as, there, Franklin never holds the Power Cosmic, but is still immensely powerful – even shaping universes and being held up as one of the most powerful mutants, going beyond omega-level classification (which can count the likes of Jean Grey and Magneto among its numbers).
What is the Power Cosmic?
Good question. First introduced in Fantastic Four #48 before forming a major part of the late '60s Silver Surfer standalone comic, the Power Cosmic is one of the most powerful energy sources in the entire Marvel universe. In previous decades of Marvel's history, those who wield it are able to create life, bend matter to their will, and even perform telekinesis.
Traditionally, the Power Cosmic is held by Galactus, who imparts a fraction of its power to his chosen heralds. In First Steps, the Power Cosmic is 'born' as a result of Franklin being conceived by Reed and Sue, who are imbued with cosmic radiation. The exact reason for Franklin being able to contain its immense power is currently unknown, but expect Franklin to be a significant factor moving forward in the upcoming fight against Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday. Speaking of which…
Is Doctor Doom in Fantastic Four?
Kinda. The delegation from Latveria is shown during a scene at the Future Foundation's HQ before the third act, though its masked leader is nowhere to be seen. Meanwhile, Doom himself arrives in the first post-credits scene and encounters Franklin.
Despite his mask being off, we don't know if this is Robert Downey Jr.'s iteration of the character, as we never see his face. We can assume it is unless we hear otherwise, though.
Next up for Doctor Doom are appearances in both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.
What happened to Galactus?
Galactus isn't dead but, for all intents and purposes for humanity, he may as well be. He's currently floating through space, millions of light-years away from Earth. As mentioned earlier in First Steps, it would take him millions of years to reach the planet again, if at all. Now, he's also got to deal with an enraged Silver Surfer, who might make things even trickier for the Devourer of Worlds.
Of course, with this being a comic book movie, any sequel or MCU follow-up can comfortably bring back Galactus without too much of a leap in imagination. A nefarious villain or cosmic force can always chance across this Galactus or another variant situated in the multiverse for yet more planet-ending shenanigans.
Where is the Silver Surfer from?
Unlike the Silver Surfer most familiar to audiences (Norrin Radd), you may not be too aware of Shalla-Bal's history.
Thankfully, First Steps clues viewers into her past in a brief sequence at the tail-end of the movie, which alludes to her time on her home planet of Zenn-La. When Galactus arrives to destroy her planet, she offers herself to scout for the world-eater in exchange for Zenn-La's safety.
In the comics, she is romantically involved with Norrin Radd, though that's not a narrative thread that's picked at in Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Is there a Fantastic Four 2? And does the ending set up Avengers: Doomsday?
Right now, there are no official plans for a Fantastic Four sequel, though Variety suggests a follow-up could arrive in 2028. As shown in the credits, however, the Fantastic Four will return in Avengers: Doomsday.
So, what does that mean? Surprisingly, the Fantastic Four post-credits scene only showed Doctor Doom in a non-speaking part meeting Franklin Richards. We can certainly see Franklin now playing a major role in Doomsday, especially given that he holds the Power Cosmic within him. If it could stop Galactus' hunger, just imagine what the Latverian leader could do with it.
One big question remains: what's the deal with the Fantastic Four ship in the Thunderbolts post-credits scene? It's likely going to be either the F4 on the hunt for Franklin or Doctor Doom coming to Earth-616 with the child in tow. Either way, it means sparks will fly come Doomsday.
For more, be sure to dive into our guides on Fantastic Four Easter eggs and where the Fantastic Four takes place on the Marvel timeline.
