The Fantasticast

Stupid Superman

Hello, and welcome to episode 174 of The Fantasticast. Each week, Steve Lacey and Andy Leyland guide you through every issue, guest-appearance and cameo of The Fantastic Four.

It's a different episode of The Fantasticast this week: Andy's taken a holiday, leaving Steve to entertain our special guest. To help us cover Marvel Two-In-One #2, guest-starring the ever-horny Namor, we've enlisted the help of Kulbir Mann from the House of Flying Scalpels.

Together, we examine the return of Steve Gerber's Superman analogue, Wundarr, as he battle the Thing, Namor and Namorita. We also celebrate the artwork of Gil Kane, meet Mortoid: The Robot Assassin, question the attempt to trademark the word 'together;, and ponder just whatever happened to Marvel AR.

Make sure to follow Kulbir on twitter: https://twitter.com/Kooliebear

Send in your feedback to [email protected], leave your comments at the libsyn site, or at www.TheFantasticast.com. Follow us on twitter, where we are @fantasticast

The Fantasticast is Patreon supported. Visit www.patreon.com/fantasticast to donate and support us.

The Fantasticast is part of the Flickering Myth Podcast network.

Original artwork by Michael Georgiou. Check out his work at mikedraws.co.uk

Episode cover design by Samuel Savage.

Topless Johnny

Hello, and welcome to episode 174 of The Fantasticast. Each week, Steve Lacey and Andy Leyland guide you through every issue, guest-appearance and cameo of The Fantastic Four.

This week, Steve and Andy are looking at Fantastic Four #144, the conclusion to the Doctor Doom/Darkoth saga, as brought to us by Gerry Conway, Rich Buckler and Joe Sinnott. Things are so dire that not Johnny, Reed, nor even Coach Thorne's wife can stop Doctor Doom!

We're also taking a peek at Amazing Spider-Man #130 and the grand debut of the Spider-Mobile. On top of this, Steve's talking' 'American', we discover a new way of skipping some boring stuff, and we celebrate the first appearance of Johnny Storm's left and right nipples. It's a packed episode!

Send in your feedback to [email protected], leave your comments at the libsyn site, or at www.TheFantasticast.com. Follow us on twitter, where we are @fantasticast

The Fantasticast is Patreon supported. Visit www.patreon.com/fantasticast to donate and support us.

The Fantasticast is part of the Flickering Myth Podcast network.

Original artwork by Michael Georgiou. Check out his work at mikedraws.co.uk

Episode cover design by Samuel Savage.

It's A Bit Battle-Ish...

Hello, and welcome to episode 172 of The Fantasticast. Each week, Steve Lacey and Andy Leyland guide you through every issue, guest-appearance and cameo of The Fantastic Four.

We're taking a break from Darkoth and Doctor Doom to pay a visit to Marvel Team-Up #18. It's the first time the Human Torch has led a book since Strange Tales, and if that doesn't sell you on this book, then maybe this will. The Torch and the Hulk team up to battle with Blaster, the Living Bomb Burst! As depicted by Len Wein, Gil Kane, Frank Giacoia, and Mike Esposito!

Still not sold? We also unravel the facts behind this issue's most pressing mystery - why boys are being thrown at the Hulk. We also examine the possibilities of using fire to stop explosives from exploding, and we meet the wonderfully-named Professor Paxton Pentecost. How can you resist such an alliterative scientist?

Send in your feedback to [email protected], leave your comments at the libsyn site, or at www.TheFantasticast.com. Follow us on twitter, where we are @fantasticast

The Fantasticast is Patreon supported. Visit www.patreon.com/fantasticast to donate and support us.

The Fantasticast is part of the Flickering Myth Podcast network.

Original artwork by Michael Georgiou. Check out his work at mikedraws.co.uk

Episode cover design by Samuel Savage.

He Looks Like John Constantine!

Hello, and welcome to episode 171 of The Fantasticast. Each week, Steve Lacey and Andy Leyland guide you through every issue, guest-appearance and cameo of The Fantastic Four.

This week, we're returning to the core FF title for Fantastic Four #143, in which Doctor Doom slowly captures the entire team, a college football coach, his wife, and a semi-mythical beast from the Balkans. As you do. Created by

We also spend some time on Medusa's balcony, ponder the mystery of Rich Buckler's Disappearing Dining Table, enjoy multiple finger blasts, and take advice from the monarch of Latveria as Doctor Doom shares his seduction tips.

Send in your feedback to [email protected], leave your comments at the libsyn site, or at www.TheFantasticast.com. Follow us on twitter, where we are @fantasticast

The Fantasticast is Patreon supported. Visit www.patreon.com/fantasticast to donate and support us.

The Fantasticast is part of the Flickering Myth Podcast network.

Original artwork by Michael Georgiou. Check out his work at mikedraws.co.uk

Episode cover design by Samuel Savage.

Marvel Two-On-One

Hello, and welcome to episode 170 of The Fantasticast. Each week, Steve Lacey and Andy Leyland guide you through every issue, guest-appearance and cameo of The Fantastic Four.

It's here. We made it. We're finally starting out coverage of Marvel Two-In-One, and what a wonderful cluster of Things it is! The Molecule Man('s son) brings together Marvel's favourite Things for one of the best team-up issues we've covered to date. With writing from Steve Gerber, art from Gil Kane and inks from Joe Sinnott, this is a great start to the second Fantastic Four spinoff series.

In amongst all of the Thing/Man-Thing action, we've also got the tricky issues of codename copyright, one of the most horrific deaths seen so far, queries about the distribution of the Daily Bugle, and the first confirmed sighting of pornography in the Marvel Universe. We also take a moment to remember one of the most prolific Fantastic Four pencilers, Paul Ryan, who passed away this week.

Send in your feedback to [email protected], leave your comments at the libsyn site, or at www.TheFantasticast.com. Follow us on twitter, where we are @fantasticast

The Fantasticast is Patreon supported. Visit www.patreon.com/fantasticast to donate and support us.

The Fantasticast is part of the Flickering Myth Podcast network.

Original artwork by Michael Georgiou. Check out his work at mikedraws.co.uk

Episode cover design by Samuel Savage.

Moloid Selfies

Hello, and welcome to episode 169 of The Fantasticast. Each week, Steve Lacey and Andy Leyland guide you through every issue, guest-appearance and cameo of The Fantastic Four.

It's time for another tremendously titanic team-up! Marvel Team-Up #17 sees Spider-Man teaming up with Mr Fantastic and Captain Marvel to battle the Mole Man, his moloids, and the Basilisk. With more heroes and villains than your shake a shaky shaking stick at, it's a wonder that Len Wein, Gil Kane and the suspiciously-named Everybody found the space to tell a riveting story.

What's that you say?

Oh... well... There's also the Kree stones, Spider-Man using panel borders to stick his webbing to, an incredibly fortuitous piece of timing for the Mole Man, and the surprising revelation that Gil Kane cannot tell the difference between gas and spaghetti.

Send in your feedback to [email protected], leave your comments at the libsyn site, or at www.TheFantasticast.com. Follow us on twitter, where we are @fantasticast

The Fantasticast is Patreon supported. Visit www.patreon.com/fantasticast to donate and support us.

The Fantasticast is part of the Flickering Myth Podcast network.

Original artwork by Michael Georgiou. Check out his work at mikedraws.co.uk

Episode cover design by Samuel Savage.

Time-Delayed Insults

Hello, and welcome to episode 168 of The Fantasticast. Each week, Steve Lacey and Andy Leyland guide you through every issue, guest-appearance and cameo of The Fantastic Four.

January 1974. The month that everything changed (for about a decade or so). But we'll get to that in a couple of episodes. In the meantime, it's time to pick up the pieces of the team with Fantastic Four #142. Alicia's on another sight-restoring kick, there's an impressively-designed villain/monster out to kick Ben Grimm's backside, and Coach Thorpe is still trying to force himself into a plot line. Will she? Will it? Will he?

It's also a huge welcome to new regular Fantastic Four penciler Rich Buckler, and we waste no time in getting into the details of the controversies of his run. We're also debating Steve's favourite sight-gags in Mel Brooks movies, the non-spoilers awesomeness of Supergirl, and spending far too long arguing the temporal relativity of a single caption box. Because it wouldn't be the Fantasticast if we didn't find a reason to argue over the tiniest little thing.

Send in your feedback to [email protected], leave your comments at the libsyn site, or at www.TheFantasticast.com. Follow us on twitter, where we are @fantasticast

The Fantasticast is Patreon supported. Visit www.patreon.com/fantasticast to donate and support us.

The Fantasticast is part of the Flickering Myth Podcast network.

Original artwork by Michael Georgiou. Check out his work at mikedraws.co.uk

Episode cover design by Samuel Savage.

Annihilus Hamilton

Hello, and welcome to episode 167 of The Fantasticast. Each week, Steve Lacey and Andy Leyland guide you through every issue, guest-appearance and cameo of The Fantastic Four.

It's a huge week for the Fantastic Four, as the Annihilus story comes to a conclusion with Reed forced to make an impossible decision in Fantastic Four #141. We've also got a look at at an undressed Spider-Mobile in Amazing Spider-Man #127, and a quick look at the effects of the Avengers-Defenders War in The Avengers #118. With contributions from Gerry Conway, Steve Englehart, a departing John Buscema, Ross Andru, Bob Brown, and more, this is a packed episode.

So packed, in fact, that we barely found time to abuse our e-mailers. Or to counter Gerry Conway's Wyatt Wingfoot-blinness. Or to experience compromised cryptography. And we definitely didn't forget - and then remember again - Janus the Nega-Man. Or Spider-Man. Ah well...

Meanwhile, Steve's at the London Super Comic Convention, and would love to say hello to any listeners there. Grab him on twitter or flag him down and say hi. He promises not to bite. Or to get all nervous and flustered either...

Send in your feedback to [email protected], leave your comments at the libsyn site, or at www.TheFantasticast.com. Follow us on twitter, where we are @fantasticast

The Fantasticast is Patreon supported. Visit www.patreon.com/fantasticast to donate and support us.

The Fantasticast is part of the Flickering Myth Podcast network.

Original artwork by Michael Georgiou. Check out his work at mikedraws.co.uk

Episode cover design by Samuel Savage.

The Physics Of The Double-Punch

Hello, and welcome to episode 166 of The Fantasticast. Each week, Steve Lacey and Andy Leyland guide you through every issue, guest-appearance and cameo of The Fantastic Four.

This week, we're taking a diversion into the world of Marvel Feature, which itself diverges into the first stages of Jim Starlin's Thanos tales. Marvel Feature #12, which guest-stars Iron Man, sees Starlin pick up threads from his Captain Marvel stories, tying The Thing and the Blood Brothers into a giant punch-up, with aid from scripter Mike Friedrich and inker Joe Sinnott.

Join us as we take a look at this titanic team-up, examining the logistics of superhero flight, the curious lack of definition for the Blood Brothers' powers, and more. We've also got some exciting Patreon news for you.

Send in your feedback to [email protected], leave your comments at the libsyn site, or at www.TheFantasticast.com. Follow us on twitter, where we are @fantasticast

The Fantasticast is Patreon supported. Visit www.patreon.com/fantasticast to donate and support us.

The Fantasticast is part of the Flickering Myth Podcast network.

Original artwork by Michael Georgiou. Check out his work at mikedraws.co.uk

Episode cover design by Samuel Savage.

Namor's Onesie

Hello, and welcome to episode 165 of The Fantasticast. Each week, Steve Lacey and Andy Leyland guide you through every issue, guest-appearance and cameo of The Fantastic Four.

It's a triple-comic week on the Fantasticast. First up, the main event, Fantastic Four #140, which pulls together just about every unresolved plot line since Jack Kirby left the book. Where did Agatha Harkness go? What's going on with Franklin's glowing eyes? Will Sue and Reed ever reunite? Thanks to the return of our favourite buck-toothed, armour-clad insectoid ruler of the Negative Zone, a sense of purpose and direction returns to the book. And, as if all of this wasn't enough, we also find out the origins of Annihilus.

Elsewhere, we're also taking a look at the beginnings of one of the most superfluous mandated pieces of superhero technology, the Spider-Mobile, in Amazing Spider-Man #126. We then follow up with some big changes for Namor in Sub-Mariner #67, where a heavy dose of nerve-gas leads to the introduction of a brand new costume.

Send in your feedback to [email protected], leave your comments at the libsyn site, or at www.TheFantasticast.com. Follow us on twitter, where we are @fantasticast

The Fantasticast is Patreon supported. Visit www.patreon.com/fantasticast to donate and support us.

The Fantasticast is part of the Flickering Myth Podcast network.

Original artwork by Michael Georgiou. Check out his work at mikedraws.co.uk

Episode cover design by Samuel Savage.