Warning: SPOILERS for Fantastic Four #18
Dan Slot’s Fantastic Four run has led to some surprising revelations, but Reed Richards giving some reasonable relationship advice in Fantastic Four #18 might take the cake. In light of everything the Fantastic Four thought about their origins being turned on its head, maybe Marvel’s (arguably) worst husband has entered a new phase as well.
Reed and Sue Richards have been the power couple of Marvel’s first family for decades. They have survived more than a few trials that would break most couples, including Reed’s own clueless behavior despite his multidimensional intelligence. Right off the bat, taking your fiancée on a dangerous space mission, especially without sharing your secret agenda, does not win you (future) husband of the year. As Sue actually points out in this issue, Reed has a bad habit of using the “‘There’s no time - I’ll explain my plan to you later’ move” without any thought to how it will affect his family. While Reed has certainly made great strides as a spouse since the 60s, he has ways to go most days.
But despite all of this, Reed has some surprisingly insightful advice for Johnny about his new soulmate. As he holds him back from a fight, Reed tells Johnny “A soulmate isn’t the one who fights over you… …they’re the one who catches you when you fall.” Sweet advice to be sure from a surprising source… except for the context. The backdrop of Reed’s words is Sky, Johnny’s new soulmate, being caught by her former teammate, Citadel, who was making sure she was alright while Johnny was fighting her attacker, Elementa. Is Reed trying to give his brother-in-law some serious advice or is he trying to undermine a new romance that neither he nor Sue takes very seriously?
Given all Sky has overcome to be with Johnny, it seems unlikely that she will turn away from him now. As a member of Spyre’s superhero team, the Unparalleled, she trained almost exclusively to defend Spyre from their foretold enemies, the Fantastic Four (or the Four-Told). When she sees Johnny, however, she is willing to throw it all away for what she recognizes as her true soulmate. Even when the Overseer offers her a chance to rejoin her team, she refuses in order to stand by her man. Fans already know from a preview that Sky will be at Johnny’s side for at least a little while longer. But has Reed’s attempt at relationship advice undermined Johnny’s confidence? After all, the idea of a soulmate is only a couple of issues old to him, even if he has taken to it like a match to flame.
Whether Reed is the person to be giving advice about matters of the heart or not, his words do highlight an interesting interaction between Sky and Citadel. This romantic twist in Fantastic Four #18 could be a hint that despite Sky’s belief in the Overseer’s idea of soulmates, Johnny may not truly be Sky’s best partner. So, is there trouble in paradise just as fans thought that Johnny had found his one and only? Will Johnny be unnerved by the fact that Citadel is clearly still carrying a torch for his girl? Further, with the apparent fall of the Overseer’s rule, will Spyre’s culture of soulmates, including Johnny and Sky, be part of the casualties? Or was Reed just blowing hot air and more than a little shade at his fiery companion?
Now that the Fantastic Four and all of Spyre’s inhabitants have seen the man behind the curtain, everything has changed from the Fantastic Four’s origins to the peaceful society the Overseer built. Only time will tell the fallout of such a drastic change, especially for the star-crossed romance of Johnny and Sky.
Fantastic Four #18 is available now at your local comics shop and online.
More: The MCU’s Fantastic Four: 5 Things That Have Been Confirmed (& 5 Fan Theories)
