In the Fantastic Four #45, “Among us hide…The Inhumans,” demonstrates just one of the examples where Reed looks down upon his wife Sue, where he says, “Stop sounding like a wife and find me that gun, lady!” I noticed throughout the entire comic series, at least what we have read, Sue is perceived as being submissive, dependent and always is trying to please her husband. Reed says in the Fantastic Four #47, “Beware the Hidden Land!” “I’ll explain later woman! Just do as I say!” and “Stop sounding like a wife, sue! I still make the decisions for this team!” These examples are just a few ways Reed talks down to Sue, by always calling her woman or wife. In my opinion, the way he says it is demeaning like he’s pointing out that she’s just his wife or just a woman and needs to do what he says or follow his lead because he’s the man. In the same comic, Sue decides to change her hair and says, “Perhaps a new hairdo would make him realize I’m not one of the boys!” Sue seems so concerned with her husband’s opinion of her that she doesn’t seem to add anything to being a part of the Fantastic Four. I always imagined her to be like Wonder Woman yet she’s depicted as shallow and how she needs the approval of men. In another example she says, “I just wanted to remind you that I’m your wife, not just a piece of extra baggage! And you still haven’t told me how you like my hair!” Again illustrating her need for approval from men as well as her shallowness.
In Fantastic Four #46, “Those who would destroy us,” illustrates the beginning of Crystal and Johnny’s relationship. Crystal says, “Johnny! Johnny! I don’t want to leave you! I want to stay with you—no matter what--! Johnny--!” Something I didn’t like about this specific comic is the way Johnny falls in love with Crystal based on her appearance. In one panel, she’s introducing Johnny to the other inhumans and then all of a sudden they’re apparently in love and can’t be without each other. They continue to love each other even though they are separated and never really talked which makes me mad considering apparently that’s how love is perceived within comics. In Fantastic Four #47, “Beware the Hidden Land,” Sue and Reed put their input in about Johnny and Crystal’s relationship. Sue says, “Johnny storm! You’ve barely met her! You hardly know her!” Sue’s reaction is the logical response to Johnny and Crystal’s so called “love.” Yet Reed jumps in and says, “Sue, when a man thinks he’s in love, nobody can tell him he’s not!” By reading saying that, it provides the double standard that if it’s men, it’s appropriate to feel that way but if it was a woman it’s seen as being naïve.
I found Alicia’s character to be very insightful. Especially in Fantastic Four #49, “If this be Doomsday,” when she’s confronted with the Silver Surfer she handles the situation with poise. She says, “We all matter! Every living being…every bird and beast…this is our world! Ours! Perhaps we are not as powerful as your Galactus…but we have hearts… we have souls… we live… breathe…feel! Can’t you see that?? Are you as blind as I??” In my opinion, she proved to be an empowering female symbol throughout the Fantastic Four Series. She demonstrates how she sees more than others despite being able to physically see. Her words are what influences the silver surfer to change and think about his actions. Alicia provides us with a wonderful female symbol compared to Sue Storm.