Fantastic Four (TV series)/Tropes


 * Adaptational Angst Downgrade: Zigzagged. While the Thing still angsts due to his mutation, is less due to his appearance and more due to other downsides to his new form.
 * Adaptatational Nice Guy: While Johnny is as cocky and childish as always, he is nicer to Ben when it comes to his new appearance, any insult that may come towards him about his new form bring Innocently Insensitive and at least trying to make him feel better.
 * Bait-and-Switch: When we first meet Phillip Masters, we are led to assume he is the secret identity of Puppet Master as in the comics. However, we later learn that Philip Masters is the alias and that his true identity is that of Annihilus
 * Composite Character: Phillip Masters, who in this version is an undercover alias for Annihilus.
 * Heartwarming Moments: The moment Reed officially names the team "The Fantastic Four". In the comics, is just a cheesy suoerhero nane from the 60s. Here, the name is a symbol of acceptance, of Reed accepting his powers and claiming to both the team and the world that they are not freaks of nature, but fantastic people given abilities that they must and will use for good.
 * Mytholgy Gag:
 * In the first episode, after a day outside, the Thing says "Looks like I picked the wrong year to quit smoking". He actually used to smoke in the comics, until a mabdate by Marvel's then-editor-in-chief Joe Quesada forbid any dhowcase of smoking in the comics.
 * To the FOX film series:
 * As in the film, Ben is outside the ship when they are hit by cosmic rays.
 * The line "If having superpowers is a disease, then we got it bad" from the film is once again uttered by Johnny.
 * As in Rise of the Silver Surfer, Johnny gets a good first look at the Silver Surfer while chasing him througth Manhattan.
 * Reed's personality was modeled partially after the film incarnation.
 * Johnny tries to use a supernova against Doctor Doom. Unfortunely, Doom is much luckier this time around.
 * Johnny trues to comfort Ben by pointing out they are not the first people with powers in the world, using the X-Men as an example. This is a nod to both how the Fantastic Fpur were among the first superheroes created by Marvel, while Johnny pointing the X-Men as an example of "superpowered people" is a subtle reference to how both the Fantastic Four and the X-Men had their film roghts owned flr decades by Fox.
 * The first place the Four search for a cure is Monster Island, where the team traveled in their first issue.
 * The shot of Galactus looming over Earth resembles the arrival of Arishem in Eternals.
 * Narm Charm: Sure, the way Reed coins the name "Fantastic Four" is a bit cheesy abd on-the-nose. But not only is the nane uttered with geniune passion, but is meant to be the culmination of Reed's arc in season 1 of stopping seeing the group as a group of freaks with abherrations they must cure. It gives the name an emotional ourpose behind it. Besides, the Fantastic Four have always been a little cheesy, so it fits right with the franchise.
 * Nightmare Fuel: The first fight against Dr. Doom, coming right after the heels of Galactus, goes terribly awry. At first, the Fantastic Four apparently manage to defeat him effortlessly... until he chuckles and frees himself from both Reed and their trap via a blast. The Thing attempts to reteliate, only for Doom to knock him out in one very painful blass and nearly choke him with his telekinesis. The Human Torch then tries to save Ben by creating a supernova like in 2005, to which Doom responds by absorbing it and releasing it towards Sue and Reed like a laser. Sue tries to resist the attack, but fails and both she and Reed are knocked out, leaving them at the mercy of Doom, who walks throigth the fire and crumbles like a creature raising from the Underworld.
 * Reconstruction: Sue's ability to turn invisible is often deemed as not-so-useful. However, the series shows that, with the proper skills, she can actually be the scariest member of the team because you never see who you are fighting against.
 * Reed Richards Is Useless: Averted. Reed is shown many times giving his invemtions to the public, and the changes they produce are slow,y reflected througth the series.
 * Sequel Hook:
 * The first season ends with a shot of Silver Surfer enterimg Earth's atmosphere.
 * Season 2 ends with Doctor Doom watching news reports about Galactus' defeat at the hands of the Fantastic Four.
 * Shout-Out:
 * The first scenes in episode 1 were inspired by the pilot episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Executive producer Beau DeMayo was a writer and supervising producer on Strange New World.
 * In the same episode, Johnny cites the iconic Star Trek phrase "Space. The final frontier".
 * Take That!: Reed's original ideas for the team's soacesuits resemble the suits for the 2015 film, which Johnny dismises in favor of more traditional Fantastic Four suits, which the rest of the team approves.