Reed Richards, aka Mr. Incredible, is commonly cited as the smartest hero in Marvel Comics. Whereas official rankings debunk that assertion, many followers nonetheless choose to consider the hero this fashion. With out Reed, the Incredible 4 (as it’s now) would by no means have existed. Then there’s the huge checklist of creations underneath Richards’ belt, starting from The Bridge, Demolo-Gun, and the Anti-Matter Injection System. Certain, a few of his creations are a bit extra controversial, like the Adverse Zone Jail, however there’s no denying the intelligence behind its building. Nevertheless, as good as Reed Richards could also be, he often makes a transfer that may have readers scratching their heads. Usually, these choices are much more complicated due to his well-known intelligence.
At the finish of the day, Reed Richards is a posh character. He’s human, which implies he has flaws and might make errors. It makes him a compelling character, even because it opens the door to a unique argument. As a rule, the errors Reed Richards makes come from a spot of conceitedness. Whenever you’re usually seen as the smartest particular person on the planet, it’s simple to fall underneath the assumption that you just don’t must have a second pair of eyes look over your newest idea. In the comedian e book universe, this inevitably results in chaos.
1) The Incredible 4 Origin Story
We’d be remiss to not begin with the traditional Incredible 4 origin story. All of it started when Reed Richards was working to show his faster-than-light rocket would work. When he didn’t get permission to check it, he determined to go for an unauthorized flight. Sounds fairly dangerous, proper? Reed, assured that his new expertise would work, introduced his girlfriend, Sue Storm, alongside for the experience. In flip, her brother, Johnny, insisted on coming. The final a part of the story? Ben Grimm was talked into flying the rocket for this unauthorized launch.
The remainder, as they are saying, is historical past. Solely not. Whereas the Incredible 4 did get unbelievable powers from this tour, it’s protected to say that this wasn’t one thing Richards predicted or anticipated. In different phrases, the staff obtained actually fortunate. They might simply as simply have died, with no emergency response able to getting there in time (or retrieving their our bodies, for that matter). It was Reed Richards’ conceitedness that put them in that scenario. Their journey since this level has not been all rainbows and sunshine, as Ben Grimm can simply inform any reader keen to pay attention.
One may argue all day about how Reed Richards may by no means have predicted this flip of occasions – and admittedly, even an official and approved take a look at run could have had the similar unwanted side effects. Nevertheless, Reed wouldn’t have had his household on board in that case. Whereas that labored out in the future for the staff, it was a poorly thought-out choice that would have price the hero-to-be every little thing he held expensive.
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2) Maintaining Secrets and techniques (From His Spouse and Workforce)
Reed Richards is legendary for being one in all the brightest minds in Marvel Comics. He’s additionally well-known for being a part of the Incredible 4 and for his many innovations. Nevertheless, he ought to in all probability even be recognized for his tendency to maintain secrets and techniques. Now, maintaining categorised intel from the remainder of the world is all effective and good – we don’t have an issue with that. We do have an issue with him maintaining secrets and techniques from his spouse and the remainder of the staff. On multiple event, these secrets and techniques have come round to chew Richards in the again, usually forcing others to pay the worth for him.
For instance, one in all Reed’s earliest unilateral actions was taken towards a bunch of Skrulls. He knew that they couldn’t afford to simply let the Skrulls go, however he additionally didn’t need to kill them. The answer? He pressured them to rework into cows. He then promptly forgot about them. If he had knowledgeable the staff of this choice, they may have labored collectively to maintain monitor of the Skrull cows. As an alternative, they have been blended in with one other group of cows and summarily processed into burgers.
The depth of Richards’ secret maintaining got here to mild throughout the 2013 Incredible 4 run. Early in the story, readers start to really feel that one thing is off, and it doesn’t take Reed lengthy to get to the supply of it – the Incredible 4’s powers are slowly killing them. Reasonably than instantly inform his staff (and household!) of this, he waits till the signs get so dangerous that they will’t be hidden any longer. In different phrases, he waited and let the trauma drive itself to the forefront. Not the best option to be taught crucial info, Reed. Sure, the purpose was to repair the drawback earlier than they knew one thing was mistaken, however a) that isn’t his name to make, and b) that plan didn’t work. Including insult to harm is the indisputable fact that his household had been working onerous to drive one particular level into Reed’s thoughts: that they deserved to be saved up to date on pertinent info.
We may spend all day itemizing the secrets and techniques Reed Richards has saved, however we received’t. As an alternative, listed below are just a few different fast examples: he injected his son with nanomachines, buried the physique of Galactus, secretly joined the Illuminati, and created the Council of Reeds. All of which was executed behind his household’s again. At the fruits of many of those plots, Reed in the end confronted some penalties, often in the type of the Incredible 4 calling him out for (as soon as once more) maintaining secrets and techniques from them. It appears this can be a lesson Reed is dedicated towards studying, as he’s completely sensible sufficient to retain such a easy lesson.
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3) Taking part in Round With Cloning
The distinction between a superb scientist and a mad scientist is that, often, the former will draw a tough line in the sand. It is a line they’ll by no means cross, regardless of how dire the scenario could appear. Sadly, plainly Reed Richards could not have made such a tough line for himself, or we’ve but to see what kind of science would make this hero draw back. For instance, Richards doesn’t have any drawback constructing prisons (the Adverse Zone), becoming a member of a secret society (the Illuminati), or sending a fellow hero into area to eliminate a possible drawback (Hulk, resulting in World Battle Hulk).
He additionally doesn’t have an issue with cloning, because it seems. Throughout the occasions of Marvel’s Civil Battle, Richards did rather more than select a facet with out consulting his staff or household. He instantly started offering help to the pro-registration facet. Many actions Reed took throughout this time are nonetheless questioned to at the present time. For instance, he helped create Jail 42 – the notorious jail of the Adverse Zone. This jail was designed to carry heroes and others with superpowers, in case that wasn’t apparent. The jail housed many beloved heroes, together with Wiccan, Dagger, Cloak, Hardball, and Iron Fist.
The jail was simply one in all many concepts that Reed helped dream up. Along with Tony Stark and Hank Pym (who was actually a Skrull, however that’s a unique can of worms), Reed created a cloned model of Thor so as to add to the ranks. That is problematic on the floor, however it will get a lot worse. Thor was believed to be useless at the time, so there was no consent available to this course of.
Naturally, that is the comedian e book world, so the cloning course of was successful. In different phrases, that they had efficiently created a cybernetic clone of an Asgardian – a terrifying thought! Nevertheless, the staff shortly misplaced management of their Thor, named Ragnarok. He blasted by way of the ranks, went rogue, and outright killed the hero Goliath. Finally, as a substitute of serving to to assist his facet, this excessive motion did extra hurt than good, incomes near-instant condemnation from all sides.
Reed Richards’ actions throughout Marvel’s Civil Battle show that he’s usually so caught up in what he can try this he doesn’t cease to ponder whether or not or not it ought to be executed. Likewise, whereas he’ll attempt to predict what may go mistaken with the invention or tech, he could not take into account different penalties. For instance, he definitely didn’t predict the penalties this is able to have on the struggle. Nor did he count on Sue Storm to depart him over it. Sure, Sue did truly go away Reed for some time at this level. She felt betrayed by his chilly rationalization and brutal decision-making, which helped her determine her personal facet of the battle. In case it wasn’t apparent, she started working towards the Registration Act.
As with all excessive scenario, Reed Richards did face penalties for his actions. He and lots of different heroes have needed to reside with what they did throughout Marvel’s Civil Battle. Nevertheless, it’s protected to say that Richards nonetheless hasn’t be taught as a lot as readers would really like from this experiment, as he’s toyed round with many different topics the common scientist would keep away from. Maybe this implies Richards is nearer to the mad scientist facet of issues than we beforehand realized.
