Nathaniel Richards (Marvel Comics)
Nathaniel Richards | |
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The Fantastic Four #272 (November 1984) | |
Created by | John Byrne |
In-story information | |
Species | Human |
Team affiliations | Future Foundation Fantastic Four Brotherhood of the Shield |
Notable aliases | The Warlord |
Abilities |
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Nathaniel Richards is a fictional time-traveling scientist appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the father of superhero Mister Fantastic of the Fantastic Four and is the namesake of his descendant, the futuristic villain known as Kang the Conqueror. Unlike his descendant, the original Nathaniel is more of an adventurer who has a genuine love for his son.
Publication history
Nathaniel Richards first appeared in
Fictional character biography
Dr. Nathaniel Richards was a successful scientist who specialized in multiple fields. He was married to Evelyn and together had a son named Reed Richards who possessed an intellectual mind like his father. When Evelyn died, Nathaniel continued to raise his son by supporting his scientific endeavors.[2] Later, Nathaniel is approached by the Brotherhood of the Shield and joins their group. Along with Howard Stark, the two meet a super powered individual named Leonid and help him resolve a dispute between the time traveling Leonardo da Vinci and Isaac Newton who had split the organization in two. These events somehow resulted in Nathaniel gaining the ability to travel through time.[3][4]
Nathaniel found himself in the far future along with several other alternate versions of himself. The villain Immortus had gathered them together and forced them to kill each other off.[5] Nathaniel fled. To protect Reed, Nathaniel provided for his future and then disappeared from his life.[6]
Nathaniel ended up in another dimension where the Earth had become a desolate wasteland when the moon was destroyed. He married a woman named Cassandra who bore two children for him, one of which grew up to be
However, Nathaniel arrived in the present to kidnap
Nathaniel later trained Susan Storm to better master her powers.[11]
Nathaniel returned to help Reed jump-start the Future Foundation, using the technology he gathered over the years.[12] He then helped them battle the Kree Army and the Mad Celestials.[13][14]
Powers and abilities
Nathaniel Richards has no superpowers, but he is a scientific genius and skilled inventor in
Other versions
The Beast
A version of Nathaniel Richards pulled into the far future with the other Nathaniels by Immortus, called the Beast, was a homicidal maniac who took the opportunity to slaughter all of his counterparts. The Nathaniel of Earth-616 teams up with young college-age Reed Richards, Ben Grimm and Victor von Doom in order to defeat him.[16]
Ultimate Marvel
In the Ultimate Marvel reality, Reed's father is renamed Gary Richards and he does not have a scientific background. He also seems to despise his son's scientific mind, preferring his friend Ben Grimm's athletic abilities. When the Baxter Building's think tank accepted Reed, Gary was glad that he was gone.[17]
When Diablo kidnapped Reed's younger sister Enid, Gary went to Reed for help even though he still resented him.[18]
When Reed quit the Fantastic Four, Gary was there to greet him, not acting surprised.[19] Gary, along with his wife Mary and two daughters, were killed in an explosion directed at the Richards household, later revealed to have been perpetrated by Reed himself, now the supervillainous Maker.[20]
What If?
Nathaniel Richards was seen in two What If stories:
In other media
A variation of Nathaniel Richards known as Mr. Richards appears in Fantastic Four (2015), portrayed by Tim Heidecker.[23] This version is Reed's stepfather.
See also
References
- ISBN 978-1-4654-7890-0.
- ^ Fantastic Four #570, Marvel Comics.
- ^ S.H.I.E.L.D. #1–6
- ^ S.H.I.E.L.D. vol. 2 #1–4. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Fantastic Four #581. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Fantastic Four #271–272. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Fantastic Four #272–273. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Fantastic Four #376. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Fantastic Four #414. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Fantastic Four #400. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Fantastic Four #408. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Fantastic Four #588. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Fantastic Four #600–604. Marvel Comics.
- ^ FF #12–15. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Vol 1 #9 (July 2009). Marvel Comics.
- ^ Fantastic Four #581-582. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Ultimate Fantastic Four #1. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Ultimate Fantastic Four #42. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Ultimatum Fantastic Four: Requiem. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Ultimate Enemy #1. Marvel Comics.
- ^ What If: Fantastic Four #1
- ^ What If? vol. 2 #97
- ^ Duncan, JJ (August 11, 2015). "14 Things from the 'Fantastic Four' Trailers That Weren't In the Movie". Zimbio. Retrieved December 19, 2016.
External links
- Nathaniel Richards at Marvel.com