# Who will "die" in the comic books 2011 edition (One of the Fantastic 4 will) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 31, 2010, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-die-in-the-comic-books-2011-edition-one-of-the-fantastic-4-will/565990 "2010-12-31T21:09:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2010, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-die-in-the-comic-books-2011-edition-one-of-the-fantastic-4-will/565990/1 "2010-12-31T21:09:49Z")
There is no “death pool” for fictional characters, but when I was looking for prospects for the real human one this item popped up: > **[ComicsAlliance - Comic book culture, news, humor and commentary.](https://comicsalliance.com/)** > > Marvel Comics, DC Comics, comics downloads, comic book movies, digital comics, free comics and more. > [@](#): > > We’ve known for a while that Fantastic Four writer Jonathan Hickman plans to execute one of Marvel’s First Family in January’s issue #587, but the writer and his editor Tom Brevoort have been understandably cagey about revealing too much about what’s sure to be a massive storyline. But with only four characters to choose from: Mr. Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, the Human Torch and the Thing – those whose business it is to make wagers on this sort of thing have made their findings known . The best bet according to those guys: Sue Ridchards I would go for Reed Richards, because [Reed Richards Is Useless](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ReedRichardsIsUseless) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jormungandr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@Jormungandr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jormungandr)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2010, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-die-in-the-comic-books-2011-edition-one-of-the-fantastic-4-will/565990/2 "2010-12-31T23:26:33Z")
Let’s see. Reed Richards was almost executed and Susan Richards almost died during childbirth. That leaves Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm. Grimm has been through a lot of change being the Thing, then human, then super pineapple, etc. So, I think he’s safe. My bet would be on Johnny Storm, but knowing Marvel they’ll go for the cheap shot and kill Susan Richards…then do a retcon on how it was all part of some plot that even Reed Richards couldn’t figure out. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Amazing\_Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@The\_Amazing\_Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Amazing_Hanna)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-die-in-the-comic-books-2011-edition-one-of-the-fantastic-4-will/565990/3 "2011-01-01T01:51:01Z")
The superhero death paradox: [ul] [li]If the character is popular, they will come back, probably sooner rather than later.[/li][li]If the character is not popular, you probably won’t care.[/li][/ul] Either way, zero drama. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Credible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-die-in-the-comic-books-2011-edition-one-of-the-fantastic-4-will/565990/4 "2011-01-01T01:59:49Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > The best bet according to those guys: > > Sue Ridchards That’s who I think it will be too. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-die-in-the-comic-books-2011-edition-one-of-the-fantastic-4-will/565990/5 "2011-01-01T03:19:39Z")
I have no idea who it will be (other than the spoiler guess) but I’d choose Ben Grimm. He’s the most boring character both as a hero and as a persona. The one I’d miss the least in any case. I think FF2 the movie had the only interesting way of handling him - switch his powers with the others! Also, I don’t really follow Marvel, but don’t they have more than one version of the characters now (Ultimate whatever, etc?)? Which FF version will suffer the loss of one of it’s members? ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-die-in-the-comic-books-2011-edition-one-of-the-fantastic-4-will/565990/6 "2011-01-01T03:30:28Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > Also, I don’t really follow Marvel, but don’t they have more than one version of the characters now (Ultimate whatever, etc?)? Which FF version will suffer the loss of one of it’s members? This is the main universe (616). They’ve already buggered up the Ultimate universe, and the Ultimate FF. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-die-in-the-comic-books-2011-edition-one-of-the-fantastic-4-will/565990/7 "2011-01-01T03:31:06Z")
The Ultimate version no longer exists, because Reed Richards is evil, and Ben’s…no longer quite Ben. Nobody’s going to die in the Ultimate universe for a while, since they’ve already slaughtered the majority of their major characters, fairly recently. I’m not a regular reader of Fantastic Four, but a friend and I made a deal - I’d read the first part of Hickman’s run, and he’d read Madame Xanadu. Based on what I read of Hickman’s run (which was good when it was a series of one-offs, but when he started tying it together, it rapidly fell apart), it really looks like Reed’s being set up to buy it. ---
**Author:** ![DJ\_Motorbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90ced4/32.png) [@DJ\_Motorbike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DJ_Motorbike)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-die-in-the-comic-books-2011-edition-one-of-the-fantastic-4-will/565990/8 "2011-01-01T16:28:55Z")
They should kill off Johnny Storm and revive the golden age Human Torch to fill his spot in the FF roster. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-die-in-the-comic-books-2011-edition-one-of-the-fantastic-4-will/565990/9 "2011-01-01T19:36:26Z")
They can’t kill off the eye candy ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-die-in-the-comic-books-2011-edition-one-of-the-fantastic-4-will/565990/10 "2011-01-01T20:49:47Z")
Johnny is the one who most needs to die. His character (except for very, VERY brief periods–12 issues at most) is _still_ just about exactly the same as he was back in 1961 (fine, he’s not into racing “hot-rods” any more). High School drop-out, got a GED, dropped out of college, hasn’t had a love-interest\* that’s lasted more than 2 real-time years and doesn’t contribute anything to either the soap-opera aspect of the story or really to the super hero part of the team. Any energy type could take his place (Black Lighting, say). Plus, the reason the FF works is it’s a family. Reed is the Daddy, Sue is the Mommy, Val and Franklin are the kids, Ben is the gruff older uncle and Johnny is…um…what? The creepy won’t-grow-up uncle who keeps bringing just barely legal bimbos to the family gathering (his last girlfriend was a super villian. She kept stealing and he kept letting her get away as long as she slept with him) and then gets drunk after trying to steal money from one of the kid’s piggy-banks. The character is really annoying. That said, I think it’s gonna be a cop-out where Franklin or Valaria (more likely) dies. \*Except when he married the Alicia/Skrull, which made no sense ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-die-in-the-comic-books-2011-edition-one-of-the-fantastic-4-will/565990/11 "2011-01-01T20:56:29Z")
My money is on Ben Grimm as he is so vulnerable right now, being in an unpowered form for a week. The comic is even counting the days, so my guess is that he dies on day seven. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-die-in-the-comic-books-2011-edition-one-of-the-fantastic-4-will/565990/12 "2011-01-01T21:16:10Z")
Benjamin Grimm a.k.a. “The Thing”'s sole attribute is strength, but according to Marvel canon he’s not even in the top tier of super-strong humanoids. He’s gotten his ass handed to him every single time he’s ever fought the Hulk for example. Super strength is such a generic power that if it’s your only power and you aren’t even a major league player, what’s the point? It might be different if the whole point of the Thing was that he was strong but knew there were a lot of opponents out there even stronger, and he had to win by using his wits; but instead he’s always been portrayed as the bruiser, the tough guy from the Bronx, which given how outclassed he routinely is borders on the delusional. The only thing more pathetic is someone whose only “power” is flight and then only because they have _wings_. I’d say Grimm could be replaced by- well, nearly anyone. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-die-in-the-comic-books-2011-edition-one-of-the-fantastic-4-will/565990/13 "2011-01-01T21:22:50Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > I’d say Grimm could be replaced by- well, nearly anyone. Only if you don’t see the character as anything but a statline. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-die-in-the-comic-books-2011-edition-one-of-the-fantastic-4-will/565990/14 "2011-01-01T21:29:00Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > They can’t kill off the eye candy [After Cyclops wife (Jean/Phoenix) is killed.] **Beast** : “You must fell terrible!” **Cyclops** : “Oh, who are you kidding, she’ll be back before the next movie comes out!” - X-Men - Dark Phoenix Rising parody. ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-die-in-the-comic-books-2011-edition-one-of-the-fantastic-4-will/565990/15 "2011-01-01T22:50:19Z")
It’s gonna be **Willie Lumpkin**. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-die-in-the-comic-books-2011-edition-one-of-the-fantastic-4-will/565990/16 "2011-01-02T00:56:33Z")
I’m going with Sue. 1. Comic book characters get killed off all the time. People don’t really care much anymore. So I think Marvel will up the stakes by killing off a female character, which is still relatively rare. 2. Reed’s been acting squirrelly the last couple of years. I think they’re setting him up for some big story arc where he goes rogue and becomes a supervillain. Sue’s death would serve as a trigger event. 3. Ben’s already been killed at least once. 4. Nobody would care if Johnny died. 5. They’d never dare kill Willie Lumpkin. His ear wiggling power is too necessary for Earth’s survival. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-die-in-the-comic-books-2011-edition-one-of-the-fantastic-4-will/565990/17 "2011-01-02T01:12:24Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Benjamin Grimm a.k.a. “The Thing”'s sole attribute is strength, but according to Marvel canon he’s not even in the top tier of super-strong humanoids. He’s gotten his ass handed to him every single time he’s ever fought the Hulk for example. I don’t think, “Can’t beat up the strongest person on the planet,” is much of a criticism. Besides, who in the Marvel universe _hasn’t_ had their ass handed to them by the Hulk? ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-die-in-the-comic-books-2011-edition-one-of-the-fantastic-4-will/565990/18 "2011-01-02T02:22:01Z")
Plus, raw strength isn’t Ben’s power any more than stretching is Reed’s. Reed’s power is his brain (and a couple of writers have played with the idea that he can literally reshape his brain for different functions: math, intutition, etc). Ben’s “power” is indomidable will. NOTHING can break him. If he was given a GL ring, he’d be able to kick Hal Jordan’s ass. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-die-in-the-comic-books-2011-edition-one-of-the-fantastic-4-will/565990/19 "2011-01-02T02:58:30Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > [After Cyclops wife (Jean/Phoenix) is killed.] > > **Beast** : “You must fell terrible!” > > **Cyclops** : “Oh, who are you kidding, she’ll be back before the next movie comes out!” - X-Men - Dark Phoenix Rising parody. Or her clone. Or her future self. Or a simulacrum of her. Or an alien universal force deluded into believing it’s her. Or whatever Mr. Sinister can come up with this week to fuck with the Summers family. ---
**Author:** ![Slade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@Slade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slade)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-die-in-the-comic-books-2011-edition-one-of-the-fantastic-4-will/565990/20 "2011-01-04T22:24:30Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > The best bet according to those guys: > > Sue Ridchards There’s something very fitting about the way you chose to present that. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-die-in-the-comic-books-2011-edition-one-of-the-fantastic-4-will/565990.md?page=2)