Fantastic Four (1961 1st Series) UK Edition comic books 1972

UK edition. Identical to US edition but has 6p cover price. "Thunder in the Ruins!" Part 2 of 2. Script by Archie Goodwin. Pencils by John Buscema. Inks by Joe Mooney. Cover by John Buscema, John Romita (touch-ups), and John Verpoorten. With Crystal by his side, the Master of Alchemy has taken over a banana republic in Central America! When the Human Torch arrives in country, he finds himself fighting not only the national air force, but a brain-washed Crystal too! Can Johnny Storm wrest Crystal from Diablo's clutches? Fortunately, Reed, Sue, and Ben will help! Back up story: "What Mad World?" Script by Archie Goodwin. Pencils by John Buscema. Inks by Jim Mooney. To save Ben during the battle against Diablo, Lockjaw temporarily teleports the Thing to another world. But it's a strange world indeed as Reed Richards is the one that was transformed into the Thing; while Ben Grimm married Susan Storm. Perhaps Ben should get back to his own reality posthaste, before he sees too much! First appearance of the Reed Richards of Alternate Earth (Earth-A). (Notes: Diablo returns in Fantastic Four 193. Crystal appears next in Fantastic Four 130, but plays a prominent role behind the scenes in Avengers 104. The Thing (aka Reed Richards) of Earth-A returns in Fantastic Four 160. Alternate Earth would later be renamed Earth-721.) 32 pages

UK edition. Identical to US edition, but has 6p cover price. "Three Stood Together!" Guest-starring the Black Panther. Script by Roy Thomas. Pencils by John Buscema. Inks by Joe Sinnott. Cover by John Buscema and Joe Sinnott. An autumn afternoon at the Baxter Building is interrupted by a call for help from the country of Wakanda! The Black Panther's chief advisor discloses that T'challa is missing somewhere in the racist republic of Rudyarda! To rescue T'challa and recover the stolen vibranium, the Thing and the Human Torch travel to Rudyarda. But a certain sonically-altered super-villain is waiting to attack! It's a great battle on the African continent...Ben, Johnny, and T'challa vs. Klaw! (Notes: Klaw appears next in Avengers 126. The Black Panther briefly changed his name to the Black Leopard in order to avoid association with a political group in the United States. The new Fantastic Four cover logo debuts with this issue.) 32 pages

UK edition. Identical to US edition, but has 6p cover price. First appearance of the Air-Walker Automaton in "The Horror That Walks on Air!" Part 1 of 4. Script by Stan Lee. Pencils by John Buscema. Inks by Joe Sinnott. Cover by John Buscema and Frank Giacoia. The Air Walker has come to Earth! Is he friend or foe? The FF would like to know! So they lure the alien to the Baxter Building in order to study the mysterious visitor! But the U.S. military provokes the Air Walker into action, and the man who walks on air wipes out the soldiers with an awesome display of power! And then makes short work of the Fantastic Four too! This script seems eerily familiar...a mighty being wielding the power cosmic comes to Earth trumpeting the impending doom of the world. Could someone else, perhaps galactic in nature, be following in the Air Walker's wake? First appearance of the Air Walker automation. Cameo appearances by Mary Jane Watson , Agatha Harkness and General Thunderbolt Ross. (Note: This four-part story was reprinted in Marvel Treasury Edition 21.) 32 pages

UK edition. Identical to US edition, but has 6p cover price. "The Mysterious Mind-Blowing Secret of Gabriel!" Part 2 of 4 Guest-starring the Silver Surfer and the Air Walker . Script by Stan Lee. Pencils by John Buscema. Inks by Joe Sinnott. Cover by John Buscema and Joe Sinnott. The powerful Air Walker continues to ravage Manhattan and terrorize the civilian populace! The Fantastic Four are helpless to stop him! New York City needs a miracle desperately! How about a silver one riding on a surf board? In dramatic fashion the Silver Surfer arrives to aid the FF! It's a spectacular slugfest in the water, on the ground, and in the sky vs. the man who walks on air! With the cosmic sky-rider by their side, can the Fantastic Four get up off the deck and knock out the Air Walker? An excellent issue! Cameo appearance by Galactus. (Note: The letters page includes a letter from television writer Charles Hoffman.) 32 pages, full color.

UK edition. Identical to US edition, but has 6p cover price. The Silver Surfer and Galactus guest star in "Galactus Unleashed , " Part 3 of 4 . Script by Stan Lee. Pencils by John Buscema and inks by Joe Sinnott with touch-ups by John Verpoorten and John Romita Sr.). Cover by John Buscema and John Romita. Wow! Galactus has come back to Earth! Is this the beginning of the end for the third planet from the sun?!? Maybe not. The Ravager of Worlds is willing to make a deal...he'll spare the Earth if the surfer will become his herald again. After the sky-rider declines, the furious free-for-all begins! The Thing, Human Torch, and Silver Surfer vs. Galactus! Awesome! Meanwhile during the battle, Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Girl blast off into space to skyjack Galactus' massive starship! (Notes: Galactus previously appeared in Thor 168 and 169. The letters page includes a letter from comics writer Scott Edelman. The letters page also contains a statement of ownership: average print run 460,000; average paid circulation 275,930.) 32 pages

UK edition. Identical to US edition, but has 6p cover price. The Silver Surfer and Galactus guest star in "This World Enslaved! " Part 4 of 4 . Script by Stan Lee. Pencils by John Buscema. Inks by Joe Sinnott. Cover by Sal Buscema. With a bold maneuver, Reed Richards turns the tables on the Devourer of Worlds! After sneaking onboard Galactus' starship, Mr. Fantastic threatens to destroy it unless the cosmic Ravager departs from Earth immediately! Will Reed's gallant gamble succeed? Possibly so, but first Mr. Fantastic has to convince the Silver Surfer, Agatha Harkness, General Thunderbolt Ross, and President Richard Nixon to trust him! The FF are going "all in" vs. Galactus! Will it be blackjack or bust? Cameo appearance by Franklin. (Notes: Galactus appears next in Thor 225. The Fantastic Four tangle with Galactus again in FF 172 thru 175. This four-part story was reprinted in Marvel Treasury Edition 21. The letters page includes a letter from comics editor David McDonnell. This issue includes a full-page ad for the first issue of the Hero For Hire series, later renamed Power Man and Iron Fist.)

UK edition. Identical to US edition, but has 6p cover price. "The Return of the Monster!" Part 1 of 2. Script by Stan Lee. Pencils by John Buscema. Inks by Joe Sinnott. Cover by John Buscema and Joe Sinnott. The FF's cataclysmic confrontation with Galactus and the Silver Surfer is over! But on the way back to the Baxter Building, Reed collapses from total exhaustion; so Ben, Sue, and Johnny rush him to the East Side Medical Pavilion for recovery! Ironically, just a few hours earlier a strange monster was reported inside the medical pavilion. Is someone or something stalking the hospital? After the Thing is knocked out and the Invisible Girl is kidnapped, it certainly appears so! Fortunately though, the ever-present Human Torch is ready to challenge the monster! (Note: The Monster from the Lost Lagoon previously appeared in Fantastic Four 97.) 32 pages

UK edition. Identical to US edition, but has 6p cover price. The Monster's Secret!" Part 2 of 2. Script by Stan Lee. Pencils by John Buscema. Inks by Joe Sinnott. Cover by John Buscema and Joe Sinnott. While Ben and Johnny are hunting the Monster from the Lost Lagoon, the Invisible Girl fights to stay alive in an underground cave rapidly filling with water! But thankfully, Sue has an unlikely savior...the monster himself! Why is the alien monster rescuing the Invisible Girl? Reed deduces the creature's motives and devises a happy ending for everyone involved! (Note: This issue concludes Stan Lee's 10-year run (that began with issue number one) as the primary writer for the Fantastic Four title.) 32 pages

UK edition. Identical to US edition, but has 6p cover price. "The Way It Began!" Script by Roy Thomas. Pencils by John Buscema. Inks by Joe Sinnott. Cover by John Buscema and Joe Sinnott. A new era begins for the World's Greatest Comic Magazine! But before the new era starts, the fabulous foursome takes a walk down memory lane. Re-telling of the origin of the Fantastic Four, and also the FF's first encounter with the Mole Man. Cameo appearance by Alicia Masters. (Notes: Roy Thomas begins scripting the Fantastic Four series. The cover pays homage to the cover of Fantastic Four 1. The letters page contains a reduced-size reprint of the FF 1 cover.) 32 pages

UK edition. Identical to US edition, but has 6p cover price. "Where the Sun Dares Not Shine!" Part 1 of 2. Script by Roy Thomas. Pencils by John Buscema. Inks by Joe Sinnott. Cover by John Buscema and Joe Sinnott. The Thing storms into the underground lair of the Mole Man! Why? To force the FF's long-time adversary into helping Alicia Masters regain her eyesight! But before the blue-eyed idol of millions finds the subsurface villain, he runs into Kala (last seen in Tales of Suspense 43). Is she a friend or foe? Or perhaps the Mole Man's betrothed? In any case Ben Grimm will need his fantastic friends to help him root out the Mole Man! Cameo appearances by Franklin, Agatha Harkness, and Tyrannus. (Note: The Mole Man previously appeared in Captain America 136.) 32 pages

UK edition. Identical to US edition, but has 6p cover price. "Death in a Dark and Lonely Place!" Part 2 of 2. This issue includes a great 4-page glossy insert (with art by John Buscema) of the FF's friends and foes including Doctor Doom, Galactus, the Hulk, Mole Man, Sandman, Silver Surfer, Sub-Mariner, Trapster, Wizard, and the Inhumans. Color glossy inserts were very rare in comic books at this time. Script by Roy Thomas. Pencils by John Buscema. Inks by Joe Sinnott. Cover by John Buscema and Joe Sinnott. The Mole Man has everything going his way in his subterranean lair! The confused Fantastic Four are fighting one another, while the preparations continue for the destruction of the surface world! But there may be a traitor (or two) in the midst that could foil the Mole Man's plans of grandeur! Can the mindless Subterraneans be trusted? And what about Kala and Tyrannus? Reed, Sue, Ben, and Johnny will take all the help they can get when the battle royal begins! (Notes: In the letters page, Roy Thomas explains that the insert was published to placate the federal government during the national price and wage freeze of the early 1970's.) 32 pages

UK edition. Identical to US edition, but has 6p cover price. "The Frightful Four...Plus One!" Part 1 of 2. Guest-starring Medusa and Thundra (first appearance). Script by Roy Thomas. Pencils by John Buscema. Inks by Joe Sinnott. Cover by John Buscema, Frank Giacoia, and John Verpoorten. The Fantastic Four have returned to the Baxter Building after finishing their adventure with the Mole Man last issue. But things don't remain quiet for long as Johnny surprisingly announces his intention to go to the Great Refuge! And in a flash the Human Torch departs for the Hidden Land to see Crystal! Moments later another bombshell drops when Agatha Harkness informs Reed and Sue that she can no longer take care of young Franklin. After all the outbursts, Ben decides to go for a walk across town to clear his head. However, he walks right into a battle between the past and present members of the Frightful Four! At an abandoned construction site, Ben Grimm and Medusa fight for their lives against the Sandman, Trapster, Wizard, and Thundra! First appearance of Thundra. Cameo appearance by Black Bolt. 32 pages