Marvel is full of heroes, but none are as powerful as Franklin Richards. With rumours, as per Fantastic Four Updates on Twitter claiming that he will be making his first live-action appearance in the upcoming Fantastic Four: First Steps, we decided to write a very brief breakdown on the Earth-616 version of Franklin Richards. Just an FYI before we start, blurry set photos appear to show Vanessa Kirby (the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Sue Storm) holding a baby.
At the end of this post, we will be looking into a question from Marvel fans about Franklin Richards, so be sure to read to the end.
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Explaining Marvel Character, Franklin Richards
Born Franklin Benjamin Richards and occasionally nicknamed Frankie, he is the eldest child and only son of Fantastic Four leaders, Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic and his teammate and wife, Susan Storm Richards/Invisible Woman.
Moreover, Franklin also has a younger sister, Valeria Meghan Richards. We’ll talk about her more in a later post. He is also the nephew of Sue’s brother, Johnny Storm/The Human Torch as well as Reed’s paternal half-siblings.
Franklin was named after two of the most important people in his parents’ lives. His forename comes from his late maternal grandfather, Franklin Storm while his middle name comes from his parents’ best friend and teammate Benjamin “Ben” Grimm/The Thing, who serves as his godfather alongside Alicia Masters who is his godmother.
The first appearance in Marvel Comics of Franklin Richards was in Fantastic Four Annual #6 which was released on August 13th 1968, where he was an unnamed baby. His name would be revealed in Fantastic Four #94.
Powers
According to Franklin’s Wikipedia page, he has a ton of powers and that he is what is known as an Omega-level mutant. So, his abilities consist of:
- Reality warping
- Matter and energy manipulation
- Energy projection
- Psionic abilities such as telekinesis, telepathy, astral projection, and precognition
- Teleportation
- Immortality
- Pocket universe creation
It is because of Franklin’s advanced power set that he is the only person in the entire universe that Galactus is afraid of.
What Is An Omega-Level Mutant?
As per the X-Men Fandom Wiki, an Omega-Level Mutant is described as the following:
Mutants whose dominant power is deemed to register, or reach, an undefinable upper limit of that power’s specific classification.
One famous example would be Magneto. Another Omega-Level Mutant example is Cassandra Nova, the twin sister of Charles Xavier.
Friendship With Spider-Man
While there are so many storylines with Franklin over the years, there is one in recent years where he mourns the loss of his Uncle Johnny Storm. In Fantastic Four Vol. 1 #588 by Jonathan Hickman, he goes up to the roof of the Baxter Building where Spider-Man finds him.
Franklin tells Spidey about Johnny dying and the web-slinger issues his condolences. The pair bonded over losing their uncles. Peter then takes Franklin for a swing through New York where they get hotdogs.
Spider-Man and Johnny were rivals before they became friends.
A Birth Marvel: The Birth Of Franklin Richards
Born in New York City, Franklin Benjamin Richards’ power comes from the cosmic radiation that flows through the veins of his parents, Reed Richards and Sue Storm Richards. He started showing his abilities from the womb, which was evident when his mother started having premonitions and started using telekinesis, two powers she didn’t have.
Franklin’s powers caused Sue to become weak, which prompted Reed, Johnny and Ben to go into the Negative Zone to get the Cosmic Control Rod to save her and her unborn baby.
Saving Valeria
Sue’s second pregnancy like her first was difficult. She gave birth to a stillborn baby girl. What she didn’t know was that her son, Franklin, had travelled back in time and saved his sister’s life before she could be born. He sent her elsewhere and Reed and Sue spent years believing their little girl had died.
Valeria makes her first appearance as an adult in a cameo in Fantastic Four #14 – A Clash of Iron as Valeria Von Doom. Her full adult appearance is in Fantastic Four vol.3 issue 20.
As Valeria Von Doom, Franklin is the younger sibling as he too is Victor Von Doom’s child whereas his sister is older. Sue and her daughter are estranged and Val overhears her mother call her a monster.
Sue is also unable to accept that she will marry Victor. She doesn’t as the reality Valeria came from is different to the one she is in.
Question About Marvel Character Franklin Richards
To end this post, we’re going to explore a question about Franklin Richards.
Is Franklin Richards More Powerful Than Captain Marvel?
While there is no definitive answer to this, the answer, as per the opinions on the Comic Vine forum, is that yes, Franklin is more powerful than Captain Marvel.
