10 Heartbreaking Times The Fantastic Four Broke Up

10. Mad Thinker Encouraged The FF To Disband - Fantastic Four #15 (1963)

Fantastic Four #15 was the first time the FF tussled with their recurring foe, The Mad Thinker.

As Thinker prepared to take over the world, he was warned by mobsters that the Fantastic Four will interfere with his plan. Using his advancing computing machines (which is what they called computers back then), Thinker reasoned the best way to beat the superheroes was to encourage them to break up.

Thinker orchestrated events so the Human Torch joined the circus, Reed took a position in an electronics company, Thing became a wrestler, and Sue ventured to Hollywood to pursue acting. The quartet found these new roles more fulfilling than playing superhero and decided to quit the team.

But when they learned their headquarters have been invaded by the Thinker, only then did the Four realise the deranged supervillain manipulated them to disband. Joining forces once more, the gang defeated Thinker and his army of Awesome Androids and agreed never to break up again (which was totally not true).

The Fantastic Four may have got back together by the end of the same issue but Fantastic Four #15 is significant since it is the first time the team split up.