10 Heartbreaking Times The Fantastic Four Broke Up
7. Reed Quit - Fantastic Four #190-191 (1978)
After Reed Richards lost his powers in Fantastic Four #188, he strongly considered dissolving the Fantastic Four, believing the team couldn't operate without him. Although his comrades tried their best to carry on, things fell apart when Reed and Sue's mutant son, Franklin, was unable to control his powers.
Reed realised the child's power was building up to critical mass, which would cause him to detonate, resulting in the destruction of the solar system. Left with no choice, Reed blasted Franklin with a weapon that shut down his mind. When Sue learned Reed's gun had rendered Franklin catatonic, she left the team to look after him. With Sue gone and Reed powerless, the Fantastic Four officially resigned.
Alicia Masters tried to reassure Thing, saying the team had broken up in the past and always ended up back together. Thing was skeptical, saying this was the first time Reed personally split up the Fantastic Four. Seeing Reed as the glue that kept the team together, Thing truly believed this was the end of an era.
The Fantastic Four may have reunited several issues later, but it was the first time the entire team quit for more than one issue.