10 Times That Fantastic Four Got Weird (In The Best Possible Way)
8. The Skrulls Turn Into Cows - Fantastic Four #2 (1962)
When shapeshifting aliens Skrulls first prepared to take over the world, they deduced the Fantastic Four would interfere with their plans. As a result, the extra-terrestrials disguised themselves as the the beloved superteam and went on a crime spree to incriminate them.
When Reed learns this, he pretends his team are the Skrulls disguised as the Fantastic Four and enters the alien's mothership. He then informs the captain that they must abandon their invasion since the world's defences are too great.
As proof, Reed shows pictures to the Skrull captain that depict giant ants and rock monsters, pretending these are creatures of Earth. However, these drawings are actually from the Marvel comic series' Strange Tales and Journey Into Mystery. The Skrulls are completely fooled by Reed's scheme and return home.
The Fantastic Four fly back to Earth, prove their innocence to the authorities, and arrest the Skrulls that were impersonating them. Reed then orders the aliens to shapeshift into cows and hypnotises them so they forget their Skrull identities.
There are a lot of silly stories in the comics but this might be the only time in the history of literature where the villains were defeated by being transform into cows.