10 Unrevealed Secrets About The Baxter Building

Because of the nature of the Fantastic Four as a superhero team with public identities and a public address in a major metropolitan city, the Baxter Building has been the target of a number of attacks over the years. And even though Reed Richards has created a number of things to protect the building, it has been necessary for the property to be rebuilt several times.

The first major destruction came when Terrax the Tamer disintegrated everything above the 32nd floor. Then in Fantastic Four #278, Doctor Doom’s adopted son Kristoff Vernard shot the entire building into space and blew it up in an attempt to kill the FF. On its foundations, the team built the larger Four Freedoms Plaza, where they lived for several years. It was later inhabited by, and eventually destroyed by, the Thunderbolts when the Fantastic Four, Avengers, and other heroes were believed killed by Onslaught.

Reed’s old professor and original building designer Noah Baxter built a duplicate Baxter Building in Earth’s orbit while the team was living in a converted warehouse near the Hudson River. Once completed, it was teleported into the original spot. When Reed, Sue, and the children were believed dead, the team disbanded and the building passed through several hands. Once the Four were reunited, rather than fighting for the building, they all moved in with Ben Grimm and Alicia at a converted brownstone at 4 Yancy Street.