15 Emotional Comic Book Moments That Made Us Shed A Tear
11. Sue Reed's Miscarriage
Going back to its debut issue in 1961, The Fantastic Four had always placed an extraordinary amount of focus on the family dynamic of its four characters: Reed Richards and Sue Storm (who would become husband and wife), Johnny Storm (Sue's brother), and Benjamin Grimm (a longtime friend and confidante). Like real families, these characters all loved each other, but would often disagree and bicker.
And as these characters aged and evolved, Marvel was always certain to highlight major family milestones like the marriage of Sue and Reed and the birth of their first son Franklin. Unfortunately, portraying the Fantastic Four like a real family cuts both ways - there were plenty of moments to celebrate, but also times when things were sad and tragic.
In a landmark story from John Byrnes writer/artist run in the mid-1980s, Sue miscarries what would have been her second child because of radiation poisoning from the Negative Zone. Like so many other arcs in Fantastic Four history, stories of this ilk weren't typically covered in mainstream comics.
Adding to its inherent sadness is the fact that Reed, in a desperate attempt to save the life of his wife and his unborn child, actually enlists the help of noted villain and murderer Doctor Octopus, an expert in radiation. Doc Ock is initially reluctant to team-up with Reed, because he believes it is some sort of trap. By the time Mr. Fantastic finally convinces Doctor Octopus to help Sue, she has already miscarried.