15 Years Ago Today, Marvel’s Best Superhero Team Was Disbanded in a Surprising Way

The story arc “Three” is considered a landmark in Fantastic Four history because of its powerful portrayal of grief and how it led to the team’s initial breakup. After the Human Torch seemingly died defending against Annihilus, the Fantastic Four disbanded and reformed as the Future Foundation, bringing together many of Marvel’s young heroes. Unlike many comic book deaths, Johnny Storm’s sacrifice felt genuinely moving, especially as his teammates could only watch from a portal. What’s particularly notable about the follow-up, “Three Epilogue: Month of Mourning,” is how it depicts each member’s grief almost entirely without dialogue until the very end.








