Marvel’s Giant-Size Fantastic Four #1 ushering in a new (true) King of Atlantis

If you haven’t heard, “Giant-Size” issues are back at Marvel Comics, and the FF’s is set to shake things up for Atlantis.

All-new, All-different

Anybody remember “Giant-Size X-Men #1”? If you’re a Marvel Comics fan, you definitely do, and that’s true even if you haven’t read it. The book hit stands back in 1975, and brought with it a team that included characters like Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler, and more for the very first time. So, in other words, some pretty massive changes that shook up the team… well, really permanently.

But while the title wasn’t a wide-ranging effort, that’s about to change. That’s the plan anyway, as Marvell Comics brings back the “Giant-Size” label for 2024, with the aim of bringing “pivotal status quo shifts, exciting first appearances, and dramatic developments”. One of those one-shots will be Giant-Size Fantastic Four #1, which certainly looks to do all of the above.

With the creative team of Marvel legend Fabian Nicieza and with art from Creees Lee, the FF will follow on the heels of January’s Giant-Size Spider-Man #1, which stars Miles Morales’ web-head and Dylan Brock.

GIANT-SIZE FANTASTIC FOUR #1 will pack startling revelations about the past and set up an wildly uncertain future as the Fantastic Four discover a hidden secret about Atlantis in the form of NATLUS! Awakened after thousands of years, be there when this ancient ruler re-stakes his claim on the throne of Atlantis!

IMPERIUS REX! Namor is imprisoned, serving out his sentence as the disgraced King of Atlantis! So when a new yet ancient threat arises from the sea, who better to leap into the fray than Marvel’s First Family: the FANTASTIC FOUR! Embark on a GIANT-SIZE deep dive into some of Atlantis’ most dangerous history…and the present that can scarcely hope to contain it!

“As a 12-year-old who bought — and still has — the original Giant-Size Fantastic Four run which featured great Marvel creators of the ‘70s like Roy Thomas, Gerry Conway, Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Chris Claremont, John Buscema, Rich Buckler, and more, it was a thrill to write this issue!” Nicieza said. “I tried to follow in the footsteps of those issues by creating something big and new. I came up with a character whose name and history will have Sub-Mariner fans either chuckling and saying, ‘why did no one ever think of that?’ or they’ll want to drown me! I’m excited to see which it will be!”

Marvel Comics press release

Aside from the new tale of Atlantis and intro for Natlus, Giant-Size Fantastic Four #1 will also include a reprinting of the classic FF #33, from Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Look for the book on the stands on February 28th, 2024.