Mister Fantastic

Mr. Fantastic
Real Name	Reed Richards
First Appearance	The Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #1 (Nov. 1961)
Creators	Stan Lee, Jack Kirby
Team Affiliations	Future Foundation, Fantastic Four, Avengers, Defenders, Illuminati
Aliases	Invincible Man, Reed Benjamin
Base of Operations	New York City
Powers	Extreme superhuman elasticity, malleability, and endurance, Resistance to most physical assaults and electricity, Virtual immunity to psychic powers
Skills and Abilities	Supergenius-level intellect, Leadership Experience, Fighting Experience
Paraphenalia	Countless inventions

Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards) is a superhero in the Marvel Universe and the leader of the Fantastic Four. He has the ability to extend his body at extreme lengths.

Origin

A brilliant scientist, Reed Richards convinced his friends to test an experimental rocketship.  When they arrive in space, they find themselves bombarded with cosmic rays that cause their ship to crash back to Earth.  Upon getting their bearings, the four friends discover that the rays have given them super-powers.  Reed discovers he can stretch his body like elastic and decides lead the friends as a team of explorers and superheroes the Fantastic Four as Mister Fantastic.

Biography

Reed Richards was born in Central City, California and the son of Nathaniel and Evelyn Richards. Reed’s father was a brilliant scientific genius and a trait that Reed inherited. Reed excelled in mathematics, physics, and mechanics and was enrolled in college by the age of 14. He went to multiple colleges including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, California Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Columbia University, and Empire State University. While attending EMU he met and became a roommate of Ben Grimm. They became great friends and Reed shared his dream of building a spaceship himself.After EMU, Reed continued to go to school at Columbia University, and he rented an apartment from Sue Storm's Aunt. Sue quickly fell in love with Reed. Reed, also met Victor Von Doom, while attending Columbia University. Doom loved that Reed could rival his intellect. Eventually Doom became jealous of Reed and began conducting reckless experiments that scarred his face.Reed next enrolled at Harvard and earned his P.H.D. in physics and a mastery in mechanical, aerospace and electrical engineering, chemistry and all levels of human and alien biology by the age of 22. After he was done with school he used his inheritance and government funding to finance his project. He began building his spaceship in Central City. Sue Storm would move to this same area and eventually found herself dating Reed again. Reed would ask Ben to pilot the ship for him. The government denied the flight into space so Reed, Sue, Ben, and Johnny decided to sneak onto the ship and they took the ship into outer space. Reed miscalculated and forgot the abnormality of the radiation from the cosmic radiation. The rays destroyed the ship and they crash-landed back on earth. After the crash Reed found out that he could stretch his body like elastic at will. Reed adopts the name Mr. Fantastic and convinces the four of them to use their powers for good.