Marvel Debuts The Infernal Fantastic Four In Nightmare Fuel Redesign

Published Oct 14, 2026, 6:45 PM EDT Nicolas Ayala is a Senior Writer for the Comics team at ScreenRant, with over five years of experience writing about Superhero media, action movies, and TV shows. Marvel's new Fantastic Four are a terrifying reinvention of Marvel's First Family. The Fantastic Four balance their reputation as Marvel’s most wholesome superhero family with a long history of genuine body horror. On the surface, the Fantastic Four is a close-knit unit of scientists and explorers who bicker affectionately and champion scientific exploration. However, their powers can be quite terrifying, and Marvel often explores the dark aspects of their abilities not only in bleak alternate universes like the Marvel Zombies or the Ultimate Universe, but also in one-off main-continuity adventures where the team loses control of their abilities. Though Ben Grimm visibly shoulders the most permanent side effects of his transformation, his three teammates possess equally horrifying traits that lie hidden beneath their colorful uniforms. Mister Fantastic has grown used to unsettling deformations of his body, down to his eyes and internal organs, and the Human Torch's Supernova heat can vaporize flesh and boil human blood across entire battlefields. The most terrifying arsenal certainly belongs to the Invisible Woman, whose invisible constructs allow her to pull off sickeningly violent executions. If the Fantastic Four's powers can be disturbing on their own, they can easily become nightmares when they receive major power upgrades. The Fantastic Four Transform Into Eldritch Monsters Infernal Hulk vs Fantastic Four #1; Written By Phillip Kennedy Johnson; Art By Cian Tormey & Romulo Fajardo Jr During the Marvel Universe's The Infernal Hulk arc, the Fantastic Four have come the closest to defeating Eldest's avatar. Reed Richards created the possible cure to the Infernal Hulk's possession and everything he has corrupted, but unfortunately, the villain finds them before they can test it. Using his demonic powers, the Infernal Hulk fights and infects the Fantastic Four, transforming each of the four heroes into a terrifying creature. The Thing turns into a mass of dark rock, the Human Torch is forced to "burn forever," and the Invisible Woman transforms into a giant translucent snake. Meanwhile, Reed Richards melts on the ground next to the Baxter Building. The Infernal Hulk's days are counted, and the weapon that will likely defeat him has already been invented. However, his defeat won't arrive until after he has nearly killed several Marvel icons. The Infernal Hulk has already beaten Iron Man, Wolverine, and the Fantastic Four, and he's about to fight Spider-Man and have a rematch with the Avengers. And yet, this evil version of Hulk won't be stopped until 2027's Hulk War: Infernal Rage, where Reed Richards' tree may finally have its healing effects over the Infernal Hulk, and the Fantastic Four's horrific transformations may be reversed. Marvel's New Fantastic Four Face A Strange Problem Marvel's Horror-Inspired Midnight Fantastic Four Aren't Initially As Horrific As The Infernal Fantastic Four Released on October 7, Midnight Fantastic Four #1 launched Marvel's Midnight line with a Lovecraftian origin story for Marvel's First Family. However, the titular team's corruption feels relatively tame compared to the terrifying abominations introduced in October 14's The Infernal Hulk vs Fantastic Four. In the Midnight Universe, Reed Richards is unable to control the size of his super-elastic body, Ben Grimm's "the Thing" form is made of dark stone, and Johnny Storm's Human Torch form produces lots of smoke, while Sue Storm's invisibility abilities seem to behave normally. Meanwhile, The Infernal Hulk features an elastic puddle, a mountain of rock, a spiral of fire, and a giant invisible snake. Fortunately for the new imprint, the Midnight Fantastic Four have a significant built-in advantage to help them reclaim the top spot of Marvel horror reimaginings. The Infernal Fantastic Four are obligated to serve as the Infernal Hulk as part of his army, possibly stuck surrounding the Baxter Building without any agency. The Midnight Fantastic Four have an extensive canvas stretching far into the future, since they have yet to fully develop their true cosmic body-horror afflictions by the end of their debut issue. Which horror version of the Fantastic Four do you like more? Infernal Hulk vs Fantastic Four #1 is now available from Marvel Comics