Marvel's Latest What If Gives The Fantastic Four A Disney Makeover [Exclusive Preview]

I still remember when the news that Disney had bought Marvel broke. Fans, primarily fanboys, all over the world cried out in terror that this meant their cherished superheroes would suddenly become (more) family-friendly, because "Disney" means joy and princesses to many people. ("Now the Hulk's emotions are all shared, Iron Man is drunk off the fresh air, Doctor Doom believes in playing fair, Punisher is braiding Logan's hair!")

Of course, that didn't exactly happen, and those same fanboys mostly love the Disney distributed Marvel movies that came after: "The Avengers," "Guardians of the Galaxy," "Black Panther," etc. (Then again, part of me can't help but attribute the dearth of sexuality in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Chloe Zhao's "Eternals" aside, to Disney's influence.)

Now, though, the latest "What If...?" revives those old Marvel fanboys' fears. The issue has a self-explanatory title: "Marvel & Disney: What If...? Mickey & Friends Became the Fantastic Four" #1, and Marvel has shared a preview of the comic with /Film. The issue's synopsis reads as follows:

"YOUR FAVORITE DISNEY CHARACTERS AS MARVEL'S FIRST FAMILY! MICKEY has stretching powers! MINNIE can turn invisible! GOOFY can burst into flame! DONALD has become some kind of rocky... THING! With these incredible powers, they vow to help those in need as — the FANTASTIC FOUR. And they'll need all their awesome abilities if they are to succeed in their first mission together to stop MOLE PETE from destroying DUCKBURG! But how did they get their superpowers? Find out in this fantastic ORIGIN special!"

This is similar to when, in 2023 for the Disney100 centennial anniversary, several Marvel Comics titles were printed with variant covers reimagining classic Marvel comic covers featuring Mickey and co. One of those covers, attached to "Amazing Spider-Man" #19, asked "What If... Mickey And Friends Were Exposed To Cosmic Rays?" This new issue makes that pitch into a full-blown story — with some convenient synergy for the upcoming "Fantastic Four: First Steps," the first Disney/Marvel Studios film about the First Family.

See the "Marvel & Disney: What If...? Mickey & Friends Became the Fantastic Four" #1 cover below:

Marvel Comics

The issue is written by Luca Barbieri & Steve Behling (who has previously written several children's Marvel stories and is the former comics editor of Disney Adventures magazine) and drawn by Lorenzo Pastrovicchio. It is the latest in a "Marvel & Disney: What If...?" meta-series combining Marvel heroes with Mickey's circle of friends, including:

• "What If...? Donald Duck Became Wolverine" #1 by Barbieri and Giada Perissinotto
• "What If...? Donald Duck Became Thor" #1 by Riccardo Secchi and Pastrovicchio
• "What If...? Minnie Became Captain Marvel" #1 by Barbieri, Behling, and Perissinotto
• The forthcoming "Marvel & Disney: What If...? Mickey & Friends Became the Avengers" #1 by Barbieri, Behling, and Pastrovicchio, due out in March 2025.

I can only guess that "What If...? Scrooge McDuck Became Iron Man?" is next. What does Mickey and co. as the Fantastic Four look like, though?

The first interior page is a title and credits page, with two lines of character headshots paralleling who is who:

• Mickey Mouse = Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (both the center of the team)

• Minnie Mouse = Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman (both the team's only girl)

• Goofy = Johnny Storm/The Human Torch (the comic relief)

• Donald Duck = Ben Grimm/The Thing (the short-tempered one)

The following pages parallel the structure of "Fantastic Four" #1 by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee. In that issue, the first pages introduced the Four one-by-one, all of them living in the center of Manhattan and already having their powers. Their origin, being astronauts who were exposed to and altered by cosmic rays on a space flight, was then told in flashback across pages 9-13. The rest of the issue lived up to the cover, showing the Fantastic Four fighting a giant monster controlled by the Mole Man.

Marvel Comics

The first drawn page shows the flaming symbol of the Four in the sky, echoing how Reed Richards shot up a flare to summon the other three in "Fantastic Four" #1. The citizens of Duckburg look up in the sky in awe.

Like in the original comic, the first hero we meet is the Invisible Woman. Minnie Mouse is watching television with Clarabelle Cow, but when she notices the signal in the sky, she vanishes.

Marvel Comics

Marvel Comics

Next comes The Thing. In "Fantastic Four" #1, Ben Grimm is introduced in a clothing store, wearing a thick overcoat to mask his stone skin. When his true appearance is discovered, he goes on a bit of a rampage. Meanwhile, Donald Duck is simply ironing his clothes (which have been torn up since his transformation). However, when he sees the signal, he runs out the door, tearing it off the hinges along the way.

Marvel Comics

Next, the Human Torch. Goofy says flame on while working on a car with Horace Horsecollar. He doesn't accidentally melt a car like Johnny Storm did, but he does fly by a barbecue competition and give everyone a helping spark.

Marvel Comics

That apparently expends The Goofy Torch's energy, but not to worry, because as he falls, the super-stretchy Mickey is there to catch him. With The Fantastic Four assembled, the comic then teases the origin story yet to come.

Marvel Comics

While he doesn't appear in this preview, Mickey's arch-enemy Pete is apparently going to play the role of Mole Man. Who, then, is this universe's version of the always envious Doctor Doom, who blames his old schoolmate Reed Richards for his scarred face? Perhaps Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Walt Disney's first creation (who was displaced by Mickey).

"Marvel & Disney: What If...? Mickey & Friends Became the Fantastic Four" #1 releases in print and digital on January 8, 2025.