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Franklin Richards
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Franklin Richards

567 appearances · Silver Age · 1968–2026 · 21 key issues
Who is Franklin Richards?

The son of Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) and Sue Storm (Invisible Woman), Franklin was born with virtually limitless mutant psionic and reality-warping abilities that emerged in early childhood, making him one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe despite his young age.

Born into the most famous family in the Marvel Universe, Franklin Richards made his debut in Fantastic Four Annual #6 in 1968, a Silver Age arrival brought to life by John Buscema and John Romita — and he's been one of comics' most fascinating figures ever since. Growing up on the page alongside Reed Richards, Susan Storm Richards, Ben Grimm, and Johnny Storm means Franklin has always been at the absolute heart of Marvel's First Family, his appearances across Fantastic Four, FF, and Marvel Knights 4 spanning a remarkable 58 years. With 480 catalog appearances and 21 recognized key issues to his name, he's no background player — collectors and longtime readers alike know that any issue spotlighting Franklin is worth a second look. If you want to understand the emotional core of the Fantastic Four across generations, Franklin Richards is the place to start.

Identity

Real name. Franklin Benjamin Richards

Powers. Omega-level mutant/reality manipulation: psionic energy projection, reality warping, telepathy/telekinesis, pocket-universe creation, precognitive dreams; power levels have fluctuated across eras.

Teams & affiliations
Fantastic Four
★ First appearance
Fantastic Four Annual #6
Nov 1968

Trivia

  • Franklin Richards quietly moonlighted as Tattletale, a covert junior member of Power Pack — a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment that slipped a core Fantastic Four character into an entirely different book's roster.en.wikipedia.org
  • Marvel put Franklin through a strange adolescent reinvention as Psi-Lord, outfitting him with a costume capable of summoning full battle armor from a concealed glove module — a wild chapter that was eventually absorbed into his broader continuity.en.wikipedia.org
  • Stan Lee has written more of Franklin Richards's comics than any other writer in our catalog — 29 issues.

Top series

Covers through the years — 1968–2022

Fantastic Four Annual #6 1968
Fantastic Four Annual #6
Fantastic Four #164 1975
Fantastic Four #164
The Inhumans #9 1977
The Inhumans #9
The X-Men #141 1981
The X-Men #141
Fantastic Four #275 1985
Fantastic Four #275
The Avengers #300 1989
The Avengers #300
Annex #4 1994
Annex #4
What If...? #105 1998
What If...? #105
Spider-Girl #46 2002
Spider-Girl #46
Mighty Avengers: Earth's Mightiest #[nn] 2009
Mighty Avengers: Earth's Mightiest #[nn]
Marvel Now! Omnibus #[nn] 2013
Marvel Now! Omnibus #[nn]
Deadpool #27 2014
Deadpool #27
Avengers Epic Collection #7 2018
Avengers Epic Collection #7
X-Men: Hellfire Gala #1 2022
X-Men: Hellfire Gala #1

Appearances (151–300 of 567, oldest first)

X-Factor (1986)
#14
Mephisto vs. ... (1987)
#1
Fantastic Four vs. X-Men (1987)
Superaventuras Marvel (1982)
#58
Spécial Strange (1975)
X-Factor Annual (1986)
Power Pack (1984)
#33
Fantastic Four Annual (1963)
Silver Surfer (1987)
Titans (1976)
The Mutant Misadventures of Cloak and Dagger (1988)
Silver Surfer Annual (1988)
#2
The New Mutants Annual (1984)
The Avengers (1963)
Nova (1989)
X-Men Annual (1970)
#14
Fantastic Four versus the X-Men (1990)
Marvel Comics Presents (1988)
Marvel Holiday Special (1991)
Marvel Illustrated: Swimsuit Issue (1991)
#1
Marvel Super-Heroes (1990)
#6
Fantastic Four: Monsters Unleashed (1992)
Marvel Swimsuit Special (1992)
#1
Excalibur (1988)
#52
The Original Ghost Rider (1992)
#19
X-Men - Rescapé du futur (1994)
Annex (1994)
#4
Force Works (1994)
#5
Venom: Separation Anxiety (1994)
#4
Fantastic Force (1994)
#12
Marvel Vision (1996)
Cable (1993)
#35
The Uncanny X-Men (1981)
Fantastic Four: The Legend (1996)
#1
Spider-Man: Father's Day Is Every Day (1997)
#1
Best of Marvel (1994)
X-Men Unlimited (1993)
#14
Generation X (1994)
Thunderbolts (1997)
#2
Wolverine: Days of Future Past (1997)
#2
What If...? (1989)
Wolverine (1997)
Fantastic Four: Franklin's Adventures (1998)
Marvel DC Crossover (1997)
#9
X-Men Special (1998)
X-Men (1997)
Black Panther (1998)
Marvel Special (1997)
#8
Die Fantastischen Vier (1999)
Spider-Girl (1998)
Captain America (1999)
#8
Fantastic Four 1999 (1999)
100% Marvel : Fantastic Four (1999)
#1
Domination Factor: Fantastic Four (1999)
Deadpool (1997)
#35
Earth X (2000)
X-Man (1995)
#59
Marvel Top (1997)
#19
X-Men The Hidden Years (1999)
#9
Before the Fantastic Four: Reed Richards (2000)
X-Men Universe (1999)
#13
Thor (1998)
#32
Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Comics Magazine (2001)
#4
Fantastic Four 2001 (2001)
Thunderbolts: Justice Like Lightning (2001)
Marvel Crossover (1999)
#31
Wizard Ace Edition: Uncanny X-Men #94 (2002)
Toyfare: The Toy Magazine (1997)
Marvel Elite (2001)
#29
Marvel Knights 4 (2004)
#1