Fantastic Four #186
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeFantastic Four #186 is the first appearance of Salem's Seven — Brutacus, Gazelle, Hydron, Reptilla, Thornn, Vakume, and Vertigo — a group of magically mutated children of warlock Nicholas Scratch who have gone on to play recurring roles across Fantastic Four, Vision and the Scarlet Witch, New Warriors, and the 2024 Disney+ series Agatha All Along. The issue also functions as the climactic chapter of a multi-part New Salem arc that fleshed out the origins and mythology of Agatha Harkness, transforming her from a mysterious nanny figure into a character with a rich, tragic backstory rooted in centuries-old witch-trial persecution. As a Bronze Age FF story, it sits at the productive intersection of superhero action and occult horror, a storytelling blend that prefigured much of what later writers would develop more fully in the title. The survival of Salem's Seven into the MCU era — their adaptation in Agatha All Along in 2024 — confirms that the world-building accomplished in this single issue has proven unusually durable.
In "Enter: Salem's Seven!", the Fantastic Four face a shocking new threat as the villainous Salem's Seven emerge to challenge them—just as the sorceress Agatha Harkness is condemned to public execution. With George Pérez's dynamic art and Joe Sinnott's sharp inks bringing the confrontation to life, this pivotal 1977 issue marks a bold escalation in the team's battle against supernatural forces.
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The issue was written and edited by Len Wein, who had taken over both writing and editorial duties on the Fantastic Four title during the Bronze Age, and pencilled by George Pérez — then an emerging talent who came to prominence on the FF before achieving even greater fame at DC. Experienced inker Joe Sinnott, the series' long-running art anchor, finished Pérez's breakdowns, while Glynis Wein provided colors and John Costanza lettering. The issue was published at an unusual moment in Marvel's production history: a company-wide cover-price increase was mid-rollout, which is why the issue exists in both 30-cent and 35-cent cover-price printings. The New Salem storyline itself continued directly from issue #185, making #186 the concluding chapter of a two-part arc that Wein described in the Visionaries collection as reflecting the more off-beat, fantastical spirit of the FF's classic stories.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Salem's Seven in full — all seven members introduced by name and power: Brutacus (lion-like super strength), Gazelle (super speed), Hydron (water control), Reptilla (serpentine form), Thornn (spike projection), Vakume (air/vacuum control), and Vertigo (equilibrium disruption).
- Created by writer/editor Len Wein and penciller George Pérez; inked by Joe Sinnott, colored by Glynis Wein, lettered by John Costanza.
- Story title: 'Enter: Salem's Seven!' — the concluding chapter of a two-part arc beginning in Fantastic Four #185, in which the FF battle to rescue Agatha Harkness from execution by the New Salem community and recover the kidnapped Franklin Richards.
- Salem's Seven are established in-story as the children of Nicholas Scratch (himself the son of Agatha Harkness), making them Agatha's grandchildren — a family dynamic later confirmed and expanded in Vision and the Scarlet Witch Vol. 2 #3.
- The letters column includes a letter from Kurt Busiek, years before his own celebrated run writing Marvel characters.
- Published during a Marvel-wide cover price transition; the issue exists in a standard 30-cent edition and a 35-cent variant, as well as Whitman and British editions.
- Reprinted in: Fantastic Four Visionaries: George Pérez Vol. 1 TPB (Marvel, 2005); the 44 Years of Fantastic Four DVD-ROM collection; the Fantastic Four/Silver Surfer: The Complete Collection DVD-ROM; and Agatha Harkness: The Saga of the Salem Witch TPB (Marvel, September 2024).
- Salem's Seven were adapted for live-action in the Disney+ series Agatha All Along (2024), demonstrating the lasting impact of their debut in this issue.
Cast · 18 characters
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Reprints
Reprinted in Fantastic Four #73/74 (1977), Atlantic special #7/1978 (1978), Atlantic Special [Atlantic Spesial] #7 (1978), Los 4 Fantasticos #73 (1978), The Mighty World of Marvel #326 (1978), Nova #79 (1984), Fantastic Four Visionaries: George Pérez #1 (2005), Essential Fantastic Four #9 (2013), Marvel Platinum: The Definitive Fantastic Four #[nn] (2015), Marvel Masterworks: The Fantastic Four #17 (2015), Agatha Harkness: The Saga of the Salem Witch #[nn] (2024), Fantastic Four Epic Collection #10 (2024), Fantastic Four Omnibus #6 (2025), I Fantastici Quattro #213
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