Fantastic Four #9
This Panini France reprint edition is the primary French-language vehicle for the first appearance of Caledonia — the alternate-universe counterpart of Alysande Stuart — one of the most notable new supporting characters introduced during Chris Claremont's post-Heroes Reborn run on the Fantastic Four. Caledonia went on to serve as a recurring fixture of the team's extended family, acting as nanny and bodyguard to Franklin Richards across dozens of subsequent issues. The issue also introduces Puppy, Franklin's pet whose Inhuman-adjacent origins (he strongly resembles Lockjaw) would be seeded but never fully explained, adding an enduring mystery to the Claremont era. As the first French-language printing of this landmark chapter, it brought a meaningful character debut to the large European Francophone readership who followed Marvel through Panini's licensed reprint pipeline.
In "Une journée particulière," the Fantastic Four face a day unlike any other as NPR-TV journalists Neal Conan and Manoli Wetherell conduct an on-air interview with the team. While the public face of the heroes is under the spotlight, a secret mission unfolds in Four Freedoms Plaza, where Johnny, Caledonia, Spider-Man, and Kraven the Hunter track down a mysterious creature—only to stumble upon a lost puppy for Franklin. Written by Chris Claremont and brought to life with dynamic art by Salvador Larroca and inks by Art Thibert, this 1999 issue blends media scrutiny with quiet moments of connection, all under a cover by Larroca and Thibert.
In "Une journée particulière," the Fantastic Four navigate a day of unexpected encounters, from a media interview with NPR-TV’s Neal Conan and Manoli Wetherell to a surprise hunt in Four Freedoms Plaza—where Johnny, Caledonia, Spider-Man, and Kraven the Hunter track down a mysterious creature, only to stumble upon a puppy for Franklin.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
The source material — Fantastic Four Vol. 3 #9 (September 1998, Marvel) — was written by Chris Claremont with pencils by Salvador Larroca and inks by Art Thibert, the core creative team that helmed the title from issue #4 through #32. The story was edited by Mark Powers under editor-in-chief Bob Harras. Panini France, operating as a licensed European reprint publisher of Marvel material, collected and published the corresponding US issues in translated monthly format beginning in 1999; this ninth issue of their series, dated November 1999, reprinted the US #9 with a brief character-introduction recap page preceding the main story, a format used consistently throughout the French run to orient new readers.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Publisher: Panini France (1999 series), issue #9, cover date novembre (November) 1999.
- Reprints: Fantastic Four Vol. 3 #9 (Marvel, September 1998), titled 'A Day in the Life,' written by Chris Claremont, penciled by Salvador Larroca, inked by Art Thibert.
- First appearance of Caledonia (Alysande Stuart of Earth-9809) — an alternate-universe counterpart of Brigadier Alysande Stuart first seen in Excalibur #6 — who was smuggled to Earth-616 by the Human Torch after he rescued her from slavery in the Core Continuum.
- First appearance of Puppy, Franklin Richards's pet, who bears a striking physical resemblance to Lockjaw of the Inhumans; Reed Richards notes the Inhuman connection in the issue following this one.
- The issue also features Spider-Man (Peter Parker) and Kraven the Hunter (Alyosha Kravinoff) in the central chase sequence, alongside a cameo appearance by Stan Lee.
- The Panini France edition included an original recap/introduction page summarizing events from Fantastic Four Vol. 3 #1–8, a localised editorial feature added for French readers.
- The US source issue was later collected in Fantastic Four: Heroes Return — The Complete Collection Vol. 1 (Marvel, 2019), making the story accessible in modern collected form.
- Caledonia went on to appear regularly throughout the Claremont/Larroca run (issues #9–32), taking on the role of live-in guardian for Franklin Richards at Pier Four.
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Reprints
↩ Reprints Fantastic Four #9 (1998), Captain America #10 (1998)
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