Fantastic Four has just introduced one of the most – if not the most – powerful characters in the Marvel universe: Franklin Richards. Spoilers to follow…
Forget Thanos, Scarlet Witch, Captain Marvel, and even Doctor Doom. They’re all incredibly formidable in their own ways (as Avengers: Doomsday will illustrate), but Franklin Richards is almost in another league altogether.
The new F4 movie begins with Sue realizing she’s pregnant, and after Franklin is born, the conversation switches to whether or not he’ll have superpowers like his mom and dad.
Not only does he have extraordinary abilities, but if the MCU remains faithful to the comics, he pretty much eclipses the entire Fantastic Four.
Franklin Richards powers & abilities explained
At the end of Fantastic Four, Franklin (perhaps unwittingly) brings Sue back to life after she dies fighting Galactus. So, we know he’s capable of resurrection, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
In the comics, Franklin is basically a god, comparable to a Celestial (he’s been known to defeat not one, but two Celestials in physical combat). He’s been described as a “reality warper”, but his powers are extensive and difficult to counter.
He’s capable of telepathy, telekinesis, and firing powerful energy blasts. He can also rearrange the molecular structure of matter and energy and create pocket universes; one older version of him was even able to conjure an entire multiverse.
However, while he’s still a force to be reckoned with as a young child, his abilities in the MCU will be probably be somewhat limited at first; he doesn’t know his limits yet, nor is he aware of everything he’s capable of later in life.
In the movie, Galactus wants to kidnap Franklin because he could absorb his “eternal hunger” and allow him to finally rest, making Richards his successor. They have a storied history in the comics; in one issue, Franklin resurrects Galactus to take on the Celestials together, and in another story, he made Galactus his personal herald.
This has never been strictly confirmed, but it’s widely believed that Franklin is immortal. However, it remains unclear why he’s so powerful in the MCU; in the comics, it’s suggested he possesses the Power Cosmic, a form of enormous, seemingly limitless energy. We know the Fantastic Four got their powers from a cosmic ray during a space expedition, so expect some sort of explanation down the line.
Franklin Richards has his own superhero name
Franklin Richards also goes by the name Powerhouse in the Marvel comics.
He first assumed that alias in Issue #2 of Fantastic Four Vol. 6 (2018), when he creates a universe for the team to explore.
The name is pretty self-explanatory: he is a powerhouse in every sense, and there’s not much more to it.
With Fantastic Four in cinemas now, check out our breakdown of its post-credits scenes and make sure you know when it’s expected to stream.
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