Off the MCU, there are many exciting and powerful characters that have not yet been introduced in the movies. One of the most powerful beings in the entire universe is, interestingly enough, a small child against whom Thanos would stand no chance.
Which character is it? The Fantastic Four are arguably the most iconic family in the Marvel universe. Even DC tried to create a similar team. In 1968, in Fantastic Four Annual No. 6, a new member joined the family: Franklin Richards, the son of Reed Richards and Sue Storm.
Children of superheroes tend to become superheroes themselves or sometimes even villains, but few are as powerful as Franklin Richards.
The latest adventure of the Fantastic Four is set to be released on July 25, 2025:
A birth came with complications
Even before the actual birth, there were problems because Sue Storm had an unknown form of energy in her blood that endangered both her and the child, and was directly related to her powers. To bring the energy under control, Reed Richards had to steal a weapon from a villain in the Negative Zone.
Ultimately, the birth was successful, and Franklin Benjamin Richards was born. Due to the altered bodies of Sue and Reed, Franklin was not a normal human but a mutant. Normally, the powers of mutants crystallize later, but Franklin showed his powers early because the villain Annihilus unleashed them.
The problem was that Franklin was too young to control his massive energy. This posed a significant risk, as Comics Explained (via YouTube) illustrates in an example: Franklin was frustratedly playing with a Rubik’s Cube while the phrase When will you grow up?
was running on TV. As a result, Franklin subconsciously transformed into an adult man.
This is just a small example of his enormous power, which actually knows no limits.
Franklin Richards is one of the strongest beings in the universe
What can Franklin Richards do? Mutant abilities have no rules, which is why some can also be more of a disadvantage. Franklin is an Omega-level mutant, a classification for mutants whose abilities (and limits) cannot be measured.
Franklin has the ability to manipulate and change reality to a high degree:
- He can create planets and pocket universes
- Duplicate living beings or bring them back from the dead
- He can manipulate the powers and rules of the universe
- He can manipulate matter
- Teleportation
- Time travel
- Telepathy and mind control
- Telekinesis
- He can see into the future
- Flying
He masters all these abilities at the level of a Celestial. These are cosmic beings that have also created the well-known 616 universe. However, it should be noted that he does much subconsciously as a child.
When the Fantastic Four and the Avengers died in the fight against Onslaught, he subconsciously created a new reality and revived the heroes there, without their previous memories.
He is not a human; he is an entity
Franklin Richards is, with a few exceptions, the most powerful being in the universe, and thus villains like Thanos, Galactus, or Mephisto would stand little chance against Franklin. However, Franklin is not a classic hero, especially since he could solve everything without any problems.
During the great Incursion event, he, along with his father and Molecule Man, saved the multiverse by creating new realities. After these events, he seemingly lost his powers and became an ordinary child. Attempts were made to regain his powers, and he even became a citizen in the mutant nation Krakoa.
However, after a battle in which his powers failed again, he was informed by Professor X that he was never a mutant and therefore could not live on Krakoa. In fact, Franklin ensured that he could only use his abilities one day a year.
He did this to be just an ordinary child. He uses his powers once a year to see into the future and try to prevent terrible events or ensure that they are prevented.
This not only has the advantage in the story that unsolvable problems can be solved (once a year) but also avoids the question in every story: Why doesn’t Franklin just take care of the villain on page one?
Will Franklin Richards appear in the MCU? In the latest trailer for Fantastic Four: The First Step, it is revealed that Sue Storm is pregnant. One can thus assume that Franklin will be born. Whether he will then have this powerful gift remains to be seen in the future, but as the multiverse continues to unfold, it is certainly possible. However, before that, Thunderbolts will be released: Thunderbolts is the next Marvel movie, and the first reviews praise: The MCU is back
