Nathaniel Richards (Marvel Comics) of Mr. Richards' scenes were cut. Nathaniel Richards (Marvel Comics) Nathaniel Richards is a fictional time-traveling scientist appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the father of superhero and leader of the Fantastic Four, Reed Richards. Though there have been many versions of the character, either as the futuristic villain Kang the Conqueror or the young superhero Iron Lad, the original Nathaniel is more of an adventurer who has a genuine love for his son. Nathaniel Richards first appeared in "Fantastic Four" #272 and was created by John Byrne. Dr. Nathaniel Richards was a successful scientist
Captain Marvel (DC Comics) adventures feature him as a solo hero, he also fought evil on a regular basis accompanied by several other kids who share his powers to make up a superhero team called the Marvel Family (later referred to as the "Shazam Family" due to the issues DC Comics faced over the "Marvel" and "Captain Marvel" trademarks). The first members of the family, introduced in "Whiz Comics" #21 (Sept. 1941) and used sparingly afterwards, were the Lieutenant Marvels: three other boys from various parts of the United States who are also named "Billy Batson" and discover that, if they all say "Shazam!"