The New Fantastic Four The New Fantastic Four The New Fantastic Four (on-screen title: The Fantastic Four) is an animated series produced by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises and Marvel Comics Animation (both owned by Marvel Entertainment (via The Walt Disney Company)) in 1978. It is the second animated series based on Marvel's comic book series Fantastic Four. The 1978 series replaced the character of the Human Torch with a robot named H.E.R.B.I.E. (Humanoid Experimental Robot, B-type, Integrated Electronics), because the 1978 television rights to use that character were tied up by a proposed television pilot movie in development by Universal Studios (now a sister company to
Fantastic Four (comic book) with Dale Eaglesham and later Steve Epting on art. In the storyline "Three", which concluded in "Fantastic Four" #587 (cover date March 2011, published January 26, 2011), the Human Torch appears to die stopping a horde of monsters from the other-dimensional Negative Zone. The series ended with the following issue, #588, and relaunched in March 2011 as simply "FF". The relaunch saw the team assume a new name, the Future Foundation, adopt new black-and-white costumes, and accept longtime ally Spider-Man as a member. In October 2011, with the publication of "FF" #11 (cover-dated Dec. 2011), the "Fantastic Four" series reached