In the Ultimate Marvel universe, the Frightful Four are zombie counterparts of the Fantastic Four from the "Marvel Zombies" dimension. Zombie Reed himself was the one who named his team, and he did so with a sarcastic tone. They possess all the powers of the Fantastic Four, along with many more years of experience, but are in a state of gradual decay, and a hunger for living flesh. They have repeatedly stated their goal is to spread the virus they carry on to the superhumans of the Ultimate universe.