Putting The “Retro” In “Retro-Rocket”, The Fantastic 4’s Marvel-1
Excelsior! That’s what they maybe said when the Marvel-1 took the Fantastic Four on a fateful journey. We have the details on this retro rocket.
The Fantastic Four gained their powers one fateful day when they were exposed to cosmic rays aboard an experimental rocket. These cosmic rays changed them. Reed Richards became the stretchy Mr. Fantastic, Sue Storm became the Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, and Ben Grimm, the blue-eyed ever-lovin’ Thing. But they all might have led normal lives if it weren’t for that fateful day they boarded the Marvel-1.
Why did they, though? What compelled these four to take an unauthorized test flight that took them into the stars? Was it the very spirit of that clarion cry, Excelsior!? Or was it an attempt to try and advance the cause of humanity? Whatever the case, the fact remains they went.
And we are all fortunate for that voyage. Without the Marvel-1 and the Fantastic Four, there might not ever have been a Marvel comics or cinematic universe. The Fantastic Four are the “first family” of Marvel for a reason. And it all begins with the Marvel-1. Fitting then, that it makes a surprise appearance in Thunderbolts.
The Marvel-1: Or Excelsior, As It’s Called
The sleek design of the rocket is unmistakeable. The elegant curves, the bright colors. They all speak to the era of the Fantastic Four, and the design sensibilities of one Reed Richards. Remember, this is a man who designed a flying car that was little more than a flying bathtub.
When left to his own devices (as in the Ultimate universe), he made a flying minivan. Little wonder then, that the rocket – once called the Pocket Rocket (no really, it wasn’t given the official designation Marvel-1 until 2019!)—looks like something out of a retro-futurist’s dreams. Because that’s Richards to a tee.
The original design of the Marvel-1 was centered around the experimental hyperdrive at its core. The hyperdrive would allow for faster-than-light travel and would advance the American space program exponentially. Aside from the engine, the Marvel-1 was a well-built rocket. It was designed for exploration near Earth’s orbit, though. Which meant that it had shielding enough for normal background cosmic radiation.
Funding, of course, means that those providing it expect results. And the US government threatened to withdraw its funding when Richards seemed to be dragging the project out instead of producing the results they wanted.
With a shutdown looming, Richards corraled his friends into breaking into the launch facility and taking the rocket on an unauthorized test flight. It was illegal test flight or shutdown, and we all know Richards’ ego could only allow for one choice.
A Fateful Test Flight
Even as they stole away from the Earth’s atmosphere, Ben Grimm warned his friend that the radiation shielding of the test rocket might prove to be inadequate. However, science must march on, no matter the cost. At least that’s the drumbeat that drives Richards’ heart—and so the team engaged the hyperdrive and emerged from their FTL travel in the midst of a brewing cosmic storm.
Bombarded by cosmic radiation, the Marvel-1’s inadequate shielding was not up to the task. The Fantastic Four were exposed to genetic mutation at the hands of cosmic rays. The rest is history. Or is it?
Because in the comics, the ship was destroyed when it crash landed somehwere outside of Ithaca. But now, the ship appears towards the end of Thunderbolts. Bearing a new name: the Excelsior. Is it a different ship? Or has it been rebuilt?
We’ll have to wait to know the whole story. But it is a fitting homage to the Fantastic Four’s creator. earing the design of the ship that started it all, and Stan Lee’s famous catchphrase, it’s a signpost of a long, long legacy. One that continues to rocket into the future.
Marvel-1, Excelsior, whatever the name, we can all agree this ship is Fantastic!
