Mr. Fantastic
TB-MSH-S3-4831
Mr. Fantastic was the most technically ambitious figure Toy Biz had attempted in the
Marvel line to that point. Reed Richards’s stretching power is built directly into the
construction: the arms, legs, and neck are all made from flexible rubber tubing that can
be extended significantly beyond the figure’s resting proportions — up to five extension
points total, hence the “5-Way Stretch” name.
The result is a figure that actually does what the character does. Pull the arm out and it
stretches; release it and it snaps back. Examples where the rubber has degraded or snapped are not uncommon today — the tubing
holds up in many cases, but it is worth inspecting on any loose copy.
The blue-and-white Fantastic Four costume is cleanly rendered, with the “4” insignia
prominently displayed. As the team leader, Reed anchors the FF display alongside Sue,
Johnny, and Ben — the full roster finally available in a single series.
