Marvel Rivals fans have just wrapped up their first weekend with the new playable characters, Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman. However, some players are struggling to take Reed Richards as seriously as the other heroes in the game.
Mister Fantastic, also known as Reed Richards, made his debut with the launch of Season 1 on Friday, January 10. As one of Marvel Rivals' first post-launch heroes, he brings his elastic skills to the battlefield. Classified as a Duelist, Reed can take long swings at one or multiple enemies, and he can also expand his body to take on a more tank-like role. While players are still figuring out the best strategies to use him against the rest of the roster, many can't help but focus on his goofy appearance and actions.
pic.twitter.com/SAtREw22fR
— Wong Updates (@WongUpdates) January 12, 2025
A character who can contort his body into strange shapes naturally carries a lot of meme potential. Comparisons to One Piece protagonist Monkey D. Luffy have already surfaced, particularly due to Mister Fantastic's Elastic Strength ability. This has led to the modding community creating a One Piece custom skin, despite NetEase's recent crackdown on modding. The idea of turning into a rubber bodybuilder is inherently funny, and some fans, like X/Twitter user @BOOMERANG_117, have taken it a step further by imagining Reed Richards without his new beard.
While all of this is slightly unsettling, it's Mister Fantastic's Reflexive Rubber ability that has attracted the most jokes. This ability, which can turn an enemy's damage against them, looks almost too silly in motion, with Reed growing to the size of a refrigerator.
Mr Fantastic has massive meme potential from marvelrivals
"Ngl I think Mr. Fantastic's design encapsulates everything great about this game," one Reddit user commented. "He's stupid and silly and cheesy and the game just lets him be that and is better for it."
Waking up at 3am for a snack #marvelrivals pic.twitter.com/PQXsmAhqpA
— The Different Nerd (@nerd_different) January 11, 2025
I tried again! https://t.co/9Xqu0AR2AL pic.twitter.com/66AtQhyheN
— Boomer (@BOOMERANG_117) January 11, 2025
While it remains to be seen if Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman will become long-term favorites among Marvel Rivals fans, they've certainly made a strong impression during their first weekend. As Season 1 progresses, players can look forward to the addition of the remaining Fantastic Four members, The Thing and Human Torch, in the second half of the season. When the rest of the team arrives, fans hope they'll make just as memorable an entrance.
In the meantime, be sure to check out the Marvel Rivals Season 1 patch notes and the official stats that reveal Marvel Rivals' pick and win rates in Quickplay and Competitive modes for Season 0. Don't forget to keep an eye on the latest Marvel Rivals codes for free skins, and participate in voting for the strongest Marvel Rivals characters in our community tier list.
