Fantastic Four’s 65th Anniversary Issue Sends Marvel’s First Family Through Time

The Fantastic Four 65th anniversary issue is here. Marvel’s First Family debuted in 1961, and this week the publisher marks 65 years with an oversized special. Fantastic Four #15 — legacy number 741 — hits shops Wednesday, Aug. 5, from writer Ryan North and artist Humberto Ramos.

It’s a milestone with a fitting hook. The issue throws the team through their own history, so the anniversary isn’t just a number on the cover. The story is literally about the past.

What is the Fantastic Four 65th anniversary issue?

The special is Fantastic Four #15, an oversized one-and-done adventure. The team collides with their own history and ends up stranded there. They can’t get home unless a total stranger helps them return to the present.

Along the way, the book revisits classic moments from the FF’s biggest artists. North and Ramos rework beats first drawn by Jack Kirby, John Buscema, John Byrne and Steve Epting. Each one gets a new wrinkle.

When does Fantastic Four #15 come out?

Fantastic Four #15 goes on sale Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, in comic shops and digitally. As the anniversary issue, it runs oversized. Marvel is also pairing the release with a cover collection that celebrates 65 years of the team.

Why Marvel’s First Family still matters

Start with the obvious: the Fantastic Four launched the modern Marvel universe. Fantastic Four #1 arrived in 1961 from Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. It introduced Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm — and the flawed, bickering, deeply human superhero model that Marvel built everything else on.

Sixty-five years later, that DNA still runs through the whole line. So an issue that sends the team through their own past isn’t only nostalgia. It’s a lap around the history that started it all.

Do you need to have been reading?

No. The issue works as a jumping-on point. It’s built around the team’s history, so new readers get a guided tour while longtime fans get the deep-cut references.

The Fantastic Four 65th anniversary issue is on sale now — Wednesday, Aug. 5. For anyone tracking Marvel’s First Family, it’s an easy one to grab.

Cover art courtesy of Marvel Comics