Editing Fantastic Four (section)

===1980s and 1990s===
[[Bill Mantlo]] briefly followed Wolfman as writer of the series and wrote a crossover with ''[[The Spectacular Spider-Man|Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man]]'' #42 (May 1980).<ref>{{cite book|editor-last1 = Manning|editor-first1 = Matthew K.|editor-last2= Gilbert|editor-first2= Laura|chapter= 1980s|title = Spider-Man Chronicle Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging|publisher = [[Dorling Kindersley]]|year = 2012|location= London, United Kingdom|page = 113|isbn = 978-0756692360|quote= In the conclusion to a tale that had begun in the pages of ''Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man'' #42 (May), writer [Bill] Mantlo and artist John Byrne had the latest incarnation of the Frightful Four face off against their Fantastic counterparts}}</ref><ref>{{cite comic| writer= [[Bill Mantlo|Mantlo, Bill]]|penciller= [[Mike Zeck|Zeck, Mike]]|inker= [[Jim Mooney|Mooney, Jim]]|story= Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death!|title= [[The Spectacular Spider-Man|Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man]]|issue= 42|date= May 1980}}</ref><ref>{{cite comic| writer= Mantlo, Bill|penciller= [[John Byrne (comics)|Byrne, John]]|inker= [[Joe Sinnott|Sinnott, Joe]]|story= When A Spider-Man Comes Calling!|title= Fantastic Four|issue= 218|date= May 1980}}</ref> Byrne wrote and drew a giant-sized Fantastic Four promotional comic for [[Coca-Cola]], which was rejected by Coca-Cola as being too violent and published as ''Fantastic Four'' #220–221 (July–Aug. 1980) instead.<ref name="Back38">{{cite journal| last= Powers|first= Tom|date= February 2010|title= John Byrne's Fantastic Four: The World's Greatest Family Magazine!|journal= Back Issue!|issue= 38|pages= 3–22|publisher = TwoMorrows Publishing|location= Raleigh, North Carolina}}</ref> Writer [[Doug Moench]] and penciller [[Bill Sienkiewicz]] then took over for 10 issues. With issue #232 (July 1981), the aptly titled "Back to the Basics",<ref>DeFalco "1980s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 200: "John Byrne went back to basics with the ''Fantastic Four'' and evoked the title's early days of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby."</ref> Byrne began his run as writer, penciller and inker, the last under the [[pseudonym]] Bjorn Heyn for this issue only.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.comics.org/issue/35487/|title=GCD :: Issue :: Fantastic Four #232 [Direct Edition]|website=Comics.org}}</ref>

Byrne revitalized the slumping title with his run.<ref name="Wright"/>{{Rp|265}} Byrne was slated to write with Sienkiewicz providing the art however, Sienkiewicz left to do ''[[Moon Knight]]'', and Byrne subsequently became writer, artist, and inker. Various editors were assigned to the comic; eventually [[Bob Budiansky]] became the regular editor. Byrne told [[Jim Shooter]] that he could not work with Budiansky, although they ultimately continued to work together. In 2006, Byrne said "that's my paranoia. I look back and I think that was Shooter trying to force me off the book". Byrne left following issue #293 (Aug. 1986) in the middle of a story arc, explaining he could not recapture the fun he had previously had on the series.<ref>{{Cite book | last=Cooke | first=Jon B. |author2=Eric Nolen-Weathington | title=Modern Masters Volume Seven: John Byrne | publisher=TwoMorrows Publishing | year=2006|location= Raleigh, North Carolina| pages=42–44 | isbn=978-1-893905-56-6}}</ref> One of Byrne's changes was making the Invisible Girl into the Invisible Woman:<ref>DeFalco "1980s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 221: "After freeing herself from the Psycho-Man's control, Susan changed her name from the Invisible Girl to the Invisible Woman."</ref> assertive and confident. During this period, fans came to recognize that she was quite powerful, whereas previously, she had been primarily seen as a superpowered mother and wife in the tradition of television moms like those played by [[Donna Reed]] and [[Florence Henderson]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://fantasticfour.ugo.com/?cur=jessica-alba&gallery=true|title= Jessica Alba – Fantastic Four Girls|publisher= [[UGO]]|access-date= March 6, 2009|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080406003917/http://fantasticfour.ugo.com/?cur=jessica-alba&gallery=true|archive-date=April 6, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Byrne staked new directions in the characters' personal lives, having the married Sue Storm and Reed Richards suffer a miscarriage and the Thing quitting the Fantastic Four, with [[She-Hulk]] being recruited as his long-term replacement. He also re-emphasized the family dynamic which he felt the series had drifted away from after the Lee/Kirby run, commenting that, "''[[Family]]''—and not ''[[dysfunctional family]]''—is the central, key element to the FF. It is an absolutely vital dynamic between the characters." [emphases in original]<ref name="Back38"/>

Byrne was followed by a quick succession of writers: [[Roger Stern]], [[Tom DeFalco]], and [[Roy Thomas]]. [[Steve Englehart]] took over as writer for issues 304–332 (except #320). The title had been struggling, so Englehart decided to make radical changes. He felt the title had become stale with the normal makeup of Reed, Sue, Ben, and Johnny, so in issue #308 Reed and Sue retired and were replaced with the Thing's new girlfriend, [[Sharon Ventura]], and Johnny Storm's former love, Crystal. The changes increased readership through issue #321. At this point, Marvel made decisions about another Englehart comic, ''[[West Coast Avengers (comic book)|West Coast Avengers]]'', that he disagreed with, and in protest he changed his byline to S.F.X. Englehart (S.F.X. is the abbreviation for Simple Sound Effects). In issue #326, Englehart was told to bring Reed and Sue back and undo the other changes he had made. This caused Englehart to take his name entirely off the book. He used the pseudonym John Harkness, which he had created years before for work he didn't want to be associated with. According to Englehart, the run from #326 through his last issue, #332, was "one of the most painful stretches of [his] career."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.steveenglehart.com/Comics/Fantastic%20Four%20304-321.html |title=''Fantastic Four'' 304–332 |last=Englehart |author-link=Steve Englehart |first=Steve |website=SteveEnglehart.com |pages=1–3 |access-date=March 9, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319012324/http://www.steveenglehart.com/comics/Fantastic%20Four%20304-321.html |archive-date=March 19, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> Writer-artist [[Walt Simonson]] took over as writer with #334 (December 1989), and three issues later began [[penciller|pencilling]] and [[inker|inking]] as well. With brief inking exceptions, two fill-in issues, and a three-issue stint drawn by [[Arthur Adams (comics)|Arthur Adams]],<ref name="Manning252">Manning, Matthew K. "1990s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 252: "Spider-Man, the Hulk, Wolverine, and Ghost Rider were tricked into forming a new Fantastic Four...Written by Walter Simonson with art by Arthur Adams, this new FF found themselves locked in battle with the Mole Man."</ref><ref>Cowsill, Alan "1990s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 186: "Take Spidey, Ghost Rider, Wolverine, and the Hulk, add a script by Walt Simonson and illustrations by Art Adams, and the result is one of the best Marvel comics of the decade."</ref> Simonson remained in all three positions through #354 (July 1991).

Simonson, who had been writing the team comic ''[[The Avengers (comic book)|The Avengers]]'', had gotten approval for Reed and Sue to join that team after Engelhart had written them out of ''Fantastic Four''. Yet by ''The Avengers'' #300, where they were scheduled to join the team, Simonson was told the characters were returning to ''Fantastic Four''. This led to Simonson quitting ''The Avengers'' after that issue. Shortly afterward, he was offered the job of writing ''Fantastic Four''. Having already prepared a number of stories involving the Avengers with Reed and Sue in the lineup, he then rewrote these for ''Fantastic Four''. Simonson later recalled that working on ''Fantastic Four'' allowed him the latitude to use original Avengers members [[Thor (Marvel Comics)|Thor]] and [[Iron Man]], which he had been precluded from using in ''The Avengers''.<ref>{{Cite book | last=Nolen-Weathington | first=Eric | title=Modern Masters Volume Eight: Walter Simonson | publisher=TwoMorrows Publishing | year=2006|location= Raleigh, North Carolina| page=66 | isbn=978-1-893905-64-1 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ILopomw3UpMC&q=%22fantastic+four%22+Steve+Englehart&pg=PA65}}</ref>

After another fill-in, the regular team of writer and Marvel editor-in-chief [[Tom DeFalco]], penciller [[Paul Ryan (cartoonist)|Paul Ryan]] and inker Dan Bulanadi took over, with Ryan self-inking beginning with #360 (Jan. 1992). That team, with the very occasional different inker, continued for years through #414 (July 1996). DeFalco nullified the Storm-Masters marriage by [[retroactive continuity|retconning]] that the alien Skrull Empire had kidnapped the real Masters and replaced her with a spy named [[Lyja]]. Once discovered, Lyja, who herself had fallen for Storm, helped the Fantastic Four rescue Masters. Ventura departed after being further mutated by Doctor Doom. Although some fans were not pleased with DeFalco's run on ''Fantastic Four'', calling him "The Great Satan", the title's sales rose steadily over the period.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=12309|title= Brand New (May) Day: DeFalco talks ''Amazing Spider-Girl''|last= Manning|first= Shaun|date= January 15, 2008|website=Comic Book Resources|access-date= March 10, 2009|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131019204901/http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=12309|archive-date= October 19, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fantasticfourheadquarters.co.uk/blog/tom-defalco-interview|title=Blog Posts|website=Fantasticfourheadquarters.co.uk|access-date=2019-02-22|archive-date=2019-02-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190223074158/http://www.fantasticfourheadquarters.co.uk/blog/tom-defalco-interview|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Other key developments included Franklin Richards being sent into the future and returning as a teenager; the return of Reed's time-traveling father, Nathaniel, who is revealed to be the father of time-travelling villain [[Kang the Conqueror]] and Reed's apparent death at the hands of a seemingly mortally wounded Doctor Doom.<ref>Manning "1990s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 265: "In this issue penned by Tom DeFalco and penciled by Paul Ryan, Dr. Doom...managed to lure Reed Richards to him and seemingly ended both of their lives"</ref> It would be two years before DeFalco resurrected the two characters, revealing that their "deaths" were orchestrated by the supervillain [[Hyperstorm]].

The ongoing series was canceled with issue #416 (Sept. 1996) and relaunched with vol. 2 #1 (Nov. 1996) as part of the multi-series "[[Heroes Reborn (1996 comic)|Heroes Reborn]]" [[Crossover (comics)|crossover]] story arc. The yearlong volume retold the team's first adventures in a more contemporary style,<ref>Manning "1990s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 280: "Jim Lee both wrote and drew this Heroes Reborn relaunch title with the help of fellow scripter Brandon Choi."</ref> and set in a parallel universe. Following the end of that experiment, ''Fantastic Four'' was relaunched with vol. 3 #1 (Jan. 1998). Initially by the team of writer [[Scott Lobdell]] and penciller [[Alan Davis]],<ref>Manning "1990s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 288: "Writer Scott Lobdell rearranged his X-schedule to try his hand at writing a different team of Marvel heroes in this new Heroes Reborn series. It was drawn by Alan Davis."</ref> it went after three issues to writer [[Chris Claremont]] (co-writing with Lobdell for #4–5) and penciller [[Salvador Larroca]]; this team enjoyed a long run through issue #32 (Aug. 2000).