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woodwardiocomMarvel's latest FF compilation is Extended Family, which is about people other than the "core four" who have temporarily joined the team. For each person, it includes just the issue in which they joined (often leaving plots dangling, but that's showbiz). Thus, it consists of chapters separated by 3-to-8 year intervals. I'm delighted to see the circumstances under which Luke Cage, Medusa, et al joined, but it's also interesting as a cross-section of the team's romantic relationships. To wit:
Crystal (Dec. '68)
Sue has just had her first kid, Franklin.
Johnny is dating Crystal.
Medusa (March '73)
Crystal leaves Johnny for Quicksilver.
Sue has taken the kid and left Reed.
Luke Cage (March '76)
Sue's back.
Ben is temporarily human, and he and Alicia are apparently shagging like minks.
She-Hulk (April '84)
Ben decides to stay on Battleworld, where he can change from rocky to human at will, leaving Alicia.
Sue is pregnant again, but complications arise.
Ms. Marvel (Oct. '87)
Ben's back. He's rocky full time again, and has feelings for Ms. Marvel (who looks human at this point).
Sue, Reed, and Franklin (their only child at this point, alas) leave the team to work on their family.
Crystal is estranged from Quicksilver.
Johnny is married to Alicia.
Ghost Rider, Hulk, Wolverine, Spider-Man (Dec. '90, billed as the "Most Commercialest" team)
Sue, Reed, and Franklin are back.
Ben is human again, while Ms. Marvel is rocky. They're dating.
Johnny was almost tempted into cheating on Alicia.
Ant-Man (Jan. '94)
Ben is rocky again.
Ms. Marvel's missing.
Whups, Alicia was a Skrull! (When Skrulls weren't cool.)
Reed is dead, but no one's really expecting it to stick.
Sue is wearing a horrible uniform. (Fifth down on this page.)
Namor, Namorita (June '01)
Reed's back.
Very little romance in this issue, though implicitly Johnny's divorced from the Skrull.
Storm, Black Panther (March '07)
Reed and Sue quit the team again to work on their marriage again.
They have two kids now, who are staying with their nannies, Crystal and Medusa.
And so on, evermore. Recommended to students of comic book continuity.
Crystal (Dec. '68)
Sue has just had her first kid, Franklin.
Johnny is dating Crystal.
Medusa (March '73)
Crystal leaves Johnny for Quicksilver.
Sue has taken the kid and left Reed.
Luke Cage (March '76)
Sue's back.
Ben is temporarily human, and he and Alicia are apparently shagging like minks.
She-Hulk (April '84)
Ben decides to stay on Battleworld, where he can change from rocky to human at will, leaving Alicia.
Sue is pregnant again, but complications arise.
Ms. Marvel (Oct. '87)
Ben's back. He's rocky full time again, and has feelings for Ms. Marvel (who looks human at this point).
Sue, Reed, and Franklin (their only child at this point, alas) leave the team to work on their family.
Crystal is estranged from Quicksilver.
Johnny is married to Alicia.
Ghost Rider, Hulk, Wolverine, Spider-Man (Dec. '90, billed as the "Most Commercialest" team)
Sue, Reed, and Franklin are back.
Ben is human again, while Ms. Marvel is rocky. They're dating.
Johnny was almost tempted into cheating on Alicia.
Ant-Man (Jan. '94)
Ben is rocky again.
Ms. Marvel's missing.
Whups, Alicia was a Skrull! (When Skrulls weren't cool.)
Reed is dead, but no one's really expecting it to stick.
Sue is wearing a horrible uniform. (Fifth down on this page.)
Namor, Namorita (June '01)
Reed's back.
Very little romance in this issue, though implicitly Johnny's divorced from the Skrull.
Storm, Black Panther (March '07)
Reed and Sue quit the team again to work on their marriage again.
They have two kids now, who are staying with their nannies, Crystal and Medusa.
And so on, evermore. Recommended to students of comic book continuity.
