List of Fantastic Four Members - Close Associates

Close Associates

A number of characters are closely affiliated with the team, share complex personal histories with one or more of its members but have never actually held an official membership. They include but are not limited to:

• Namor the Sub-Mariner: Was cured of amnesia by the Human Torch. He has at times been an ally and at other times an enemy of the team. Namor and the Invisible Woman have occasionally been romantically attracted, though she eventually chose to marry Mister Fantastic.
• Doctor Doom: He and Mister Fantastic attended college together, and he blames Richards for an experiment gone wrong which scarred his face. As the monarch of Latveria, he is the team's most deadly foe, although he has sometimes helped them, such as when he aided in the birth of Valeria Richards.
• Alicia Masters: Blind sculptress, stepdaughter of the supervillain Puppet Master. Longtime love interest of the Thing, as her blindness meant she was able to see the man inside rather than what he looked like.
• Lyja the Skrull: Female Skrull, trained to impersonate Alicia Masters as an espionage agent. Secretly replaced Alicia between the events of The Thing #10 and Fantastic Four #265 (both April 1984). She fell in love with the Human Torch and they eventually married. Her identity was revealed in Fantastic Four #357-358 (October–November 1991), though in truth this was a retcon. Lyja helped the team recover the original Alicia to prove that she could be trusted. Her allegiances were since divided between her native race and her new family, particularly her husband.
• H.E.R.B.I.E. (Humanoid Experimental Robot, B-type, Integrated Electronics): robotic ally who first appeared in the 1978 Fantastic Four animated television series before being introduced into regular Marvel Universe continuity. Original H.E.R.B.I.E. destroyed fighting Dr. Sun. Reed Richards has built later generations of H.E.R.B.I.E.s to act as a nanny/guardian for Franklin and Valeria.
• Kristoff Vernard: the former heir of Doctor Doom. While under the delusion that he was the real Doctor Doom, Kristoff destroyed the original Baxter Building.
• Wyatt Wingfoot: Johnny Storm's college friend, a Native American sometime-adventurer, and one-time love interest of She-Hulk. Son of "Big Will Wingfoot", one of Empire State University's most legendary football players.
• Spider-Man: Not only a one-time member of the 'replacement' FF, Kristoff Vernard has described Spider-Man as essentially the 'fifth' member of the team, having observed various alternate realities where Spider-Man has joined the group on a full-time basis while also noting the powerful long-term relationship he has with the team in the 'main' reality. He replaced Johnny after his apparent death in the Negative Zone.