TheFantastic Four’sresident inventor,Reed Richards, has been turning dreams into scientific reality for decades. From devices that shrink his team to the size of an atom to spacecraft for exploring the stars, he’s proven that he knows how to turn his ideas into real inventions, including a future plan he learns will eventually come to fruition. The Hyperglove is Reed’s know-it-all answer toThanos’Infinity Gauntlet.
In theFantastic Four: 40th Wedding Anniversary Special#1,Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Womanend up at a party where all the guests are other versions of themselves pulled from different important parts of their lives. One particular version of Reed stands out among the rest, as he’s missing an eye and a hand and is sporting a massive metal glove.
That glove is an invention, dubbed the Hyperglove, that calculates all possible scenarios in any given situation.It’s the ideal scientific answer to Thanos' Infinity Glove,as it allows Reed to predict outcomes and choose the ideal path in any circumstances.
Mister Fantastic’s Hyperglove Provides the Perfect Predictive Counter to the Infinity Gauntlet
Fantastic Four: 40th Wedding Anniversary Special#1 by Karl Kesel, Drew Johnson, Andrew Hennessy, Drew Geraci Morry Hollowell, and Dave Lanphear
The Infinity Gauntlet is easily one of the most powerful magical artifacts in the Marvel Universe, as it grants the wearer the ability to twist time, change reality, and bend the universe to their will.In Thanos' hands, the Gauntlet provides a path to great destruction and elevates him to unprecedented levels of power. Countering it through standard means isn’t really a viable solution, but Reed Richards' Hyperglove is hardly ordinary. If the invention is as capable as he claims,it could grant him the insight and knowledge to counter whatever the Infinity Gauntlet might accomplish or prevent it from being used at all.
Fantastic Four: 40th Wedding Anniversary Specialwas published in November 2005 and includes a reprinting of Reed and Sue’s original wedding from 1965 inFantastic Four Annual#3 by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Vince Colletta, Stan Goldberg, and Artie Simek.
With many versions of Reed and Sue at the party, little time is spent on details of the Hyperglove. The “current” iteration of Reed confirms that it’s an idea he’s already been thinking about, however, sothe invention’s place in the Fantastic Four’s timeline seems set.He will eventually create it, and the concept seems to combine Mister Fantastic’s genius with a fully comprehensive analysis of probability. As long as the Hyperglove is operational, it could theoretically provide the answers to world-ending problems, whether that’s Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet or threats the F4 have yet to meet.
Mister Fantastic Needs to Make the Hyperglove a Reality - Now
Reed’s Invention Requires Sacrifice
The massive, powerful Hyperglove isn’t the only thing that sets that specific Reed apart.He has endured great physical harm to the tune of a missing eye and hand.Both are eventually returned, as evidenced by the older Mister Fantastic, but that doesn’t negate the knowledge that both are taken at some point. Whatever was required to create the Hyperglove may be the culprit, or perhaps losing them was what finally prompted him to turn the idea into reality to prevent another dire situation. His eye and hand certainly seem linked to the Hyperglove’s existence in some way, regardless.
Reed Richards Just Proved His Genius Can Rewrite the Multiverse
When faced with an impossible decision, Reed Richards reaches deep into his mind to come up with an equally impossible solution – and makes it work.
TheAnniversaryissue offers an intriguing glance at Reed’s future. While something may alter the course of his life, throwing off the timeline he and Sue glimpsed together, the potential existence of the Hyperglove is still exciting. It’s unclear just when he is meant to turn the idea into reality, thoughwith Doctor Doomas the reigning Sorcerer Supreme and the universe always facing some new form of chaos, it may be the perfect time for him to revisit the concept.Reed Richards’Hyperglove is the perfect counter toThanosand the other world-altering threats theFantastic Fouroften face.
Fantastic Four: 40th Wedding Anniversary Special#1is available now from Marvel Comics.
Fantastic Four
TheFantastic Fouris a superhero franchise centered on Marvel Comics' first family of superheroes. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the team made its comic book debut in 1961 and quickly became a cornerstone of Marvel’s success. The franchise follows four astronauts—Reed Richards, Susan Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm—who gain superpowers after being exposed to cosmic radiation. Over the years,Fantastic Fourhas been adapted into several live-action films, animated series, and video games. The films have seen multiple reboots, with varying levels of success, and are now set to be integrated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), with a new film slated for release in 2025.
