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Reading The Multiverse: A Marvel Comics Journey

Earth's Mightiest Nerds

Reading the Multiverse: A Marvel Comics Journey, explores the characters and the tales that built the Marvel Universe, issue by issue through Marvel’s comic history, starting with Fantastic Four #1.

Hosted by Joe from Muscles & The Multiverse, each episode blends story, commentary, and laid-back humor for a quick ride through Marvel’s ever-evolving world, from its cosmic beginnings to its modern chaos.

As a mostly first-time reader, Joe shares honest reactions to the art, writing, characters, the moments that still hold up, the ones that haven’t aged so well, and the surprises that make Marvel’s history so much fun to revisit.

Whether you’re an MCU fan who wants to know the source material or a lifelong comic reader up for a nostalgic re-read, this podcast brings you the stories, art, and chaos that shaped the Marvel Universe, one era & run at a time.

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S1 · E17
May 25 · 23 min
S1E17: Fantastic Four #60-63 - Reed Gets Sucked Into The Negative Zone & Dr. Doom Goes Power Cosmic
Send Joe a message through the Negative Zone In this episode of Reading The Multiverse: A Marvel Comics Journey, I finish out the Dr. Doom Power Cosmic arc, Reed gets sucked into the real Negative Zone, and we have a new villain, Blastaar, from the Negative Zone. Stories Covered In This Episode Fantastic Four 60, The Peril and the Power!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Joe Sinnot, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Fantastic Four 61, Where Stalks the Sandman?, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Joe Sinnot, Colored by Stan Goldberg, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Fantastic Four 62, ...And One Shall Save Him!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Joe Sinnot, Colored by Stan Goldberg, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Fantastic Four 63, Blastaar, the Living Bomb-Burst!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Joe Sinnot, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Resources, Episodes, & Links Mentioned In This Episode: Join the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Discord Channel by signing up for the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Newsletter (completely free and I promise you won't be spammed!) Check out Joe with more Marvel content on YouTube Connect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Threads Connect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Instagram
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S1 · E16
May 18 · 23 min
S1E16: Fantastic Four #57-59 - Dr. Doom Steals The Silver Surfer's Powers
Send Joe a message through the Negative Zone Join the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Discord Channel by signing up for the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Newsletter (completely free and I promise you won't be spammed!) In this week's episode of Reading The Multiverse: A Marvel Comics Journey, I go over 3 issues of the Fantastic Four that mainly center around Doctor Doom stealing the Silver Surfer's Powers and if the Fantastic Four or really anyone else can stop him! Stories Covered In This Episode Fantastic Four 57, Enter… Dr. Doom!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Joe Sinnot, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four 58, The Dismal Dregs of Defeat!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Joe Sinnot, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four 59, Doomsday, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Joe Sinnot, and Lettered by Artie Simek Resources, Episodes, & Links Mentioned In This Episode: Join the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Discord Channel by signing up for the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Newsletter (completely free and I promise you won't be spammed!) Check out Joe with more Marvel content on YouTube Connect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Threads Connect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Instagram
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S1 · E15
March 2 · 25 min
S1E15: Fantastic Four #55-56 & Annual 4 - The OG Human Torch Fights The Human Torch & Klaw Returns
Send Joe a message through the Negative Zone In this episode of Reading The Multiverse: A Marvel Comics Journey, Joe covers the return of the Silver Surfer who has a face-off against The Thing, the return of Klaw who appears to be too much for the Fantastic Four, and the original Human Torch, Jim Hammond, fights the Human Torch of the Fantastic Four. Stories Covered In This Episode Fantastic Four 55, When Strikes the Silver Surfer!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Joe Sinnot, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Fantastic Four 56, Klaw, the Murderous Master of Sound!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Joe Sinnot, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four Annual 4, The Torch That Was!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Joe Sinnot, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Resources, Episodes, & Links Mentioned In This Episode: Join the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Discord Channel by signing up for the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Newsletter (completely free and I promise you won't be spammed!) Check out Joe with more Marvel content on YouTube Connect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Threads Connect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Instagram
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S1 · E14
February 16 · 26 min
S1E14: Fantastic Four #51-54 - The First Appearance of Black Panther
Send Joe a message through the Negative Zone In this episode of Reading The Multiverse: A Marvel Comics Journey, Joe covers the fallout of the victory against Galactus and the Fantastic Four's travel to a mysterious new land, Wakanda! We also get some progress updates on what's happening with Inhumans as they are stuck in the Great Refuge. Stories Covered In This Episode Fantastic Four 51, This Man... This Monster!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Joe Sinnot, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four 52, The Black Panther!, written by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Joe Sinnot, Colored by Stan Goldberg, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Fantastic Four 53, The Way It Began..!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Joe Sinnot, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four 54, Whosoever Finds the Evil Eye..!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Joe Sinnot, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Resources, Episodes, & Links Mentioned In This Episode: Join the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Discord Channel by signing up for the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Newsletter (completely free and I promise you won't be spammed!) Check out Joe with more Marvel content on YouTube Connect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Threads Connect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Instagram
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S1 · E13
February 3 · 25 min
S1E13: Fantastic Four #47-50 - The Galactus Trilogy
Send Joe a message through the Negative Zone In this episode of Reading The Multiverse: A Marvel Comics Journey, Joe covers one of the most well-known Fantastic Four arcs in all of comics, the Galactus Trilogy. However, the episode does start off with wrapping things up, sort of, regarding meeting the Inhumans for the first time. From there we get introduced to the Silver Surfer and Galactus and the existential cosmic threat they bring to Earth. Stories Covered In This Episode Fantastic Four 47, Beware The Hidden Land written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Joe Sinnot, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four 48, The Coming Of Galactus!, written by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Joe Sinnot, Colored by Stan Goldberg, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four 49, If This Be Doomsday!, written by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Joe Sinnot, Colored by Stan Goldberg, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Fantastic Four 50, The Startling Saga of the Silver Surfer!, written by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Joe Sinnot, Colored by Stan Goldberg, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Resources, Episodes, & Links Mentioned In This Episode: Join the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Discord Channel by signing up for the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Newsletter (completely free and I promise you won't be spammed!) Check out Joe with more Marvel content on YouTube Connect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Threads Connect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Instagram
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S1 · E12
January 26 · 32 min
S1E12: Fantastic Four #43-46 & Annual 3: Reed & Sue's Wedding & The Inhumans Arrive
Send Joe a message through the Negative Zone In this episode of Reading the Multiverse, I go over Fantastic Four #43-46 and Annual 3, where we have the event we've all been waiting for, the wedding of Reed and Sue. We also wrap up the Frightful Four arc we've been going over and we get the formal introduction to the Inhumans including Black Bolt. Stories Covered In This Episode Fantastic Four 43, Lo! There Shall be an Ending!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Vince Colleta, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four 44, The Gentleman's Name is Gorgon!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Joe Sinnot, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Fantastic Four 45, Among Us Hide... The Inhumans, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Joe Sinnot, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four 46, Those Who Would Destroy Us, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Joe Sinnot, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four Annual 3, Story A - Bedlam at the Baxter Building!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Vince Colleta, Colored by Stan Goldberg, and Lettered by Artie Simek Resources, Episodes, & Links Mentioned In This Episode: Join the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Discord Channel by signing up for the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Newsletter (completely free and I promise you won't be spammed!) Check out the podcast on YouTube Connect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Threads Connect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Instagram
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S1 · E11
January 19 · 24 min
S1E11: Fantastic Four #39-42 - Daredevil, Doom, & Ben Leaves The Team
Send Joe a message through the Negative Zone In this episode of Reading the Multiverse, I go over Fantastic Four #39-42, where we see the Fantastic Four lose their powers, Doctor Doom strikes when they’re most vulnerable, and Daredevil unexpectedly steps in to guide the team through chaos. Also, Ben Grim walks away and the Frightful Four strike back making this stretch of issues where Stan Lee and Jack Kirby decided to trade neat endings for brutal cliffhangers that keep stacking. Stories Covered In This Episode Fantastic Four 39, A Blind Man Shall Lead Them!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Frank Giacoia and Wally Wood, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four 40, The Battle of the Baxter Building, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Vince Colletta, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four 41, The Brutal Betrayal of Ben Grimm, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Vince Colletta, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Fantastic Four 42, To Save You, Why Must I Kill You?, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Vince Colletta, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Resources, Episodes, & Links Mentioned In This Episode: Join the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Discord Channel by signing up for the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Newsletter (completely free and I promise you won't be spammed!) Check out the podcast on YouTube Connect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Threads Connect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Instagram
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S1 · E10
January 12 · 24 min
S1E10: Fantastic Four #35-38 - The Frightful Four, Reed Proposes, & Skrull Revenge
Send Joe a message through the Negative Zone In this episode of Reading the Multiverse, I go over Fantastic Four #35-38, a stretch packed with big changes as Reed and Sue get engaged, new villains debut, and Marvel’s universe starts colliding in unexpected ways. From Dragon Man, to Skrull politics, and the debut of the Frightful Four, this episode highlights how much of Marvel’s future is quietly being set up. Stories Covered In This Episode Fantastic Four 35, Calamity on the Campus, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Chic Stone, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four 36, The Frightful Four, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Chic Stone, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four 37, Behold! A Distant Star!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Chic Stone, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four 38, Defeated by the Frightful Four!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Chic Stone, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Resources, Episodes, & Links Mentioned In This Episode: Join the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Discord Channel by signing up for the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Newsletter (completely free and I promise you won't be spammed!) Check out the podcast on YouTube Connect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Threads Connect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Instagram
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S1 · E9
January 5 · 26 min
S1E9: Fantastic Four #31-34 - The Storm Family Tragedy & An Atlantean War
Send Joe a message through the Negative Zone In this episode of Reading the Multiverse, I go over Fantastic Four #31–34 where we learn about Sue and Johnny’s family history, the team faces the Invincible Man, they help Namor in his Atlantean war, and a billionaire nearly tears the team apart. Stories Covered In This Episode Fantastic Four 31, The Mad Menace of the Macabre Mole Man, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Chic Stone, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Fantastic Four 32, Death of a Hero!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Chic Stone, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Fantastic Four 33, Side-By-Side with Sub-Mariner!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Chic Stone, Colored by Stan Goldberg, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four 34, A House Divided!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Chic Stone, and Lettered by Artie Simek Resources, Episodes, & Links Mentioned In This Episode: Join the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Discord Channel by signing up for the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Newsletter (completely free and I promise you won't be spammed!) Check out the podcast on YouTube Connect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Threads Connect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Instagram
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S1 · E8
Dec 29, 2025 · 28 min
S1E8: Fantastic Four #28-30 & Annual 2 - Origin of Doctor Doom & X-Men Chaos
Send Joe a message through the Negative Zone In this episode of Reading the Multiverse, I go over Fantastic Four #28-30 and Annual #2 where the team clashes with the original X-Men, revisits old enemies, meets Diablo for the first time, and we finally uncover the tragic origin of Doctor Doom. Stories Covered In This Episode Fantastic Four 28, We Have To Fight The X-Men!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Chic Stone, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four 29, It Started On Yancy Street!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Chic Stone, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Fantastic Four 30, The Dreaded Diablo!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Chic Stone, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four Annual 2, Origin of Doctor Doom!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Chic Stone, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Fantastic Four Annual 2, The Final Victory of Doctor Doom!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Chic Stone, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Resources, Episodes, & Links Mentioned In This Episode: Join the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Discord Channel by signing up for the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Newsletter (completely free and I promise you won't be spammed!) Check out the podcast on YouTube Connect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Threads Connect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Instagram
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S1 · E7
Dec 22, 2025 · 25 min
S1E7: Fantastic Four #24-27 - Hulk vs The Thing, Avengers Team-Up, & Namor Kidnaps Sue
Send Joe a message through the Negative Zone In this episode of Reading the Multiverse, I go over Fantastic Four #24-27, where we get a reality-warping alien baby causing havoc, the Hulk wages war on New York, the Avengers team-up and sort of collide with the Fantastic Four, and the love triangle between Namor, Sue, and Reed gets deeper. Stories Covered In This Episode Fantastic Four 24, The Infant Terrible!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by George Bell, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Fantastic Four 25, The Hulk vs The Thing, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by George Bell, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Fantastic Four 26, The Avengers Take Over!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by George Bell, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four 27, The Search for Sub-Mariner!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by George Bell, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Resources, Episodes, & Links Mentioned In This Episode: Join the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Discord Channel by signing up for the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Newsletter (completely free and I promise you won't be spammed!) Check out the podcast on YouTube Connect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Threads Connect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Instagram
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S1 · E6
Dec 15, 2025 · 26 min
S1E6: Fantastic Four #20-23: Sue Storm's Power Upgrade & Doom's Master Plan
Send Joe a message through the Negative Zone In this episode of Reading the Multiverse, I go over Fantastic Four #20-23, introducing Molecule Man, tackling Marvel’s most overtly political story yet with the Hatemonger, expanding Sue Storm’s powers in a big way, and bringing Doctor Doom back with another elaborate master plan. Stories Covered In This Episode Fantastic Four 20, The Mysterious Molecule Man!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Dick Ayers, Colored by Stan Goldberg, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four 21, The Hate-Monger!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by George Roussos, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four 22, The Return of Mole Man!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by George Bell, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Fantastic Four 23, The Master Plan of Doctor Doom!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by George Bell, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Resources, Episodes, & Links Mentioned In This Episode: Join the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Discord Channel by signing up for the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Newsletter (completely free and I promise you won't be spammed!) S1E1: Fantastic Four #1-4 - The Birth of the Marvel & MCU Revolution S1E2: Fantastic Four #5-8 - The First Appearance of Doctor Doom S1E3: Fantastic Four #9-12 - Dr Doom Returns, Namor Schemes, and The Incredible Hulk S1E4: Fantastic Four #13-16 - Dr. Doom Is Back, Red Ghost, & The Mad Thinker S1E5: Fantastic Four #17-19 & Annual 1: Namor Declares War, Skrulls Return, & Doom's Got Tricks Check out the podcast on YouTube Connect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Threads Connect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Instagram
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S1 · E5
Dec 8, 2025 · 27 min
S1E5: Fantastic Four #17-19 & Annual 1 - Namor Declares War, Skrulls Return, & Doom's Got Tricks
Send Joe a message through the Negative Zone In this episode of Reading The Multiverse, I dig into Fantastic Four #17–19 and Annual #1, where Doctor Doom pulls off another disguise scheme, the Skrulls unleash the first ever Super-Skrull, and Namor launches an all-out war on the surface world. This episode covers one of the most chaotic and world-expanding stretches of early Marvel, from cosmic power-ups to underwater politics to Jack Kirby drawing sea monsters like he’s trying to win a competition with himself. Stories Covered In This Episode Fantastic Four 17, "Defeated By Doctor Doom!" written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Dick Ayers, Colored by Stan Goldberg, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four 18, "A Skrull Walks Among Us" written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Dick Ayers, Colored by Stan Goldberg, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four 19, "Prisoners Of The Pharoah!" written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Dick Ayers, Colored by Stan Goldberg, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Fantastic Four Annual 1, "Sub-Mariner Versus The Human Race!" written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Dick Ayers, Colored by Stan Goldberg, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four Annual 1, "The Fabulous Fantastic Four Meet Spider-Man!" written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Steve Ditko, Colored by Stan Goldberg, and Lettered by Ray Holloway Resources, Episodes, & Links Mentioned In This Episode: Join the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Discord Channel by signing up for the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Newsletter (completely free and I promise you won't be spammed!) S1E1: Fantastic Four #1-4 - The Birth of the Marvel & MCU Revolution S1E2: Fantastic Four #5-8 - The First Appearance of Doctor Doom S1E3: Fantastic Four #9-12 - Dr Doom Returns, Namor Schemes, and The Incredible Hulk S1E4: Fantastic Four #13-16 - Dr. Doom Is Back, Red Ghost, & The Mad Thinker Check out the podcast on YouTube Connect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Threads Connect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Instagram
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S1 · E4
Dec 1, 2025 · 24 min
S1E4: Fantastic Four #13-16 - Dr. Doom Is Back, Red Ghost, & The Mad Thinker
Send Joe a message through the Negative Zone In this episode of Reading The Multiverse, I dive into Fantastic Four #13–16, where the team races the Red Ghost to the moon, encounters the Watcher for the very first time, gets pulled into Namor and the Puppet Master’s undersea mind-control drama, battles the Mad Thinker and his unpredictable Android, and faces Doctor Doom’s microscopic kingdom in one of the strangest early FF arcs yet. Stories Covered In This Episode "The Fantastic Four vs the Red Ghost and His Indescribable Super-Apes!" - Fantastic Four #13, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Steve Ditko, Colored by Stan Goldberg, and Lettered by Artie Simek "The Merciless Puppet Master" Fantastic Four #14, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Steve Ditko, Colored by Stan Goldberg, and Lettered by Artie Simek "The Fantastic Four Battle the Mad Thinker and His Awesome Android" Fantastic Four #15, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Dick Ayers, Colored by Stan Goldberg, and Lettered by Artie Simek "The Micro-World of Doctor Doom!" Fantastic Four #16, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Dick Ayers, Colored by Stan Goldberg, and Lettered by Artie Simek Resources, Episodes, & Links Mentioned In This Episode: Join the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Discord Channel by signing up for the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Newsletter (completely free and I promise you won't be spammed!) S1E2: Fantastic Four #5-8 - The First Appearance of Doctor Doom S1E3: Fantastic Four #9-12 - Dr Doom Returns, Namor Schemes, and The Incredible Hulk Check out the podcast on YouTube Connect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Threads Connect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Instagram
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S1 · E1
Nov 28, 2025 · 26 min
S1E1: Fantastic Four #1-4 - The Birth of the Marvel & MCU Revolution
Send Joe a message through the Negative Zone Join the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Discord Channel by signing up for the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Newsletter (completely free and I promise you won't be spammed!) In this debut episode, I kick off Reading the Multiverse with Fantastic Four #1–4. The explosive start of Marvel’s Silver Age and the spark that would ignite the entire MCU. From the team’s chaotic origin to their first encounters with Skrulls and the Sub-Mariner, these early adventures set the tone for everything Marvel would become. Stories Covered In This Episode "The Fantastic Four" - Fantastic Four #1, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by George Klein & Christopher Rule, Color by Stan Goldberg, Lettered by Artie Simek "The Fantastic Four Meet The Skrulls" - Fantastic Four #2, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by George Klein, Color by Stan Goldberg, Lettered by John Duffy "The Menace of the Miracle Man" - Fantastic Four #3, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Sal Brodsky, Color by Stan Goldberg, Lettered by Artie Simek "The Coming Of... Sub-Mariner" - Fantastic Four #4, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Sal Brodsky, Color by Stan Goldberg, Lettered by Artie Simek Resources & Links Mentioned In This Episode: Join the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Discord Channel by signing up for the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Newsletter (completely free and I promise you won't be spammed!) Check out the podcast on YouTube Connect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Threads Connect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Instagram
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S1 · E2
Nov 28, 2025 · 28 min
S1E2: Fantastic Four #5-8 - The First Appearance of Doctor Doom
Send Joe a message through the Negative Zone Join the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Discord Channel by signing up for the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Newsletter (completely free and I promise you won't be spammed!) In this episode, I dive into Fantastic Four #5–8, where Doctor Doom makes his first appearance, Namor returns for a diabolical team-up, Reed Richards’ “genius” starts to blur the line between hero and antihero, and we meet the Puppet Master and Alicia Masters. Stories Covered In This Episode "Prisoners of Doctor Doom" - Fantastic Four #5, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Joe Sinnot, Color by Stan Goldberg, Lettered by Artie Simek "Captives of the Deadly Duo" - Fantastic Four #6, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Joe Sinnot and Dick Ayers, Color by Stan Goldberg, Lettered by Terry Szenicks "Prisoners of Kurrgo, Master of Planet X" - Fantastic Four #7, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Joe Sinnot and Dick Ayers, Color by Stan Goldberg, Lettered by Artie Simek "Prisoners of the Puppet Master" - Fantastic Four #8, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Joe Sinnot and Dick Ayers, Color by Stan Goldberg, Lettered by Artie Simek Resources & Links Mentioned In This Episode: Join the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Discord Channel by signing up for the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Newsletter (completely free and I promise you won't be spammed!) Check out the podcast on YouTube Connect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Threads Connect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Instagram
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S1 · E3
Nov 28, 2025 · 25 min
S1E3: Fantastic Four #9-12 - Dr Doom Returns, Namor Schemes, and The Incredible Hulk
Send Joe a message through the Negative Zone Join the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Discord Channel by signing up for the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Newsletter (completely free and I promise you won't be spammed!) In this episode, I dive into Fantastic Four #9–12, where Reed Richards loses the team’s fortune, Doctor Doom returns for a mind-swapping revenge story, the Impossible Man makes his chaotic debut, and the Fantastic Four face the Incredible Hulk in their first major crossover. Stories Covered In This Episode "The End of the Fantastic Four" - Fantastic Four #9, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Dick Ayers, Color by Stan Goldberg, Lettered by Artie Simek "The Return of Doctor Doom" - Fantastic Four #10, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Dick Ayers, Color by Stan Goldberg, Lettered by Artie Simek "A Visit With The Fantastic Four / The Impossible Man" - Fantastic Four #11, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Dick Ayers, Color by Stan Goldberg, Lettered by Artie Simek "The Incredible Hulk" - Fantastic Four #12, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Dick Ayers, Color by Stan Goldberg, Lettered by Artie Simek Resources & Links Mentioned In This Episode: Join the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Discord Channel by signing up for the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Newsletter (completely free and I promise you won't be spammed!) Check out the podcast on YouTube Connect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Threads Connect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Instagram
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Nov 15, 2025 · 6 min
Reading The Multiverse: A Marvel Comics Journey - Trailer
Send Joe a message through the Negative Zone Reading the Multiverse: A Marvel Comics Journey, explores the characters and the tales that built the Marvel Universe, issue by issue through Marvel’s comic history, starting with Fantastic Four #1. Hosted by Joe from Muscles & The Multiverse, each episode blends story, commentary, and laid-back humor for a quick ride through Marvel’s ever-evolving world, from its cosmic beginnings to its modern chaos. As a mostly first-time reader, Joe shares honest reactions to the art, writing, characters, the moments that still hold up, the ones that haven’t aged so well, and the surprises that make Marvel’s history so much fun to revisit. Whether you’re an MCU fan who wants to know the source material or a lifelong comic reader up for a nostalgic re-read, this podcast brings you the stories, art, and chaos that shaped the Marvel Universe, one era & run at a time. Resources & Links Mentioned In This Episode: Join the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Discord Channel by signing up for the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Newsletter (completely free and I promise you won't be spammed!) Check out the podcast on YouTube Connect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Threads Connect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Instagram
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