Invisible Woman
Invisible Woman (Susan "Sue" Storm-Richards) is a Marvel Comics character from Earth-616, first appearing in Fantastic Four Vol 1 1, created by Stan Lee; Jack Kirby.
Overview
Susan "Sue" Storm-Richards, better known as the Invisible Woman, is a founding member of the Fantastic Four and one of Marvel's earliest and most prominent superheroines. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, she debuted in Fantastic Four #1 (1961) as the Invisible Girl before growing into the team's most formidable powerhouse and emotional anchor. A public figure with no secret identity, she is widely regarded as both a premier super hero and the matriarch of Marvel's "first family."
Powers & Abilities
Sue can render herself and others invisible, and she projects and shapes psionic force fields that serve as shields, battering rams, platforms, and weapons. With practice she has learned fine control over these fields — creating invisible constructs, containing explosions, and even manipulating light to produce illusions or blindness. Beyond her powers, she is a capable strategist, diplomat, and hand-to-hand combatant, and has been trained as an intelligence operative.
History
Sue gained her abilities alongside Reed Richards, her brother Johnny, and Ben Grimm when their experimental spacecraft was bombarded by cosmic rays, after which the four became the Fantastic Four. Initially cast as the team's least powerful member, she steadily developed into its strongest, a shift underscored by her adoption of the Invisible Woman name. Major chapters in her life include her marriage to Reed, motherhood, the traumatic "Malice" episode in which she was psychically corrupted, a stint bearing the Captain Universe power, and repeated clashes with Doctor Doom and Namor.
Family & Relationships
She is the wife of Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic), the older sister of Johnny Storm (the Human Torch), and the mother of Franklin and Valeria Richards. Ben Grimm is her lifelong teammate and closest friend outside her immediate family, and she shares a long, complicated history with Namor the Sub-Mariner. Her extended relatives include her paternal aunt Marygay Jewel Dinkins and her cousin known as Bones.
Teams & Affiliations
The Fantastic Four is her defining team, though she has also served with the Future Foundation and worked as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. She has had ties to the Avengers and other hero coalitions during large-scale crises, and briefly held authority as regent for the Uhari throne. Her diplomatic standing frequently places her at the center of dealings between Earth's heroes and alien or undersea powers.
Notable Facts
Born in Glenville, Long Island, she has operated under numerous names and covers including Invisible Girl, Malice, Captain Universe, Baroness von Doom, and Nurse Franklin. Her rename from "Girl" to "Woman" is often cited as a landmark in the evolving portrayal of women in superhero comics. She has been adapted across animation, video games, and multiple live-action films, remaining one of Marvel's most recognizable heroines.
Overview written by Waypoint (AI-generated).
- Real name
- Susan "Sue" Storm-Richards
- Reality
- Earth-616
- Gender
- Female
- Identity
- Public
- Citizenship
- American
- First appearance
- Fantastic Four Vol 1 1
- Creators
- Stan Lee; Jack Kirby
Full details at Marvel Database (Fandom) → · CC BY-SA. Facts + summary by Waypoint.