The Birth of the Fantastic Four: Part Two: A Golf Game Makes History!

By 1960, Martin Goodman’s once-mighty Timely Comics Inc.—a company that had once sold millions of copies of superhero titles and employed a full bullpen of writers and artists—had dwindled to a shadow of its former self. The company, now operating as Atlas Comics, was publishing a small lineup of juvenile horror, western, romance, and comedy comics. Its only full-time employee? Goodman’s wife’s cousin, Stan Lee. The freelance roster had shrunk to just two names: Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko.

Lee, stretched thin, was writing all of the scripts Marvel Style—meaning he’d pitch a story idea in just a few sentences, and the artist would take over from there, fully visualizing the issue. Lee would then add dialogue to the finished art. This workflow kept things moving, but Atlas had further cut costs by reducing artist pay rates to near-insulting levels.

The Golf Game That Changed Everything

One afternoon, Goodman had lunch on a golf course with Irwin Donenfeld, publisher of National Comics (soon to be known as DC Comics). Always the opportunist, Goodman was intrigued when Donenfeld mentioned how surprised he was at the success of his new superhero titles. Revamps of old characters like The Flash, Aquaman, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman were gaining traction—and their team-up series, the revamped All Star Comics turned Justice League of America, had been a major hit after its test run in Brave and the Bold #28 (March 1960).

Goodman left the lunch excited and immediately told Stan Lee to create a superhero team. The goal: jump on the bandwagon and see if lightning could strike twice.

Stan’s Breaking Point… and His Breakthrough

At the time, Lee was burned out. He’d been considering quitting comics altogether to pursue a more literary writing career. That night, he discussed the superhero team idea with his wife, Joan, over dinner. He told her he didn’t want to create the same simplistic heroes they’d churned out in the '40s—or mimic the bland, interchangeable heroes DC was currently producing.

Joan encouraged him to go for it—but to do it his way.

The Realism Revolution

In 1960, comic book superheroes were little more than fantasy archetypes. Sure, Clark Kent was a reporter, but he never struggled to meet a deadline and save the world. Bruce Wayne may have been orphaned by crime, but his millionaire status kept him free from real-world concerns like rent or employment. Even the Justice League was so formulaic that you could swap characters without affecting the plot. Their biggest crisis? Maybe trying to remember where Wonder Woman parked her invisible jet.

Lee wanted something new—something real.

He sat down at his typewriter and created a superhero family:

• Reed Richards, the brilliant scientist.

• Sue Storm, his girlfriend.

• Johnny Storm, her hot-headed teenage brother.

• Ben Grimm, Reed’s best friend and tough-as-nails pilot.

A botched space mission would give them incredible powers—but not without consequences. They’d bicker, argue, and deal with personal frustrations. In short, they’d feel human.

Even the setting broke tradition. Instead of made-up cities like Metropolis or Gotham, the Fantastic Four operated out of New York City. And the threats they faced weren’t just space monsters or time travelers—real-world fears like communism and nuclear anxiety crept into the stories.

History Is Made

Fantastic Four #1 (November 1961), drawn by Jack Kirby with Lee’s bold new character direction, hit newsstands and sold out. Just like that, superhero comics had evolved.

Lee even found clever ways to reintroduce Golden Age favorites like The Human Torch and The Sub-Mariner, tying Marvel’s history together into something both nostalgic and new. The Marvel banner was reborn.

Lee's only early stumble? The Incredible Hulk, which was canceled after just six issues—though even that character would eventually find his place. But then came Lee’s most iconic creation: Spider-Man.

Enter Spider-Man — The Teenager Who Changed Everything

With Peter Parker, Lee broke even more ground. For the first time, a superhero was a teenager dealing with everyday problems—paying rent, surviving high school, dealing with grief—and also saving lives. His alter ego didn’t live in a mansion or have a secret lab. He lived in Queens with his Aunt May.

The stories were part superhero epic, part soap opera—and they resonated.

The Marvel Age Begins

And just like that, the Marvel Comics revolution began. A new breed of heroes, grounded in reality, deeply human, and often conflicted, would go on to dominate comics for the next sixty years—and counting.

What started with a round of golf and a quiet dinner conversation turned into a cultural phenomenon.