After looking at hundreds of comic book covers, it becomes quickly apparent that not every cover is 100% original. Whether done intentionally or even underhandedly, there’s something about uncovering these “swipes” that adds a new element of fun to reading and collecting comics.
The Fantastic Four have ever been explorers into fantastic worlds and locations. They’ve traveled to exotic locales all over our planet, including the Savage Land and the Inhumans’ Great Refuge. They’ve also traveled to other worlds and dimensions. One such alternate plane of existence they’ve discovered is the Negative Zone. It’s inhabited by all kinds of bizarre and nefarious beings. One of these aliens is Blastaar, the deposed monarch of the Baluurians. He’s able to emit powerful force from both of his hands … and the FF’s always on his bad side. Fantastic Four #215 featured one of their many encounters.
Married With Children was a very popular TV show that lasted for eleven seasons from the late 1980s into the mid 1990s. Capitalizing on its success, NOW Comics licensed the show and began publishing comics based on it. As sales began to fall off, NOW experimented with some strange stories. One such spin-off was Married With Children: the Quantum Quartet, which re-invisioned the cast of the TV show as super-heroes based on the Fantastic Four. It didn’t last long. In fact, issues #3 and 4 were never published. But, a while later, those final two issues emerged, combined within this Big Wrap-Up special. As always, there’s no better way to begin a spoof comic than starting off with a cover swipe.
 Fantastic Four #215 February 1980 Ron Wilson |
 Married With Children: the Quantum Quartet: the Big Wrap-Up Fall 1994 |
On Ebay: Fantastic Four | Justice League | Married With Children