Warning! Spoilers ahead for Fantastic Four: First Steps #1!While fans are waiting patiently for the newestFantastic Fourmovie to come out, a prequel comic has already given the MCU one of its best Easter eggs yet.Fantastic Four: First Steps #1, designed as an in-universe re-telling of the origins behind Marvel’s First Family, also includes an incredible reference to the man who helped shape the Fantastic Four.
InFantastic Four: First Steps #1by Matt Fraction and Mark Buckingham, the team has returned from their flight and are sequestering themselves in Building Q until they’ve adapted to their amazing new powers. However, the team is starting to get a little stir-crazy between the paparazzi watching them and being unable to leave their current quarters.
The Fantastic Four’s Ben Grimm, aka the Thing, is trying to preoccupy himself by training with one of the team’s robots. However, he accidentally destroys the little robot and picks up its remains at the end of the session. The comic reveals that this robot is a Kinetic-type Experimental Robot Biomimetics-Integrated Electronic or,as the Thing calls it, K.E.R.B.I.E.
Marvel Comics Introduces a New Fantastic Four Invention, K.E.R.B.I.E.
Classic Teammate H.E.R.B.I.E. Gets a Relative
If there’s one thingthe Marvel Cinematic Universeloves, it’s throwing in Easter eggs. Sometimes it’s a reference to a character or an event from the comics, other times they’re intended to plant the seeds for future plots in the MCU. But the best ones are the Easter eggs that pay tribute to the talented creators behind these comics.
And that’s exactly what Marvel did here with K.E.R.B.I.E.. Sure, the little bot is a reference to H.E.R.B.I.E., the team’s usual assistant. But K.E.R.B.I.E. shares a name (at least, phonetically) withJack Kirby, one of the Fantastic Four’s co-creators. This is a nice and touching tribute to the man credited with helping shape the iconic Marvel team.
The Fantastic Four’s Co-Creator is Getting the Respect He Deserves
Marvel is Paying Homage to the King of Comics
This Easter egg seemed almost perfectly timed to another tribute Marvel and New York City paid to Jack Kirby, by renaming his old stomping ground Delancy Street into Yancy Street/Jack Kirby Way. Historically, Jack Kirby’s contributions to Marvel weren’t highlighted as much as Stan Lee’s were. But tributes like this are finallygiving Kirby the respect he deserves.
While it’s up in the air whether K.E.R.B.I.E. will appear inFantastic Four: First Stepsor not, knowing he exists in the MCU is great. Jack Kirby’s influence on comics helped make them into the amazing things they are today and it’s great to see such a great Easter egg in aFantastic Fourcomic.
