Alicia Masters
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Alicia Masters is a supporting character to the Marvel Comics superheroes the Fantastic Four and Silver Surfer. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, she appeared in The Fantastic Four #8 (Nov 1962).
Masters is a blind sculptress who is able to create incredibly lifelike representations of real people by touch and memory alone; her sculptures of the Fantastic Four and other superheroes are frequently depicted. A caring, sensitive character, she has been a romantic interest and confidant of The Thing, a member of the Fantastic Four who is frequently ashamed of his monstrous appearance. She has also helped explain human life and emotion to the alien Silver Surfer.
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[edit] History
Masters is introduced in The Fantastic Four #8, along with her step-father, the supervillain known as the Puppet Master. She initially aids him out of obedience in his first scheme against the Fantastic Four, though she immediately senses the "gentle" and "sensitive" spirit of the Thing when she first feels his visibly monstrous face. Masters turns on her step-father when she realizes that he is mad and power-hungry, and accidentally causes him to fall to his apparent death out of a window. A later story explains that the Puppet Master had been responsible for her permanent blindness, which was caused by an explosion of radioactive clay during his fight with a rival.
Alicia Masters was a recurring character in early issues of Fantastic Four as the love interest of the Thing, serving as a plot device to cause him to resist changing back to a normal human form, for fear that Masters would not love him as "plain Ben Grimm."[1] The physically vulnerable Masters was also frequently used as a damsel in distress.
The character played an integral role in one of the most acclaimed comic book stories of the Silver Age, "The Coming of Galactus," in Fantastic Four #48-50 (Mar - May, 1966). In that story arc, the Silver Surfer first comes to Earth as a herald to the powerful, world-destroying being Galactus, and crashes into Masters' apartment after fighting the Fantastic Four. Her passionate pleading with him about the value of life convinces him to reject his master and defend the Earth from destruction.
After the Thing chooses to remain on an alien planet where he could change back to human form, Masters falls in love with the dashing Human Torch, another member of the Fantastic Four. The Thing returns to unhappily attend their wedding.
However, in a retroactive rewrite of the story years later explains that the "Alicia Masters" the Torch married was actually Lyja, a female member of the shapeshifting alien race the Skrulls, who had abducted and replaced Masters to serve as a spy. After the ruse is discovered, the real Alicia Masters is rescued from suspended animation by the Fantastic Four, unaware that any time had passed.
She subsequently becomes romantically involved with the Silver Surfer and eventually leaves earth with him, traveling through outer space at his side in an armored suit that allows her to see energy signatures and take a more active role than she was previously capable of.
Alicia returned though to Ben, however it was brief. Ben's newfound discovery of his vast fortune led him to mingle with the rich. That included a new date named Carlotta. Even though Alicia broke up with him, she may still have feelings for that bashful blue eyed Thing.
The character was introduced into the modern revamp of the Fantastic Four, Ultimate Fantastic Four, in issue #29.
[edit] Other media
Alicia Master’s character in adaptations into other media has remained true to her classic role as the Thing's girlfriend. She was a regular character in the 1994-1996 Fantastic Four animated television series that aired as half of the Marvel Action Hour, with her voice performed by Pauline Arthur Lomas.
In the infamous, unreleased 1994 live-action Fantastic Four film, Masters was played by Kat Green.
She also appeared in the 2005 Fantastic Four film, where she was played by Kerry Washington and was once again the love interest of the Thing after Ben's previous fiance left him because she couldn't cope with his new appearance. This version has been noted for being African-American, as Alicia is classically portrayed as being Caucasian.
She also appeared in the game based on the movie, where the Thing and Mr Fantastic must rescue her from the Mole Man's minions. In a later level, her father, the Puppet Master, brings the Egyptian and Prehistoric exhibits to life to attack the Fantastic Four, as he feels that association with the Thing will be dangerous for Alicia.
In the new Fantastic Four animated series, Alicia is once again portrayed as African American and voiced by Sunita Prasad.
[edit] Notes
- ^ See Fantastic Four #25 (Apr, 1964), page 2.
