It Took a Few Years, But the Fantastic Four's Newest Member Is Ready to Show How Powerful They Truly Are

Warning: Spoilers for Fantastic Four #27

Most fans are familiar with the core heroes of the Fantastic Four, but another hero has joined their ranks and shown that she's as powerful as the adults. Nicki Masters-Grimm, the Skrull daughter of the Thing, just unleashed her super-powered potential at long last in a battle against a classic foe. Through this fight, Nicki establishes that she is finally ready to be an official member of the Fantastic Four.

Fantastic Four #27 by Ryan North, Steven Summings, Jesus Aburtov, and Joe Caramagna shines a spotlight on Nicki. The Thing's daughter possesses the powers of a Skrull, namely shape-shifting, which allows her to take any form she pleases. Though the Skrulls tend to be perceived as villainous, Nicki is determined to use her powers for good.

By honing her skills, Nicki has demonstrated that she is one of the Fantastic Four's most promising heroes to date, and her Skrull qualities are what amplify her power to such an astounding degree.

The Thing's Daughter Explores Her Skrull Powers in a Bold New Way

Nicki Masters-Grimm Can Transform Into Each of the Fantastic Four Heroes

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As a Skrull, Nicki is capable of not only changing her own physical form, but also taking on the forms of others. Within Marvel lore, Skrulls often replace heroes via their shape-shifting powers, earning them their negative reputation as sinister beings who seek to invade populations. Nicki leans into this stereotype when she starts transforming into the Thing to bail her brother, Jo-Venn, out of a meeting with their school's principal. Of course, Nicki's powers aren't inherently nefarious, and she showcases her heroic potential by using them to protect people rather than deceive them.

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Nicki starts shifting into Ben Grimm for various immature purposes, but she later learns that this power has practical applications as well. By disguising herself as the Thing, Nicki discovers that she can walk through walls and even strike harder than she can with her standard physique. Essentially, she obtains her father's powers through shape-shifting, so she becomes nearly as strong as the Thing himself just by stealing his physical likeness. This addition to her skill-set means that Nicki has the capacity for super-strength, and embodying a body with a brawny enough exterior is all it takes for her to use that ability.

The Thing isn't the only Fantastic Four hero that Nicki can emulate. When Mole Man attacks the kids' school to kill them while their parents are distracted elsewhere, Nicki changes into each of the FF heroes in order to defend everyone. To this end, Nicki morphs into Mister Fantastic, and she manages to replicate his signature stretchy powers by reshaping her physical form. Although she isn't necessarily borrowing their superpowers in a literal sense, Nicki's Skrull biology allows her to imitate these abilities. Nicki's proficiency with copying the Fantastic Four reflects how they've influenced her as a hero.

Joining the Fantastic Four Family Helped Nicki Become a Hero

The Thing and His Teammates Give Nicki an Example to Follow

Before joining the Fantastic Four, Nicki - then known primarily as N'Kalla - was a victim of the ongoing conflict between the Skrulls and the Kree. After being raised to loathe Jo-Venn due to his Kree status, their programming was eventually undone thanks to the Fantastic Four's influence on them, and they have since become trusted siblings to one another despite their people's rocky history. In Empyre Fallout: Fantastic Four by Dan Slott and Sean Izaakse, Ben and Alicia agree to adopt Nicki and Jo after their people have been reunited and are rebuilding anew in the wake of conflict.

N'Kalla and Jo-Venn first appeared in Empyre: Fantastic Four #0, written by Dan Slott with art by R.B. Silva and Sean Izaakse.

Navigating Earth's customs hasn't come easily for Nicki and Jo, though the siblings have learned valuable lessons over time that have guided them on the path to becoming heroes like their father. For instance, in Fantastic Four #16 by North and Francesco Mortarino, Nicki is influenced by Franklin and Valeria Richards to lie to their parents when an experiment goes awry. In the end, she decides that it's better to come clean instead of keeping secrets. Through her time with the Fantastic Four, Nicki has not only upheld positive values, but she's also honed her superpowers beyond merely shape-shifting into others.

Nicki Decides to Fight as Herself Instead of Fighting as the Fantastic Four

Once She Embraces Her Skrull Powers, Nicki Unlocks Her Full Potential

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While much of Nicki's battle with the villainous Mole Man features her utilizing the Fantastic Four's powers by inhabiting their forms, she eventually realizes that she doesn't need to copy them to fight. In fact, Nicki grows even more powerful once she fights as a Skrull rather than one of the existing Fantastic Four members. When Mole Man attempts to hit her, she hardens her flesh by turning it into gold so that his attacks are ineffective. She can also enlarge her muscles to improve her strength, which is proof that she can tap into that hidden strength without turning herself into the Thing.

Nicki is currently inexperienced compared to the rest of the Fantastic Four, but with training, she could easily become the team's greatest asset.

As seen in this epic showdown, there's no limit to what the Thing's daughter can accomplish with her powers. Nicki quickly gains the upper hand over Mole Man by stretching her body, and as she defeats him, she declares, "I'm an unstoppable force of nature, a whirlwind of smart, helpful, good-guy shape-shifting." Whatever attacks come her way, she can alter her physical form and combat them with ease, making her one of Marvel's most durable and versatile heroes. Nicki is currently inexperienced compared to the rest of the Fantastic Four, but with training, she could easily become the team's greatest asset.

The Thing's Daughter Is Ready to Fight Alongside the Fantastic Four

Nicki's Skrull Abilities Make Her a Promising New Superhero

In this issue's conclusion, once the dust settles from Nicki and Mole Man's fight, Nicki affirms her desire to follow in her father's footsteps as a hero. She tells the Thing that she wants to defend the planet she's come to call home, just as he and his teammates do. This sentiment lays the groundwork for her to eventually join the Fantastic Four as an official member. The Fantastic Four's future is brighter than ever with a powerhouse like Nicki in line to join their ranks, and the Earth will surely be in safe hands now that she's protecting it.

Fantastic Four #27 is available now from Marvel Comics.