Legend has it that the publisher of Marvel, Martin Goodman, was golfing with the publisher of DC, Harry Donenfeld when the conversation turned to comic books. The DC publisher was bragging about how well this fantastic new team book Justice League of America was selling. Goodman went back to the office and told Stan Lee to work up a superhero team book for his comic line. Stan got together with Jack Kirby and created the Fabulous Four. Goodman overrides Lee on the name and the team became the Fantastic Four. This story has many versions, with each participant telling a different version of the story. However, that is the essential version of the origin of one of the world’s greatest team. The actual participants were more than likely a high ranking manger in the distribution end golfing with someone from Marvel, not the actual owner. Still, it sounds so nice. There are those who would say that the Silver Age itself should actually begin with this title and this very issue. The characters were mostly original and they wore no costumes, (for the first two issues). They were outside of the superhero norm in that they had no secret identities and operated in full view of the public, so they were stylistically different from the regular conventions. The Fantastic Four was Marvel’s first real superhero team to appear since the Golden Age. This is also the first Silver Age appearance of the Human Torch. This book includes the first appearance of the Mole-Men in the Marvel Universe. The pages are off-white. The book is CGC-certified VF 8.0.