Alicia Masters

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caption=The Thing (left) tries to rescue Alicia Masters on the cover to "The Fantastic Four" #66 (Sept 1967).
Art by Jack Kirby
comic_color=background:#ff8080
character_name=Alicia Masters
publisher=Marvel Comics
debut="The Fantastic Four" #8 (Nov 1962)
creators=Stan Lee
Jack Kirby
full_name=Alicia Masters
status=Inactive
supports=Fantastic Four
relatives=Phillip Masters (Puppet Master, father)|

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).

Alicia 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.cite book | last = Sanderson | first = Peter | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = The Marvel Comics Guide to New York City | publisher = Pocket Books | date = 2007 | location = New York City | pages = 11 | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 1-14653-141-6] 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. Actress Kerry Washington portrays her in the 2005 film "Fantastic Four", and the 2007 sequel "".

Fictional character biography

Alicia is introduced in "The Fantastic Four" #8, along with her stepfather, 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 palpably monstrous face. Alicia turns on her stepfather 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 subsequently published 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.

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The character plays 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 Alicia's 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, Alicia falls in love with the dashing Human Torch, another member of the Fantastic Four. The Thing returns to unhappily attend their wedding.

However, a retroactive rewrite of the story published years later depicts the "Alicia Masters" that 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 later returns to Ben, but their reunion was short-lived due to the manipulations of the Puppet Master, and, with both having felt they'd moved on, they resolve to stay friends.

Alicia is frequently trusted as a babysitter for Franklin Richards, the son of Invisible Woman and Mr. Fantastic. During the year long period in which the FF were missing ("Heroes Reborn") Alicia is seen as his primary caretaker ("Thunderbolts" #2).

In the pages of "Defenders" the Silver Surfer briefly re-unites with Alicia, wishing she would accompany him once more.

After their breakup, Ben's newfound discovery of his vast fortune leads him to mingle with the rich, including a brief relationship with a starlet named Carlotta. At the end of his most recent solo series, Ben and Alicia are shown to be back together once again.

Alicia designed the memorial to Captain America. [See "Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America" #5 (July, 2007), page 3.]

Other versions

Earth X

In the alternate future of Earth X, Alicia has married Ben Grimm. They have two children, Buzz and Chuck, who have Ben's orange-rock skin. Like most of humanity, Alicia has been granted powers due to the release of a mutative agent.

Ultimate Alicia

The character was introduced into the modern revamp of the Fantastic Four, "Ultimate Fantastic Four", in issue #29, where she is a sculpture student at an arts college.

The End

This took place in an alternate future of the fantastic four where Franklin and Valeria were killed by a cyborg like Doctor Doom and The Fantastic Four have disbanded. Alicia is married to Ben Grimm and they have three children and live on Mars, where she uses her sculpture talents for terraforming

In other media

Television

Alicia made her animated debut in The 1982 Incredible Hulk cartoon. She appears in the episode "Bruce Banner: Unmasked" where her Stepfather gets control of the residents in Metro City, as well as The Hulk. She's the only person he doesn't make a puppet of.

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 new Fantastic Four animated series Alicia is portrayed as an African American woman and voiced by Sunita Prasad.

Film

In the unreleased 1994 film "The Fantastic Four", Masters was played by Kat Green.

She also appeared in the 2005 film "Fantastic Four", where she was played by Kerry Washington and was once again the love interest of the Thing after Ben's previous girlfriend left him because she couldn't cope with his new appearance. In a scene in Alicia's studio, Ben notes a number of puppets on the wall, which she says belong to her "stepfather". Washington reprised the role in the 2007 sequel, "", which gives the character a larger role than in the previous film. In contrast with Alicia's important role in the story of the Silver Surfer in "Fantastic Four" #49, the two characters do not interact in the film (In "Rise of the Silver Surfer", it is Susan Storm who successfully convinces the Surfer to rebel against Galactus).

Alicia is depicted as African-American in the official films, instead of her Caucasian appearance in the comics.

Video games

She also appeared in the game based on the movie (played by Cree Summer), 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.

Notes

External links

* [http://marvel.com/universe/Masters%2C_Alicia Alicia Masters on the Marvel universe Character Bio Wiki]
* [http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/2855/masters.html The Women of Marvel Comics Alicia Masters Page]