Four Freedoms Plaza is a fictional structure appearing in
American comic books published by
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
. It is depicted as being located in the
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
of the
Marvel Universe; it served as the replacement headquarters for the
Fantastic Four when their original dwelling, the
Baxter Building
The Baxter Building is a fictitious 35-story office building appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The building is depicted in Manhattan, and its five upper floors house the Fantastic Four's headquarters.
Publication hist ...
, was destroyed by
Kristoff Vernard
Kristoff Vernard (formerly known as Kristoff von Doom and Dr. Doom) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The adoptive son of Victor von Doom and biological son of Nathaniel Richards (and half-brot ...
, the adoptive son of
Doctor Doom. It is located at
42nd Street and
Madison Avenue in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
. The title of the building comes from a
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
speech urging the
Congress of the United States
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Wash ...
to enter
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. In it Roosevelt outlined the
four freedoms
The Four Freedoms were goals articulated by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt on Monday, January 6, 1941. In an address known as the Four Freedoms speech (technically the 1941 State of the Union address), he proposed four fundamental freed ...
the world would enjoy if it united together to defeat the
Axis Power
The Axis powers, ; it, Potenze dell'Asse ; ja, 枢軸国 ''Sūjikukoku'', group=nb originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis, was a military coalition that initiated World War II and fought against the Allies. Its principal members were Na ...
.
Publication history
Four Freedoms Plaza first appeared in ''
Fantastic Four'' #296 (November 1986). It is unknown who designed it; since the building debuted shortly after the end of
John Byrne's run on ''Fantastic Four'', many fans assumed that he designed it, but Byrne has stated that his design for the Fantastic Four's new headquarters was completely different than that of Four Freedoms Plaza, being a simple recycling of his design for the
LexCorp tower.
Four Freedoms Plaza received an entry in the ''
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89'' #3.
Fictional history
By the time of the original Baxter Building's destruction,
Reed Richards
Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) is a superhero character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member, and the leader, of the Fantastic Four. Richards has a mastery of mechanical, aerospace and ...
, brilliant scientist and leader of the Fantastic Four, had already begun to realize that his increasing amount of inventions and equipment was taking up all of the team's available space. After
Kristoff Vernard
Kristoff Vernard (formerly known as Kristoff von Doom and Dr. Doom) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The adoptive son of Victor von Doom and biological son of Nathaniel Richards (and half-brot ...
sent the building into space and obliterated it, Reed had the perfect opportunity to rethink his approach to their living space. The result: Four Freedoms Plaza, a 1500', 100 story building of advanced composites, concrete, and glass, designed to Richards's specifications. The top section was built to show the numeral 4 on each side. Of the 100 floors, the top 50 belong to the team, while the bottom 50 belong to the former tenants of the Baxter Building. Reed, realizing the obvious inconvenience of a
supervillain destroying your home, offered the tenants increased space under their old terms, including their 99-year leases.
The 'four section' floors were obliterated by an evil double of Reed Richards during the ''
Infinity War
''Avengers: Infinity War'' is a 2018 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the sequel to '' The Avengers'' ( ...
'' event. Only a combination of powers by Invisible Woman and a version of Thor saved lives and the rest of the building.
When the mutant threat
Onslaught
Onslaught may refer to:
Characters
* Onslaught (Marvel Comics), a Marvel Comics supervillain
* Onslaught (DC Comics), a DC Comics team of Quraci terrorists
* Onslaught (Transformers), the leader of the Combaticons in the ''Transformers'' series
...
unleashed an army of
Sentinel
Sentinel may refer to:
Places Mountains
* Mount Sentinel, a mountain next to the University of Montana in Missoula, Montana
* Sentinel Buttress, a volcanic crag on James Ross Island, Antarctica
* Sentinel Dome, a naturally occurring grani ...
s against New York City, the Fantastic Four teamed with others of Earth's mightiest
superheroes to face the threat. Many of the heroes, including the Four, seemingly sacrificed themselves to save the city (as well as saving Reed and Susan Richards's son
Franklin
Franklin may refer to:
People
* Franklin (given name)
* Franklin (surname)
* Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class
Places Australia
* Franklin, Tasmania, a township
* Division of Franklin, federal electoral d ...
, whose incredible power Onslaught wanted to combine with his own). This was not the case, however, as Franklin used his powers to create an
alternate universe where the Four unknowingly relived their lives.
With Reed Richards presumed dead, the United States government took steps to seize control of Four Freedoms Plaza and confiscate all of Reed's vastly superior scientific equipment, in accordance with the government's self-serving interpretation of the terms of Reed's will. However, the Fantastic Four's surviving allies did not want the military to gain control of the equipment. Thus, Reed's father
Nathaniel Richards (with the assistance of Kristoff Vernard) secretly jettisoned all of it into the
Negative Zone
The Negative Zone is a fictional setting, an antimatter universe appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The location is depicted in various publications from Marvel, most frequently in ''Fantastic Four'' and '' Captain Mar ...
.
Subsequently, longtime
Avengers foes the
Masters of Evil
The Masters of Evil is a supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first version of the team appeared in '' The Avengers'' #6 (July 1964), with the lineup continually changing over the years.
Publication ...
(in the guise of the
Thunderbolts, a new superhero team) took over residence of the building, and eventually destroyed it. Upon returning from the alternate reality with Franklin, the Fantastic Four were forced to move into their Manhattan warehouse along the
Hudson River
The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...
, nicknamed "Pier 4". Eventually Reed Richards and an inventor named Noah Baxter built a new Baxter Building in space, and moved it to the location of the former Baxter Building, which remains the Fantastic Four's current headquarters.
Today, the name "Four Freedoms Plaza" is sometimes cited as an alternate address for the Baxter Building.
[''Fantastic Four'' #528 (Aug. 2005)]
The alternate future of
Marvel 2099
Marvel 2099 is a Marvel Comics imprint, started in 1992, that was originally one possible future of the Marvel Universe, but later revealed in a climax of ''Superior Spider-Man Goblin Nation arc'' and ''Amazing Spider-Man'' Vol. 3 #14 to be the ...
still has a Four Freedoms Plaza. It is used by the corporation ''Stark-Fujikawa''.
Description
The building's outer walls and windows are constructed of advanced carbon-fiber composites, said to be nearly comparable in strength to diamond. Numerous small tubes run throughout the sections of the building occupied by the Fantastic Four, enabling Mister Fantastic to easily stretch to any floor or area. One elevator shaft has been deliberately left empty, to facilitate the Human Torch's rapid flight to and from the upper floors. There are a set of "breakaway points" above the 50th and 70th stories with built-in explosive charges, designed to separate the upper floors from the civilian-occupied lower floors, should anyone try to lift the building into orbit.
''(The following description of the building encompasses David Edward Martin's omitted section of
The Fantastic Four Compendium
''The Fantastic Four Compendium'' is a Superhero role-playing game supplement published by TSR in 1987 for the '' Marvel Super Heroes'' role-playing game.
Contents
''The Fantastic Four Compendium'' is a supplement describing the Fantastic Four ...
. Please see below source)''
Of the 100 story building:
*Floors 1 through 50 belong to the former tenants of the Baxter Building (e.g.
Quasar).
*Floors 51-70 are "buffer floors", where the tenants do not have 99 year leases. Reed has left this space available in case the team expands or grows and needs more space.
**Floors 71-100 serve as the headquarters for the team. The layout of the floors is essentially the same as that of the Baxter Building.
**Floor 71 is a reception area where the team's robot
Roberta
''Roberta'' is a musical from 1933 with music by Jerome Kern, and lyrics and book by Otto Harbach. The musical is based on the novel ''Gowns by Roberta'' by Alice Duer Miller. It features the songs " Yesterdays", "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", "Let ...
acts as both a receptionist and a guardian for the rest of the building.
**Floor 72 acts as an inn where guests of the team can stay. Two suites maintained solely for aquatic visitors (such as
Atlanteans
As an adjective, Atlantean (or Atlantian) means "of or pertaining to Atlas or Atlantis".
Atlantean may also refer to:
* Atlantean figures, a type of ancient artifacts
* ''Atlantean'' (documentary series), a trilogy of TV films discussing the or ...
) are accessible from pool entrances. These pools can also be used as aquatic conference rooms, and each suite has a different type of water: one fresh water and one salt water. A watertight elevator connects these suites with the river access tunnel on Sublevel 5.
**Floors 73-75 are the team's living quarters. Besides the four members of the team the floor also accommodated
Alicia Masters
Alicia Reiss Masters is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is usually depicted as a supporting character to the superheroes the Fantastic Four and Silver Surfer. Created by Stan Lee and Jack ...
(later revealed to be the
Skrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Skrulls first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. They originated fro ...
Lyja
Lyja is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. A Skrull, she possesses the ability to shapeshift into almost any humanoid or animal form. Modifications on her body give her the power to generate energy ...
),
Crystal
A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macro ...
,
Ms. Marvel II,
Wyatt Wingfoot, and
She-Hulk among others. There was also a kitchen, pantry, spa, two gyms (one for normal strength levels, the other for super-strong users), a large library, and a computerized classroom.
**Floors 76 and 77 function as the team's command center. Meeting rooms, communications stations, links to
Starcore and other astronomical organizations, and a computerized medical station are here.
**Floors 78-80 are storage for miscellaneous supplies. These floors serve as future expansion space and as a buffer in case of a disaster in Reed's laboratory. Alicia claimed a section of 78 as a studio for the times she stayed in the building.
**Floors 81-99 act as Reed's laboratory and storage for his equipment. There is an identical workstation on each floor, enabling Reed to work on any floor. The workstation consists of computer terminals, communications console, and mechanical fabricators. None of these workstations is located overhead any other workstation and no three of them are in a straight line. This minimizes the risk of several stations being destroyed in a battle. The workstations were linked to each other and to a similar console in the Richards's home.
***Floors 90 and 91 contains the
Negative Zone
The Negative Zone is a fictional setting, an antimatter universe appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The location is depicted in various publications from Marvel, most frequently in ''Fantastic Four'' and '' Captain Mar ...
Portal. The Portal is in a heavily armored room with walls of strongly reinforced material.
***Floors 98 and 99 serve as warehouse and machine shops. They support the hangar on 100 and act as a buffer to absorb damage from possible hangar disasters. Fuel tanks for the FF's vehicles are on 99.
**Floor 100 is the FF's hangar. It fills the space under the four immense ''fours'' that top the building.
*The building's foundation reaches 150' into the Manhattan bedrock. There are ten floors there. Sublevels 1-2 are used by the building's maintenance staff. Sublevels 3-4 contain the freight docks and tenant warehouse facilities. A railroad spur enable large masses of freight to be moved in or out without the need to deal with the impenetrable Manhattan traffic. Sublevels 5-15 are restricted to the Fantastic Four. These floors contain special devices and support facilities for floors 71-100. Sublevel 5 contains the water-filled conduit that reach the
Hudson River
The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...
; this permits aquatic visitors to directly reach the complex without suffering the indignity of having to swim through the NYC sewer system.
In other media
In season 2 of ''
Fantastic Four'', the team replaces the Baxter building for the Four Freedoms Plaza after it was destroyed.
See also
*
Freedom of speech
*
Freedom of worship
Freedom of religion or religious liberty is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance. It also includes the freedo ...
*
Freedom from want
*
Freedom from fear
Freedom from fear is listed as a fundamental human right according to The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. On January 6, 1941, United States President of the United States, President Franklin D. Roosevelt called it one of the "Four Freedoms ...
References
Other sources
*''
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
The ''Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe'' is an encyclopedic guide which details the fictional universe featured in Marvel Comics publications. The original 15-volume series was published in comic book format in 1982, followed by sporadic ...
'' Update '89
*''
Marvel Super Heroes:'' The Fantastic Four Compendium
{{Fantastic Four
Marvel Comics locations
Fantastic Four
Fictional buildings and structures originating in comic books
Fictional elements introduced in 1986