Reading The Multiverse: A Marvel Comics Journey

Earth's Mightiest Nerds
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Reading the Multiverse: A Marvel Comics Journey, explores the characters and the tales that built the Marvel Universe, issue by issue through Marvel’s comic history, starting with Fantastic Four #1. Hosted by Joe from Muscles & The Multiverse, each episode blends story, commentary, and laid-back humor for a quick ride through Marvel’s ever-evolving world, from its cosmic beginnings to its modern chaos. As a mostly first-time reader, Joe shares honest reactions to the art, writing, characters, the moments that still hold up, the ones that haven’t aged so well, and the surprises that make Marvel’s history so much fun to revisit. Whether you’re an MCU fan who wants to know the source material or a lifelong comic reader up for a nostalgic re-read, this podcast brings you the stories, art, and chaos that shaped the Marvel Universe, one era & run at a time.

  1. S1E13: Fantastic Four #47-50 - The Galactus Trilogy

    4D AGO

    S1E13: Fantastic Four #47-50 - The Galactus Trilogy

    Send Joe a message through the Negative Zone In this episode of Reading The Multiverse: A Marvel Comics Journey, Joe covers one of the most well-known Fantastic Four arcs in all of comics, the Galactus Trilogy.  However, the episode does start off with wrapping things up, sort of, regarding meeting the Inhumans for the first time.  From there we get introduced to the Silver Surfer and Galactus and the existential cosmic threat they bring to Earth.  Stories Covered In This Episode Fantastic Four 47, Beware The Hidden Land written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Joe Sinnot, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four 48, The Coming Of Galactus!, written by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Joe Sinnot, Colored by Stan Goldberg, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four 49, If This Be Doomsday!, written by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Joe Sinnot, Colored by Stan Goldberg, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Fantastic Four 50, The Startling Saga of the Silver Surfer!, written by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Joe Sinnot, Colored by Stan Goldberg, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Resources, Episodes, & Links Mentioned In This Episode: Join the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Discord Channel by signing up for the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Newsletter (completely free and I promise you won't be spammed!)Check out Joe with more Marvel content on YouTubeConnect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on ThreadsConnect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Instagram

    25 min
  2. S1E12: Fantastic Four #43-46 & Annual 3: Reed & Sue's Wedding & The Inhumans Arrive

    JAN 26

    S1E12: Fantastic Four #43-46 & Annual 3: Reed & Sue's Wedding & The Inhumans Arrive

    Send Joe a message through the Negative Zone In this episode of Reading the Multiverse, I go over Fantastic Four #43-46 and Annual 3, where we have the event we've all been waiting for, the wedding of Reed and Sue.  We also wrap up the Frightful Four arc we've been going over and we get the formal introduction to the Inhumans including Black Bolt. Stories Covered In This Episode Fantastic Four 43, Lo! There Shall be an Ending!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Vince Colleta, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four 44, The Gentleman's Name is Gorgon!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Joe Sinnot, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Fantastic Four 45, Among Us Hide... The Inhumans, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Joe Sinnot, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four 46, Those Who Would Destroy Us, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Joe Sinnot, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four Annual 3, Story A - Bedlam at the Baxter Building!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Vince Colleta, Colored by Stan Goldberg, and Lettered by Artie Simek Resources, Episodes, & Links Mentioned In This Episode: Join the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Discord Channel by signing up for the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Newsletter (completely free and I promise you won't be spammed!)Check out the podcast on YouTubeConnect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on ThreadsConnect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Instagram

    33 min
  3. S1E11: Fantastic Four #39-42 - Daredevil, Doom, & Ben Leaves The Team

    JAN 19

    S1E11: Fantastic Four #39-42 - Daredevil, Doom, & Ben Leaves The Team

    Send Joe a message through the Negative Zone In this episode of Reading the Multiverse, I go over Fantastic Four #39-42, where we see the Fantastic Four lose their powers, Doctor Doom strikes when they’re most vulnerable, and Daredevil unexpectedly steps in to guide the team through chaos. Also, Ben Grim walks away and the Frightful Four strike back making this stretch of issues where Stan Lee and Jack Kirby decided to trade neat endings for brutal cliffhangers that keep stacking. Stories Covered In This Episode Fantastic Four 39, A Blind Man Shall Lead Them!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Frank Giacoia and Wally Wood, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four 40, The Battle of the Baxter Building, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Vince Colletta, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four 41, The Brutal Betrayal of Ben Grimm, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Vince Colletta, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Fantastic Four 42, To Save You, Why Must I Kill You?, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Vince Colletta, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Resources, Episodes, & Links Mentioned In This Episode: Join the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Discord Channel by signing up for the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Newsletter (completely free and I promise you won't be spammed!)Check out the podcast on YouTubeConnect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on ThreadsConnect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Instagram

    25 min
  4. S1E10: Fantastic Four #35-38 - The Frightful Four, Reed Proposes, & Skrull Revenge

    JAN 12

    S1E10: Fantastic Four #35-38 - The Frightful Four, Reed Proposes, & Skrull Revenge

    Send Joe a message through the Negative Zone In this episode of Reading the Multiverse, I go over Fantastic Four #35-38, a stretch packed with big changes as Reed and Sue get engaged, new villains debut, and Marvel’s universe starts colliding in unexpected ways. From Dragon Man, to Skrull politics, and the debut of the Frightful Four, this episode highlights how much of Marvel’s future is quietly being set up. Stories Covered In This Episode Fantastic Four 35, Calamity on the Campus, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Chic Stone, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four 36, The Frightful Four, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Chic Stone, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four 37, Behold! A Distant Star!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Chic Stone, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four 38, Defeated by the Frightful Four!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Chic Stone, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Resources, Episodes, & Links Mentioned In This Episode: Join the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Discord Channel by signing up for the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Newsletter (completely free and I promise you won't be spammed!)Check out the podcast on YouTubeConnect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on ThreadsConnect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Instagram

    24 min
  5. S1E9: Fantastic Four #31-34 - The Storm Family Tragedy & An Atlantean War

    JAN 5

    S1E9: Fantastic Four #31-34 - The Storm Family Tragedy & An Atlantean War

    Send Joe a message through the Negative Zone In this episode of Reading the Multiverse, I go over Fantastic Four #31–34 where we learn about Sue and Johnny’s family history, the team faces the Invincible Man, they help Namor in his Atlantean war, and a billionaire nearly tears the team apart. Stories Covered In This Episode Fantastic Four 31, The Mad Menace of the Macabre Mole Man, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Chic Stone, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Fantastic Four 32, Death of a Hero!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Chic Stone, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Fantastic Four 33, Side-By-Side with Sub-Mariner!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Chic Stone, Colored by Stan Goldberg, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four 34, A House Divided!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Chic Stone, and Lettered by Artie Simek Resources, Episodes, & Links Mentioned In This Episode: Join the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Discord Channel by signing up for the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Newsletter (completely free and I promise you won't be spammed!)Check out the podcast on YouTubeConnect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on ThreadsConnect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Instagram

    26 min
  6. S1E8: Fantastic Four #28-30 & Annual 2 - Origin of Doctor Doom & X-Men Chaos

    12/29/2025

    S1E8: Fantastic Four #28-30 & Annual 2 - Origin of Doctor Doom & X-Men Chaos

    Send Joe a message through the Negative Zone In this episode of Reading the Multiverse, I go over Fantastic Four #28-30 and Annual #2 where the team clashes with the original X-Men, revisits old enemies, meets Diablo for the first time, and we finally uncover the tragic origin of Doctor Doom. Stories Covered In This Episode Fantastic Four 28, We Have To Fight The X-Men!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Chic Stone, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four 29, It Started On Yancy Street!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Chic Stone, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Fantastic Four 30, The Dreaded Diablo!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Chic Stone, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four Annual 2, Origin of Doctor Doom!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Chic Stone, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Fantastic Four Annual 2, The Final Victory of Doctor Doom!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Chic Stone, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Resources, Episodes, & Links Mentioned In This Episode: Join the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Discord Channel by signing up for the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Newsletter (completely free and I promise you won't be spammed!)Check out the podcast on YouTubeConnect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on ThreadsConnect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Instagram

    29 min
  7. S1E7: Fantastic Four #24-27 - Hulk vs The Thing, Avengers Team-Up, & Namor Kidnaps Sue

    12/22/2025

    S1E7: Fantastic Four #24-27 - Hulk vs The Thing, Avengers Team-Up, & Namor Kidnaps Sue

    Send Joe a message through the Negative Zone In this episode of Reading the Multiverse, I go over Fantastic Four #24-27, where we get a reality-warping alien baby causing havoc, the Hulk wages war on New York, the Avengers team-up and sort of collide with the Fantastic Four, and the love triangle between Namor, Sue, and Reed gets deeper. Stories Covered In This Episode Fantastic Four 24, The Infant Terrible!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by George Bell, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Fantastic Four 25, The Hulk vs The Thing, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by George Bell, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Fantastic Four 26, The Avengers Take Over!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by George Bell, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four 27, The Search for Sub-Mariner!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by George Bell, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Resources, Episodes, & Links Mentioned In This Episode: Join the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Discord Channel by signing up for the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Newsletter (completely free and I promise you won't be spammed!)Check out the podcast on YouTubeConnect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on ThreadsConnect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Instagram

    26 min
  8. S1E6: Fantastic Four #20-23: Sue Storm's Power Upgrade & Doom's Master Plan

    12/15/2025

    S1E6: Fantastic Four #20-23: Sue Storm's Power Upgrade & Doom's Master Plan

    Send Joe a message through the Negative Zone In this episode of Reading the Multiverse, I go over Fantastic Four #20-23, introducing Molecule Man, tackling Marvel’s most overtly political story yet with the Hatemonger, expanding Sue Storm’s powers in a big way, and bringing Doctor Doom back with another elaborate master plan. Stories Covered In This Episode Fantastic Four 20, The Mysterious Molecule Man!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by Dick Ayers, Colored by Stan Goldberg, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four 21, The Hate-Monger!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by George Roussos, and Lettered by Artie Simek Fantastic Four 22, The Return of Mole Man!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by George Bell, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Fantastic Four 23, The Master Plan of Doctor Doom!, written by Stan Lee, Penciled by Jack Kirby, Inked by George Bell, and Lettered by Sam Rosen Resources, Episodes, & Links Mentioned In This Episode: Join the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Discord Channel by signing up for the Earth's Mightiest Nerds Newsletter (completely free and I promise you won't be spammed!)S1E1: Fantastic Four #1-4 - The Birth of the Marvel & MCU RevolutionS1E2: Fantastic Four #5-8 - The First Appearance of Doctor DoomS1E3: Fantastic Four #9-12 - Dr Doom Returns, Namor Schemes, and The Incredible HulkS1E4: Fantastic Four #13-16 - Dr. Doom Is Back, Red Ghost, & The Mad ThinkerS1E5: Fantastic Four #17-19 & Annual 1: Namor Declares War, Skrulls Return, & Doom's Got TricksCheck out the podcast on YouTubeConnect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on ThreadsConnect with Joe (musclesandthemultiverse) on Instagram

    26 min
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About

Reading the Multiverse: A Marvel Comics Journey, explores the characters and the tales that built the Marvel Universe, issue by issue through Marvel’s comic history, starting with Fantastic Four #1. Hosted by Joe from Muscles & The Multiverse, each episode blends story, commentary, and laid-back humor for a quick ride through Marvel’s ever-evolving world, from its cosmic beginnings to its modern chaos. As a mostly first-time reader, Joe shares honest reactions to the art, writing, characters, the moments that still hold up, the ones that haven’t aged so well, and the surprises that make Marvel’s history so much fun to revisit. Whether you’re an MCU fan who wants to know the source material or a lifelong comic reader up for a nostalgic re-read, this podcast brings you the stories, art, and chaos that shaped the Marvel Universe, one era & run at a time.

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