Explosion of Creativity

Kirby was easily the most creative man who ever worked in superhero comics. Nobody else even comes close to the level he established.

But when he was working at Marvel Comics, he went through a burst of creativity on the FANTASTIC FOUR title that is hard to grasp, creating a wealth of characters for the company that are still being utilized and capitalized today, decades after they appeared as supposedly secondary supporting cast.

During this time he created The Inhumans; Galactus; the Silver Surfer; the Black Panther; Wyatt Wingfoot; and HIM (aka Adam Warlock). This roughly two-year explosion of creativity only stopped when his editor intentionally wrecked the dialog for his two-story "HIM" arc in FF 66-67. Thereafter, Kirby pretty much stopped creating new characters for the company and stuck to the ones he'd already done.

Kirby had previously introduced the mysterious Medusa back in FF #36. Little did the readers know that she was part of the group that they would see revealed as the Inhumans, rivaling the Earth's mightiest superheroes in sheer power. The first of Kirby's amazing new creations during a roughly two-year stretch on the title.

The final part of the Galactus/Surfer arc and also features the introduction of Wyatt Wingfoot! Kirby was a real mensch when it came to being inclusive of all races within Marvel's flagship title.

Part One of the "HIM" story. Kirby had intended it as a statement on, and an indictment of, Ayn Rand's insane so-called "philosophy" of Objectivism. But his editor, the publisher's nephew and permanent shill, wrecked it by wrecking the dialog in a stupid attempt to change the intent of the story.

Subsequent symbolism.