If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.
Marvel’s new Fantastic Four horror comic is inspired by writer Benjamin Percy’s family history with a cult
“Caves and cults” is the vibe of Midnight Fantastic Four, written by Benjamin Percy
NewsbyJules Chin Greene, Staff Writer
Published on Sun Jul 26 2026
Popverse’s top stories
- Marvel unveils Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom voice—but still won’t show his face
- Watch the Chainsaw Man panel with Ryan Colt Levy, Derrick Snow, and Reagan Murdock from Florida Supercon 2026!
- Critical Role’s Laura Bailey recalls finding out she and Marisha Ray’s characters were married… on stage at a live show
The Fantastic Four are Marvel’s First Family, and are the very face of wholesomeness within Marvel Comics. And it’s apt that writer Benjamin Percy would take the FF to much darker waters in the upcoming Midnight Fantastic Four series launching this fall. One of three books set in the Midnight Universe, Midnight Fantastic Four will be a horror-focused take on the beloved group.
At Marvel’s Midnight Universe panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2026, Percy spoke about some of the inspirations for the horrors that lie ahead in the series.
“One of the things I am going to touch on is drawn from some personal history, in that, members of my family were in a cult. And so I grew up around that, and I’m channeling some of that unease [in Midnight Fantastic Four],” Percy said, when asked by a fan what themes will be explored in the series. Percy also emphasized that “cults and caves” will dominate Midnight Fantastic Four.
Several cults are famous for their “family” focus, like Charles Manson’s “Family” in the Los Angeles area in the 1960s. The most infamous Manson Family moment was the 1969 Tate-LaBianca murders, where pregnant actress Sharon Tate was murdered alongside two of her friends in 1969. So, keeping in mind the FF’s family reputation, it’s clear that Percy is digging deep for the series.
Midnight Fantastic Four #1 hits comic book shops on October 7, 2026.
Interested? Here’s where to find your closest local comic store, courtesy of Sweet, and here’s a guide to how (and where) to read comics online.
About Comic-Con International: San Diego
Comic-Con is the premier event for all things comics and related popular art, including movies, television, gaming, interactive multimedia, and so much more! Enjoy cosplay galore and take part in unique programming, exclusive previews, and presentations, not to mention the expansive and diverse Exhibit Hall featuring merchandise and displays representing all fandoms.
Dates
Location
Follow Popverse for upcoming event coverage and news
Jules Chin Greene: Jules Chin Greene is a journalist and Jack Kirby enthusiast. He has written about comics, video games, movies, and television for sites such as Nerdist, AIPT, and Multiverse of Color.
Let Popverse be your tour guide through the wilderness of pop culture
Sign in and let us help you find your new favorite thing.
More on Comic-Con International: San Diego
The 2026 Eisner Awards leak was real… now what?
Get ready for the most “upsetting” version of Doctor Octopus in Midnight Spider-Man
Marvel began by putting horror in the driver’s seat, superheroes in the back seat for its new Midnight Universe
I decoded the secret language on Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom jacket from Marvel Studios’ Hall H Avengers: Doomsday panel so you don’t have to
The Green Arrow story DC would’ve killed a decade ago is now one of its biggest Absolute successes
Scott Snyder thought DC’s Absolute Universe might fail. Instead, it changed comics
The hit horror comic franchise Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees is ending in 2027, and creator Patrick Horvath says its “bittersweet”
Reacher star Alan Ritchson says he is in “a lot of” talks with DC Studios about a big role, but its no longer Batman
