While conducting his in-depth study of Daredevil’s media appearances for this week's Weekend Animation, The Film Buff examines the Fantastic Four animated series' Season 2 premiere, "And a Blind Man Shall Lead Them." However, the real takeaway from this episode isn’t what you might expect. Is Marvel overlooking this accessible yet compelling character during a booming era for comic book adaptations?
More about this series and episode.
FANTASTIC FOUR – THE CARTOON YOU (KIND OF) FORGOT!
Before X-Men: The Animated Series and Spider-Man stole the '90s cartoon spotlight, Marvel threw their first family onto the small screen with Fantastic Four—a show that had one rough start but managed to pull off an epic comeback. Running from 1994 to 1996, this series was part of the Marvel Action Hour alongside Iron Man, and while it didn’t set the world on fire (except maybe when Johnny yelled “Flame On!”), it gave us some killer classic comic adaptations—especially in Season 2.
SEASON 1: WHAT WENT WRONG?
Picture this: weirdly stiff animation, cringe-worthy dialogue, and more camp than a summer retreat. If you ever wanted to hear The Thing rattle off one-liners like he was auditioning for a bad stand-up gig, Season 1 was your jam. Fans weren’t exactly clobberin’ their way to praise it, but the potential was there.
SEASON 2: NOW WE'RE TALKIN’!
Cue the glow-up! The second season got a total overhaul, ditching the cheese for serious storytelling, improved animation, and a focus on classic comic arcs. One of the biggest standouts? The season premiere, featuring none other than Marvel’s favorite blind lawyer—Daredevil!
"AND A BLIND MAN SHALL LEAD THEM" (SEASON 2, EP. 1)
Based on Fantastic Four #39-40 (1965) by Stan "The Man" Lee and Jack "King" Kirby, this episode is a true-blue Marvel throwback that packs action, drama, and a touch of legal consultation from Matt Murdock.
THE PLOT:
After getting wrecked by Doctor Doom, the Fantastic Four lose their powers thanks to a nasty energy blast. No stretching, no invisibility, no rock-smashing—just four regular humans with a serious supervillain problem.
With the Baxter Building under siege, Reed Richards does what any genius would do—call a blind lawyer for help. Enter Daredevil, who proves that you don’t need sight to throw hands. Using a combo of street smarts and insane agility, Matt helps the team stay in the fight until they can reclaim their powers and put Doom back in his place.
WHY THIS EPISODE ROCKS:
🔥 Daredevil Gets Animated! – Long before Charlie Cox suited up in Daredevil on Netflix, this was one of the few times Matt Murdock showed up in animation. And he wasn’t just a cameo—he was the MVP of the episode.
🧠 Reed Proves Why He’s the Smartest Guy in the Room – Even without his stretchy powers, Reed strategizes his way out of Doom’s trap. Who needs superpowers when you’ve got big brain energy?
👑 Doctor Doom Doing What He Does Best – The man doesn’t waste a second taking over the Baxter Building. Doom stays winning—until he doesn’t.
🎬 A Sign of Things to Come – This episode set the tone for the more mature, comic-accurate second season, proving that Fantastic Four could hang with the best of ‘em.
FINAL VERDICT:
Fantastic Four (1994-1996) may not have hit the same legendary status as X-Men or Batman: The Animated Series, but if you skipped out after Season 1’s cheesefest, Season 2 is worth a revisit. And if you're a Daredevil fan? This episode is a must-watch.
Now the real question—why wasn’t Marvel using Daredevil more in this golden era of cartoons? Missed opportunity or just bad timing? Sound off, true believers! 🚀
