Everyone from bubble-bath manufacturers to Michael Jackson have tried to cash in on the Beatles, and toons have never steered clear of any trend that might make a few bucks. A Beatles cartoon ran Saturday mornings-- before The Yellow Submarine-- during the 60s, and Marvel told the band's story in graphic-novel form in the 1970s. It's not surprising, then, that Marvel's Fantastic Four met the Fab Four in 1964. What is surprising is how low-key that event was. It happened in a Strange Tales back-up story. The Thing and the Torch find their responsibilities as super-heroes constantly thwarting their attempts to see the rock 'n' roll combo perform in New York. Only half the FF appear, while John, Paul, George, and Ringo garner only a cameo.

The Beatles also attended the 1965 wedding of the Fantastic Four's Reed Richards and Sue Storm, shown recreated below by Alex Ross (with text by Kurt Busiek) for Marvels. Other celebrities, real and imaginary, may be found among the crowd here and in the original comic.

Below is Jack Kirby's depiction of the same moment. Despite the narrator's insistence that things went smoothly, the original comic tells a different tale. Reed and Sue's, like most weddings, had its share of behind-the-scenes turmoil.

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