Featuring the following heroine!

Alicia Masters

by Sean Kleefeld

Real name: Alicia Masters

First appearance: Fantastic Four 8

Favorite quote: "We all matter! Every living being... Every bird and beast... This is our world! Ours! Perhaps we are not as powerful as Galactus... But we have hearts... We have souls... We live... Breathe... Feel! Can't you see that?? Are you as blind as I??" (Fantastic Four 49, as Alicia pleads with the Silver Surfer to save the Earth from destruction.)

Powers: Although she has no super powers and is, in fact, blind, Alicia has a great ability to sense and bring out the humanity and compassion in all beings she comes into contact with. Her sensitive sculptures have brought her world-wide fame as an artist.

Favorite storyline: Fantastic Four 48-50. As Galactus finds Earth suitable for consumption, Alicia happens upon a dazed Silver Surfer who brought Galactus to Earth and helps the Surfer regain his lost humanity. This storyline shows the glory of the human spirit in not just Alicia, but in nearly every character. A testament to the human condition. For similar reasons, Fantastic Four 66-67, where the sculptress aids the fledgling being that would eventually become Adam Warlock, is my favorite Alicia Masters story -- editor Jeanne

Least favorite storyline: Fantastic Four 8. When Alicia first appeared, she was very weak-willed and incredibly subservient to her step-father, the Puppet Master. For several years afterwards, she maintained her mild demeanor and did not begin to grow as a character until the Silver Surfer dropped through her skylight. Unfortunately, she often loses sight of her own importance and still slips into the background, both emotionally and physically, from time to time.

What this about Alica and Johnny Storm being married? Oh, that never happened. Alica was being impersonated by a Skrull, Lyja the Lazerfist, at the time of the wedding; it was a few years before anybody noticed the switch. Admittedly one of the oddest retconns that Marvel ever attempted, and probably the most reviled one of the last few years until That Clone Thing happened in the Spidey books...