Fantastic Fifth

Who knew? In the beginning they were the Fantastic Five. Archie Gluck was the odd man out in those early pilot issues that never went to press. But, oh! the storyboards!

Archie was "Reader" - equipped with the Mask of Knowing. Nothing escaped his observation, armed as he was with the ability to read minds and portents alike. Quite a handy guy to have around. Only the Human Torch didn't see it that way. Johnnie Storm didn't like having his mind read. Blank as it was, it projected nothing that could be gleaned, which is why Reader never saw that tossed flame bolt coming.