Thread by @Exalted_Speed

So this is one of the most INFAMOUS costumes of all time, but like many things we make fun of there is a STORY behind it, and today I will tell you that story.

Back during the 90's Tom Delfalco and artist Paul Ryan came in on FF, talking to editor Ralph Machio they laid out a long term idea of the FF that the run would try to subvert readers expectations and bunch of it was going to be laid on Sue Storm.

the idea was to help SHAKE up the dynamics of the team, and Sue would be used in a couple ways the long term plan was she was GOING to become the leader of the FF while Reed was "dead" for a long time and he would come back and that would CAUSE conflict.

Another aspect was that while Sue is a really attractive women to most of the readers they did not see her that sexually for a lot of people they saw her as a mom and to shock readers it was decided she needed a sexy make over.

Yes Image comics was a factor in the idea, look in the 90's BEING bombastic was the trend for better or for worse and since the books was going to make Sue the Major focus it was decided she needed to have an attention getting costume.

During the John Byrne run of FF Marvel established the darker personality of Sue Malice, using this springboard for the story they decided have her be more or less the cause of Sue's...very radical decision

During the events of the Infinity War Crossover Sue has a mental battle in her mind against the Malice personality and ABSORBS her into herself....

a lot of people who talk about this costume often SAY the Malice stuff was added later to EXPLAIN it but no it was there from beginning, Sue absorbed Malice and this caused her to be authoritative and bombastic.

and so in issue 371 we get the costume, the whole Malice bonding now means Sue is like fuck you Reed I'm sexy and I'm not afraid, trying to take the confidence in sexuality approach.

But yeah even early there is clear long term storytelling here with everyone noticing she's changed. Even her witch nanny notices.

You know looking at this costume now and the story behind this it was the fucking Sybiote Spider-man story that made him more aggressive that everyone assumes happened in the comics but no it didn't.

Again this was about turning dyamics on their head, and this scene doesn't work for me, but I get the idea, we want to show that Sue isn't just the mom, she's tough, and won't back down because in a couple issues...

Reed is going to die, and Doctor Doom would also be ousted from the title for a bit, this came from again wanting to shake up the title and WHILE they never planned on them staying dead, it would have Sue take over as leader.

The Malice stuff comes to a head before that, with Agatha Harkness trying to tell the fuck you doing and deciding to give Franklin over to his gradpa so he can be a future teen for a while. Because Sue is a bad mother now.

Here's the thing the creators were on Sue side, they really wanted to show she was more then what maybe typical readers thought, and I get the idea there is good intention here in the miasma of comic melodrama that is this story.

but I do think the attempts at shock value keep the story from reaching it's full potential, a bit too much happens and some of the story ideas take away from it being more mature, because Sue dealing with a dark side is not a bad idea. But it's a bit all over

Then Reed died, while I'm trying to focus this on Sue, you have to understand this era was a huge drama bomb for the team, Johhny was on trial and the Thing got his face fucked up and Now Reed is dead.

the creators plan from here was to slow build this story, Reed was not going to be back for a while with a bunch of fakes out along the way to have the team settle into the Sue is leader now role.

a big problem is that, reading it Sue is only ever shown in one mode while intended to add more dimension her constant anger is kind of grating, and it's been almost a year of stories where she is just this

But at this point the adjustment is getting made, Sue starts to step up and show how much she cares for her team or should I say family and while this run is flawed I can see the idea of the story the good of it, it's just mired in some poor choices

still this where we get to the last appearances of the costume Franklin who is from the future trying....look you know cable? Anyway he thinks his mom will destroy the future and so looks into her mind....

To Sum this up Franklin from the future absorbs Malice into himself saving Sue from her influence but at the cost of Franklin now thinking he's the evil one, whatever the case this would end the whole Sue is kind of evil thing

Now Namor joins and in a couple issues the costume gets switched out for this one. Now it should noted the costume was NOT popular, while it does have a bit of fanbase now at the time a lot of people just thought....it didn't fit her.

and honestly I think this was the better take on Sexy Sue, it has that appeal but isn't so over the top it feels out of place, the FF have kind of a family vibe going and while there are aspects to like on the other one it's just always trying too hard.

The costume was never worn as her main look after, and for many fans it's looked as kind of try hard. And honestly it was, it was a attempt to show that Sue was more then you thought of her, but along the way they forgot to show the reasons people do like her.