In this mini recap of Episode 40: Mr Fantastic and Stretching, the Rabbit Hole of Research crew — return to the basement studio to stretch out the implications of our Fantastic Four series finale on Reed Richards, a.k.a. Mr. Fantastic. Hosts Joe, Georgia, and Nick revisit the most mind-bending moments from Episode 40 and riff on the handwavium, elasticity, and bio-speculation behind one of Marvel’s most fascinating mutations. From real-life freakshow “Rubber Man” Clarence H. Alexander” to calorie math and the physics of Reed’s parachute trick, we connect pop culture, speculative biology, and a little cinematic critique. Plus, we offer a spoiler-free (and later spoiler-filled) take on the newest Fantastic Four film. Did the movie deliver on the stretchy science? Let’s just say… Reed went the distance.
Missed the full Fantastic Four science series? Catch up here before you hit the theater:
EP37: Sue Storm and Invisibility — With Nick Ulanowski
EP38: Ben Grimm and The Thing About Skin — With Jonathan Maberry
EP39: Johnny Storm and Spontaneous Combustion — With Dr. David Pincus
EP40: Mr. Fantastic and Stretching — With Dr. Maria Dowell, MD
It’s science, it’s fiction, it’s science for weirdos.
And don’t forget to Pre-order: Red Line: Chicago Horror Stories Anthology featuring a new story by Joe!
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Stay curious, stay speculative, stay safe, and we’ll catch you in the next rabbit hole. Love Y'all!
Future Episodes & Events:
EP41: Crimes Through Time (Aug 6) — With author Lee Matthew Goldberg
EP42: Broken Futures: Trauma and the Human Condition (Aug 20) — With author Ben Tanzer
EP43: Animal Swarms (Sep 3) — With science communicator Josh Fisher
EP44: H20MG: Lake Michigan, Life, and Everything in Between (Sep 17) — With author and activist Maud Lavin
Events:
Joe at Dragon Con – Aug 28–Sep 1:
Joe appears as an Attending Professional at Dragon Con in Atlanta. Come talk comics, body horror, or biophysics at the panels!
Links, Resources, and Topics Mentioned in mini and/or full episode:
Real-Life “Rubber Man” Clarence H. Alexander: Tattoo Mae Vandermark’s circus companion
Handwavium Physics: Elasticity, parachuting, fluid dynamics in the body
Film reference: Fantastic Four (2025) and discussion of Earth-828
Cultural references: The Incredibles, Silver Surfer, Galactus, Elastic Girl, and more
Science & Fiction Connections in Episodes
Human Elasticity Limits: Exploring how far human skin, muscle, and connective tissue can stretch before breaking—backed by real cases of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and circus contortionists.
Caloric Cost of Superpowers: How many Big Macs would Reed Richards need to fuel 1,500 feet of stretch? (Spoiler: A LOT.)
Biomechanics of Stretching vs. Strength: Reed’s power-to-weight ratio would plummet as he stretches—resulting in less strength and control at great lengths.
Fictional Physiology: Could a non-Newtonian extracellular matrix, hydrostatic skeleton, or fractal bone lattice explain Mr. Fantastic’s ability?
Cinematic Parallels: Comparing how the newest Fantastic Four movie treated stretching, pregnancy, invisibility, combustion, and emotional depth versus previous iterations and The Incredibles.
Images From the Basement Studio:
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