A continuation of the Fantastic Four, the team was initially composed of the Human Torch, his wife Ms. Fantastic/Lyja (a Skrull), the Thing, Big Brain (Reed Richards' remote-controlled robotic body), and Psi-Lord (Franklin Richards, Sue and Reed's son).

The Fantastic Five first appeared in What If #105 (February 1998), an issue that focused on Spider-Girl, the daughter of Spider-Man.

Spider-Girl became popular and was given her own series, along with the other characters in the MC2 universe (including the Fantastic Five).

In the first series, "Big Brain" is a drone controlled from the Negative Zone, where Sue Storm is held in stasis, with her powers are holding back a breach in reality.

In Spider-Girl and Last Planet Standing, additional children of the original Fantastic Four are shown as members of the Fantastic Five, including Super-Storm (Torus Storm, son of Lyja and Johnny Storm, who possesses the powers of both parents), Grim (Jacob "Jake" Grimm, son of Ben Grimm, stuck in a rock-like form like his father), and Rad (Alyce Grimm, daughter of Ben Grimm, sister of Jacob, appears to have radiation-oriented powers, including flight).