Baxter building

The Baxter Building is a fictional 35-story office building appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The building is depicted in Manhattan, and its top five floors house the Fantastic Four headquarters.

Publication history

First appeared in Fantastic Four #3 (March 1962) and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The Baxter Building was the first well-known comic book superhero lair by the general public in the fictional world.

The Baxter Building is destroyed in Fantastic Four #278 (May 1985), written and drawn by John Byrne. Explaining why he chose to destroy the iconic structure, Byrne said: 'The FF HQ building had long been established as 35 stories tall. Impressive in 1962, but not so impressive in 1980, when I got to the book. "It seems like I could start referring to the building as taller than all the previous stories, so I decided on something a little more dramatic."

Fictitious description

Located at 42nd Street and Madison Avenue in New York City, it was built in 1949 by the Leland Baxter Paper Company. Originally designed as a high-rise industrial site to accommodate pulp recycling machinery to serve the Manhattan area, each floor height is 24 feet (7.3 m). The top 5 floors of the 35-story building were purchased outright by the Fantastic Four.

The building's steel frame construction used the first application of "K reinforcement" in the world and is one of the strongest structures of its kind. The Baxter Building is located a few blocks from the United Nations Building. Reed Richards has requested many variations of land use zones to allow for the massive reconstruction of the top five floors for the installation of a heavily silenced silo, with a muffled rocket.

The design of the Fantastic Four headquarters is strictly based on utilitarian lines, except for apartments and public areas. All aspects of the design are constantly being improved, including security. For example, the windows are 2-foot (0.61 m) thick composites of various glass and plastics that reflect to the outside. The solid, armored exterior walls are also lined with a mirror and are indistinguishable from the transparent sections.

The five main sections of the Baxter Building are completely airtight; all doors are airlocks. The area between elevators 2, 3 and 4 on all floors provides full environmental support (including atmosphere). The building's alloy steel frame is rigid enough to be placed in a corner and not collapse (it was suggested that the Baxter Building did not collapse under its own weight due to the use of tactile telekinesis by Gladiator of the Shi' Imperial Guard;ar Reed himself stated that even with the reinforced structure, it should not be possible otherwise).

The buffer zone is the interface between the five upper stories and the lower levels. Provides a quick disconnect between the upper and lower segments of the building. It contains a series of large oil rams to dampen any sway between the top five levels and the base of the building. The buffer zone contains some support equipment for the upper levels, but is primarily the 'mechanical floor', providing heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and elevator support equipment for the lower 30 floors.

Property

A running joke for years in the title was that owner Walter Collins was initially eager to rent to a superhero team for publicity and prestige, but soon regretted his decision as the building became a constant target for numerous supervillain attacks beginning with Fantastic Four #6 in which Doctor Doom blasted the entire building into outer space. The attacks made things difficult for not only the Four, but also for the other tenants on the lower floors. Eventually, Reed Richards decided to invoke a clause in the lease and bought the entire building to avoid eviction.

Iterations

Eventually, the building was destroyed by Doctor Doom's adopted son, Kristoff Vernard, who sent it into space and blew it up in an attempt to assassinate the Fantastic Four. It was replaced by the Plaza of Four Freedoms, built on the same site. After the Fantastic Four and other costumed heroes were left for dead after their battle with Onslaught, the Square Four were stripped of all Fantastic Four equipment by Vernard and the father of Reed Richards, Nathaniel, who sent it to the Negative Zone to keep it out of the hands of the United States military.

Upon their return, the Fantastic Four were unable to return to Plaza of the Four Freedoms, as it had been destroyed by the Thunderbolts, shortly after the revelation that they were actually the Avengers' former enemies, the Masters. The Fantastic Four therefore moved into a converted warehouse along the Hudson River which they named Pier 4. The warehouse was destroyed during a battle with Diablo, after which the team was given a new building from Baxter, courtesy of former Reed professor Noah Baxter. This Baxter Building was built in Earth orbit and teleported to the vacant lot formerly occupied by the original Baxter Building and the Plaza of the Four Liberators. The current ground floor of the Baxter Building is used as a gift shop and a museum open to the public.

In the aftermath of the multiverse's collapse, the Fantastic Four have disbanded as Richards' family has gone to rebuild the multiverse, leaving the Thing to join the Guardians of the Galaxy, while the Human Torch is working as an ambassador for the Inhumans and as a member of the Avengers Unity Squad. As a result, the abandoned Baxter Building was auctioned off, until it was purchased to serve as the temporary headquarters for Parker Industries, much to the Human Torch's initial dismay. However, Peter Parker explained to the Torch that he outbid Alchemax, Hammer Industries, and Roxxon for ownership of the building simply to keep it out of their hands, and will return the Baxter Building when the Fantastic Four assemble. Witnessing a large Fantastic Four sculpture in the foyer that was created by Alicia Masters, the Torch reflects that he is glad the building stays in the family. But when Parker Industries was destroyed during Secret Empire, he became sold to an anonymous buyer and is currently the headquarters of The Fantastix.

Other versions

1602

In the miniseries Marvel 1602, The Fantastic Four, Sir Richard Reed and Susan Storm are renting a manor house from Lord Baxter. Sir Richard equipped it with an observatory and a chemical laboratory.

Old Quill

In the timeline of Old Man Logan, the Baxter Building is used as a missile, ultimately killing Loki in the American Midwest. The shattered remains of the building still hold many secrets, attracting people from completely different galaxies. Peter Quill hopes to use these secrets to save what's left of the galaxy.

Spider-Verse

In the Spider-Verse storyline, the Baxter Building on Earth-802 is Jennix of the Heerder's main office and houses their cloning facility (which they use to resurrect themselves in the event of death). The universe version of the Human Torch is the head of security. The Scarlet Spiders infiltrated the building and it became the site of a battle with Jennix in which Ben Reilly sacrificed his life to destroy the building ending the Inheritors' only working cloning facility.

Ultimate Marvel

In the Ultimate Marvel universe, the Baxter Building is a think tank for the US government, where exceptionally gifted children are offered government positions to use their intelligence to serve their country. The government contacted Reed Richards because of his experiments in teleportation; they had found little toy cars that he had sent to the N-Zone. At the Baxter Building, Reed meets Professor Franklin Storm; Storm's two children, Susan and Johnny; as well as Victor Van Damme (Dr. Doom). The building is overseen by General "Thunderbolt" Ross. Security duties are overseen by Private Willie Lumpkin.

In this version, Mole Man is originally Dr. Molekevic, a former employee of the Baxter Building. His service ends when his projects are deemed "unethical."

After the accident that gave the Fantastic Four their powers, the unaltered children were transferred to another facility in Oregon. The Baxter Building later becomes the headquarters of the Fantastic 4.

The Baxter Building also appears in Ultimate Iron Man, volume 1, issues 4-5.

In other media

Television

• The Fantastic Four it is the series of cartoons of the 1960s it counted with the Baxter Building as the headquarters of the group.
• The Baxter building appears in the 1990s. The 4 Fantastics the television series. In this cartoon, the owner was replaced by a landlady named Lavina Forbes (voice of Stan Lee's wife, Joan Lee). By season 2, which was replaced by four liberties Plaza as its base of operations after it was destroyed in the episode "And a blind man will shepherd them."
• The Baxter building appears in Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes. In this version (Earth-135263), the building seems to be an art deco inspired 30-40 floors of the building with an additional tower higher than the original building built on the ceiling. This tower serves as a laboratory, storage, training and headquarters of the Reed Richards team. The presence of threats and interdimensional attacks by supervillains has restored the potential tenants of the building, leaving most of the vacancies that, however, appears to suffer any financial tension. In the show, the landlady is Courtney Bonner-Davis (Laura Drummond voice). The building has been both thrown into the underground space and submerged.
• The Baxter Building appears in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroesepisodes of "The Man Who stole the Morning" and "Dr. Doom's Private War."
• The Baxter Building appears in Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. episode, "The Collector", where the Mole organizes a poker game against Hulk, Red Hulk and She-Hulk, before being captured by the Collector. In "In the Negative Zone", Hulk traveled to the Baxter Building in New York to use the portal of the Fantastic Four Negative Zone.

Cinema

• Appeared in 2005, The 4 fantastic, shown as an art-deco apartment block, where Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd) had rented the entire upper floor and turned it into a laboratory/house. Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon) refers many times that he could not pay the bills to keep the navigation lights. From Vancouver Marine Building was selected as the Baxter Building site due to its art deco appearance.
• In the 2007 film The 4 Fantastic and Silver Surfer. The roof of the Baxter building was the stage of the wedding of Reed Richards and Susan Storm. In order to reflect the increased prosperity of the Fantastic Four, the description of the Baxter Building has been updated. According to the writer Don Payne, "The Baxter building, because they are more successful and earn more money, has been reformed. So it is not so dirty, higher technology. "
• In the 2015 film The 4 FantasticsThe Baxter building is called Baxter Foundation and is represented as a government-funded group of experts for young scientists, founded by Franklin Storm. After successfully demonstrating the teleporting engineer, an amazed Franklin invites Reed to Baxter (together with his daughter Sue and Victor Von Doom) to help end the much-anticipated Quantum Gate of the Institute, which would eventually lead them to get their skills through the Zero Planet.
• In the 2022 movie, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of the MadnessChristine Palmer of Earth-838 mentioned that she works at the Baxter Foundation on her land.

Video Games

• Spider-Man and Venom break into the Baxter Building while the Four Fantastics are out of town to recover the sonic weapon of Reed Richards to fight Carnage in the 1993 game Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage.
• The Baxter Building appears as one of the world's areas of the game called Baxter Plaza in Super Hero Squad Online, with several theme locations of the Fantastic Four, such as a dance club based on Johnny Storm, a pizza restaurant based on the Cosa, a machine to convert invisible players based on Invisible Woman, and a four-player Flying spot based on Reed Richards.
• In the Spider-Man video game of 2000, Spider-Man can go to the Baxter building on the second level, where you can collect a copy of Amazing Spider-Man #1 (with FF). If the "What If" mode is on, Johnny will show up and explain that he and the other three are fighting against Big Man and flying.
• In the video game, Ultimate Spider-Man, the player can meet Johnny Storm at the top of the Baxter Building for a race.
• The Baxter building is a map of the Fantastic Four video game based on the 2005 movie.
• The Baxter building can be seen on the Human Torch Charge screen in Marvel: Ultimate Allianceas well as the previous arts for the game. When Comadreja was looking for a place to hide from S.H.I.E.L.D., Hank Pym mentions the players that there might be S.H.I.E.L.D. soldiers there as he mentions that Reed Richards tends to work with S.H.I.E.L.D.
• The Baxter building is also presented in The Incredible Hulk as an emblematic and destructive building.
• The Baxter Building also appears in Spider-Man: Web of Shadows, where, on the roof, you can collect spider collectibles in the form of 4, once the collectibles are collected, you can see a printed room on the landing platform.
• The Baxter building can be seen at the bottom of the Daily Bugle stage in Marvel vs. Capcom 3.
• The Baxter building appears in Marvel Super Hero Squad Online.
• The Baxter Building appears and has a level Lego Marvel Superheroes.

Commercial representations

• The Baxter Building is included among the fictitious sites represented in a "virtual tour" of New York City, New York Skyride.
• It is a location that appears in the Universal's Islands of Adventure theme park, located on "Marvel Super Hero Island".