How Did Franklin Save Sue Storm in The Fantastic Four: First Steps?

Curious how Franklin Richards managed to save Sue Storm in The Fantastic Four: First Steps and what it reveals about his cosmic abilities? The newborn taps into a mysterious energy source that allows him to reverse death and marks him as a major force in the MCU.

Here’s how Franklin resurrected his mother and what it means for the Power Cosmic moving forward.

How did Franklin bring Sue Storm back from the dead in Fantastic Four?

Sue Storm dies after exhausting her powers while pushing Galactus through a space portal. Despite Reed Richards attempting CPR, she remains unresponsive and is declared dead.

Moments later, Franklin Richards revives Sue with a visible surge of the Power Cosmic. According to the film, Franklin was born with this energy after his conception from parents exposed to cosmic radiation. His body became a vessel for an unfiltered, unlimited form of the Power Cosmic.

Reed Richards refers to the Power Cosmic as “a raw form of cosmic radiation” and notes it is more potent than what originally transformed the Fantastic Four. Its properties include cosmic awareness, matter manipulation, and the ability to restore life.

In First Steps, Galactus targets Franklin as a potential energy source. Reed and Sue nearly sacrifice their child but instead use a decoy pod to lure Galactus into deep space. After Galactus is gone, Sue collapses and dies from energy exhaustion.

Franklin, still an infant, then channels the Power Cosmic to revive his mother. The energy visibly flows through him, and Sue’s eyes briefly glow with a purple, star-filled pattern. This resurrection scene marks the first time Franklin actively uses his abilities in the film.

Traditionally in the comics, Franklin does not hold the Power Cosmic but is still a powerful mutant. First Steps diverges from this by making him the full conduit of Galactus’ cosmic energy. As the Silver Surfer lore puts it: “To wield the Power Cosmic is to be in touch with every other living thing at once” (via Fandom).

In a post-credits scene, Doctor Doom visits Franklin, suggesting the child’s power may shape future multiversal conflicts, particularly in Avengers: Doomsday.