Matt Varga Unlikely allies they may be, but Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s comic book universe has been one of the more reliable sandboxes for A Bathing Ape. First consummated with a 2005 Marvel Bape Sta collection bringing iconic heroes like Spider-Man, Thor, Iron Man, and the Hulk to life on the patent leather sneaker, the dawn of the MCU and the renewed interest brought the partners back together, now guided by later-cresting characters like Black Widow and Rocket Raccoon. With The Fantastic Four: First Steps completing its box office run, it’s high time for another chapter: the Marvel x BAPE “Fantastic Four” collection.
Spanning five distinct pairs, it’s the team’s principal players and the most lasting members of their rogues’ gallery that get inclusion. In similar fashion to the 2022 output, which reprised “Iron Man” and “Thor” looks, there are notably some ties back to that seminal Y2K release. On the Silver Surfer/Galactus colorway is where you’ll see the closest link back to the 2005 capsule, reprising the Fantastic Four’s primary antagonists with a similar blend of pink and baby blue. For good measure, the Human Torch makes a duplicate appearance as well, and though his “Flame-On” orange/red lives on, his pair is closer to a new palette than an earnest reprisal of his first.
Sorting through the rest of the capsule, Marvel’s first couple share space on a “Mister Fantastic & The Invisible Woman” Bape Sta, borrowing its key tonality from their Golden Age suits. The Thing and Doctor Doom’s appearances from the same era round out the offerings, with the latter one of the most striking via metallic silver patches at the toe and heel. Each of the pairs bolsters its character palettes with Marvel stamps on the lateral heel of the right shoe, swapping to embroidered depictions of their namesakes on the left. In a play that should satisfy comic and BAPE collectors alike, all five arrive in the throwback blister packaging that captivated ‘heads some two decades ago.
BAPE Japan has confirmed a September 27th release date for the Marvel x BAPE Sta “Fantastic Four” quintet, but the brands’ global arms have yet to verify that they’ll be receiving stock as well. Keep our coverage within reach for any and all updates in the coming days. In the meantime, check out studio shots of all five pairs below.
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