The Fantastic Four superheroes are, from left, the Invisible Woman, Mister Fantastic, the Thing and the Human Torch. One member of the team is to die in January, Marvel says. (Marvel Entertainment) The Fantastic Four superheroes are, from left, the Invisible Woman, Mister Fantastic, the Thing and the Human Torch. One member of the team is to die in January, Marvel says. (Marvel Entertainment)

The Fantastic Four, a group of superheroes who have been part of the Marvel Comics universe since 1961, is about to become a trio.

Marvel Comics executive editor Tom Brevoort said Wednesday that one of the members will die in an issue to be released in January.

Just who will die — the Human Torch, the Invisible Woman, Mister Fantastic or the Thing — is a secret, but Brevoort said the comic's current story line has given readers clues.

"I think we've given plenty of hints as to who may die — perhaps too many, in that every one of our lead characters is left in a dire, life-threatening situation the month before," Brevoort said.

Members of the Fantastic Four, including Sue Storm or the Invisible Woman and Reed Richards or Mister Fantastic, have died in previous storylines. But Storm's death turned out to be a ruse and Richards was rediscovered in another dimension.

Marvel said this time it really is the end for someone.

Pop culture phenomenon

Comics wizards Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created the Fantastic Four in a collaboration that coincided with the explosion of comics as a pop culture phenomenon in the 1960s.

The superheroes gained their superpowers after exposure to cosmic rays during a scientific mission to outer space.

The latest storyline, titled The War of Four Cities, is written by Jonathan Hickman with art by Steve Epting.

"Anyone that's ever lost a family member can tell you that surviving [and] moving on is a process," Hickman said in a release from Marvel.

"So the Fantastic Four will do that in the same manner we all do: some will get angry, some will grieve, some will want to get even. And all of this grows out of events in one of the four cities."

Issue No. 587, which will answer the question of who will die, is due out in January and will be wrapped in a black bag so nothing gives it away in advance, Marvel said.

With files from The Associated Press