The Fantastic Four are having major PR problems. Giving up the job of neighborhood superheroes, they try to adapt to ordinary life, but matters simply become worse and worse. Could the Puppet Master possibly be controlling everybody from jail? Will the FF ever recover their hero status?
This episode contains examples of the following tropes:
- And That's Terrible: a downplayed, comedic example from Johnny.Johnny: Aw, c'mon, that's just evil. You can't just go and make a guy's nose itch!
- Broke Episode: This comes into play a bit, and the Four get regular jobs — Ben as a garbage man, Susan as a children's entertainer, Johnny as a Scout coach, and Reed as a school teacher.
- Chekhov's Gun: Remember that device Reed said he "just felt like building" at the beginning of the episode? It's an amplifier for the Puppet Master's powers.
- Clear Their Name: Reed intends to let his teammates be the good, compliant rogues while he goes on the hunt for who framed them, making himself The Scapegoat.
- Complaining About Rescues They Don't Like: Johnny, when it turns out a side effect of the device amplifying their powers (and hence disrupting the Puppet Master's control) is itching.
- Dreaded Kids' Party Entertainer Job: When the Four end up having to get regular jobs, Susan uses her force-field powers as a children's entertainer. The kids the viewer sees are gleeful about the fun of riding down an invisible slide and Susan doesn't seem too unhappy about the situation. However, a couple of women appear nearby, commenting cattily on how far she's fallen. Susan turns them invisible as revenge.
- Dropping the Bombshell:
- The Puppet Master shocks Susan, Johnny, and Ben by declaring, "For weeks now, I have been whispering into the mind of my most powerful pawn, the smartest man on earth!"
- Reed returns the surprise when the amplified Puppet Master orders him to destroy the others: "Never!"
- The End... Or Is It?: Subverted. The Puppet Master sits in a jail cell, then takes out some clay from his false teeth...only for them to float out of his grasp — courtesy of an invisible Susan, who winks and says, "Nice try."
- Fallen-on-Hard-Times Job
- I Am Everywhere: Said by the Puppet Master out of dozens of mouths at once.
- Inconvenient Itch: a side effect of the amplifier.
- Mundane Utility: Susan uses her powers to gets revenge on a couple of women who are cattily commenting on how far she's fallen — she turns them invisible.
- Mythology Gag: Reed confronts a group of cows, which then turn into Skrulls. The team's first encounter with the Skrulls ended with them agreeing to turn into cows and be brainwashed to forget that they had shapeshifting powers.
- No-Sell: the FF's reaction to the Puppet Master's amplified mind control powers.
- People Puppets: the Puppet Master's specialty.
- Sequel Episode: The episode follows up on "Puppet Master".
- Speak in Unison: Done by the Puppet Master to taunt Susan, Ben, and Johnny.
