REWORKED REPOST: SUE AND ALICIA - PEAS IN A POD?

Images copyright MARVEL COMICS

When the November-dated first issue of The FANTASTIC FOUR debuted in August of 1961, there was a suggestion that BEN GRIMM carried a torch (no pun intended) for his teammate SUSAN STORM.  That was repeated in FF #4, but I can't recall if there were ever any further examples between that fourth issue and the eighth, in which we were introduced to ALICIA MASTERS.

You all know the story.  The PUPPET MASTER lures The THING into his clutches via one of his radioactive clay figures, and is then surprised to find that SUSAN STORM has also turned up in his lair, having invisibly followed Ben there to see where he was going in his trance-like state.  Gassing Sue into unconsciousness, Alicia's step-father persuades her to (unwillingly) impersonate Sue, to whom she fortuitously bears an uncanny resemblance, and then sends her back to the BAXTER BUILDING with Ben - as a "little prank".  (And gasp at just how quickly The Puppet Master knocks up a duplicate costume.)

It's clear from JACK KIRBY's art that Alicia has her hair cut 'n' dyed (by her father - is there no end to the man's talents?) to match Sue's, but STAN LEE's dialogue refers to it as a wig.  (However, when Alicia pops up again later in the tale, although her hair is back to its natural colour, it's still styled after Sue's, which is shorter.)

But why does The Puppet Master go to all this bother?  What does it achieve, other than to send his step-daughter into possible danger?  As he later reveals, he had the 'foresight' to create a puppet of Sue, so why not just put her under his control and send her back to the Baxter Building with Ben?  In fact, why even bother to do that?  Why didn't he just put all four of them under his power and have the FF come to his apartment, where he could destroy them at his leisure?  Or just have them 'top' themselves in their skyscraper headquarters.

Anyway, Ben might not win Sue's love, but he does end up with a Sue Storm lookalike, which is an interesting scenario I'd like to have seen explored to some degree.  However, no one ever referred to Sue and Alicia looking like twins after that one issue.  (Years later, in a back-up tale in FF #118, writer ARCHIE GOODWIN revealed that, in an alternate universe, Ben actually did marry Sue, as, on that world, he was Mr. FANTASTIC, and REED RICHARDS was The THING.)

H'mm, one thing's for sure.  I'm either giving the matter too much thought, or Stan and Jack didn't give it enough.  Which do you think it's likely to be?  (Be gentle with me.)