Ladies and gentlemen, brace yourselves for the most spectacular, most awe-inspiring, most “oh dear lord, what am I looking at?” superhero trailer of all time!

Before Marvel’s First Family gets the big-budget MCU treatment, let’s rewind to a different era—an era where superhero movies had the production values of a high school play and the special effects budget of a convenience store sandwich. Yes, we’re talking about the 1994 Fantastic Four movie that never actually saw the light of day!

This cinematic masterpiece was cooked up for one reason and one reason only: to legally cling to the film rights. With a budget that could barely buy you a decent used car, this film had it all—spandex so tight it probably counted as a visual effect, Thing’s costume looking like an escaped Muppet, and a level of earnestness that makes it somehow even better.

Why wasn’t it released? Because the producers never actually wanted you to see it. But now, thanks to the internet, you can—sort of. Should Marvel finally unleash this lost relic in HD glory? Absolutely. But until then, enjoy the one thing they couldn’t erase: the trailer. And oh boy, it is delightfully awful.

[Via Nerdist]