Tbf, that's Oda's imagination doing overtime. Reed Richards never gets past the Gum-Gum Pistol stage, I think his power would be considered way cooler if he hit Dr. Doom with a Gum-Gum Elephant Gatling or busted out Snakeman. It's not just about making them a serious main character, mangaka seem a lot more inventive with utilizing the potential for powers than their Western counterparts.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

Yea I attribute it to the audience. Manga evolved as a mature and mainstream medium that wasn't just for kids. Comics, at least back then didn't evolve as much and as quickly. Video games as well until the last handful of years.