Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. After following event surrounding the Civil War crossover for the last few weeks, it’s time to check back in with our heroes properly in issue #542.

Recap: The Marvel Universe is divided in half over the issue of superhero registration, and whether superhumans should reveal their secret identities to the government and take part in Iron Man’s new Fifty States Initiative. The fighting and chaos has become so extreme that collateral damage is like nothing else seen before. The Fantastic Four are divided on the issue, with Reed being unwaveringly pro-reg. Sue and Johnny, being anti-reg, have left the team. Ben, while technically pro-reg, has left for France to be an “ex-pat,” leaving the superhero vs. superhero fighting to others.

This issue begins with Johnny and Reed having a clandestine meeting inside a Starbucks-ish coffee shop. There’s a little poking fun at the “Clark Kent’s glasses” thing as Johnny wears glasses and Reed wears a fishing cap, and no one recognizes them. Their conversation goes on for five pages, but, honestly, it’s the same conversation all the characters have been having throughout Civil War. Reed says registration is the law and the law must be followed, while Johnny argues in favor of doing the right thing, the lawbooks be damned. He reminds Reed that they originally stole the FF’s rocket for their first spaceflight, while Reed argues that their powers gained from that spaceflight shouldn’t be allowed to run amok unchecked. They don’t see eye to eye, but Johnny agrees to follow Reed on an errand.

Then we return to the Mad Thinker, still lurking in his hideout, an abandoned factory in Queens. Back in issue #539, he and Puppet Master tried to manipulate Civil War’s battle of Yancy Street. Other comics revealed that Puppet Master has left for South America, leaving Mad Thinker alone. Reed and Johnny break into the factory. After a brief fight, Reed says he’s there to ask for a favor.

Reed, Johnny, and the Mad Thinker arrive at the new Baxter Building, where two agents from Damage Control are inspecting the building-wide hole left by Sue when she left Reed a few issues back. They say they can fix the hole, but it will take time because of the extra security in and around the building. (Other Civil War tie-ins have Captain America’s anti-reg team plotting to break into the Baxter Building at this time. The characters in this issue show no awareness of this.)

Cut to France, where Ben is still fighting crime alongside Le Heroes De Paris. He and Anais, a Wonder Woman/Catwoman hybrid-type character, are in the famous Paris catacombs in search of villain activity. They come across a bunch of Hydra agents and fight them. They defeat the baddies easily, and Anais kisses Ben (!), but Ben turns her down, saying he’s “kinda seein’ somebody.”

Johnny flies to Paris in a Fantasticar to meet with Ben. They reminisce about Bill Foster, a.k.a. Giant Man. Ben says he didn’t attend Foster’s funeral because he “couldn’t face up ta it.” Johnny asks Ben to come back to New York, and Ben says he’ll think about it. Johnny leaves Ben with one-fourth of the Fantasticar to get home quickly if he needs to.

At the Baxter Building, Reed takes the Mad Thinker into his private sanctum, a room that only he has ever been in. It’s a sparse, cell-like room, with only Reed’s calculations written all over the walls. What follows is another multi-page dialogue scene, and I must admit all this talking is all over the place and a little hard to grasp. Reed quotes Isaac Asimov’s novel Foundation and its concept of “psycho-history,” using mathematics to predict societal events, saying he’s achieved it for real. Reed says he’s predicted a number of world-ending apocalypse scenarios, with superhero registration being the key to preventing them.

Mad Thinker then gives a big speech about how Tony Stark’s futurism is based on instinct, while Reed has done the actual calculations. He accuses Reed of following his own calculations father and farther down the path of doing evil deeds, all for what he thinks is the greater good. Mad Thinker also argues that Reed’s calculations can predict society’s actions, but not the actions of a single individual.

Then Sue appears, after spying on them both while she was invisible. She accuses Reed of lying to her. She says his loyalty to the pro-reg side has nothing to do with obeying the law or about the memories of his uncle. She says she’s siding with Captain America, adding that the FF have beat the odds before. “We’re going to beat the odds again,” she says as she leaves. Reed responds, “No, don’t you see? You’re not.”

To be continued!

Unstable molecule: Why, exactly, does Reed bring the Mad Thinker to the Baxter Building? He never asks Mad Thinker for advice, but instead just talks at him. I guess he wanted another genius around who wasn’t Tony Stark.

Fade out: Sue snuck back into the Baxter Building just to tell Reed she’s leaving again? I guess that makes three times they’ve had a breakup scene during Civil War.

Clobberin’ time: Who is the someone that Ben is “kinda” dating? It’s most likely a reference to Alicia, as the recent Thing miniseries suggested there’s some romance still among them, despite being apart for so long.

Flame on: There’s a funny bit at the coffee shop where Johnny can pick up two hot coffee cups without burning himself. Later, he and Reed are able to outsmart the Mad Thinker using the insulating coffee cup sleeve to protect against Johnny’s flame.

Four and a half/Our gal Val: Franklin and Valeria have a funny bit where they’re dropping stuff down the giant hole in the Baxter Building left behind by Sue in issue #541.

SUE-per spy: The 2019 Invisible Woman miniseries revealed Sue had a double life as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent all along. Sneaking into Reed’s most private sanctum had to take more than her usual invisibility, right? It’s her spy training at work.

Trivia time: I guess the Mad Thinker goes back into hiding after this, not being a priority for Reed and the FF. The next time he shows up, it’s as a member of the supervillain team the Intelligencia during the Fall of the Hulks crossover.

The Marvel Wiki states Le Heroes De Paris disappeared after this, but two of them, Anais and Compte de Nuit, appeared one more time. In 2014’s X-Force #4, they were part of a new French super-team, Le Bureau Discret. Other members were Le Coq Bleu, Le Necrogateur, Capitaine Fantome, and Prochaine Sortie. Anais was completely redesigned for that issue, adding spycraft and espionage to her backstory. Although the team was never seen again after that one appearance, the Marvel Wiki has this one listed as still active.

Fantastic or frightful? I maintain that writer Dwayne McDuffie was one of the all-time greats, but I’m still scratching my head over the disjointed, almost non-linear feel to this dialogue. This is last solo issue of Fantastic Four before the ending of Civil War, but the crossover isn’t done with our heroes yet.

Next: The Ryker maneuver.

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