Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. Issue #545 is only the second one with the new team, and they’re already up against Galactus.

Recap: The new Fantastic Four – Ben, Johnny, Black Panther, and Storm – are investigating the disappearance of the body of dead teen hero Gravity. Alongside Michael Collins, formerly the cyborg Deathlok, the team traveled to space to confront cosmic being Epoch. And then the Silver Surfer showed up.

This issue begins in space, but with Reed and Sue, who have traveled to Jupiter’s moon Titan for their second honeymoon and/or marriage reconciliation. An alien named Mentor is letting him use his winter home there. Then, elsewhere in space, we return to the FF. Silver Surfer confronts Epoch, saying his “master” must feed. Ben gets the Surfer’s attention and tells him to back off, but the Surfer says this entire area of space will soon be consumed by cosmic energy. Ben then tries to fight the Surfer, only to be overpowered.

Johnny rescues Ben from Silver Surfer’s blasts, and then Storm confronts him. Even though they’re in space, she’s able to draw stray hydrogen atoms to her, which she then unleashes as a nuclear-like bolt of lightning onto the Surfer. Epoch speaks, with strange dialogue about a chrysalis, a “holding action,” and the flow of time. She then brings Gravity back to life. He has no idea what happened to him, and Epoch tells him he’s been chosen for the greatest honor in the universe.

Epoch explains that when Gravity made his heroic life-ending sacrifice (this happened in the miniseries Beyond), his essence merged with the forces that gave him his gravity-manipulating superpowers. Gravity demands to be returned to Earth, but Epoch refuses. She says that Quasar is no more, so the universe needs a new protector, and Gravity gets the job.

Then, a ticked-off Silver Surfer returns for round two. Johnny manages to knock him off his board. When he calls for it to return to him, we see this amazing image of Black Panther surfing atop it!

Black Panther is so skilled he can get Silver Surfer into a stranglehold, despite the Surfer’s cosmic strength. Panther tries to explain the situation, and that all they want is to bring Gravity back home. Then he’s struck by an energy blast. This one comes from Stardust, the newest herald of Galactus. She threatens to throw Ben into the nearest sun, but Silver Surfer convinces her to listen to what Black Panther has to say.

With the fight over, Silver Surfer says he will allow the FF to complete their mission before Galactus arrives to devour this entire area of space. Ben asks the Surfer what he’s doing working for Galactus again, and the Surfer says his choice was about more than good versus evil. Ben says he won’t stand around and just let Galactus devour anyone Black Panther argues that conflict between Galactus and Epoch is not the FF’s concern. Ben insists that’s not what Reed would do, and Black Panther says Ben doesn’t have much a record when it comes to predicting what Reed would do.

Black Panther talks it over with Storm, and then he tells Silver Surfer that Epoch is under the FF’s protection, and Galactus must feed elsewhere. Galactus’ ship arrives, and Silver Surfer says, “Tell him yourself.” Galactus doesn’t speak, but gets to work constructing his planet-devouring machine. Silver Surfer says they have only thirty-five minutes to complete their mission. Ben remarks that Galactus will certainly kill Epoch, and Black Panther says he has a plan. He has Collins bring the ship around, and then they both leave.

Ben freaks out, thinking Black Panther has betrayed the team. He and Silver Surfer are about to fight again when Gravity reappears. He’s bursting with glowing blue energy now, and he proclaims himself as the new protector of the universe.

To be continued!

Unstable molecule: Who is this Mentor character letting Reed and Sue stay on Titan? Turns out this guy has a long and complex history in the Marvel Universe. He’s part of the Eternals and all their continuity, but he’s also tied into all of Adam Warlock’s adventures. Get this: Mentor is the father of both Starfox and the one and only Thanos!

Fade out: Sue says she’s always wanted to visit Titan. I don’t recall this coming up before, so let’s just take the comic’s word for it.

Clobberin’ time: Ben and Silver Surfer greet each other as friends, but they’re not above fighting each other if they must. This makes sense considering the characters’ shared history.

Flame on: Black Panther supplies the team with high-tech life support devices that allow them to breathe in space. He gives Johnny some extra ones for oxygen to fuel his fire powers.  

Fantastic fifth wheel: This issue shows the differences in leadership between Black Panther and Reed. Both are science geniuses, but Reed is more of an improvisor, while Black Panther is more of a strategist who has planned ahead for any given possibility.

Storm summoning hydrogen atoms to make her own nuke is quite the extrapolation of how her powers work.

Four and a half/Our gal Val: Sue suggests calling the Baxter Building to check on the kids, confirming that Franklin and Valeria are staying with Ben and Johnny during this time.

Trivia time: What the miniseries Beyond about? An assortment of Marvel heroes, including Gravity, were transported to space in what looked like a recreation of the original Secret Wars, with a Beyonder-like figure telling them to battle it out with the winner getting anything they desire. Except this wasn’t the Beyonder, it was the Stranger. He was trying to determine the cause of superhumans, something he said was improbable. After a lot of fighting, death, and resurrections, the heroes defeated the Stranger. Gravity died due to the strain of keeping everyone else alive on the journey back to Earth.

Fantastic or frightful? This issue gives us a better look at the new team’s dynamics, yet it’s very plot-heavy, demanding that readers be already familiar with Beyond and wherever Epoch came from. On the other hand, Black Panther riding the Silver Surfer’s surfboard is awesome. It’s an image could and should become a meme.

Next: Prisoners of Gravity.

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