Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. Issue #547 has cosmic beings, epic space battles, and… magic frogs?

Recap: We have a new FF team with Black Panther and Storm joining Ben and Johnny. The body of dead teen superhero Gravity was stolen from his grave, so the team investigates. Joining them is Michael Collins, formerly the cyborg known as Deathlok. The trail takes them to space, and to godlike being Epoch. Epoch raises Gravity from the dead, in hopes of making him a protector of the universe alongside Quasar. But Galactus has arrived, hoping to devour this entire area of space. He’s joined by his new herald Stardust, and classic herald the Silver Surfer. The Surfer is something of an antihero at this point, having rejoined Galactus. As tensions escalate, Black Panther and Collins took off in the FF’s ship, leaving the rest of the team alone. Got all that?

We begin as the FF ship returns to Earth orbit. T’Challa contacts a Wakandan agent and says to prepare the Galactus Contingency Plan. He also says to “prepare the frogs.” The agent doesn’t like that, but T’Challa insists on it. Collins is impressed with how T’Challa is seemingly prepared for anything, but he says they should return to the others. T’Challa says he’s prepared for that as well.

In deep space, the newly alive and cosmically-powered Gravity squares off against Silver Surfer and Stardust, while also comparing notes with the FF. They tell him his own grave was robbed, and he says he wasn’t dead but in a cosmic chrysalis. Silver Surfer says the heroes got what they wanted. He tells them to leave. Gravity refuses, saying that Epoch named him as protector, and he won’t let Galactus devour her. The two heralds attack Gravity, so Storm and Ben fight back against them.

Cut to Saturn’s moon Titan, where Reed and Sue are reconciling their relationship. After some sci-fi business of how they’re able to eat and breathe and other science facts, Sue asks Reed what the rest of his plan was, post-Civil War. Now that the threat has passed, he says, they face an opportunity not just to stop destruction, but to build something genuinely good. He says he’s planning a course of action, and no matter what it is, he won’t move forward without the approval of his family. Then, Mentor’s house’s AI informs Reed of an unidentified object speeding toward Earth. Sue tells Reed he can investigate, but only if she comes along.

In Wakanda, T’Challa meets with his agent, Taku, who provides a large wooden box marked “Plan G.” Taku has also brought “the frogs,” despite his objections. These are indeed two small yellow frogs. T’Challa says they are King Solomon’s frogs, and that one controls time while the other controls space. By touching them to one another, T’Challa and Collins transport back to space with the box. The return right in the middle of the fight, where Storm is able to go toe-to-toe with Silver Surfer. He dons a special suit of armor and goes after the Surfer, instructing his teammates to concentrate their attacks on Stardust. Black Panther’s armor weakens the Silver Surfer, as it’s a variation of the tech Dr. Doom once used to steal the Surfer’s powers. Panther gives the armor to Johnny, and he and Silver Surfer fight hand-to-hand.

Johnny and Gravity defeat Stardust, and then Gravity flies up to Galactus, who is still assembling his planet-devouring machine. Gravity manages to hurt Galactus with a cosmic blast. But it’s Storm who does the talking, demanding that Galactus let Epoch go. Rather than fight Galactus, Gravity unleashes his power onto Galactus, to feed his hunger rather than injure him.

Galactus says he is restored to full strength, so he offers Gravity a boon. He asks that Galactus not harm Epoch, and Galactus swears to do so. He vanishes, and Epoch offers her thanks. She offers Gravity the chance to return to his chrysalis and regain his cosmic powers and his status as champion of the universe. He turns down her offer because he wants his old life back. Epoch agrees to this, and she says she will find another champion. Collins uses the frogs to return everyone to Earth. Gravity leaves for his parents’ home in Wisconsin to tell them he’s still alive. Ben says, “I’d call first.”

Unstable molecule: Reed’s post-Civil War plans remain to be seen. Remember that Reed and Tony Stark had a list of one hundred ideas for a better future, with Civil War’s controversial Negative Zone prison as number forty-two. This issue, however, states that Reed and Tony have gone their separate ways.

Fade out: Sue is disgusted by the fact that the sand on Titan’s beach isn’t sand at all, but pre-organic amino acids. Why does that upset her? What science joke am I not getting?

Clobberin’ time: Other than throw a few asteroids around during the fight, Ben doesn’t do much in this issue.

Flame on: Johnny enjoys being able to fight with cosmic flame, thanks to the power-siphoning armor. It would appear the effects of this are temporary.  

Fantastic fifth wheel: We’re told the power-siphoning armor is only one part of Black Panther’s anti-Galactus plan. The rest involves the Wakandan Air Force, a shape-changer, and the Hulk. He skips those because he’s in a hurry.

It seems the mandate at the time was to build up Storm as one of Marvel’s biggest players. In this issue, her power is equal to two Galactus heralds, and she negotiates with Galactus himself.

Trivia time: This business about King Solomon’s frogs might seem random, but the frogs were a key part of the first issue of Black Panther’s first-ever solo series, 1977’s Black Panther #1. That issue states they are brass frog sculptures, but they appear to move at times, so who knows?

The final scene of this issue is recreated in Black Panther vol. 4 #27, which prominently features this new FF team. The cover even recreates the cover of Fantastic Four vol. 1 #3, but with T’Challa and Storm in place of Reed and Sue.

The AI being that talks to Reed and Sue is I.S.A.A.C., a “planet computer” permanently linked to Mentor’s home on Titan. Like Mentor, I.S.A.A.C. has been part of storylines for both the Eternals and Adam Warlock.

Wakandan agent Taku has been around for a long time, first appearing in Avengers #68, back in 1969. Although he’s antagonistic against T’Challa in this issue, he’s usually depicted as one of Black Panther’s most trusted advisors.

Fantastic or frightful? A very plot-heavy and action-heavy issue, but one that showcases the new dynamics that Storm and Black Panther bring to the team. The comic doesn’t let readers in on all the references, leaving them to run to the Marvel Wiki for explanations. Other than that, it’s some fun reading.

Next: “I don’t use the bucket anymore.”

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