Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. Issue #572 has a battle raging throughout the multiverse… and within the human heart.

In his newfound drive to solve everything, Reed has discovered the interdimensional Council of Reeds, whose science and achievements are beyond even his. Just as he’s volunteered to join them permanently, the Council’s headquarters is attacked by godlike Celestials. As this issue begins, the Celestials kill a bunch of the Reeds, saying that “this place” leads to other worlds and the Celestials are claiming it for their own.

One of the Reeds who has an Infinity Gauntlet accesses his own universe through a portal in the chest of another Reed (comic books!). This grants him the power of the Infinity Gems, localized to his own universe. This knocks back the celestials but does not defeat them. The Council’s leader gives orders to five other Reeds, including our own Reed Richards, to return to their home universes and find a solution. Reed returns to the Bridge, his portal to our universe, just as one Celestial reaches for him. Reed makes it back to Earth, severing the Celestial’s hand and bringing it with him.

Back at the new Baxter Building, Johnny and Ben take off to their vacation to Nu World (a recreation of Earth in yet another parallel universe that’s home to refugees from a disastrous alternate future). Franklin and Valeria were not invited to join them, so they stow away by riding this weird robot horse thing that’s attached to the Fantasticar.

While Reed is alone in his so-called “thinking room” with his calculations written all over the walls, Sue speaks to him through the intercom. She apologizes for their fight earlier. Not because she was wrong, she says, but because she forgets what it’s like to be him, that he sees crises to be solved that everyone else isn’t even aware of. She tells him to take all the time he needs, and she’ll still be there for him when he’s done.

Reed returns to the Council, where the Reeds manage to drive back another Celestial. Then we learn it was a new weapon invented by Reed that managed to do this. One of the leaders reports that five Celestials escaped through Bridges, chasing other Reeds to their home universes. Our Reed is asked to stay behind and take care of the wounded. One of the other Reeds wants to keep fighting, but our Reed tells him there’s more to life. The injured Reed says none of the other Reeds have wives or families, that they gave up those things to join the Council. He argues that Sue and the others will eventually lose patience with him. He says, “The cost of solving everything is everything.” Reed refuses to accept that, but the injured Reed says, “You always come back.”

Then it’s another flashback to young Reed. His father Nathaniel says he’s leaving, and he can’t where or for how long. For a final word of advice, Nathaniel says the world is an ugly place, but Reed should never compromise what’s in his heart. In the present, Reed gives an order inside his thinking room to erase, and the walls instantly go blank. He has more flashbacks to Sue and his family. He opens the door to find Sue waiting for him, as the memory of his father’s voice says, “Reed, be a better man.”

Unstable molecule: The Marvel Wiki reports that Reed officially quits his membership in the Council of Reeds this issue, but we’re not done with the Council yet.

Fade out: Why is Sue kneeling on the floor when Reed steps out of the thinking room? Are supposed to think that when she said she’d wait for him, she meant it very literally?

Clobberin’ time: Ben says it’s a one-hour flight from New York to the Nu World portal, which was last seen at the Earth Trust, near the North Pole. I’ll let you figure out the math of how fast the Fantasticar is, then.

Flame on: Johnny is looking forward to all the women of Nu World not knowing who is, so he can make a big impression. But shouldn’t they know who he is from their history?

Fantastic fifth wheel: As the flashbacks progress, Nathaniel is more like the world-weary time traveler we know him to be. This includes his distinctive facial hair.

Four and a half: Even though he’s depicted as older now, Franklin continues to be into cowboys and Western stuff, as he uses a robot horse and lassoes a ride onto the Fantasticar.

Our gal Val: Valeria brings a high-tech device with her while stowing away with the Fantasticar. She says this is “insurance.”  

Trivia time: One of the alternate universe Reeds wields the power of the Star Brand. What is this? It’s a living all-powerful bio-energy weapon that’s able to bond itself to one inhabitant of a planet to act as that world’s planetary defense system. But, like the Beyonder, the origins and purpose of the Star Brand have been re-written and retconned many times over the years. The comic series Star Brand was meant to be the flagship of Marvel’s doomed yet fascinating New Universe experiment. All the New U characters were eventually brought into the classic Marvel Universe, and the Star Brand was a big plot point in Avengers recently.

Fantastic or frightful? This storyline ends so abruptly that I wonder if it was originally meant for several issues and had to be shortened for some reason. The Celestial attack ended up not mattering, just an excuse for some action scenes. The real story of the issue is the drama between Reed and Sue, but it’s unclear whether this is meant to be a happy ending, or if we’re left to wonder what will happen next. I can see why the Council of Reeds was controversial among fans, because I’m forced to admit this issue is a frustrating read.  

Next: Out with the old…

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