Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. Issue #574 gives us a party, as well as more than one glimpse of the future.

It’s Franklin’s birthday, and Sue manages a surprise party by turning everyone invisible. Among the guests are three of the Power Pack kids, and mutant kids Artie and Leech. Reed has a chat with Alex Power, who says he’s started college but finds it boring and frustrating. Reed offers him a job. There’s also kid there named Bently, but who insists on calling himself “Thirty-Two.” He’s the thirty-second clone of the Wizard, one of the clone kids from issue #570. It’s worth noting that Dragon Man is here. He’s docile and friendly rather than monstrous, even though he was last seen in one of the Civil War books, locked up in Reed and Iron Man’s controversial super-prison. His presence at the party is likely due to his being friendly in Power Pack and in Fantastic Four annual 2001.

Ben announces a special guest of honor: Spider-Man! It’s a fake-out at first, with some random guy in a Spidey costume, only for the real Spidey to then show up. Spider-Man treats Franklin to a web-swinging ride around the building. Franklin then announces he’s prepared gifts for all the guests. He gives Artie and Leech a key to their own room in the Baxter Building, with his parents’ permission, as well as a device for Artie that recreates his image-projecting mutant powers he recently lost.

Later that night, the new Baxter Building’s computer warns of a “time quake” and then a mysterious stranger teleports into the building. The FF attack, and the stranger separates them from him with a force field, right outside Franklin’s room. He puts Franklin to sleep with a wave of his hand, and then he goes into the bedroom where he confronts Valeria. He tells her he was sent to find her with a warning, that the future must be avoided at all costs.

The stranger gives Valeria a message rife with foreshadowing: “There will be a war between the four cities. The dead must not be forgotten. The future man must return to save the past. And all hope lines in Doom.” She asks whether she can trust him, and he says she’s the one who sent him there.

The stranger prepares to depart, and Valeria tells him “Happy Birthday.” This confirms what the readers already figured out, that the stranger is Franklin from the future. He disappears and drops the force field. Valeria assures Reed that she’s not harmed.

Even later, Johnny reports that the building’s security logs didn’t register this incident, as if it never happened. Reed says he tested the kids (while they were sleeping?) and says he doesn’t see anything wrong. Alone in her bedroom, Valeria starts writing mathematical equations on the wall, just as Reed recently did in his secret thinking room. Franklin, alone in his room, has a flashback to his future self saying “Remember who you are,” and he creates a miniature universe, revealing that his reality-altering mutant powers are back.

Unstable molecule: Reed is drawn with prominent beard stubble throughout this issue. Could this also be the origin of today’s bearded Reed?

Fade out: Sue shuts up Reed before he can say out loud how old Franklin is. (The Marvel Wiki states that Franklin is “roughly twelve” for this birthday.)

Clobberin’ time: Spider-Man fakes out Franklin by hiding on Ben’s back. Is Ben that huge?

Flame on: Johnny personally selected the gift for Spider-Man, a book titled “A Loser’s Guide to Picking Up Women.” (For the record, Peter Parker was dating lady cop Carlie Cooper during this time.)

Fantastic fifth wheel: There’s yet another new H.E.R.B.I.E. the robot at the party. This one does not hover, but is on wheels, rolling around the floor. Freakin’ H.E.R.B.I.E. the robot.

Foundational: The big deal about this issue is that the first seeds are planted for what will soon become… the Future Foundation! Alex Power, Bentley Thirty-Two, Artie, Leech, and Dragon Man will all become regulars once that other FF gets up and running.

Four and a half: Franklin has a “Gunslingers only” sign on his bedroom door, showing he’s still into cowboy/Western stuff.

Our gal Val: Valeria calls Franklin the “R-word” twice during this issue, which seems pretty uncool for something published in 2010. Maybe they were going for some kind of Tarantino-ish edginess, but that doesn’t come across.

Trivia time: Reed says the Baxter Building would be better living conditions than where Artie and Leech are currently staying, but he doesn’t say where that is. Leech’s previous appearance was in Uncanny X-Men #491, where he was held prisoner by the evil Masque. It’s suggested in that issue that he’s living among the Morlocks in the NYC sewers.

Why does Artie no longer have his powers? He was one of many mutants who went powerless during the “M-Day” event.

Fantastic or frightful? After the messiness of the previous few issues, it feels like here’s where Jonathan Hickman’s take on the series really begins. I know not everyone likes the Future Foundation, but this new-ish mix of characters feels fresh and exciting.

Next: Mountains and molehills.

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