Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. Issue #577 gives us some classic mayhem on the moon. Except by “mayhem” I mean “lots of standing around and talking.”

We begin with the Inhuman royal family arriving at the Blue Area of the moon. Medusa says, “It’s time,” and she explains that “the gathering” draws near, and a wizard-looking Inhuman has been chosen as a wayfinder. Medusa says, “This is a summoning,” and then the Inhumans’ city seems to lift off like a giant ship. The wayfinder waits on that spot for six months. Then the Watcher appears, and another giant ship appears flying over the moon.

At the new Baxter Building, Reed and the FF watch this happen, saying that the ship has landed and that they should get there before anyone else does. The FF take off in their rocket, with references to the original spaceflight that gave them their powers. Cut to the moon, where the FF search for an entrance to the ship. They meet the wayfinder, who introduces himself as Dal Damoc, acting as proxy leader of the Inhumans while Black Bolt is away from the solar system. He tells the FF, “Welcome to the Universal City.”

Sue goes into science mode, deducing that the city is a “perpetual motion planar construct that doesn’t require constant thought.” Sure, if you say so. Dal Damoc leads everyone inside. The place appears abandoned, and Damoc explains that the city was created by four races who became one, a new monoculture, or universal collective. Apparently, all the people of this civilization just became part of the city, as Damoc points out a doorway that used to be a politician.

Then there’s a lot of confusing talk about the origin of the Inhumans, with them being experimented on by the Kree aliens. Then Damoc says five other species were experimented on as well. He says the Kree’s Supreme Intelligence had secret plans involving the long view of the Kree. Then there’s talk of a catalyst, like the Terrigen mists that later gave the Inhumans their powers. Whereas the Inhumans had terrigensis, the other species had isogenesis, amphogenesis, antigenesis, and exogenesis. Damoc says this is a “genetic harvesting ground,” which will reignite the Kree’s evolution.

A bunch of aliens appear surrounding the FF, but Damoc keeps talking. He says Black Bolt and the rest of the Inhumans traveled to Hala, the Kree homeworld, not to save the Kree but to crush them. Damoc takes the FF into a chamber full of aliens he calls “the Universal Inhumans.” The aliens are the Centurians, the Moord Badoon, the Kymellians, and the Dire Wraiths. Damoc says Black Bolt and Earth’s humans will rejoin them soon.

The aliens have gathered to establish a holy land, New Hala. Reed asks if this New Hala will be located on the blue area of the moon. Damoc says, “Someplace better,” and all the aliens point upward at the Earth.

Then the issue ends with another of these text pages, filling in more information. It lists how many thousands of each alien are in the Universal City, including 726 prisoners. Then there’s a bunch of business about the Light Brigade, a group of six elite Inhuman warriors. The Light Brigade must survive a series of trials to prove their worthiness, and none have survived.

Unstable molecule: Reed’s rocket takes off from the corner of the new Baxter Building, just like it did in the original. Reed also has cool-looking new spacesuits designed for the team.

 

Fade out: Damoc gets a little flirty with Sue, asking why a woman such as her would ever let her feet touch the ground. She responds by making herself hover in the air with her force fields.

Clobberin’ time: While the FF have their mission briefing, Ben amuses himself by reading a TV Guide.

Flame on: When Reed deduces tens of thousands of heat signatures within the alien city, Johnny uses his powers to sense that there are even more.

Fantastic fifth wheel: Medusa is back among the Inhumans, in her usual role of speaking on Black Bolt’s behalf.

Sue-per spy: The 2019 Invisible Woman miniseries revealed that Sue had a double life as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent all along. Is Sue’s instant analysis of the alien city a result of her being married to Reed, or is this her spy training at work?

Trivia time: The four alien species are revved-up versions of previously existing Marvel alien species. The Centaurians are originally from Centauri-IV, the home of Yondu from Guardians of the Galaxy. The Dire Wraiths were the main villains from Rom: Spaceknight. The Krymellians are the kindly horse-like aliens from Power Pack. The Badoon, whose home planet is Moord, are often allies and/or henchmen for Thanos.

Fantastic or frightful? The FF travel to space, only to stand around for a lot of techno-gobbledygook dialogue. Looks like writer Jonathan Hickman is going to start tying things from this and previous issues together starting next issue, so I’m interested in seeing what he’s up to. Heaven help anyone who reads this as their first-ever Fantastic Four comic, though.

Next: Connecting the dots.

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