Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. The time-traveling and dimension-hopping fun continues in issue #581, along with dire warnings about the future.

Recap: We’ve learned more about Reed’s time-traveling father Nathaniel Richards, who had been forced into a Hunger Games-style life-or-death competition against all his other selves from other timelines. With only him and one other combatant left, Nathaniel traveled back to Reed’s college years to recruit him, Ben, and young Victor Von Doom to join him in the fight. We’ve also been getting glimpses of Franklin and Valeria in the future, also working with Nathaniel.

As this issue begins, the time-traveling foursome (heh) explore the ruined city of Chronopolis, where they’re confronted by the enemy Nathaniel, known only as “the Beast.” After a brief fight, the Beast summons his backup team of warriors, the Anachronauts. There’s more fighting, and Nathaniel thinks they should retreat. Reed and Ben fight on, though, turning the tide. Doom finally manages to overpower the beast. Doom tells Nathaniel to deal the killing blow, but Nathaniel refuses. Doom then kills the beast himself. He tells Reed to always remember this day.

Back in Reed’s dorm room, Nathaniel says his goodbye. Reed says that now his father is back, they’ll see each other more often, right? Nathaniel says, “I hope so, Reed. There is always hope.” Then he disappears through a time portal, leaving Reed alone, again.

In the present, future Valeria speaks with Sue. She says that Franklin doesn’t like how things turned out, so he’s time-traveling to prepare his younger self for what’s to come. Sue asks Valeria what she wants, and we don’t see the answer. Cut to “Collapsing Space-time,” where Nathaniel reunites with future Franklin. He announces that the mission was a success, and that he’s the only Nathaniel Richards left. Franklin says, “Good,” and threatens to drop Nathaniel into a void. He says, “Something significant was gained today,” and he won’t waste it.

In the present, Valeria says that after the Last War (!) all timelines collapsed into a single one where the death of everything was imminent. But, post-collapse, Franklin is working on a new future. Back in Space-time, Franklin says Nathaniel will be able to save himself if he jumps into the void and promises never to return. Nathaniel says if he does that, then he’ll have no control and will become lost in time. Nathaniel says he’s now the only Nathaniel Richards in the multiverse, and that means he might survive the upcoming “revision wave.” Franklin says there’s of guarantee of that.

In the present, Valeria warns Sue of dark times ahead. Sue says Valeria is just like her father, trying to fix everything. Valeria says this was all Franklin’s plan. In Space-time, Franklin says that the killing of all other versions of Nathaniel Richards. He says, “Every boy deserves a father,” and he kicks Nathaniel into the void. In the present, Valeria leaves Sue with one final warning, that only Sue can hold things together in the dark times to come. She asks, “Can you be strong, mother?”

Then things fade away in a two-page spread that’s almost entirely white with only faded imagery in two corners. Turn the page and Valeria returns to Space-time. Franklin’s pocket universe is falling apart, and he says their new future is still 250 yards away. (We’re measuring time travel stuff in yards?) Valeria believes he can create a tunnel for them to go through, but he doesn’t believe they’ll make it. They both agree that they have to try. The last page is the two of them leaping forward, into the unknown.

Unstable molecule: The forlorn look on Reed’s face after Nathaniel disappears suggests that Reed somehow knows he won’t see his dad against for a very long time.

Fade out: Valeria’s final warning to Sue is that there will be a point when Sue will feel like giving up. At that moment, Valeria says, all Sue must do is look to the sky. Let’s see how this foreshadowing will play out.

Clobberin’ time: The Beast defeats Ben with a powerful blow to the chest, making it look like Ben dies. Reed later states that Ben only had a couple of cracked ribs, and that he’ll be fine.

Four and a half/Our gal Val: Rather than have a letters page with actual letters, the one in this issue is a Q&A between writer Jonathan Hickman and our own Franklin Richards. This includes a drawing Franklin made of his sister:  

Fantastic fifth wheel: In the opening flashbacks of all the different Nathaniels all killing each other, one of them is dressed just like Nathaniel during the time he lived with the FF and was an alternate member of the team, during the Tom DeFalco years. Do we dare toy with the idea of that version of Nathaniel not being the original?

I suppose we can count this issue as another instance of Dr. Doom acting as an alternate member of the FF, fighting alongside of them as one of the team.

Trivia time: And then there’s the Anachronauts. Originally henchmen of time-travelling villain Kang, the Anachronauts later struck out on their own. The gimmick is that different members of the team are from different time periods. They eventually get tied in with the Black Knight’s complicated continuity and were recurring characters in Force Works, but none of that matters. The Anachronauts seen in this issue are a whole other group of characters from a whole other timeline. This is their only appearance, and their names have never been revealed.

Despite young Dr. Doom’s admonition about remembering what happened, the Marvel Wiki states that he, Reed, and Ben don’t remember this happening at all, and that their memories of this event were erased through unknown means.

Fantastic or frightful? The fun of this issue is supposed to be the young versions of Reed, Ben, and Doom teaming up with Nathaniel as a sort of proto-FF. But that’s over as soon as it starts, so most of this issue can be characters standing around talking about alternate timelines and futures. It’s meant to be all dramatic and foreboding, but it’s just more multiverse mumbo-jumbo.

Next: Who are you, again?

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