Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. Issue #586 continues the ongoing storylines from past issues, while I pray that writer Jonathan Hickman will tie all this together somehow.

Gimmie a gimmick: This issue continues the “Three: Countdown to Casualty” cover logo, this time with the number one out of four circled.

We’re off the coast of Thailand, during the negotiations between Atlantis and the recently-discovered Old Atlantis. Except negotiations have failed, because Namor just threw a spear threw the chest of Ul-Uhar, the Old Atlantis king. Sue, acting in her role as ambassador tries to argue for peace, but then realizes that this whole thing was a setup on Namor’s part, and the Atlantean army attacks in full. She puts a force field around the structure where everyone the negotiations are occurring, declaring that no one gets in or out.

In space, Reed is aboard Taa II, the space station home of Galactus, where Galatcus has summoned him to prevent his death in the future. He’s reunited with billionaire Ted Castle, who once built the alternate Earth called Nu-World, and Reed’s old flame Alyssa Moy, who has long since died and been rebuilt as the robotic Moy-2512. Reed explains that Galactus discovered that in the future, the New Defenders will use his corpse to travel to the present. Taa II arrives at Nu-World, and the Silver Surfer (who has gone back to being Galactus’ herald at this point) says the entire planet now consists only of AIs.

In New York, the man known as the Anti-Priest, whom we know is working with Annihilus, tells his followers to “pierce the portal.” Indeed, portals open up inside the new Baxter Building while Ben and Johnny are playing cards. Note that this is still during the one week per year that Ben is able to be human. Portals open all around then, and they’re attacked by the Anti-Priest’s henchmen. The kids from the Future Foundation join the fight. The three Moloid try to reason with the attackers, while Alex Power uses his classic gravity-manipulating powers to reveal the henchmen are giant insects with heavy exoskeletons. The henchmen lay eggs (!) which are about to hatch, with the hatchlings planning to head straight for the Negative Zone portal in Reed’s lab. Franklin tells Ben and Johnny that the Future Foundation kids are also headed for the lab.

In space, Galactus and co. make it to Nu-Earth to find it a wasteland. Galactus says the people of Nu Earth consumed to much energy, leading to their deaths. He asks Reed if this future can be avoided. There’s a brief flashback to two members of the Council of Reeds stating they can feed the people on the planet by stabilizing its star. Reed insists he can “solve everything” and he can save this world. Galactus responds with a classic, “I hunger.” Ted Castle says Nu-Earth has a gateway to Earth that is still functional, and that Nu-Earth’s remaining survivors could make it back to Earth. Galactus says this is a fool’s errand, but Reed says he has to try.

In Thailand, a day has passed and Namor has not budged in his antagonism against New Atlantis. He approaches Sue, who has maintained the force field all this time. Namor says all is not what it appears, and that Old Atlantis is made up of murderers who were intentionally exiled a millennia ago. He says they were planning on killing the Atlanteans, and Sue as well.

At the Baxter Building, Johnny and Dragon Man fight the Anti-Priest’s henchmen while Valeria and Bently-23 quickly invent a high-powered gun for Ben. Valeria says the Negative Zone portal is closed, but she’s not sure about the shielding, which has been tested on the other side, but not on Earth’s side. We see all the insectoid henchmen, who are now fully insects, chewing on the portal door. The door fails, the portal opens, and even more insectoids burst through, with one stating, “Annihilus.”

To be continued!

Unstable molecule: Reed’s promise to “solve everything” recalls his invention of the Bridge, the multiverse-accessing device which has, to date, only caused trouble.

Fade out: Sue maintains a force field around the Thailand Atlantean base for an entire day, apparently not eating or sleeping the whole time.

Clobberin’ time: Why would Ben, with only one week to be human, spend a night at home playing cards with Johnny and watching the kids? Maybe after his wild night out a few issues back, he knows what his priorities are.

Flame on: Johnny takes the lead on fighting the Baxter Building’s invaders, with little foreshadowing of what’s to come.

Four and a half: Franklin is alongside the Future Foundation kids during the fight, even reporting on where they’ve gone. Are we sure he’s not an official Foundation member?

Our gal Val: Valeria is in the middle of the action when she’s attacked by one of the insectoids up close. Johnny and Bently-23 are there to rescue her.

Fantastic fifth wheel: Once again, the building’s security alarm has the face of H.E.R.B.I.E. the robot on its screen. Freakin’ H.E.R.B.I.E. the robot.

Foundational: Korr of the Moloids tries to be friendly with the insectoids, saying he enjoys romantic comedies and games of chance. Bently-23’s gun includes “variable particle injectors, infrared tracking, and rotating power cores.” Bently also quick-invents a bomb which saves Valeria’s life during the fight.

Yes, Alex Power still has his gravity powers, despite all the times he switched powers with his siblings in Power Pack. For a while, he had all their combined powers in New Warriors, but then he returned his siblings’ power to them just before joining the Future Foundation. Further, the Marvel Wiki states that Alex was pro-reg during Civil War and is technically a member of the Initiative. Could he secretly be reporting to S.H.I.E.L.D. about the FF’s activities during this time?

Even more further, the Marvel Wiki states that it’s around this time that Alex changed his codename from the dorky Gee to the more cool-sounding Zero-G. I don’t know when that was made official, though.

Trivia time: The two members of the Council of Reeds seen in the flashback are two of its three founders, whom we met back in issues #571-572. You can tell by the suit on one and the chest insignia on the other.

Fantastic or frightful? Everything regarding Nu-Earth has reached “Donna Troy’s origin” levels of confusion. Originally, the emotional story of Nu-Earth was not the planet itself, but in Reed reuniting with his old flame and her new hubby, wondering about how his life might have been gone differently. Without that, the idea of Nu-Earth is just random sci-fi wonkery. The same goes for Old Atlantis and the Anti-Priest – just ideas without character. Next issue is the big one, though, so let’s see if writer Jonathan Hickman can stick the cosmic landing.

Next: Burnout.

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