Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. In FF #5, writer Jonathan Hickman continues tying things together and connecting all the dots with everything he’s set up.

Recap: The Fantastic Four is now the Future Foundation, with around twenty members, most of them genius kids. Spider-Man is on the team, too, taking over for Johnny after Johnny’s (not real) death. Also, the team is dealing with four ancient cities recently discovered. Also-also, Valeria let four members of the Council of Reeds out into Earth. She thought this would help, not counting on how the Reeds from alternate universes don’t have our Reed’s ethics or morals. With the help of Dr. Doom, who is also now a member of the Future Foundation thanks to Valeria, Reed has assembled a group of villains to devise a plan on how to defeat the other Reeds – defeating himself, in other words.

This issue begins with the Foundation and the villains working in the lab with the magic conch shell that Sue uses to communicate with and teleport to Old Atlantis, one of the four lost cities. It works, except Reed announces that the Peak, the center of Old Atlantis, has vanished. Cut to the Peak at 15 minutes earlier, Sue, Spider-Man and Alex Power are surprised to see what looks like Reed alongside the Mole Man, who is attacking the city. Sue is quick to deduce this Reed is not her husband, only for him to whip out a high-tech gun and shoot her.

Spider-Man swings off to rescue Sue, leaving Alex Power alone against the Mole Man’s horde of monsters. He does well at first, using his gravity powers to create valleys and then walls of ice separating himself from the army. One gets through, however, inuring Alex’s arm.

After getting an injured Sue out of danger, Spidey swings back to Alex and joins the fight. But they’re too late, as the Mole Man’s weapons destroy the dome surrounding the Peak. The Mole Man and the evil Reed fire up some underground machines, and the Peak disappears into a crater. Sue manages to save the FF’s ship in a force field. She says she’ll get Namor to relocate survivors, and then she’ll head home for answers.

In New York, Ben has gone to Alicia’s apartment for a talk. He admits he feels guilty about Johnny’s death. She tells him he has to accept that Johnny’s gone. She tells him she loves him, and that Johnny would want him to be happy. She promises him that things will get better, and that he has nothing to be afraid of.

Later, Reed treats Alex’s broken arm. He encourages Alex to learn from this experience, but he also praises Alex’s effort during the battle, calling him “fantastic.” She has a minor concussion and will pull through. She says that when Reed learned about an evil Reed, he wasn’t surprised. She wants to know why, and why all the villains are in their house right now. Reed breaks down and says, “I’ve done something terrible.”

At the city of the High Evolutionary, another of the four lost cities. They’re building another giant machine, repeating “We have the solution” twice. One Reed and the Mole Man negotiate with the evolved Moloids who live there. They agree to fix things to they evolved Moloids will be able to breed on their own (wa-hey!) and to “abandon assimilation.” The evolved Moloids’ leader agrees to this in exchange for closing the doors of the city and allowing no Moloid refugees within. This pleases the Mole Man.

A shadow is cast overhead. It’s the city of Attilan, on the move, having flown down from the moon. (It can do that?) The issue ends with Black Bolt on his throne, looking very angry.

To be continued!

Unstable molecule: There’s mention of two other evil alternate universe Reeds we’ve met before, the Dark Raider and the Brute.

Fade out: All it takes is one look into the other Reed’s eyes. That’s enough for Sue to deduce this isn’t her version of Reed.

Clobberin’ time: Ben prefers his tea with Splenda artificial sweetener rather than real sugar. Make of that what you will.

Fantastic fifth wheel: Spider-Man uses his webs to create a cast for Alex’s arm. Later, he’s the one who reports to Reed how the mission at the Peak went.

Four and a half: There’s a funny bit where Franklin and the other kids aim their toy suction cup guns at the visiting villains.

Our gal Val: Valeria joins everyone in Reed’s lab, but she doesn’t say a word this time.

Foundational: Alex Powers has gotten considerably stronger in his gravity controlling abilities since his Power Pack days. He used to just make he and his siblings float around, or pin enemies to the ground. But in this issue, he’s causing mass destruction out in the ice.

There’s a two-panel exchange where Doom takes notice of Bentley-23. All Doom has to say about the kid is, “Hmmm.”

Trivia time: Yes, the city of Attilan can take off and fly around on its own. Fantastic Four once spent an entire issue depicting how difficult this was, but since then it’s moved locations a bunch of times, and spent some time just flying around as an aerial city.

Fantastic or frightful? I don’t know how many readers even remembered the situation at the High Evolutionary’s city, much less were invested in it. The highlight of the issue is the action with Alex Power, who gets some character development and gets to be the hero as well.

Next: King me!

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