Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. In vol. 4 issue #14, we’ve got an alternate dimension, space battles, and life or death struggles for our heroes. You know, the usual.

Hit the brakes… again! One month after writer Matt Fraction abruptly left Fantastic Four to work on the Inhumanity crossover, this issue’s letters page reveals that superstar artist Mark Bagley is also leaving abruptly to work on the Cataclysm crossover. It makes you wonder if there’s more to the story. Anyway, artist Raffaele Ienco takes over for Bagley. At this time, he was best known for Image Comics’ Epic Kill.

Recap: Reed has taken the family on a year-long expedition through time and space, which was a front for him seeking a cure for a molecular disease of some sort that’s slowly killing him and his teammates. He’s recently come clean about his plan, just as his family’s powers start going haywire. Also, a version of Johnny from the future, who we’re calling Old John Storm, has joined them. This is of note because that same character has shown up in the concurrent FF series, where our heroes have disappeared without a trace.

Aboard the FF’s time ship, Reed has outfitted everyone with containment suits to keep their condition in check until he can find out the cause of this disease. Old John says he knows how to fix this, but he can’t say why because of time travel paradoxes and whatnot. Franklin points out that Old John previously said they were all doomed, and Sue points out that there’s no evidence to support that he really is future Johnny. Old John admits that he’s from another Fantastic Four in another timeline, and further admits that he’s one of the ones who’s caused the disease to happen. (!) For the cure, he says the team must go back to his homeworld. Except that his home is protected by Dr. Doom, Kang the Conqueror, and Annihilus.

Ben shows up, saying they’ll need a good pilot to reach the homeworld. He’s reverted back to human form and he’s looking in bad shape, but he doesn’t want to lie in bed. Reed uses Old John’s tech to follow the interdimensional trail back to the homeworld. Space appears to be empty, but Old John insists that the planet is hidden by a “chrono-dimensional shield.” They’ve not just gone to another universe, but back in time before the worst has happened. That’s why he ran to find the Fantastic Four, so things won’t end the same way.

The Four’s ship flies through a gap in the shield, putting them over the planet. They’re immediately attacked by defensive spacecraft. The heroes fly past the enemy ships and into an electromagnetic barrage. The ship shorts out, and the heroes can’t use their powers, so they flee to the escape pods. Old John flies out of the ship as it explodes.

Down on the surface, we see this world’s Dr. Doom having defeated the alternate Fantastic Four from the previous issue, horribly scarring Johnny. Old John survives the explosion, and flies toward Doom’s location. Doom deduces he’s come from the future. Doom sends Annihilus after Old John. Kang questions Doom’s choices, saying he and Doom need to work together.

Rewind to a flashback, when Sue pulled out a small device just before the ship exploded. Flashback again to before the FF left on this expedition, where Medusa gave Sue this device in case of emergency. It’s a dog whistle, and Sue uses it to summon Lockjaw, the Inhumans’ giant teleporting dog. Lockjaw brings them all to the planet’s surface. But it’s not in time for Johnny, who teleports down with a piece of shrapnel in his collarbone.

Johnny flames on to melt away the metal, but it doesn’t heal his wound. But now he can’t flame off and he’s bleeding. Reed suggests using his uniform as thread for stitches and Sue to create a force field needle. She’s concerned about losing control of her powers again, and she tells Franklin and Valeria to go back home with Lockjaw. She assures them that Ant-Man and the rest of the Future Foundation gang will take care of them. The kids teleport away, and Sue commences with the invisible force field surgery. Cut to later, when Sue succeeded in saving Johnny, and the four heroes fall asleep right there in the ruined city. Then they’re approached by the alternate Fantastic Four from this universe.

At Dr. Doom’s HQ, Kang gives a big speech about how the Negative Zone could connect all realities and dimensions, spreading across them. He proposes mastering the Negative Zone just as he has mastered time. Doom attacks Kang, only to reveal Kang as a hologram. Kang further says he will use Doom’s cosmic power siphon, which Doom had nearby, to steal the power of Annihilus. Doom finds Kang but not in time. Kang has already stolen Annihilus’ power, naming himself Kang the Annihilating Conqueror!

To be continued!

Unstable molecule: Reed of course makes a point of stating that the team’s new containment suits are made of unstable molecules, because of course he does.

Fade out: Because of the still-unnamed molecular disease that’s affecting the team, Sue turns invisible while she sleeps.

Clobberin’ time: Ben often fills in the pilot/astronaut role for this team, but in this issue he boasts about being the “best rocket jockey” in the entire universe. We can assume he is exaggerating.

Flame on: When Johnny is injured and cannot flame off, he bleeds not regular blood but “hyper-oxygenated hemoglobin” which looks like little flames spurting out of him. Weird.

Four and a half/Our gal Val: Reed encourages Franklin and Valeria to tell everyone at the Future Foundation about all their adventures across space and time. Could this be setting up a future plot point?

SUE-per spy: The 2019 Invisible Woman miniseries revealed Sue had a double life as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent all along. Could this be where she learned these expert surgery skills of hers?

Trivia time: Yes, the cosmic siphon device is the same one from way back in issue #57, the classic tale of Dr. Doom stealing the Silver Surfer’s power. This issue suggests that he always keeps it nearby, which I find hilarious.

Fantastic or frightful? I was enjoying this dual series experiment when it started, yet I felt some frustration at waiting for the main plot to get going. Now that it has kicked off, I’m frustrated because it’s the usual confusing Marvel alternate universe/multiverse stuff. I’ve had a hard time writing these recaps because it’s both hard to follow and kind of uninteresting.

Next: Man with the plan.

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