Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. It’s all come down to this. The experimental dual run of Fantastic Four and FF reaches its climax with vol. 4 #16, though there’s still more Fantastic to come.

The Fantastic Four’s year-long trip through the multiverse in search of a cure to the molecular disease they’ve afflicted have led them to an alternate universe under control of Dr. Doom, Kang, and Annihilus – who have now merged into one person, Doom the Annihilating Conqueror. This issue begins in the heat of battle as the heroes and their alternate selves in battle against the new Doom, but their combined efforts aren’t enough for this all-powerful Doom. He looks through time and space to see Earth’s Dr. Doom fighting Ant-Man in the concurrent FF issue, and he believes it will be easy for him to conquer Earth.

Doom destroys the FF’s time ship, but not their dopplegangers’ time ship, which arrives on the scene. Then there’s an explosion at Doom’s castle, which rattles him enough that he leaves to investigate. Reed retrieves the device that will allow the doppelgangers to transfer their powers to the FF. The alt-Reed says a full transfer of power is dangerous, and at full strength, their bodies will give out after only four minutes. Ben says, “Then we’ll make ‘em the best damn four minutes of our lives.”

We don’t see what the crisis was at Doom’s castle, except that he fixes it quickly. The FF attack, with newfound godlike powers of their own. They tear apart his armor and give him a good beating. He reminds them that it doesn’t matter now that he controls time and space. Reed says, “We were counting on it,” and he drops the time ship onto Doom. This scatters his physical being throughout the timestream. He cries, “I am its master!” as he disappears.

With only seconds left before their four minutes run out, Reed’s doppelganger uses the device to return everyone’s powers back to normal, warning that the process will be painful. The device goes off, and the Fantastic Four collapse. The alt-Johnny looks them over and says, “They’re dead.” Cut to two days later, at what appears to be a memorial for our heroes. But turn the page and we see they’re alive and well. They were only dead for two minutes before the alt-FF brought them back from the brink. The alt-Reed says that Doom the Annihilating Conqueror is a constant across the multiverse, and that alternate reality Fantastic Fours can send an interdimensional flare to one another when he returns. The FF’s Earth, however, has been severed due to this incident, and they’ll be on their own when or if Doom returns.

The Fantastic Four return home to the new Baxter Building, where they’re greeted by Franklin, Valeria, Lockjaw, and Old John Storm. Old John is overwhelmed with emotion, knowing that the Four saved his home from Doom, and that he doesn’t have to run anymore. He thanks everyone, and he uses a device on his suit to teleport away. He arrives inside Doom’s castle in the past, knowing what he must do. He unleashes his flame on the castle’s power core, causing the distraction from earlier in this issue. Doom destroys him, but Old John dies knowing he saved the day.

Back on Earth, Johnny gets a sense of Old John’s memories from when they touched briefly, and he knows what just happened. Valeria wanted to save him, in hopes that Old John could have found peace another way. Johnny says, “It’s what I would have done,” and “No regrets.” Franklin suggests a memorial of some kind for Old John, and Johnny says there’s only one way to honor a Human Torch…

At this point, stick a bookmark in this page (I suggest using a bit of scrap paper and not a hard cardstock bookmark so your comic doesn’t get bent or folded) because before we can finish reading this issue, we’ve got to check in with Ant-Man’s side of the story. In other words…

To be continued!

Unstable molecule: With his powers increased to extreme levels, Reed goes full liquid, oozing inside Doom’s armor (!) to tear it apart from within.  

Fade out: With Sue’s new powers, she creates a Godzilla-sized force field version of herself that mirrors her own movements. Given some of the outrageous things she’s done with her force fields, I wonder if she can pull this off with her power at regular strength.

Clobberin’ time: When Ben and alt-Ben are attacking Doom, they’re about to say “It’s Clobberin’ time” in unison, but Doom swats them down and then he’s the one who says it!

Flame on: With Johnny’s new powers, he also tears apart sections of Doom’s armor with fireballs.

Four and a half/Our gal Val: When Reed asks for an explanation of where the kids have been, they say to ask the others when they get back, saving us having to read a long recap of the FF issues.

Fantastic fifth wheel: Alternate Fantastic Four members seen on the cover are She-Hulk, Medusa, Ant-Man, Darla Deering, Spider-Man, Luke Cage, Namor, Storm and Black Panther.

Trivia time: This is it for Old John Storm, who stayed dead and never appeared again after this. Neither did Doom the Annihilating Conqueror, despite the warning that he’d be back. It’s also the final appearance of the alternate Fantastic Four. Their world is called “the Doomed Universe,” apparently.

Fantastic or frightful? Things are wrapped up quickly but succinctly. This entire dual story arc was all about foreshadowing Doom the Annihilating Conqueror and setting up the mystery of Old John Storm, both of which pay off in the first half of this issue. There’s more resolution to come, but I’ll get to it.

Next: Face the face!

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