Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. Just when you thought this two-series at once thing was over, there’s one last bit to wrap things up.

Writer Matt Fraction’s experimental dual run comes to an end with Dr. Doom defeated in one comic and Doom the Annihilating Conqueror defeated in the other. Then, both Fantastic Four vol. 4 #16 and FF vol. 2 #16 end with the exact same ten pages, wrapping up the subplots we’ve been following since the start. How does it all end? With a barbecue… on the moon!

The casts of both comics are assembled, with a few other guests. Johnny is cooking burgers and hot dogs on a grill, because of course he is. He and Wyatt Wingfoot toast the memory of Old John Storm, who sacrificed himself to save everyone. The Silver Surfer is there, rushing to the scene after sensing the Watcher had been attacked. Ben asks She-Hulk if she and any of the replacement Fantastic Four – her, Ant-Man, Medusa, and Darla Deering – and she says she doesn’t know. Ben and She-Hulk seem almost flirtatious, but agree to be just friends. Wyatt asks Johnny if there’s a girl for him. He sees Darla with Ant-Man and says, “None, it seems.”

Reed and the Watcher observe from a distance, with Reed worrying about whether Johnny will end up like Old John. The Watcher has recently learned he’s going to become a father, and for the first time in a millennia, he faces an uncertain future. Sue and the Watcher’s partner Ulana have a similar heart-to-heart. Ulana says her unborn child is already watching, and it will be born when the time is right.

Turn the page, and Reed has gone from wistful to aggressive, criticizing Ant-Man for battling Dr. Doom when his job was to protect the Future Foundation kids. But when Ant-Man describes how he did it, by using the Pym particles in new ways. This excites Reed, and he wants to share the news with Valeria. Valeria is inside Reed’s ship, pondering running away from home. Onome, the FF’s resident Wakandan genius, talks her out of it, and they rejoin the barbecue.

At this point, I see it’s almost the end of the comic, and I’m all, “Didn’t more happen during this part?” Flip over to the FF issue, and there’s additional story content! Cut back to the Thing/She-Hulk conversation, where the Moloids watch them from a distance. They’re perplexed at the two being just friends, but they remain loyal to Ben no matter what. Next Ant-Man and Darla have their heart-to-heart. She says he’s been avoiding her, and he says they can’t be together because of everything he’s been through. He then realizes, though, that just means he’s been given a second chance at life. He and Darla have a big romantic kiss.

A bunch of the Future Foundation kids discuss the Pym particles in further detail, while Crystal and Medusa insist that Ahura and Luna should remain with Foundation for a while longer, sensing dark times ahead for the Inhumans. Then FF repeats the Reed/Ant-Man scene, only to cut to Franklin using his powers to contact Ravonna, who may or may not be Valeria in another timeline. She has the beaten-down Annihilus and Kang in her possession, and Franklin praises her for “busting up” the cycle of events that created the Annihilating Conqueror.

The final scene is the same in both comics. The Watcher and Ulana decide to stop watching and actually participate, joining everyone at the barbecue and sampling the hot dogs. Turn the page for a double spread of all the characters in one big shot. The Watcher talks about the importance of sharing a good meal with friends and family. He says, “It is elemental to them. It is the foundation of their families. It is… fantastic.” Then Ulana puts both hands on her pregnant belly and says, “It is also… time.”

The letters page then makes way for longtime Marvel editor Tom Brevoort to pen a heartfelt tribute to Fantastic Four, describing his love for the series and his experiences as its editor. He says he’s been editor of Fantastic Four longer than any other person, but now he’s stepping aside to editor Mark Paniccia the reigns. It’s a lovely goodbye from one of the all-time greats. Except that everything old is new again, because as of this writing Brevoort is back as editor, overseeing Ryan North’s current (and excellent!) take on the comic.

Unstable molecule: Rather than be upset with Ant-Man, Reed is so impressed with the new use of Pym particles that he volunteers to be Ant-Man’s assistant in the lab, rather than the other way around. Ant-Man doesn’t stick around, though.

Fade out: Sue is in mom mode with Ulana, saying that having a child is chaos and uncertainty, but also joy.

Clobberin’ time: I’m not sure where this flirtation/non-flirtation between Ben and She-Hulk came from, but it’s resolved as soon as it begins. There’s some reference to finding the right person. It seems they’re talking about Alicia, who hasn’t been in Fantastic Four for a bit, but it’s not said aloud.

Flame on: Johnny isn’t too heartbroken about Darla choosing Ant-Man over him. He says he was only dating her to get in with the music industry, and that he’s considering a new career as a rock star.

Fantastic fifth wheel: It’s shortly after this that Ant-Man’s daughter Cassie comes back from the dead. Dr. Doom is the one who brings her back in Avengers World #16, in a story that also features Valeria, making it more or less a sequel to these two series. After that, Scott and Cassie relocate to Miami for his new solo series.

Darla Deering and Ant-Man didn’t last long, only for them reconnect – explosively so – in Astonishing Ant-Man #2. She continued to be a popular singer, and she kept the Thing rings and exoskeleton suit for herself. After that, she did a cameo during the Dan Slott Fantastic Four run, and that’s it for her.

Medusa’s fear for the Inhumans’ future appears to be foreshadowing the Terrigen Bomb destroying Attilan in the Infinity miniseries.

She-Hulk kept busy after this, joining the law firm of Paine & Luckberg, which eventually led to her getting her own practice, while also joining Luke Cage’s Mighty Avengers team.

Crystal is here to be a good mom to Luna. On the last page, there’s a bearded man wearing purple armor. The Marvel Wiki confirms this is Nathaniel Richards joining the barbecue from wherever in the timestream he was.

Four and a half: Franklin appears to use a version of his astral projection ability from Power Pack to communicate with Ravonna. He tells her that even if she is Valeria from the future, he still doesn’t consider her family after everything she’s done.

Our gal Val: Valeria states “bread and circuses” as she puts on a smile to join the barbecue. What to make of this? She’s putting on an act, and she’s still in a depressed funk? Or something else?

Foundational: Bentley-23 reminds everyone of his villain potential when he suggests digging up Cassie Lang’s corpse (!) to see what effects the Pym particles had on her. The others don’t like that idea.

Trivia time: It’s long been established that the Silver Surfer doesn’t eat food, but instead he merely absorbs energy into his body. In this issue, though, he gives eating a try, and he seems to enjoy the hot dogs.

Ulana only appeared once more after this, in Mighty Avengers #10. Following the Watcher’s death in the Original Sin crossover, Ulana takes over the Watcher’s duties. We see the baby, who has only grown a head, or “omnithalamus” as she calls it. She named Adam Brashear, a.k.a. the Blue Marvel, as the baby’s godfather. After that, neither Ulana or the baby appeared again.

Fantastic or frightful? At the time these were coming out monthly, I was jazzed about what Fraction and co. were doing, feeling like it was an exciting time for Fantastic Four. But this re-read has felt like a chore at times. These two series succeed in the little character moments, like the Dr. Who-ish standalone issues of Fantastic Four, or the kid hijinks of FF. But the overarching plot with Doom and the multiverse stuff never quite tied together for me. Yes, I do recommend you read these two series, but only as long as you go in with the right mindset.

Next: The FOUR seasons.

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