Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. It’s the Ben/Reed personality conflict again, but retold for a new generation in vol. 5 issue #7.
Recap: The city blamed a recent alien invasion on the FF, so our heroes have been forced to vacate the new Baxter Building, and the Future Foundation kids have been taken away and placed in the custody of S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Jim Hammond, the original WWII Human Torch. Also, this storyline is concurrent with the Original Sins crossover, where, among other things, a bunch of Marvel heroes had their deepest, darkest secrets revealed. This included our own Ben Grimm, who confronts Johnny, saying Johnny lied to him about one of Reed’s attempts to cure Ben back in the day.
We begin in that retro flashback, where a half-human, half-Thing Ben emerges from the machine meant to cure him. Reed and Johnny stop the machine, and Ben becomes the Thing again. Reed says he doesn’t know how this could have failed. Ben wanders off, and Johnny admits, “That might have been me.” He admits that he messed around with the machine before Reed and Ben got there. He didn’t do anything serious, but it was enough of a variance to make the machine fail. Reed scolds Johnny, saying Johnny doesn’t know what Ben goes through each day, but then he forgives Johnny, saying Ben “doesn’t need to know anything else.”
In the present, Johnny tries to apologize, But Ben won’t have it, he accuses Johnny of being selfish and never thinking of others. He smashes up Johnny’s apartment, but doesn’t hurt Johnny. (Remember that Johnny lost his super-powers to stop the alien invasion at the start of this arc.) Ben says, “Don’t ever speak ta me again,” and he leaves.
Ben goes to a bar where he gets a phone call from Alicia, she says her stepfather the Puppet Master has kidnapped her (!). He bursts out of the place and calls Reed. Using the Fantasticar, Reed gets to the address. He finds Alicia inside, among life-size puppets of various Marvel heroes. Alicia says Ben already got there, and there was a fight. Reed squeezes through a locked door and finds Ben standing over a dead Puppet Master (!!). Ben says it’s not what it looks like, and he’s not the killer.
To be continued!
Unstable molecule: Alicia asks Reed to use his advanced science to get though Puppet Master’s locked door, but it’s that much easier for him to use his powers and stretch under it.
Fade out: Ben doesn’t call Sue for help because she’s still recovering from her fight with the Avengers last issue. We’ll deal with that more in the next issue.
Clobberin’ time: In a nice attention to detail, Ben is sitting on some sort of big metal cannister at the bar, to support his weight. Another crushed barstool is next to him.
Flame on: It was residual heat from Johnny’s powers that threw off Reed’s machine.
Fantastic fifth wheel: Puppet Master’s lair includes puppets of FF alternate members Storm and Spider-Man.
Trivia time: A caption tells us that the flashback takes place shortly after vol. 1, issue #40.
Fantastic or frightful? I’m torn on this one. All this business about a cure for Ben not working is the same sort of story the series has done for years. But then, writer James Robinson is a huge nerd for classic comics continuity, so this was probably done intentionally. Also, I know a lot of these story threads will be tied up later, so this issue is one part of a much bigger whole.
Next: Avenging angel.
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