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Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. Writer Mark Millar continues his run with issue #556, with robot battles in the snow. Because why not?

Recap: Reed was contacted by his old girlfriend Alyssa Moy and her new husband, mega-millionaire Ted Castle, about their new project. It’s Nu Earth, an exact replica of Earth on the other side of a portal. Alyssa says an unpreventable environmental crisis is on the way, and humanity must be evacuated to Nu Earth. They also have plans for Nu Earth to be a utopia without armies or weapons. To manage this, they have a robot enforcer named Cap, who is programmed to end soldiers and war. Then Cap escaped its lab and fled to Alaska, chasing down some actual soldiers.

We begin in Alaska, where Cap, who appears to be a giant robot with Captain America-themed colors. Cap quickly lays waste to the soldiers and then marches on to the nearest Air Force base. Cap destroys the base, killing its population of 50o people. At Earth-Trust, Alyssa and Ted’s secret lab, Alyssa says Cap was programmed to seek out and destroy the largest weapons, and that he’ll go after nukes next. Alyssa admits it will take superhuman effort to stop Cap, so she calls S.H.I.E.L.D. for help.

Cut to Johnny’s new apartment, where a TV crew arrives to set up cameras all over. Johnny starting his own band is also part of a new reality show about his life. Johnny’s manager Miguel is upset that Johnny has been out of touch, but Johnny explains he wasn’t around because of stopping the diamond heist last issue. Then we see that the sexy blue-haired superhuman burglar from last issue spent the night with Johnny. She’s going by name Psionics. As she sneaks out, she won’t tell Johnny her real name, saying secret identities exist for a reason.

At the new Baxter Building, Sue meets with Reed’s staff (who are these guys?) who tell her Reed is exploring a micro-galaxy on the edge of the universe, and he won’t be back for ninety minutes. Then Alyssa backflips through a portal and tells Sue that Cap is on a rampage and army bases are being evacuated all over. Cut to Alaska where Sue, Ben, and Johnny join Alyssa on the scene. Ted radios in to tell them that forty of the world’s biggest superheroes are already there.

Turn the page and we see a bunch of Marvel’s biggest names sprawled on the snow, defeated and possibly dead. Spider-Man, Storm, and Wolverine among them. “This can’t be good,” Ben says.

Then Cap appears and attacks. It’s several pages of fighting as Cap doesn’t slow down despite anything the FF throw at him. Cap punches out Ben, is resistant to Johnny’s fire, and he punches through several levels of Sue’s force fields. Alyssa tries to reason with Cap, revealing that his programming will not allow him to harm her. Then all the other heroes regain consciousness (so they’re not dead after all) and join the fight. Ben gets knocked into a frozen lake and sinks under the ice.

At the Earth-Trust lab, Ted freaks out, worrying that Cap’s personal teleporters are now online. He’s teleporting around the world attacking military bases in multiple countries. Just as Ted considers calling the U.N., a voice comes over his radio saying, “Sit tight, gentlemen.”

Turn the page, and Reed is riding his sky cycle out of a portal, saying, “I’m on my way.”

To be continued!

Unstable molecule: In the previous issue, it was suggested that Reed traveled across the universe to investigate Alyssa’s warnings about an impending environmental disaster. But this issue suggests he’s simply away on unrelated business. We’ll have to see.

Fade out: There’s still tension between Sue and Alyssa. When Alyssa makes a sarcastic comment during the fight, Sue flat-out tells her to shut up.

Clobberin’ time: Wolverine wakes up after Cap knocks Ben against him, before Ben goes sinking into the lake. I guess this means Wolvie is the one who then revived all the other heroes.

Flame on: After all that talk about how the camera crew is supposed to follow Johnny anywhere, they don’t follow him to Alaska. I guess that happens when you travel by portal.

Fantastic fifth wheel: Storm and Black Panther are both seen knocked out by Cap, although you have to look real closely to see that it’s Black Panther.

Four and a half/Our gal Val: Franklin is stuck with babysitting duties, bemoaning how Valeria only wants to watch the Bratz movie over and over. If you’ve never seen Bratz, know that it’s quite an experience.

Trivia time: The heroes on the scene are conveniently grouped into their teams, the New Avengers, the Mighty Avengers, the Young Avengers, and Yellowjacket’s Initiative team (the Marvel Wiki insists that Yellowjacket was still secretly a Skrull at this point, placing this before Secret Invasion). Black Panther and Storm aren’t on a team by this point.

The female superhero with the Giant Man-style powers is Stature. This is Cassie Lang, who lived with the Fantastic Four for a while during the Tom DeFalco era (era), along with her dad, the Scott Lang Ant-Man. Let’s not bother with how she’s in her late teens now while Franklin is only a little bit older.

Fantastic or frightful? It’s an all-action issue, but it takes place in the dark during a snowstorm, making the big battle look all dark blue and blurry. But it does move the story forward and increase the stakes. It works better as one chapter in the trade rather than a standalone issue, but that’s what comics have turned into at this point.

Next: Mecha-Reedzilla.

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Want more? Check out my ongoing serial, THE SUBTERKNIGHTS, on Kindle Vella. A man searches for his missing sister in a sprawling city full of far-out tech and secret magic. It’s a sci-fi/fantasy hybrid full of action, romance, mystery, and laughs. The first three episodes are FREE! Click here for a list of all my books and serials.

Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. In issue #555, writer Mark Millar continues his run on the series with otherworldly action and new characters.

Recap: Reed was reunited with his old college girlfriend, science whiz Alyssa Moy, and her new husband, mega-billionaire Ted Castle. They’re secretly constructing a planet on the other side of a portal. It’s called Nu Earth, Alyssa tells Reed, “This is where we’re going when the Earth dies.”

This issue begins with a flashback to Reed and Alyssa in college. At a sidewalk café, she wants them to have their first kiss, openly stating that it will eventually lead to them breeding genius children. She says they should do this right away because, “Tomorrow might be a very different story.”

In the present, Alyssa and Ted give Reed a tour of Nu Earth, confirming that it’s an exact life-size model of the Earth, everything from undersea mountains to the Statue of Liberty. Ted says his organization, the Earth-Trust, funded this because a great environmental threat is eminent. Alyssa says the threat is increasing, and Earth will be uninhabitable in less than ten years. Reed argues in favor of trying to save the Earth, but Alyssa says it’s too late. Earth is doomed, and there must be an exodus to Nu Earth.

Back in the lab, Ted reveals that Nu Earth isn’t as exact a replica as he said. He says depleted rainforests will be restored, and weapons will not be welcome on Nu Earth. This will be policed by “Cap,” short for “Conserve and protect,” who will be Nu Earth’s enforcer, ensuring that the planet has no guns, nukes, or armies. Police and soldiers will be repurposed in “a social support capacity,” Alyssa says.

It goes on from there. There are “Nightingales,” which can rearrange a person’s atomic structure to instantly cure any injury or disease, and a “World Bank,” a computer that can manage the global economy to ensure finances will be distributed evenly throughout the planet. Then they ask Reed to join them at the Earth-Trust, saying it’s better for him to be a genius scientist than a costumed superhero.

Back at the new Baxter Building, Ben wants to brag about the teacher he’s now dating (they met last issue) but Reed is preoccupied with Alyssa’s warnings about Earth’s impending extinction and what he can do about it. Reed wants to travel through a wormhole to other side of the universe to investigate, but Ben stops him. Ben says Alyssa is messing with Reed, showing up after he and Sue have recently had marital issues (during the Civil War crossover), and Sue recently starting her own charity-focused super-team. Reed says he and Sue have resolved their issues, btu Ben doesn’t buy it.

Elsewhere in NYC, Johnny is flying across town to meet with his new bandmates in the rock band he’s starting. He comes across a robbery in progress, started by a mysterious blue-haired woman. She telekinetically throws a bunch of cars at him, and then almost mind-controls some cops to shoot themselves. Johnny recovers and flies away with the woman before they can do so.

They fight inside a parking garage, totally trashing the place. The woman insists she wasn’t hurting anyone, and she wonders why superheroes like Johnny can’t just mind their own business. They both fall back, winded. Then the woman climbs on top of Johnny, saying he’s even more handsome in person than on TV. They start making out.

At the Earth-Trust lab, Ted confronts Alyssa about her and Reed, asking if she still loves him. She says she isn’t, and that a marriage between her and Reed wouldn’t have worked because they are too similar. Ted suspects that Alyssa is jealous of Reed playing with her “little toy.”

Then alarms go off, and someone tells Ted that Cap has escaped. We don’t see Cap, but we see where he escaped from his confinement. A lab tech explains that Cap overheard Reed, Alyssa, and Ted talking about soldiers, so Cap was inspired to break free and go on the hunt for any soldiers he can find. Cut to Alaska, where some soldiers are out on patrol in the snow, and they come across a two-story tall robot painted in Captain America’s colors.

To be continued!

Unstable molecule: Reed prepares to travel through space in what looks like a new version of the FF’s sky cycle. I’ve given up trying to sort out which FF vehicle is which, and the Marvel Wiki, because it has no mention of this one. (Every artist on the series designs their own take on the vehicles, making dozens or perhaps hundreds of them by now.)

Fade out: Sue doesn’t appear in this issue, but there is mention of her new charity team.

Clobberin’ time: Ben’s schoolteacher girlfriend is Debbie Green. She’ll be around for a while. In this issue, he calls her “one hot tomato.”

Flame on: Johnny talks on his cell phone while flying, stating that his phone is made of unstable molecules, just like his FF uniform.

Four and a half/Our gal Val: Ben expresses concern that Reed and Sue aren’t spending enough time with the kids lately.

Trivia time: This story arc is the first appearance of Ted Castle, even though it insists he’s been an influential scientist/billionaire all along. If he’s related to Frank Castle (a.k.a. the Punisher), the Marvel Wiki isn’t saying.

Upcoming issues will dig deeper into this new mystery woman in Johnny’s life, but this is her first appearance, not someone we’ve seen before.

Fantastic or frightful? Ever since Civil War, there’s been all this talk about Reed’s big plan for creating a better Earth. It looks like Alyssa and Ted are doing much the same thing, yet Reed’s plan is never mentioned. Reed doesn’t argue about the morality of their plan, but instead gets to work on saving the Earth so their Nu Earth won’t be needed. Despite my hesitations about Mark Millar’s writing, I’m enjoying these issues so far, and their classic sci-fi “playing God with science” themes.

Next: Bust a Cap.

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Want more? Check out my ongoing serial, THE SUBTERKNIGHTS, on Kindle Vella. A man searches for his missing sister in a sprawling city full of far-out tech and secret magic. It’s a sci-fi/fantasy hybrid full of action, romance, mystery, and laughs. The first three episodes are FREE! Click here for a list of all my books and serials.

Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. One of comicdom’s most popular – and most controversial – creators takes over the series in issue #554.

What can I possibly say about writer Mark Millar? With his indie work in stuff like Wanted, The Kingsman, Nemesis, Super Crooks, and especially Kick-Ass, he built a reputation of being “dudebro” or “edgelord” or other such titles. But it’s always struck me as cynical. The guy seems to enjoy stirring up controversy, to where being “edgelord” is his brand. This of course led to Marvel’s Civil War, where he made it a point to screw with the entire Marvel Universe. On the plus side, his work on The Ultimates, Ultimate X-Men, and The Authority shows his writing to be huge and cinematic. It’s no wonder that Hollywood took notice of his work when making the Marvel movies.

Speaking of cinematic, this issue also brings Bruan Hitch and Paul Neary on board for artwork. They exploded onto the scene with the above-mentioned The Authority, where they pioneered what came to be known as “widescreen comics” with big action and a sense of gigantic scale. They continued this style through the deluxe-sized JLA: Heaven’s Ladder, and then on The Ultimates with Millar, which brought them to Fantastic Four.

We begin in… the Old West! The FF, along with Franklin and Valeria, on a train being pursued by men on horseback firing at them. Reed says they’re heading for a time portal, which take them back to the present, and into Disneyland! There’s a lot of banter in this excuse-for-the-characters-to-use-their-powers-for-a-few-pages thing. Just as the train is about to collide with an oncoming mail train, it goes through the portal and instead crashes into the present. We learn that the plan was for the family to visit Disneyland’s opening day ceremonies in 1955, but things went awry.

There are moving boxes all around, as Johnny announces he’s moving out to a new loft inside NYC’s Flatiron Building. He says he has plans to start his own rock band and to star in a reality show. Sue talks about starting her own super-team to raise money for charity rather than fight supervillains, and Ben and Reed head off to Ben’s old school to do a presentation for some kids. At the school, the female teachers are all attracted to Reed, at least until he bores all the kids rambling on and on about physics. Ben cheers everyone up by showing the Fantasticar off to the kids. One of the teachers, Debbie, takes a liking to Ben rather than Reed, and she says yes when he asks her out.  

At the new Baxter Building, Sue is meeting with her new charity-focused super-team, with She-Hulk and the Wasp. Sue explains it’s a way to help people outside of the FF’s usual end-of-the-world scenarios. A portal opens, and out steps Alyssa Moy. (Who is this again? She’s Reed’s old girlfriend, now a millionaire scientist in her right.) Alyssa is not there to join Sue’s team. Instead, she says she needs to speak to Reed right away. She adds that she’s now married to secretive billionaire Ted Castle. Reed shows up, and says Ted is one of the greatest minds on the planet.

Alyssa says she and Ted are working on something that will affect the entire world. She says she needs Reed’s help, and she promises it’ll only take 24 hours. She and Reed disappear through the portal. It leads to a high-tech base at the North Pole called Portal Prime, home of an organization called the Earth Trust. Reed meets Ted Castle, who explains that the Earth Trust’s work must be kept secret to avoid mass hysteria. Ted says that if there’s a worldwide catastrophe, humanity can be evacuated through the giant portal at Portal prime. Alyssa offers to show Reed the other side of the portal, adding that work on the other side is still unfinished.

They travel through the portal, to see a planet and a moon, both under construction. We see the planet’s surface, but also a skeletal structure underneath. “Welcome to Nu-World, Reed,” Alyssa says. “This is where we’re going when the Earth dies.”

To be continued!

Unstable molecule: Reed has refurbished a bunch of Doombots as the new Baxter Building’s household staff. Sue says she doesn’t know exactly where the Doombots came from.

Fade out: Sue is friendly with Alyssa at first, but then shows some hints of jealousy after Reed runs off with Alyssa. This issue has a few references to her and Reed still working things out after their breakup during Civil War.

Clobberin’ time: Back when Alyssa was a semi-regular part of the cast, there were hints of a romance between her and Ben. Upon seeing her in this issue, Ben remarks, “She’s about ten times hotter than I remembered.”

Flame on: There’s mention of Johnny’s previous career attempt as a Hollywood actor, which he says he’s left behind. Since then, he’s also worked as an NYC firefighter and as the FF’s chief financial officer, neither of which are mentioned here.

Fantastic fifth wheel: She-Hulk says she’s secured permission for Sue’s new team to be named after Miss America. This is not the pageant, but the World War II hero, often described as Marvel’s first female superhero.

Reed tells Alyssa that he dismantled H.E.R.B.I.E. the robot so the refurbished Doombots could use H.E.R.B.I.E.’s solar collectors. Is this the death of H.E.R.B.I.E.?!?

Four and a half/Our gal Val: Franklin and Valeria are here to remind readers that they’re part of the main cast. Franklin falls off the train during the opening scene, but Reed is quick to rescue him.

Trivia time: It’s odd that Johnny says he’s going to live in the Flatiron Building. The Marvel Wiki insists that it’s still the headquarters of Damage Control, even after they were exposed as evil war profiteers during Civil War. Here in the real world, it’s been home to various companies over the years, but the internet is telling me that a new renovation was recently announced to convert the building into condos. Now Johnny can live there in the upcoming MCU movie.

If the Fantastic Four had succeeded in visiting Disneyland’s opening day in 1955, it’s likely they wouldn’t have had a good time. The opening was famously a disaster, with broken-down attractions, unruly crowds, and live TV cameras only adding to the chaos.

Fantastic or frightful? We’ll see how things go, but as far as this issue is concerned, Mark Millar is doing right by Fantastic Four. He seems to have real affection for the characters, and he’s added a lot of deep lore for old-time fans. I know his run on the series will go places, but this issue is nonetheless a great opening.

Next: In with the Nu.

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Want more? Check out my ongoing serial, THE SUBTERKNIGHTS, on Kindle Vella. A man searches for his missing sister in a sprawling city full of far-out tech and secret magic. It’s a sci-fi/fantasy hybrid full of action, romance, mystery, and laughs. The first three chapters are FREE! Click here for a list of all my books and serials.

Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. Issue #553 is the last one for famed writer Dwayne McDuffie, full of time-twisting cosmic craziness.

Where were we? A future Dr. Doom time-traveled to the present, saying that Reed’s “idea 101” for improving the future will instead wreck the future with Reed becoming a tyrant. The FF fought Doom, not knowing what to think of this. Then an older Fantastic Four appeared, seemingly from the future as well.

This issue begins with diagrams of time travel, concluding that traveling to the past creates a new branch of timeline rather than altering what’s going on now. Then we’re back on the streets of NYC where the future FF confronts the present FF. Reed again quotes “You can’t change the past.” Doom disagrees saying that this timeline in particular can be changed. There’s a lot of back and forth about the present and the future, including future Ben’s ability to change into a human and back at will. Then there’s even more talking about possibilities, and the choices characters make when they do or don’t know the future.

The FF wonder who is telling the truth, future Reed or future Doom. Sue gives a big speech about how the whole Civil War thing has her seeing Reed’s flaws in a new light, but that she still loves him. Sue then argues that Doom told the truth, because while Doom might indulge in trickery, out-and-out lies are against his code of ethics.

Then more debating. Future Doom says future Reed will create utopia in the future, only for Reed’s ego to overtake him. Future Johnny disagrees and says Reed isn’t interested in power or leadership. When future Reed tries to take Doom back to the future (heh), Doom blasts him and requests asylum from the present FF. Ben and Johnny want to let the future FF have him, but Reed says they must agree to the asylum until they know what’s really going on. Reed’s teammates reluctantly agree.

The future FF won’t have this, so they fight. Future Ben’s strength has increased over the years, allowing him to overpower present Ben. Future Johnny is able to absorb the flame out of present Johnny. Future Reed and present Reed debate while they fight, with future Reed saying it’s about more than stopping Doom but also preserving the timeline. Reed attacks them to stop them talking, so both versions of Sue team up to pin Doom to the wall. Present Sue says to present Reed, “Tell us what Victor didn’t want us to hear.”

Present Reed gives a big speech about the “conservation of causality.” He says that minor disruptions in a timeline will work themselves out, and branching timelines only result from major disruptions. The two FFs then conclude that the future FF were just trying to keep the future the way it is, while Doom was the one actively trying to change history.

Sue confronts Doom about what the future is really like. Again, he cannot lie, and he admits the future is a paradise. There’s a big speech about all the ways the future is better. Doom loses it, insisting that these should be his accomplishments, not Reed’s.

Later, the two Reeds find a branching timeline where all the superheroes are dead. It’s a whole world ready for Doom to tame. Doom says he’s not a monster, and he adds, “Neither are you.” Future Reed and present Reed share a handshake. Reed asks how the future really turns out. Future Reed doesn’t offer specifics, but he says that there will be many challenges ahead, but love, family, and friendship will get them through it.

The future FF returns to the future. Sue revisits what was said during Civil War, that Reed’s future predictions were based the actions of groups, but not individuals. He says he’s recalculated the number of individuals needed to change the world. “Four,” he says.

Unstable molecule: When the two Reeds fight, one stretches his hand into the other’s face in a weird way, kind of like they’re phasing into each other or something.

Fade out: The two Sues don’t fight, but instead communicate in a way none of the others do. Future Dr. Doom’s cool battle armor can’t withstand the combined strength of their force fields.

Clobberin’ time: While future Ben is stronger, he has the old-fashioned “lumpy” Thing look, which traditionally has been considered the weaker version of Ben’s exteriors. (Generally speaking, the “rocky” Thing is the standard, and the “spikey” Thing is the strongest.)

Flame on: Future Johnny burns with white flame, claiming to have greater control over his powers.

Trivia time: Not surprisingly, the future FF were never seen again after this. Likewise, we never learn how future Dr. Doom fared in his new superhero-less universe. Despite all this talk about preserving the timeline, the Marvel Wiki is quick to point out that these future characters are indeed from an alternate future.

This business about the “conservation of causality” is also called a “law of Kang.” This is a direct reference to Avengers #267, which introduced the infamous Council of Kangs, and argued about creating alternate timelines in place of outright changing the past.

Ben references “that Skrull business” among recent crises the heroes have recently faced. Except this story came out before the Skrull Invasion crossover. He could be referencing all kinds of “Skrull business” that’s happened over the years.

Fantastic or frightful? We writers obsess over the phrase “Show, don’t tell.” This almost all-dialogue issue is all telling rather than showing. This plot could have been stretched out across several issues. Act two could have been the FF granting future Doom his asylum, and then having to live with him, with the future FF being a constant threat the whole time. I feel terrible saying these things, because Dwayne McDuffie remains one of my favorite writers. Yet I can only conclude that his Fantastic Four isn’t his best work. Perhaps Marvel editorial is to blame, making him rush through the story to make way for a new, higher-profile creative team.

Next: We’re the Millars.

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Want more? Check out my ongoing serial, THE SUBTERKNIGHTS, on Kindle Vella. A man searches for his missing sister in a sprawling city full of far-out tech and secret magic. It’s a sci-fi/fantasy hybrid full of action, romance, mystery, and laughs. The first three chapters are FREE! Click here for a list of all my books and serials.