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Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. Issue #547 has cosmic beings, epic space battles, and… magic frogs?

Recap: We have a new FF team with Black Panther and Storm joining Ben and Johnny. The body of dead teen superhero Gravity was stolen from his grave, so the team investigates. Joining them is Michael Collins, formerly the cyborg known as Deathlok. The trail takes them to space, and to godlike being Epoch. Epoch raises Gravity from the dead, in hopes of making him a protector of the universe alongside Quasar. But Galactus has arrived, hoping to devour this entire area of space. He’s joined by his new herald Stardust, and classic herald the Silver Surfer. The Surfer is something of an antihero at this point, having rejoined Galactus. As tensions escalate, Black Panther and Collins took off in the FF’s ship, leaving the rest of the team alone. Got all that?

We begin as the FF ship returns to Earth orbit. T’Challa contacts a Wakandan agent and says to prepare the Galactus Contingency Plan. He also says to “prepare the frogs.” The agent doesn’t like that, but T’Challa insists on it. Collins is impressed with how T’Challa is seemingly prepared for anything, but he says they should return to the others. T’Challa says he’s prepared for that as well.

In deep space, the newly alive and cosmically-powered Gravity squares off against Silver Surfer and Stardust, while also comparing notes with the FF. They tell him his own grave was robbed, and he says he wasn’t dead but in a cosmic chrysalis. Silver Surfer says the heroes got what they wanted. He tells them to leave. Gravity refuses, saying that Epoch named him as protector, and he won’t let Galactus devour her. The two heralds attack Gravity, so Storm and Ben fight back against them.

Cut to Saturn’s moon Titan, where Reed and Sue are reconciling their relationship. After some sci-fi business of how they’re able to eat and breathe and other science facts, Sue asks Reed what the rest of his plan was, post-Civil War. Now that the threat has passed, he says, they face an opportunity not just to stop destruction, but to build something genuinely good. He says he’s planning a course of action, and no matter what it is, he won’t move forward without the approval of his family. Then, Mentor’s house’s AI informs Reed of an unidentified object speeding toward Earth. Sue tells Reed he can investigate, but only if she comes along.

In Wakanda, T’Challa meets with his agent, Taku, who provides a large wooden box marked “Plan G.” Taku has also brought “the frogs,” despite his objections. These are indeed two small yellow frogs. T’Challa says they are King Solomon’s frogs, and that one controls time while the other controls space. By touching them to one another, T’Challa and Collins transport back to space with the box. The return right in the middle of the fight, where Storm is able to go toe-to-toe with Silver Surfer. He dons a special suit of armor and goes after the Surfer, instructing his teammates to concentrate their attacks on Stardust. Black Panther’s armor weakens the Silver Surfer, as it’s a variation of the tech Dr. Doom once used to steal the Surfer’s powers. Panther gives the armor to Johnny, and he and Silver Surfer fight hand-to-hand.

Johnny and Gravity defeat Stardust, and then Gravity flies up to Galactus, who is still assembling his planet-devouring machine. Gravity manages to hurt Galactus with a cosmic blast. But it’s Storm who does the talking, demanding that Galactus let Epoch go. Rather than fight Galactus, Gravity unleashes his power onto Galactus, to feed his hunger rather than injure him.

Galactus says he is restored to full strength, so he offers Gravity a boon. He asks that Galactus not harm Epoch, and Galactus swears to do so. He vanishes, and Epoch offers her thanks. She offers Gravity the chance to return to his chrysalis and regain his cosmic powers and his status as champion of the universe. He turns down her offer because he wants his old life back. Epoch agrees to this, and she says she will find another champion. Collins uses the frogs to return everyone to Earth. Gravity leaves for his parents’ home in Wisconsin to tell them he’s still alive. Ben says, “I’d call first.”

Unstable molecule: Reed’s post-Civil War plans remain to be seen. Remember that Reed and Tony Stark had a list of one hundred ideas for a better future, with Civil War’s controversial Negative Zone prison as number forty-two. This issue, however, states that Reed and Tony have gone their separate ways.

Fade out: Sue is disgusted by the fact that the sand on Titan’s beach isn’t sand at all, but pre-organic amino acids. Why does that upset her? What science joke am I not getting?

Clobberin’ time: Other than throw a few asteroids around during the fight, Ben doesn’t do much in this issue.

Flame on: Johnny enjoys being able to fight with cosmic flame, thanks to the power-siphoning armor. It would appear the effects of this are temporary.  

Fantastic fifth wheel: We’re told the power-siphoning armor is only one part of Black Panther’s anti-Galactus plan. The rest involves the Wakandan Air Force, a shape-changer, and the Hulk. He skips those because he’s in a hurry.

It seems the mandate at the time was to build up Storm as one of Marvel’s biggest players. In this issue, her power is equal to two Galactus heralds, and she negotiates with Galactus himself.

Trivia time: This business about King Solomon’s frogs might seem random, but the frogs were a key part of the first issue of Black Panther’s first-ever solo series, 1977’s Black Panther #1. That issue states they are brass frog sculptures, but they appear to move at times, so who knows?

The final scene of this issue is recreated in Black Panther vol. 4 #27, which prominently features this new FF team. The cover even recreates the cover of Fantastic Four vol. 1 #3, but with T’Challa and Storm in place of Reed and Sue.

The AI being that talks to Reed and Sue is I.S.A.A.C., a “planet computer” permanently linked to Mentor’s home on Titan. Like Mentor, I.S.A.A.C. has been part of storylines for both the Eternals and Adam Warlock.

Wakandan agent Taku has been around for a long time, first appearing in Avengers #68, back in 1969. Although he’s antagonistic against T’Challa in this issue, he’s usually depicted as one of Black Panther’s most trusted advisors.

Fantastic or frightful? A very plot-heavy and action-heavy issue, but one that showcases the new dynamics that Storm and Black Panther bring to the team. The comic doesn’t let readers in on all the references, leaving them to run to the Marvel Wiki for explanations. Other than that, it’s some fun reading.

Next: “I don’t use the bucket anymore.”

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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 #545 is only the second one with the new team, and they’re already up against Galactus.

Recap: The new Fantastic Four – Ben, Johnny, Black Panther, and Storm – are investigating the disappearance of the body of dead teen hero Gravity. Alongside Michael Collins, formerly the cyborg Deathlok, the team traveled to space to confront cosmic being Epoch. And then the Silver Surfer showed up.

This issue begins in space, but with Reed and Sue, who have traveled to Jupiter’s moon Titan for their second honeymoon and/or marriage reconciliation. An alien named Mentor is letting him use his winter home there. Then, elsewhere in space, we return to the FF. Silver Surfer confronts Epoch, saying his “master” must feed. Ben gets the Surfer’s attention and tells him to back off, but the Surfer says this entire area of space will soon be consumed by cosmic energy. Ben then tries to fight the Surfer, only to be overpowered.

Johnny rescues Ben from Silver Surfer’s blasts, and then Storm confronts him. Even though they’re in space, she’s able to draw stray hydrogen atoms to her, which she then unleashes as a nuclear-like bolt of lightning onto the Surfer. Epoch speaks, with strange dialogue about a chrysalis, a “holding action,” and the flow of time. She then brings Gravity back to life. He has no idea what happened to him, and Epoch tells him he’s been chosen for the greatest honor in the universe.

Epoch explains that when Gravity made his heroic life-ending sacrifice (this happened in the miniseries Beyond), his essence merged with the forces that gave him his gravity-manipulating superpowers. Gravity demands to be returned to Earth, but Epoch refuses. She says that Quasar is no more, so the universe needs a new protector, and Gravity gets the job.

Then, a ticked-off Silver Surfer returns for round two. Johnny manages to knock him off his board. When he calls for it to return to him, we see this amazing image of Black Panther surfing atop it!

Black Panther is so skilled he can get Silver Surfer into a stranglehold, despite the Surfer’s cosmic strength. Panther tries to explain the situation, and that all they want is to bring Gravity back home. Then he’s struck by an energy blast. This one comes from Stardust, the newest herald of Galactus. She threatens to throw Ben into the nearest sun, but Silver Surfer convinces her to listen to what Black Panther has to say.

With the fight over, Silver Surfer says he will allow the FF to complete their mission before Galactus arrives to devour this entire area of space. Ben asks the Surfer what he’s doing working for Galactus again, and the Surfer says his choice was about more than good versus evil. Ben says he won’t stand around and just let Galactus devour anyone Black Panther argues that conflict between Galactus and Epoch is not the FF’s concern. Ben insists that’s not what Reed would do, and Black Panther says Ben doesn’t have much a record when it comes to predicting what Reed would do.

Black Panther talks it over with Storm, and then he tells Silver Surfer that Epoch is under the FF’s protection, and Galactus must feed elsewhere. Galactus’ ship arrives, and Silver Surfer says, “Tell him yourself.” Galactus doesn’t speak, but gets to work constructing his planet-devouring machine. Silver Surfer says they have only thirty-five minutes to complete their mission. Ben remarks that Galactus will certainly kill Epoch, and Black Panther says he has a plan. He has Collins bring the ship around, and then they both leave.

Ben freaks out, thinking Black Panther has betrayed the team. He and Silver Surfer are about to fight again when Gravity reappears. He’s bursting with glowing blue energy now, and he proclaims himself as the new protector of the universe.

To be continued!

Unstable molecule: Who is this Mentor character letting Reed and Sue stay on Titan? Turns out this guy has a long and complex history in the Marvel Universe. He’s part of the Eternals and all their continuity, but he’s also tied into all of Adam Warlock’s adventures. Get this: Mentor is the father of both Starfox and the one and only Thanos!

Fade out: Sue says she’s always wanted to visit Titan. I don’t recall this coming up before, so let’s just take the comic’s word for it.

Clobberin’ time: Ben and Silver Surfer greet each other as friends, but they’re not above fighting each other if they must. This makes sense considering the characters’ shared history.

Flame on: Black Panther supplies the team with high-tech life support devices that allow them to breathe in space. He gives Johnny some extra ones for oxygen to fuel his fire powers.  

Fantastic fifth wheel: This issue shows the differences in leadership between Black Panther and Reed. Both are science geniuses, but Reed is more of an improvisor, while Black Panther is more of a strategist who has planned ahead for any given possibility.

Storm summoning hydrogen atoms to make her own nuke is quite the extrapolation of how her powers work.

Four and a half/Our gal Val: Sue suggests calling the Baxter Building to check on the kids, confirming that Franklin and Valeria are staying with Ben and Johnny during this time.

Trivia time: What the miniseries Beyond about? An assortment of Marvel heroes, including Gravity, were transported to space in what looked like a recreation of the original Secret Wars, with a Beyonder-like figure telling them to battle it out with the winner getting anything they desire. Except this wasn’t the Beyonder, it was the Stranger. He was trying to determine the cause of superhumans, something he said was improbable. After a lot of fighting, death, and resurrections, the heroes defeated the Stranger. Gravity died due to the strain of keeping everyone else alive on the journey back to Earth.

Fantastic or frightful? This issue gives us a better look at the new team’s dynamics, yet it’s very plot-heavy, demanding that readers be already familiar with Beyond and wherever Epoch came from. On the other hand, Black Panther riding the Silver Surfer’s surfboard is awesome. It’s an image could and should become a meme.

Next: Prisoners of Gravity.

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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. It’s a whole new FF in issue #544 as Black Panther and Storm join the team, and superstar writer Dwayne McDuffie takes over the writing. Also, Deathlok is here! (Sort of.)

Following the ever-tumultuous events of Civil War, Reed and Sue have left the Fantastic Four for some private time to work out issues in their marriage. But there must always be a Fantastic Four (although I don’t know that’s an official rule), so two new members will fill in for them – Black Panther and Storm!

This issue does not start with the new team, but out in space. A mysterious voice says, “I have obtained the Chrysalis,” and, “I must hide for now.” Then a six-eyed alien flies through space, seeking the source of that voice. This being is Stardust, the newest herald of Galactus, who was introduced in Beta Ray Bill’s Stormbreaker miniseries. Stardust’s AI states that his quarry has cloaked its location.

Then we’re back in the new Baxter Building, picking up where the last issue left off. Reed and Sue tell Ben and Johnny that they’re taking some time off, and T’Challa the Black Panther and his new wife Storm show up to take their place. There’s still some tension between Storm and Reed about his actions during the Civil War.

Then there’s a flashback to the cleanup that followed the Civil War’s final battle, where Reed finds some undetonated bombs among the wreckage of the Wakandan Embassy. Tony Stark, now wearing a S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform as he’s S.H.I.E.L.D.’s new director, swears he will find the culprit. Black Panther says that if the US government put the bombs there, then the consequences will be dire. Tony takes Reed aside and tells Reed to convince Black Panther to go back to Wakanda and stop meddling in global politics. Reed says he won’t do that because he agrees with T’Challa, and also he knows T’Challa snuck a listening device on Tony.

The heroes agree it’s unlikely that Tony Stark planted the bombs, but that someone is out to get T’Challa. They need a safe place to stay. Cut to a press conference, where T’Challa announces that the Baxter Building will serve as a temporary Wakandan Embassy until a new one can be constructed. Further, Black Panther says the US government’s actions during the Civil War have destabilized power across the entire globe, and he plans to work with the United Nations until a solution can be found. Reed and Sue assure the reporters that their leave of absence is only temporary, while Storm says that she and T’Challa will fill in for Reed and Sue if circumstances require it.

Later, Johnny jokes with Storm about how she is royalty now. We see the entire embassy staff is also moving into the building, a couple dozen Wakandans with a bunch of Wakandan artifacts and decorations as well. T’Challa’s aide W’Kabi interrupts, saying a fellow hero has arrived and needs help. It’s Michael Collins, formerly known as the cyborg Dethlok. He’s now fully human, with no more machine parts, but he says that’s not the issue that brought him there.

Collins takes the new FF to the gravesite of former teen hero Gravity, who died saving him and several others during a cosmic battle. (This happened in the Beyond miniseries.) The gravesite is empty, and it has folded in on itself, which Black Panther says is the result of a black whole with an electric charge. (He’s now the science guy with Reed not around.) Collins says that the cosmic battle got so intense that the Watcher got involved. Ben jokes about going into space to ask the Watcher about this, and Black Panther decides to do just that.

Turn the page, and the new FF are blasting into space aboard Reed’s newest spacecraft, called the Fold Ship. Ben says the ship can reach the moon in under four minutes. Along the way, the four heroes and Collins all reveal that they’ve met the Watcher previously. Upon arriving at the Watcher’s home, the Watcher appears immediately. Ben jokes around with him for a bit while Storm flies through the home and swipes the Ultimate Nullifier. Black Panther threatens to use the Nullifier and erase the Watcher from existence. The Watcher says the Nullifier also destroys the user, but T’Challa won’t back down.

The Watcher bends his vow not to interfere by granting the heroes access to the Cyclopedia Universum, which is where all the Watcher’s people’s knowledge is accumulated. This happens in a flash of light, and Ben says he now knows who took Gravity’s body from the grave. The Fold Ship takes off to new coordinates.

The trail leads to Epoch, a godlike cosmic being. She says that what she’s done is beyond human comprehension, and that she must remain hidden. Epoch attacks, while warning that this attack could lead to her detection by “the herald.” Then the Silver Surfer shows up, saying that he’s the one she’s afraid of.

To be continued!

Unstable molecule: The Fold Ship is based on Reed’s new research into space-folding, we’re told. T’Challa says he’d recently read an article written by Reed about it.

Fade out: At the press conference, Sue calls the leave of absence a second honeymoon, joking that the first honeymoon didn’t count since it was interrupted by supervillains and aliens. She doesn’t tell the reporters that she and Reed later had a proper honeymoon to make up for this, in the Fantastic Four: The Wedding Special one-shot.

Clobberin’ time: Ben and Johnny return to the dark-blue-with-white-trim uniforms of the John Byrne years. Ben explains that they’re color coordinating with their new teammates.

Flame on: Storm says she found the Ultimate Nullifier inside the Watcher’s house by following Johnny’s directions. Except Johnny originally located the Nullifier inside Galactus’ ship back in the day. My guess is Johnny has some residual cosmic knowledge from that time he was a Galactus herald.

Fantastic fifth wheel: Welcome to the team, Black Panther! Because he was introduced in a classic Lee/Kirby issue, he’s often considered a FF supporting character. Yet he’s appeared more often in Avengers and Iron Man. Nonetheless, the point has been made many times over the years that he and the FF have a great friendship.

Welcome to the team, Storm! She has quite the history. Although a descendant of ancient African princesses, she grew up as a lowly pickpocket in Cairo. When she developed her weather-controlling mutant powers, she was worshipped as a goddess by some superstitious tribe folk before being recruited to join the X-Men. (She retained the title “goddess” for years afterward, weirdly.) Her X-Men adventures are too many to list here, but she was the heart of the team for many years, serving as team leader for a time. Storm and Black Panther married in Black Panther #18, which led straight into Civil War, which led them here.  

Medusa is mentioned as one of the superheroes saved by Gravity’s sacrifice at the end of Beyond.

Four and a half/Our gal Val: There is zero mention of Franklin and Valeria in this issue. We don’t know if they left with Reed and Sue or if they’re living in the Baxter Building along with all the Wakandans. Maybe they’re on the moon with Crystal?

Trivia time: Who is Epoch? After the godlike being Eon died during Infinity Crusade, his daughter Epoch was born. She soon took over Eon’s duties leader of the Protectors of the Universe, made up of similar godlike beings.

Ben mentions himself and Deathlock having met before, when they encountered a bunch of Doombots. This happened in Deathlok #3-5.

While the X-Men have been present at all sorts of space/cosmic storylines, I’m having trouble of finding a time when Storm specifically interacted with the Watcher. Unless, of course, she’s referring to the Watcher appearing at her and T’Challa’s wedding.

This issue a “The Initiative” logo on the cover. I don’t know that the FF were made official members of the Fifty States Initiative (now known as just the Initiative), but the Marvel Wiki does list them as part of it. All the characters seem pretty anti-reg and anti-Tony Stark in this issue.

Fantastic or frightful? It’s the start of a brand-new era (era) for the series, and yet it’s also a direct sequel to Beyond? It’s a lot of Marvel continuity to keep track of in one issue, making it alienating for new readers. But it’s fun to see how the two new teammates bring something new to the table while it still feeling like a Fantastic Four adventure.

Next: Stranger days.

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Want more? Check out my new 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 #543 is the FF’s 45th anniversary, so Marvel wanted to do a special issue. But it’s also a Civil War tie-in, so we have to deal with that as well. The solution? Announce another big change.

One night at the new Baxter Building, Johnny and Ben are sitting down to watch an episode of news show Lateline and its report about the Fantastic Four. Well, they’re watching it while also getting Franklin and Valeria ready for bed.

The show starts, and we get the first of several interview segments. We meet James Kreig, a security guard at the launch pad the night Reed and the gang stole their own rocket for their famous spaceflight. Then we see he’s currently working as a greeter at a Walmart-type store. Some random science professor talks about how no one understands what went wrong with Reed’s spaceflight, while Hank Pym (secretly a Skrull in disguise) says it was a freak accident that transformed the FF, and nothing more. A videographer talks about the early days of the FF feeling like the start of a new age.

Johnny asks Ben where Reed and Sue are, and what time they’re coming back. Ben says the real question is, are they going to stay? Cut to Reed and Sue, sitting high above the city in a hovering Fantasticar. Reed is trying to be romantic, but they can’t help talk about everything that went down during the Civil War. Reed insists all his actions were to help Sue and their family. She’s upset that he explained this to the Mad Thinker before he explained it to her. But then she talks about him taking a hit for her during the final battle, and all she could think about was losing him.

Reed says that despite all his scientific accomplishments, he never felt like a whole person until Sue came into his life. Sue says she knew she was in love with him from the moment they met. And then this happens:

NOW WAIT JUST A MINUTE! Back in vol. 4 issue 4, not only did Marvel retcon Reed and Sue’s age difference to make them the same age, but Marvel editorial released a statement explaining why. (The short answer: So it wouldn’t be creepy.) But now we’re back to the way it was? I suppose that with a bunch of movies in development, and with the Civil War hype possibly attracting new readers, there’s some attempt made to reestablish classic Marvel. Maybe?

Anyway, aboard the Fantasticar, Sue talks about Reed is not just smart, but genuinely good, and that he seeks to help anyone who needs it. She says she still loves him, “But it won’t ever be the same.”

Then more Lateline interview segments. T’Challa the Black Panther talks about how the FF aren’t just a team, but a family. Namor the Submariner says that even when he and Reed have been in conflict, he knew Reed to be a man of honor. They even interview Dr. Doom, who says he believes Reed is evil, and the day will come when the entire world will ask him to stop Reed. Ben throws his popcorn at the screen upon hearing this.

This leads to some comedy banter between Ben and Johnny as Johnny heats up some more popcorn. The banter becomes a fight, just like they used to do in the old days, and Franklin and Valeria place bets on who will win.

Back to more Lateline interviews. Mailman Willie Lumpkin says  that despite all their cosmic adventures, the FF never railed to say good morning to him. Wyatt Wingfoot says the FF always treated him like extended family. Spider-Man, whose secret identity is still public, talks about trying to join the FF in his early days. Luke Cage talks about his time as a member of the team, saying that he’ll be there again if they ever need him – as long as he gets paid.

Even Sharon Ventura is interviewed, saying that she and Ben had quite a romance going, and that no one ever treated her like a monster during her time on the team. She-Hulk is next, saying that she’d never seen so much of the universe, not even during her time with the Avengers.

There’s a clip of Ben being interviewed by what looks like Conan O’Brien, saying that FF go on expeditions all the time, and help people they meet along the way. Johnny is interviewed on some MTV-like show, saying he loves the adrenaline rush along with helping people. He says he’d be willing to do anything for his teammates. Sue is interviewed by an Oprah Winfrey-type, who asks her about whether she’s the key to the FF’s success. Sue only responds, “Some people are too kind.”

Then the whole Civil War thing rears its ugly head again. Wolverine is interviewed, saying Reed is a good man, who just screwed up big-time. Tony Stark argues that Reed’s actions during the Civil War were he’s always done, looking to the future and finding a solution. Ben puts the kids to bed for this part, and then he and Johnny debate whether Captain America’s surrender is genuine. Ben says he will still follow Reed into battle, but only if he believes Reed is right. Johnny says he will, if he has the chance.

The Lateline show concludes with the host saying that the FF’s legend is secure, but their future is uncertain. Then Reed and Sue return, saying they’ve talked things out and made a good start. Johnny and Ben extend their hands to them to do their classic four-hands-at-once move, but Sue and Reed don’t join them. She says they’re not leaving the team, but taking a break to work on their marriage. Reed says they have two friends currently looking for a new home, and will fill in for them while they’re away.

Turn the page, and we meet the two newest members of the Fantastic Four, Black Panther and Storm!

This being an anniversary issue, we also have two backup stories. Stan Lee himself writes the first one, with art by Nick Dragotta and Michael Allred. The Mole Man is attacking New York, while Stan visits the FF at their headquarters for some comedy. Stan eventually saves the day by convincing the Mole Man to call off his attack in exchange for a cameo in an upcoming Marvel movie.

The second backup story, written and drawn by Paul Pope, has Johnny, Ben, Spider-Man and Crystal pulling pranks on each other at a car show, only for it to get out of hand. A car explodes, and Spidey and Johnny put out the fire while bickering the whole time.

Unstable molecule: The Lateline footage shows Reed hosting the first-ever Fantastic Four press conference, announcing the team’s existence to the world. We never saw this back in the old days, but it does explain how they lived in secret in issues #1-2 and then were celebrities in issue #3.

Fade out: The woman in Sue’s flashback is not her rarely seen mother, but her Aunt Jewel, a.k.a. Marygay Dinkins, whom we met in the Before the Fantastic Four: The Storms miniseries.

Clobberin’ time: Franklin started a swear jar for Ben, which is full of cash after his recent poker loss.

Flame on: Johnny uses his fire to set off a nearby fire extinguisher so it can spurt on Ben’s face. Does that work?

Fantastic fifth wheel: Welcome to the team, Black Panther and Storm! I’ll get more into their backgrounds in next week’s blog.

Crystal, as a master of the elements, uses her power to control flame in the backup story, acting like a second Human Torch. You have to wonder why we never saw Crystal and Johnny interact like that before.

Luke Cage is shown holding a baby. That’s Danielle “Dani” Cage, daughter of Luke and Jessica Jones. She’s still a little kid in current continuity. I’m sure Marvel will age her up to be a teen superhero one of these days. Dani was named after Danny Rand, a.k.a. Iron Fist.

She-Hulk was still in space at this time in her own series, for a wild Man-Wolf/Starfox/Thanos story. I suppose Lateline could have recorded that interview at any time.

Surprise! That’s not really Sharon Ventura in this issue, but another Skrull in disguise, just in time for the Secret Invasion crossover. Just prior to her being abducted and replaced by the Skrulls, Sharon had joined the Initiative as a member of the Mavericks, who were New Mexico’s superhero team. This also makes Sharon pro-registration, it seems.

Four and a half: Franklin said he learned to gamble after watching Ben and Johnny do it. They try to talk Franklin out of it, but he places bets with Valeria when they start fighting.

Our gal Val: We’re informed that Valeria successfully completed potty training recently. Where’s that Civil War tie-in issue?

Trivia time: One of the videographer’s “photographs” on her wall is really a reproduction of Alex Ross’s painting of the cover of Fantastic Four #1. But is that canon? In the first issue, the giant monster action took place on the Mole Man’s island.

Fantastic or frightful? It’s pretty slim for an anniversary issue, but that’s because it has to introduce a new version of the team as well as still deal with dark cloud of Civil War overhead. Still, some fun nostalgia for long-time fans, so that’s good.

Next: Stormy weather.

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Want more? Check out my new 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. Marvel’s epic Civil War crossover comes to an end… except that it doesn’t.

The issue of superhero registration has divided the entire Marvel Universe. After a lot of fighting and casualties, Captain America’s anti-reg side and Iron Man’s pro-reg side confront each other at Ryker’s Island. Let’s do this!

There’s several pages of everybody fighting everybody, while S.H.I.E.L.D. agents attempt to shut down the Negative Zone portal at Ryker’s. They’re stopped by Black Panther and Dagger. When S.H.I.E.L.D. threatens to shut down the portal inside the new Baxter Building, it could trap everyone inside the Negative Zone permanently. (They’re not fighting on Ryker’s Island, but inside the Negative Zone? I don’t think the comics make this clear.)

Dagger contacts Cloak and tells him he must pull off the biggest teleport he’s ever done. Cloak absorbs everyone into his cloak and teleports them all to the sky over Manhattan. Those who can fly save some of their teammates, but others are shown crashing to the ground in a huge explosion (let’s assume these are the super strong and/or invulnerable characters). There’s a quick glimpse of Iron Man ordering the NYPD to evacuate civilians from the area.

The Fantastic Four get some moments during the fight. Johnny flies straight toward Iron Man, only for Iron Man to punch him in the face. Reed watches Spider-Man fight his way past the new Thunderbolts to comment, “Amazing.” Spidey then kicks Reed in the neck (!) and responds, “Spectacular.” Spidey can also be seen punching Reed during the Cloak teleport.

The villainous Thunderbolts gang up on Captain America, almost defeating him. But then Namor flies down from the sky with a bunch of Atlantean warriors to save Cap. With Namor on the anti-reg side, it appears that Cap now has the advantage. But then Iron Man calls in the Thor clone, the newly alive Kree Captain Marvel, and those new heroes seen in Arizona last issue. So now the sides are even again.

At this point, put a bookmark in Civil War #7 and switch over to the middle of Black Panther #25, where a lot of the fighting occurs on the roof of the Wakandan embassy as it’s being evacuated. The Thor clone attacks, in hopes of stopping a plane from leaving the embassy. Storm stands in his way, and there’s several pages of them duking it out. Our own Sue Richards of the FF helps Storm with some force fields at one point. Storm, figuring that the clone is more a machine than a thunder god, uses her lightning to set off an electromagnetic pulse inside the clone’s brain (!). This stops him, but only for a moment, after which Hercules walks up and says, “Allow me to cut in.”

Now go back to Civil War #7. Cap and Iron Man go face-to-face once again. The Vision weakens Iron Man’s armor, allowing Cap to pummel him. The Thor clone tries to help Iron Man, but Hercules holds him back. Nearby, a city bus gets thrown into the fight, making a wall of sorts between the combatants and the civilians. It’s the FF’s own Ben Grimm, having just returned from France. He says he’s there to make sure someone’s watching out for the people.

Then Taskmaster, who’s with the new Thunderbolts, aims a gun at Sue. Reed jumps in at the last second and takes the shot, saving Sue’s life. Sue exclaims, “What have you done to my husband?” and she crushes Taskmaster under a force field.

Nearby, Hercules lifts Thor’s hammer. (He can do that? Wait, is this the actual hammer or isn’t it?). Herc says, “Thor was a friend of mine,” followed by “Thou art no Thor!” Then he uses the hammer to smash in the clone’s head in a moment of truly eye-popping violence.

Time to wrap it all up. Captain America beats the crap out of Iron Man, smashing open his iron face plate. Just before Cap goes for the killing blow, a bunch of NYC firefighters and EMTs surround Cap and stop him. All the other superheroes stop fighting to watch this happen. Teary-eyed, Cap seems to have an epiphany. He says, “We’re not fighting for the people anymore,” followed by, “We’re just fighting.” Cap surrenders to the NYPD, unmasking in front of them and revealing his secret identity to them. He orders all his troops to stand down, adding “That’s an order,” as the cops haul him away.

With the battle over, the Punisher emerges from the shadows, and swipes Captain America’s mask to keep for himself. Flip back over to Black Panther #25, and we see that the Wakandan embassy did indeed get destroyed, but only after everyone got out safely. This was Panther and Storm’s home, and she says they can rebuild. The Panther says it’s worse than that, and he informs her that Cap surrendered. “We’re on our own,” he says.

Now back to Civil War #7. It’s two weeks later, and Reed is writing a letter to Sue, mirroring the one she wrote to him in issue #4. Through this letter, we see that Cap’s anti-reg team helped the clean-up of Manhattan. We also see the official formation of the Fifty States Initiative, which is apparently now just called the Initiative. A small group of heroes loyal to Cap are still operating as the Secret Avengers, including Spider-Man, who’s gone back to his black costume, originally from Secret Wars. The Negative Zone prison is still operational, and with overwhelming positive public response.

Reed concludes the letter saying that the utopian ideals he fought for during the Civil War don’t mean anything without Sue by his side. He promises no more clones and no more traps until she returns. He writes, “None of those painful things we had to do on that path to respectability.” As the letter concludes, we see Sue standing in Reed’s doorway with all her suitcases.

Aboard a S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier, Tony Stark has taken over as the new director of S.H.I.E.L.D., with Maria Hill stepping down to the role of deputy director. He once again meets with Miriam Sharp, whose son died in the explosion in issue #1. She says that thanks to his efforts, people can believe in heroes again. He responds, “The best is yet to come, sweetheart.”

And that’s the final word on Civil War. Except it isn’t. This is because the real ending is in Civil War: Front Line #11. Although not in the main series, several Civil War tie-ins hinted that there’s some secret conspiracy behind it all. Front Line is where we follow up on that… sort of.

Reporters Ben Urich and Sally Floyd manage to get interviews with Cap and Iron Man. Cap acts apologetic about his actions, while Sally rips on him for his ideals being outdated. Then they get an audience with Tony Stark. They question him about an incident earlier in Front Line, when the Green Goblin attacked some Atlanteans. They say that Tony controlled nanites in Norman Osbourne’s body to make him attack, in hopes that a war against Atlantis could unite the heroes, rather than drive then apart in the Civil War. Sally says that the registration act, the Initiative, and the Negative Zone prison were all engineered by Stark against the inevitability of a war with Atlantis. Tony throws them out of his office and then chucks his Iron Man helmet across the room in remorse over his actions.

Does this make ANY sense? I’ve read and reread this Front Line scene over and over, and I still don’t get it. Tony Stark saw a war with Atlantis was coming, so he secretly engineered the Civil War as the lesser of two evils? But then he got Norman Osbourne into the new Thunderbolts and gave him the nanites just to program Norman to attack the Atlanteans, just to get the public on his side during the Civil War? And why isn’t any of this playing out in the main Civil War series instead of Front Line?

Here’s the thing: If there’s meant to be an Atlantis vs. the surface world plot brewing under the surface in Civil War, then the crossover should have been more about that. Like, what if Namorita was the only one who survived the explosion in issue #1, instead of Speedball? Turning her into Penance would have kept Atlantis front and center. Then the finale of Civil War could have occurred with Atlantis on the verge of attack. They could either have turned back upon Cap’s surrender, or they could have been the first big challenge for the Initiative. Instead, Namor gets his justice for Namorita in the pages of Wolverine, and then he shows up during the final fight with little consequence.

Instead, we must circle back to the ending of the Civil War miniseries, and this assertation that registration, the Negative Zone prison, and the Initiative all work perfectly, and the US (the world?) is better than ever. It sure doesn’t feel that way after all these months and hundreds of pages of division and violence. I fear this is some of writer Mark Millar’s notorious cynicism at work. The heroes have won, good has defeated evil, but it could only happen if everyone is awful to each other.

Basically, I’m saying the same thing fans have been saying for years. Marvel’s Civil War is a mess.

Unstable molecule: Oh, I never followed up on the cliffhanger at the end of Black Panther #24, where Storm showed up on Reed’s doorstep to talk about registration. As issue #25 begins, Storm doesn’t register, but instead tries to understand where Reed is coming from. It’s more of the same debate about registration all the Marvel characters keep having during Civil War. Storm ends the conversation by rejecting Reed’s rationale.

Fade out: Sue is featured prominently in the Black Panther issue, establishing a friendship between her and Storm. This and Storm’s talk with Reed help set up things to come.

Clobberin’ time: We saw earlier that Johnny left a Fantasticar with Ben, so that’s how he came back from France, but how did he know when the big battle was going to happen? Somebody, likely either Johnny or Reed, must have told him about the plan.

Flame on: I don’t know what Johnny was thinking by flying straight at Iron Man instead of attacking from a distance. But at least he got to have a scene during the finale, rather than be drawn fighting someone in the background like most of the heroes.

Four and a half/Our gal Val: There’s a panel showing Reed tucking the kids into bed after the battle is over, showing his rethinking his priorities after the Civil War.

Fantastic fifth wheel: She-Hulk and Luke Cage are seen in the background of the fight, exchanging blow with various other heroes. Luke Cage is a member of the Secret Avengers at the end.

Vibraxis, former member of the Fantastic Force spinoff, gets mentioned during Reed and Storm’s debate, when Reed lists him among known Wakandan superhumans.

Trivia time: We’re told the battle takes place just outside the new Baxter Building, yet a lot of the action happens around the Wakandan embassy. The Marvel Wiki states that the Baxter Building is on 42nd Street and Madison Avenue, while the embassy is located in Turtle Bay, adjacent to the United Nations complex. Are these close enough to be neighbors? (Here in the real world, 42nd and Madison is a high-end Sephora store.)

Fantastic or frightful? See my “Civil War is a mess” comment above.

Next: Fresh faces.

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