Rewatching DuckTales! One of the reasons I wanted to do this series on this blog is to revisit the Gizmoduck episodes, and we finally meet him in episode 71, “Liquid Assets”… except we don’t.

What’s all this, then? The second half of the 10-episode season two is a five-parter known as “SuperDuckTales.” Like the first half, these five episodes originally aired as a two-hour made-for-TV movie. Except not in syndication this time. These episodes aired on prime time on ABC, as movie on Wonderful World of Disney. Not only that, but this was in May, the all-important sweeps month where the networks brought out their best to get those sweet ratings. Not only that, but this was Mother’s Day that year, with a big push to get the whole family to watch. All this plus the introduction of a new main character meant that even though the series is winding down at this point, someone at Disney was intent on keeping DuckTales going.

Here’s what happens: As part of an elaborate plot to give a birthday gift to their mom, the Beagle Boys mess with some blueprints at City Hall, tricking everyone into thinking the city’s new super-highway must be built across the land where Scrooge’s money bin is. When construction workers show up at the money bin, Scrooge tries to get the mayor to turn them away, but instead gets the old “you can’t fight City Hall” treatment. Scrooge is faced with the conundrum of having to physically move all his money, with a speech about how he prefers liquid assets over frozen assets.

Cut to a bean factory, where hapless accountant Fenton Crackshell is a literal bean counter. He longs for a better career, and he has a crush on hot coworker Dandra Dee. He finds an ad from Scrooge asking for help counting his money during the move. Fenton decides he’s the perfect choice to be Scrooge’s new accountant. Fenton shows up at the interview (it’s some sort of audition, with a bunch of accountants all showing up). Scrooge throws Fenton out, but he keeps coming back for more, not taking no for an answer. Frustrated Scrooge fires a shotgun at Fenton (!) and Fenton impresses Scrooge by counting all the shells as they fly past him. He gets the job.

Cut to a trailer, where Fenton lives with his mother. Fenton wants to celebrate the new job, but s his perpetually-disappointed mother wants nothing to do with him. It’s also here where we establish that “Blabbering blatherskites!” is an expression Fenton uses all the time. Later, the Beagle Boys as real estate agents, offering Scrooge a deal on mountaintop land as a new home for the money bin.

As Scrooge plans to physically move the entire bin, Fenton encourages him to invest his money rather than keep it all in a bin. Scrooge again insists on keeping his money liquid. Fenton takes that literally by dumping all the money in a nearby lake. Thanks to amazing counting powers, Fenton can tell in an instant it is all accounted for. Scrooge, Fenton, and Scrooge’s nephews watch over the money while pretending to be camping.

Launchpad, meanwhile, transports the money bin building to a new location (it’s on the back of some impossibly huge truck). The Beagle Boys set off dynamite to cause an avalanche, and then somehow make off with the entire building. They present the building to Ma Beagle for her birthday, only for them all to find it empty. Scrooge then impersonates a tax man, dropping all sorts of fines on the Beagle Boys for owning an unregulated money bin. Launchpad sneaks the building away (I guess?) while the Beagle Boys investigate Scrooge’s campsite and learn the location of the money.

There’s a lot of comedy bits as the Beagle Boys connive ways to get Scrooge’s money out of the lake. Finally, Big Time Beagle says the best plan is to do nothing, because Fenton is such a screw up that he’ll play into the Beagles’ hands without knowing he’s doing so. Sure enough, when the Beagle Boys override the nearby wooden dam with termites, Fenton tries to save the day by using termite-eating woodpeckers. The woodpeckers destroy the dam, losing all the money, and Scrooge is furious with Fenton.

To be continued!

Humbug: Scrooge’s exact fortune is given in this episode as “600 sentillion, 386 zillion, 947 trillion, 522 billion dollars and 36 cents.”

Junior woodchucks: Huey, Dewey and Louie were initially not invited to Scrooge and Fenton’s camp, but they went anyway. They say whenever they get a strict rule, the “unstrict” it.”

Fasten your seatbelts: Not sure where Launchpad got this huge money-bin-moving truck. It looks like that big thing they drive the space shuttle around in.

Pro-rata: When the show introduced Bubba the cave duck as a new main character, I wondered how much story potential they could get out of him. Someone must have had similar concerns, because Fenton is given tons of story potential before he ever becomes Gizmoduck. This includes his jokey banter with Scrooge, as well as his own cast of supporting characters with his mom and Dandra Dee. Also, we learn Fenton is a “near graduate” of the “banana bran business brochure course.”

Foul fowls: The Beagle Boys in this one are again the classic trio of Big Time, Burger, and Bouncer, with a quick appearance by Ma Beagle. Big Time takes off his cap at one point, and we see he’s balding underneath.

Down in Duckburg: The money bin is on the other side of town from Scrooge’s mansion, rather than right next door. Also, we see Scrooge’s worry room, where he paces in a circle around a statue when he’s worried, causing deep grooves in the floor. The nephews join him in his worrying in one scene.

Reference row: Dandra Dee is named after ‘60s model turned actress Sandra Dee.

Thoughts on this viewing: Another all-jokes-all-the-time episode. I wonder if someone on the DuckTales production wanted the show to be nothing but hacky comedy rather than treasure hunting adventure. But don’t worry, we’re about to get into some outrageous robo-action!

Next: Your move, creep.  

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Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. Except I was busy this week, so here’s some She-Hulk pics instead:

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Rewatching DuckTales! The five-part “Time is Money” tale comes to an explosive finale in episode 70, “Ali Bubba’s Cave.”  

Here’s what happens: Picking up from after the last episode, Scrooge is on the run after the Beagle Boys took over his money bin and framed him, and he owes Glomgold $10 million for a diamond mine land deal. Also, he sent Bubba the cave duck back home to prehistoric times. Arriving at his newly-bought island, Scrooge finds Glomgold built a wall around the diamond mine. Glomgold and the Beagle Bous are on the other side, mocking Scrooge, Launchpad and the nephews. Scrooge and company return to their plane, which causes a cave-in, which sends them underground. They’re in caves that might connect to the mine.

Back in dinosaur times, Bubba and his pet triceratops Tootsie return to their time. Bubba misses Scrooge and his new family. He accidentally fires up the time machine, and goes on a romp through various time periods. In the present, Scrooge and the boys explore the underground caves, fighting off giant monsters who happen to live down there. Bubba uses a drawing to tell the time machine’s A.I. (in the form of a weird eyeball robot) where to find Scrooge. He arrives just in time to save everyone from the monster.

Bubba leads everyone to the diamond mine, where Glomgold and the Beagle Boys are waiting. They try burying Scrooge underground with a giant boulder, but Scrooge uses a natural steam vent to break free. Scrooge gets a huge diamond into Glomgold’s hands to pay for the land, but he’s too late. He missed the deadline, and now Glomgold owns the land, diamond mine and all. All Scrooge gets is the useless island off to the side. Then the natural steam vent blows a second time, blasting all the diamonds off Glomgold’s land and onto Scrooge’s island. Scrooge then has a recreation of Bubba’s cave built behind the mansion, so Bubba is here to stay.  

Humbug: My thesis is that the series-long arc of DuckTales is Scrooge learning his family is more important than his money. This one ends when Scrooge gets the diamonds, but then we’re told he spent “a fortune” on creating a new home for Bubba.

Junior Woodchucks: The boys’ Junior Woodchuck guidebook reaches new heights of convenience by somehow knowing these specific underground caves are home to giant monsters.

Fasten your seatbelts: Launchpad’s subplot in this episode is him bringing the plane in for a safe landing instead of crashing it. He wonders what went wrong, only for the plane to end up in the caves, giving him an opportunity to crash it through a wall to help everyone.

Everybody walk the dinosaur: Bubba shows a lot of problem-solving smarts in figuring out how the time machine works. His new home is located on the mansion grounds but not inside the mansion, which is a convenient way-out for all the upcoming episodes that he won’t be in. Where’s Bubba? In his cave.

Foul fowls: The Beagle Boys leave Glomgold behind at the end of the episode, suggesting they won’t be in cahoots anymore. We’ll see how long that lasts.

Reference row: The title refers to Ali Baba, a folk hero who to stole from the 40 thieves by snaking into their hideout with the phrase “Open Sesame.” None of that is in this episode, thought. It’s just a pun.

Thoughts on this viewing: The ongoing plot of the past five episodes wraps up simplistically, but that’s the type of show this is. Even though our new hero Bubba will appear in some upcoming episodes, this five-parter was his moment in the spotlight. His presence challenges Scrooge to dig deep and develop new levels of forgiveness and understanding. And he smashes stuff real good.

Next: DuckTales, as told by William Gibson.

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Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. To defeat someone as dark as rotten as Dr. Doom, must you become as dark and rotten as he is? That’s the dilemma facing Reed Richards in issue #507.

After the big battle between Reed and Dr. Doom in issue #500, Doom was sent to Hell and Reed’s face was irreparably scarred. Reed then took over Latveria in hopes of dismantling everything Doom had once built. Both neighboring nations and U.S. troops led by Nick Fury threatened to march on Latveria to stop Reed. For the final phase of Reed’s plan, he drove his family away with some awful behavior and left what looked like a suicide note behind. We begin this issue with a tense standoff, where Sue turns her and her teammates invisible in front of Nick Fury and the U.S. troops. Meanwhile, Reed stands alone in Doom’s lab, flashing back to happier times with the family. He presses a button, activating a machine that makes him disappear. Then a self-destruct countdown starts.

Cut to Hell (yes, the Hell) where Dr. Doom is held prisoner by two demons trying to get a reaction out of him. He fades away from Hell and enter a domed room with images of his past all around him. Reed is there, and he tells Doom, “You only thought you were in Hell.” Reed explains that they are in a “Mobius dimension” of Reed’s invention. Any door Doom exits leads him back to the center of the room. There is no exit for either of them. Reed says he’s trapped Doom to keep him where Reed can see him.

Nick Fury leads the troops through the Latverian streets, insisting that the castle is their target, and they must hit it with everything they got. In the Mobius room, Reed and Doom argue for a bit. Doom tries the trick where he takes over Reed’s mind, but it would not get him anywhere. Doom says there must be a way out, because Reed would not abandon his family. Reed says leaving his family behind is why he has done this. Reed says the room is Doom’s jail, and Reed is his jailer – for the rest of eternity. Reed says Doom has succeeded in separating Reed from everyone he loves, leaving him only with hate. 

Reed and Doom banter some more, referencing Doom’s origin, and how Reed tried to warn him about the experiment that mangled Doom’s face. Doom then turns on Reed, saying that he’s the real jailer, and this room is punishment for Reed’s sins. Reed says it doesn’t matter either way, because there is no way out for either of them. Then, as if on cue, Sue, Ben, and Johnny come smashing through the wall. Reed tells them to get out before Doom escapes.

In Latveria, we’re reunited with Nadja, the female Latverian soldier from the start of this arc. She’s a civilian now, following Reed’s orders that the army stand down to avoid bloodshed. She jumps out in front of Fury and the U.S. troops. Fury tells her he has no choice but to invade because Reed violated international law. She calls him a hypocrite. She says Doom’s crimes over the years were far worse, but the U.N. always granted him diplomatic immunity. Other Latverians march into the street voicing similar sentiments, hoping that Reed will fight Doom if Doom returns.

The U.N. troops march on anyway, breaching the castle and finding all four of the FF unconscious in Doom’s not-destroyed lab. The FF wake up, and the troops say they’re under arrest. Then Sue cuts loose with a force field, murdering three of the soldiers. Turns out this isn’t Sue, Doom did the switch-consciousness trick on her. Doom-in-Sue’s-body says, “I always said Susan was more powerful than the three of you put together…”

To be continued!

Unstable molecule: Reed has programmed/designed the Mobius room to show images from Dr. Doom’s past all over the walls. I’m assuming this is part of Reed’s talk about showing Doom his “sins.”

Fade out: If the Mobius dimension is impenetrable, complete with a self-destruct, how did Sue, Ben, and Johnny get inside it so quickly? Sue says, “We saw you vanish!” and “Thank heaven we figured out how to follow you.” This suggests an accelerated timeline for the comic, that Sue and company arrived from their meeting with Nick just before the self-destruct went off.

Clobberin’ time: Ben tries to reason with Fury by calling him “Nick,” hinting at their shared past as soldiers. Fury is all business, addressing Ben as “Mister Grimm.”

Flame on: Johnny does very little this issue other than provide backup to Sue and Ben. When the military goons announce the FF is under arrest for international terrorism, Johnny quips, “For a second, I thought we were in trouble.”

Trivia time: Reminder that Dr. Doom learned his mind-swapping/body-swapping trick from the alien Ovoids, way back in issue #10, and he used the power again to escape death at the hands of Terrax the Tamer in issue #260.

The Marvel Wiki insists that the demons tormenting Dr. Doom are the Hazareth Three, the same ones he dealt with to get his jacked-up sorcery powers at the start of this storyline. This would appear to be their final appearance. The Hazarath Three also name-drop Mephisto, so add this issue to the debates about whether Mephisto is the actual  devil, or a devil-like cosmic being.

Fantastic or frightful? This is some truly dark stuff, with Reed creating a nightmare situation to put himself in. Part of me wonders why they don’t stay in the Mobius room longer and really lean into the drama of it all, but then maybe it’s better to only get a hint of it and leave the rest to our imaginations.

Next: One last Thing.

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Rewatching DuckTales! The “Time is Money” five-part storyline continues in episode 69, “Ducks on the Lam,” as Scrooge and new character Bubba team up to defy society.

Here’s what happens: In previous episodes, Scrooge time-traveled to prehistoric times as part of a convoluted land deal. Bubba the cave duck hitched a ride back to the present and has moved into the mansion. The Beagle Boys took advantage of Bubba knowing nothing about the modern day to trick the kid into letting them inside Scrooge’s vault.

The episode begins with Scrooge and Bubba kicked out of the money bin, and Scrooge blaming Bubba for all his troubles. Bubba runs off, and Scrooge starts planning his retaliation. Complicating matters is that Scrooge still owes Glomgold $10 million to complete the land deal. Inside, the Beagle Boys do their own swimming-in-the-money gag, and they contact Glomgold to tell him they’re not working for him anymore. Then the police and the army (!) surround the Money Bin, and the Boys then ask for Glomgold’s help after all.

Scrooge leads the troops in trying to break through the Money Bin’s high-tech security, with Glomgold on the scene mocking him the whole time. Scrooge even summons three ninjas (!), but everyone fails to get inside. Scrooge then tries access through one of the banks he owns to get Glomgold’s payment, but the Beagle Boys contacted the banks pretending to be Scrooge, saying the real Scrooge is an impersonator.

Bubba, meanwhile, bumbles around town trying and failing to make friends with the locals. He gets arrested after accidentally causing destruction. Scrooge similarly goes on a rant at the bank and gets arrested. In jail, Scrooge talks to his conscience, seen in the form of a tiny Scrooge. The conscience tells Scrooge that he shouldn’t blame his problems on bad luck, or on Bubba, but that he should stop whining and take control of his life. Scrooge realizes he can get the $10 million from his brand-new land, which has a diamond mine on it. He then discovers that Bubba and his pet dinosaur Tootsie are in the next cell over. The two of them reconcile, with Scrooge apologizing. Bubba uses his awesome strength to break them out of jail.

While on the run from the cops, Scrooge and Bubba encounter Glomgold, who chases them through the city. Scrooge hijacks Glomgold’s car phone and calls Huey, Dewey, and Louie for help. The boys have Gyro and Launchpad meet them at the mansion. Gyro brought the time machine, so it’s time for Bubba to return to his own time. A big tearful goodbye is said. Using the last of the bombastium fuel, Gyro sends Bubba back in time. Scrooge evades the cops by taking off in Launchpad’s plane, headed for the diamond mine.

To be continued!

Humbug: My thesis is that the series-long arc of DuckTales is Scrooge learning his family is more important than his money. Scrooge both forgives and then bonds with Bubba in this episode, but then his focus continues to be the $10 million and the diamond mine. It’s another mixed message.

Junior Woodchucks: There’s a funny meta joke where Scrooge can’t tell which nephew is which when he’s talking to them on the phone.

Fasten your seatbelts: Launchpad has a massive hanger filled with airplanes, and he does eenie-meany-minie-moe to choose one. Does he own these planes? Are these Scrooge’s planes? Questions unanswered.

Everybody walk the dinosaur: This one truly establishes Bubba’s incredible strength. At the park, he throws a picnic table so hard that it knocks over four trees, and he smashes out of jail with his bare fists.

Down in Duckburg: When Scrooge is arrested, he’s not spending the night in a cell at the police station, but inside a gigantic fortress-like prison. Maybe this is because he and Bubba are considered high-profile suspects.

Foul fowls: The Beagle Boys in this are the classic trio of Bouncer, Burger, and Big Time. I especially like Big Time doing a hokey Scottish accent to impersonate Scrooge over the phone.

Reference row: Scrooge says “Missed it by that much” during the big chase, quoting the classic 1965 spy parody series Get Smart.

Thoughts on this viewing: A surprisingly good episode, with some fun chases and escapes and even some funny gags. You can also the plotlines and character arcs of this five-parter come into focus as everything is set up for the finale. That doesn’t always happen with multi-part episodes on shows like this.

Next: Diamonds really are forever.

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Want more? Check out my new book, MOM, I’M BULLETPROOF, now available for the Kindle and the free Kindle app. It’s a comedic/dramatic/romantic superhero epic!

The next big adventure begins on the new Kindle Vella app.

Simon Marshall’s sister Lisa is missing. To find her, Simon explores the planetwide city he calls home, where flying cars soar among gleaming skyscrapers while shadowy creatures practice dark magic in back alleys.

His search leads to the subterknights, vigilantes fighting the oppressive Comosus Corporation. The subterknights make Simon one of their own. He joins their fight while learning hidden truths about the world around him. The question remains, where is Lisa?

(https://www.amazon.com/The-Subterknights/dp/B09TRYXTLF)

The first three chapters are free to read. More episodes on the way!

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Rewatching DuckTales! Episode 68, “Bubba Trubba,” is all about how the show’s new star Bubba will (or won’t?) fit in with the rest of the regular cast. He even gets his own theme song!

Here’s what happens: In previous episodes, Scrooge and co. went back in time to undo a land deal gone wrong. Along the way they picked new character Bubba the cave duck, who’s already become like one of the family. This one begins with everybody returning to present-day Duckburg. Bubba moves into the mansion while Gyro gets to work fixing the time machine. Unfamiliar with electronics and whatnot, Bubba makes a mess of everything.

Scrooge goes on TV to argue that his marker left on the land in prehistoric times is legal, and he puts Bubba on TV to prove he was there. Glomgold and the Beagle Boys see this and plot to get Bubba on their side by abducting and then brainwashing the little guy. Bubba continues to drive Scrooge nuts, and Gyro warns Scrooge that displacing Bubba out of his time could have disastrous consequences, including the loss of Scrooge’s fortune.

The kids take Bubba to school with them, where he is an instant hit among their classmates. He takes out the boom box from two episodes ago, and there’s a rockin’ musical number about how great Bubba is. (!) The impromptu party lands Huey, Dewey, and Louie in detention, but not Bubba. Mrs. Beakeley is up next, showing Bubba some civilization by taking him to a fancy socialite party. Bubba and the Beagle Boys run amok and ruin the party. Then Scrooge gets Launchpad to babysit Bubba, where the Beagle Boys makes another failed attempt to nab him. Launchpad takes Bubba to a museum to see a dinosaur display, which freaks Bubba out. He and his pet triceratops Tootsie wreck the place.  

In the Money Bin, Scrooge visited by another, tiny Scrooge. This is his conscience, who tells him that deep down inside, he actually likes Bubba. Scrooge’s conscience says that as soon as Scrooge stops blaming Bubba for his problems, his problems will go away. But then, Bubba mistakes a fire hose for a snake and calls for help, unknowingly letting the Beagle Boys into the money bin.

To be continued!

Humbug: My thesis is that the series-long arc of DuckTales is about Scrooge learning that his family is more important than his money. This episode hits on that in a big way because of Scrooge looking deep into himself (literally?) to see how much he really cares.

Junior Woodchucks: Huey, Dewey and Louie’s school is an old-timey one-room schoolhouse, as if this is pioneer times or something. Maybe this is some sort of alternative/retro private school that Scrooge has put them in.

Fasten your seatbelts: Launchpad says he won’t take any bribes for babysitting Bubba, until Scrooge offers to buy him a new scarf.

Maid and maiden: The fact that Mrs. Beakeley regularly attends high-society functions adds another interesting element to her character.

Great gadgeteer: Gyro uses a jigsaw puzzle to illustrate the time paradox thing. He says if one pieces of the puzzle falls out, more and more fall out until there’s a huge hole, which means disaster for the space-time continuum. Any physicists out there want to take a crack at this one?

Everybody walk the dinosaur: Lyrics to the Bubba theme song are as follows:

“He’s a rocker

From the past

Proving rock n’ roll really lasts

He’s a cave duck

With rhythm

Get some rocks so he can hit ‘em

The original rolling stone

Certified from way back home

Bubba, Bubba, you’ve got to love a Bubba

Bubba, Bubba, we choose the Bubba duck

Bubba hits rocks with a…

Bubba clubba!

Bubba takes a bath in a…

Bubba tubba!

Bubba likes to eat his…

Bubba grubba!

Bubba makes a goof, it’s a…

Bubba flubba!

Hubba, hubba go Bubba, hubba hubba go

Bubba, hubba, hubba go Bubba, hubba hubba hubba

Bubba, Bubba, got to have that Bubba

Bubba, Bubba, we choose the Bubba duck

Bubba, Bubba she’s got to have that Bubba

Bubba, Bubba, he’s the Bubba duck!”

Down in Duckburg: We see the bathroom inside the money bin, lined with sinks and stalls. This suggests that there are other workers who use the building besides Scrooge.

Reference row: I don’t know. Let’s go with The Flintstones, which debuted in 1960 and been around in one form or another ever since. Bubba is especially reminiscent of the rough n’ tumble baby Bamm-Bamm, who debuted on the show in 1963.  

Thoughts on this viewing: A low-key sitcom episode that focuses on the characters’ daily lives rather than some grand adventure. It’s a glimpse at what DuckTales might have been if they’d stuck only to comedy and never did any action-adventure stuff.

Next: Welcome to the Rock.

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Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. We’ve already established running your own country can be complex, but in issue #506, we learn that running a country while lying to your family is even more complex.

After defeating Dr. Doom in a battle that permanently scarred Reed’s face, Reed and the FF have taken over as the new leaders of Latveria, to fully undo everything Doom once did. This has caused an international incident, however, drawing ire from neighboring countries, the U.N., and S.H.I.E.L.D. Then, when Ben and Johnny investigated the local Latverian resistance, they were knocked out Doombots that were operated… by Reed!  

This issue begins with crime on the rise in Latveria, something we’re told didn’t happen in Doom’s reign. A shopkeeper stops a mugger and forces him to return a lady’s purse, saying that the people must not allow Latveria to become a lawless state. The shopkeeper argues in favor of becoming a more civilized, compassionate people. Then he’s alerted to the Hungarians and other neighboring countries amassing troops at Latveria’s border to take back land they believe is theirs. The U.S. military is also present, further complicating things.

Nick Fury meets with Reed inside Castle Doom. Reed refuses to back down, saying what he’s doing is an “independent operation” and that he will not hand over Dr. Doom’s technology to anyone. Reed says he’s making progress and that Latveria will soon have its own democratic election. Fury says Reed has a deadline, and then he teleports out of there. Sue arrives and asks about Ben and Johnny. Reed says they are being disciplined. We see Ben and Johnny unconscious in a cell. They wake and threaten Reed. Reed admits he’s been using the Doombots to make public examples of the resistance movement. He adds that only the FF know he’s the one controlling the Doombots.

Sue, Ben, and Johnny jump into action, protecting the people from the Doombots. Reed stays behind, saying to himself, “Take that, Victor.” The Latverians celebrate, cheering the FF as heroes. Alone, Reed admits that what he’s doing is still not enough, and that he’s run out of time. The other three return to the castle, and Reed admits the fight was a set-up, so that the people’s allegiance will now be with the FF against Doom, when/if Doom ever returns. Sue confronts Reed on his behavior, and he admits he’s more after revenge because Doom scarring his face. But then, Reed says that during the fight in issue #500, their children were endangered not because of Dr. Doom, but because of Sue’s inaction. He tells her “You were utterly useless. No… less than useless.”

Before the FF have to time to react to this horrific backstab, things get worse. Reed informs everyone that Nick Fury’s deadline is up, and that the U.N. are about to begin a mass invasion of Latveria. Sue, Ben, and Johnny leave Castle Doom in hopes of contacting Fury and putting a stop to the troops. Once he’s alone, Reed writes a letter to his teammates, stating that he had to drive them away, and that he hopes that somebody they can forgive him.

At the border, Fury tells the three FFers that Reed has given him no choice but to attack, thanks to his refusal to negotiate the U.N. Fury says he plans to apprehend Reed and him convicted on charges of treason against the United States. The scene then cuts back to Reed’s letter, and we see he started it with the words, “By the time you find this, I’ll be dead.”

To be continued!

Unstable molecule: Fury says Reed is not willing to negotiate, but isn’t that what they’re doing at the start of the issue? And why doesn’t Fury just apprehend Reed when they’re in the same room? Maybe Reed was considered too powerful, surrounded by all of Dr. Doom’s tech, for Fury to take the risk.

Fade out: We’re not that far away from Marvel’s controversial Civil War mega-event, in which Sue and Reed will split up for a time. I wonder if the early seeds for the break-up are being planted with their conflict in this issue.

Clobberin’ time: In celebration, a bunch of Latverians lift up Ben and carry him around parade-style. Reminder that our old friend The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Deluxe Edition states that Ben weighs approximately 500 pounds.

Flame on: Johnny tells the Latverians not to look directly at him while he’s flamed on so they don’t hurt their eyes. But previous comics have established that he had relatively low light output when flamed on. I suspect this is him trying to sound like an awesome action hero, and not a continuity note.

Four and a half/Our gal Val: Reed takes a moment to ponder a photo of Franklin and Valeria before writing his fateful letter.

Trivia time: I tried looking up Nick Fury’s teleporter, but aside from listing “teleporter” among S.H.I.E.L.D. equipment, the Marvel Wiki has no other info on it. Other items listed under S.H.I.E.L.D. paraphernalia include beta-cloth, jetpacks, psi-blockers, hover-discs, hover-fliers, neutro-mist, uni-lens, floaters, sky-skimmers, sky-destroyers, and “conventional automobiles.”  

Fantastic or frightful? It’s frustrating because the whole time, the reader is wondering why Reed doesn’t just tell his teammates about his master plan. Previous Fantastic Four stories have shown that Reed is at his best when working alongside his family, rather than shutting them out. All I can say is, this is pretty much the mid-point of a much larger saga that writer Mark Waid is going for, so there are more twists and turns to come.

Next: Mo’ Moebius, mo’ problems.

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Want more? Check out my new book, MOM, I’M BULLETPROOF, now available for the Kindle and the free Kindle app. It’s a comedic/dramatic/romantic superhero epic!

Rewatching DuckTales! Episode 67 is part two of the “Time is Money” five-parter. It’s a time-travel story introducing the new character Bubba, so this is a time travel story with Bubba at its center. He’s “The Duck Who Would Be King.”

Here’s what happens: To save a land deal with Glomgold from going bad, Scrooge uses a frozen substance named Bombastium to go back in time. Be he and the gang went too far back, to prehistoric times, taking Bubba the caveduck with them. This episode begins with the time crashing in ancient China. Bubba wants to help, but Scrooge dismisses him as a pest. Scrooge is enamored of a nearby city with a golden tower. He and Launchpad investigate, to find Mung-Ho, a man who has tricked the populace into thinking he has magic powers, about to execute the lovely and honest princess Sen-Sen. She encourages the people to “trust the prophecy.” Launchpad tries to save the day, but he and Scrooge also get captured.

But then Bubba rides his pet triceratops Tootsie through the city’s main gates, and everyone thinks he’s the “Great One” from the prophecy. Bubba is apparently king now, and he chooses Scrooge over Mung-Ho as his chief advisor. Scrooge sets Sen-Sen free and puts the city folk to work repairing the time machine. Scrooge wants to leave, but the Bombastium has melted. Sen-Sen believes this is Bubba fulfilling his destiny, but Scrooge won’t have it.

Launchpad and the nephews head up to the mountains to refreeze the Bombastium in the snowy peaks. Scrooge stays behind to find the royal palace has a gold vault much like his Money Bin back home. He then learns that Mung-Ho swindled the money out of the people through his stories about the Great One. Scrooge and Bubba put Mung-Ho on public trial, forcing him to return all the wealth back to the people. Mung-Ho flees the city and rallies an army of bandits, threatening to re-take the city.

The bandits send a giant to attack Scrooge. Fights him off with a pen laser. The bandits next attack the city gates, but Launchpad causes an avalanche to stop them. Mung-Ho and the bandits attack again, while Scrooge and co. discover the giant iron statue in the center of town is an ancient mech (!) and they defeat the villains Megazord-style. (Zordon: “Alpha, bring me my Zune!”) This and avalanche fulfill the second and third parts of the prophecy. With peace restored, Sen-Sen wants Bubba to stay, but Scrooge points out that Sen-Sen was the Great One all along. Our heroes hop back into the time machine and disappear off to next week’s episode.

Humbug: Distributing all wealth equally among the populace doesn’t seem like a very Scrooge McDuck thing to do, but that’s what he does here. Scrooge’s argument is that Mung-Ho conned people out of their money, instead of earning it with honest hard work. My thesis is that the series-long arc of DuckTales is about Scrooge learning that his family is more important than his money. Could Scrooge’s actions in this episode be inspired by his nephews’ good-hearted influence? Or Bubba’s, even?

Junior Woodchucks: Huey, Dewey and Louie don’t do much, other than come up with the plan to re-freeze the Bombastium. I suppose they’re on the bench so that new kid Bubba can get the spotlight.

Fasten your seatbelts: Launchpad falls for Sen-Sen in a big way, calling her “the girl of my dreams.” They say goodbye with not one but two passionate kisses.

Everybody walk the dinosaur: Bubba’s deal in this episode is his devotion to Scrooge, even mimicking Scrooge’s mannerisms in some scenes. Bubba’s also superhumanly strong, throwing around city guards without breaking a sweat.

Fowl fouls: Mung-Ho is a villain type we’ve seen several times already in DuckTales. He’s set himself up as dictator of an old-timey society, profiting off the locals’ superstitions. His particular gimmick is using fireworks to make the city folk think he has magic powers.

Reference row: Rudyard Kipling first published The Man Who Would Be King in an 1888 story collection hilariously titled The Phantom Rickshaw and Other Eerie Tales. The story is about two lost soldiers who find a remote village and set themselves up as its new kings – and then it doesn’t go well for them. It’s been adapted several times, including a 1975 film starring Sean Connery and Michael Caine.

Thoughts on this viewing: This is a lot of plot for a one-off episode, with court intrigue, a prophecy, and a big battle at the end. The point, though, is to further establish Bubba as the cool new regular character. Again, I want to like Bubba because of his antics, but I question just how much story potential he could have.

Next: Back to school.

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Want more? Check out my new book, MOM, I’M BULLETPROOF, now available for the Kindle and the free Kindle app. It’s a comedic/dramatic/romantic superhero epic!