Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. Except that I’m dealing with a lot of crap this week, so here’s Galactus.
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Want more? Check out my novel MOM, I’M BULLETPROOF. It’s a comedic/romantic/dramatic superhero epic! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XPXBK14.
Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. Time for more science-kid hijinks in FF vol. 2 #5, with some mystery along the way.
Recap: The Fantastic Four have left for an expedition through time and space that’s meant to last only four seconds back home. But they never returned. Now, a replacement Fantastic Four – Ant-Man, Medusa, She-Hulk, and newcomer Darla Deering – are left in charge. Then a future version of Johnny, now known as “John Storm” appeared, saying Dr. Doom will kill the Fantastic Four in the future. While Ant-Man plots to take down Doom before this can happen, Medusa and Bentley-23, the Foundation’s would-be supervillain in training, have their own plot in the works.
This issue begins with Medusa introducing her son Ahura to the Future Foundation kids. She shows them a flower that’s been exposed to the Inhumans’ terrigen mists, which gives the Inhumans their powers, and then she begins a history lesson. Nearby, Ant-Man is fretting over Alex Power, who ran off after disagreeing with the plan to confront Dr. Doom. He breaks down in front of Darla, insisting it’s his responsibility to keep everyone together. Darla says not to worry about Alex, and instead focus on John Storm, who has also wandered off.
John Storm wanders into some sort of art gallery/nightclub place, looking for a place to sleep for the night. When two locals try to get him to leave, he flames on, singing one man’s beard. He flies off, as a photographer gets a pic of him. Back at HQ, Medusa shows off teleporting dog Lockjaw to the kids. Crystal is there with her daughter Luna, having brought Ahern to the building. Luna has a sort of second sight power, and she sees purple energy swirling around Medusa. She says Medusa looks “un-good.” Medusa chides Luna, saying she shouldn’t use her powers on the queen of Attilan.
Out in New York, Johnny is flying about in madness, saying he’ll burn the whole city to the ground. Ant-Man gets the team together to stop him, with Medusa reminding everyone that John is a friend and must be treated with compassion. Before leaving, Ant-Man asks the Foundation kids for ideas on how to stop John safely. The team finds John out in the city, and a brief fight breaks out. Just as Ant-Man is about to subdue him, the Foundation’s two Atlantean kids, Vil and Wu, summon a huge sea monster to splash water down onto the whole city. This douses John’s flame and knocks him out. The photographer is back, and he takes a humiliating pic of the team all wet.
Later, the team is visited by Ul-Waa of the Uhari. Remember that the Uhari are the long-lost offshoots of Atlantis recently discovered. Ul-Waa is the interim regent of the Uhari in Sue’s absence and uncle to Vil and Wu. He says he won’t allow the children to come to harm, even though they saved the city. John wakes up in the building’s infirmary, saying “End Doom.”
Then we learn where Alex Power ran off to. He’s in… Latveria?!? He arrives at Castle Doom, saying he’s written ahead, and that he’s there to talk about Ant-Man and the new FF. That night, back at the new Baxter Building, Bentley-23 has a dream (or is it?) where he sees Medusa, Blastaar the Living Bomb-burst, and the Wizard. (Remember that Bentley is a clone of the Wizard.) The Wizard calls Medusa “wife,” and he says to Bentley, “Call me dad.”
To be continued!
Fantastic fifth wheel: The opening text page recalls that Ant-Man blames Dr. Doom for the death of his daughter Cassie. This hasn’t been made explicit in the story itself, but it does add extra motivation to his actions.
When fighting John, She-Hulk and Darla do a variation of the X-Men’s famous “fastball maneuver,” with Darla throwing She-Hulk at John.
Medusa’s history lesson is about Herodotus, The Iliad, and a historical representation of women through the centuries. Sounds like heavy stuff, but the Foundation kids are geniuses, remember.
Darla tries on a number of helmets to protect her head while in her Thing suit. Dragon Man gives her an invisible helmet that was originally built to mimic Sue’s powers. Some of her other options include the metal helmet Ben wore after Wolverine scratched his face. Sue’s Malice mask (where did Darla get that?), and the Mask of Mandragora from the Negative Zone and/or from Dr. Who.
Foundational: While Vil and Wu have normally been silent throughout this run, they do talk in this issue, calling their uncle “Pop-pop” several times.
Onome is unimpressed with Lockjaw, saying that back in Wakanda, her father owns a panther.
Willie Lumpkin is shown teaching a class for the Foundation kids, with “birds” and “bees” written on a chalkboard. Make of that what you will.
Trivia time: There’s a lot of backstory involving Ahura. He was born without permission of the Inhuman high council, and grew up in secret. He has the same madness as his uncle, Maximus, but in this issue he insists he’s gotten over it. The Marvel Wiki names him as an official member of the Future Foundation starting with this issue.
There’s also a lot of drama surrounding Luna. While we were initially told that she had no super powers, that changed over time. During the Decimation crossover, she played a part in Quicksilver trying to terrigen mists to restore his powers. As for Luna, her powers involve seeing and interpreting people’s auras.
Fantastic or frightful? This issue is all over the place with subplots. The mystery of something being up with Medusa is our only throughline. It’s a comic that’s read better as part of the trade rather than a single, which is what comics have been for a while now.
Next: Go into the light.
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Want more? Check out my novel MOM, I’M BULLETPROOF. It’s a comedic/romantic/dramatic superhero epic! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XPXBK14.
Forgotten TV shows I still like. Comedy is of course subjective. Getting a sitcom on the air is tough, and getting one that resonates with mass audiences is even tougher. 1990’s The Marshall Chronicles did not catch on, with is too bad because it’s some hilarious, brilliantly written comedy.
Marhsall Brightman (Joshua Beckett) is an ordinary, if neurotic, teenager in the ‘80s. Except that he lives in Manhattan. So instead of taking the bus to school, he takes the subway. He and his friends hang out at the bodega instead of at the mall. And so on. Marshall has a crush on Melissa (Nile Lanning), the prettiest girl in school. But uh-oh, she’s dating Marshall’s bully Johnny (Gabriel Bologna). Along for the ride are Marshall’s two best friends, the wisecracking Sean (Bradley Gregg) and the ditsy Leslie (Meredith Scott Lynn). Marshall’s parents (Jennifer Salt and Steve Anderson) are also here for some classic sitcom parental cluelessness.
The show’s influences are evident, the films of Woody Allen foremost. I wonder if the pitch was just, “Woody as an ‘80s teen show.” But the show is also standing on the shoulders of other New York-set teen shows of the era (era), like Welcome Back Kotter or Head of the Class. Even the famously naughty Night Court seems to be an influence, as Marshall and his friends often navigate the seedier sides of NYC. Then there’s Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, as Marshall likes to break the fourth wall and speak directly to the viewers, just as Ferris often did.
Lots of talent behind the scenes. The Marshall Chronicles was created by Richard Rosenstock, who was a producer on Newhart, The King of Queens, Will and Grace, The Big Bang Theory, Family Guy, and a co-executive producer on Arrested Development. Other writers and directors on the show include TV legend James Burrows, famous for his work on Taxi, Cheers, Frasier and a bajillion other shows. There’s also Ken Levine, who’s written for M.A.S.H., Cheers, and The Simpsons. (This is not the last time I’ll write about Levine in this blog series).
Despite the big city setting and the – let’s face it – Jewishness of it all, Marshall is nonetheless an everyman. His trials are everyone’s trials. He’s too smart for his own good, which gets him into trouble without him realizing it. He tries to be honest and do the right thing, only for it to backfire on him. On second thought, maybe that’s not a good description of an everyman. Maybe it’s more that I personally find Marshall relatable. Is Marshall all of us, or am I Marshall?
Other observations:
We’ll never know what might have been. If the show had lasted for several seasons, would Marshall have graduated and gone to college? Would he and Melissa have made it work? Maybe it’s for the best that all we get are these six episodes. They contain all we need from Marshall and co., and episode six concludes on a good note. Definitely check it out.
Next: Cicely, Florida.
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Want more? Check out my novel MOM, I’M BULLETPROOF. It’s a comedic/romantic/dramatic superhero epic! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XPXBK14.
Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. But this week, a new movie came out! It’s Fantastic Four First Steps.
Let’s face it, a Fantastic Four movie is something of an uphill climb. To begin, these characters are a lot of things at once. They’re superheroes, scientists, adventurers, astronauts, etc. But they’re also a family full of comedic family sitcom antics. Oh, and they’re famous celebrities, with all the excitement and drama that brings. Also, a lot of comics readers feel the FF are outdated, relics of the ‘60s who lack the coolness of the X-Men, the Punisher, or (I’m gonna say it) Deadpool. Therefore, the goal of a Fantastic Four movie is to establish not just who these characters are, but why they’re a big deal.
I’m happy to report that First Steps goes a long way in doing just that.
SPOILER WARNING!
SPOILER WARNING!
SPOILER WARNING!
Despite this being an “MCU film,” we’re not in the MCU at all. In an alternate Earth, the FF are the only superheroes (that we know of). We run through a brief prologue summarizing the origin story so we can get right to the good stuff. The FF are living in the Baxter Building, and they are famous for saving the world on a regular basis. Again, we’re seeing the FF as being a big deal, the top dogs of their world. This gives the movie freedom to jump directly into the plot. Reed and Sue are apprehensive yet excited about becoming parents. Their feelings run parallel to a threat from space that’s far beyond than anything they’ve experienced.
Like the FF as a whole, it’s hard to get Reed right as a character. There are way too many “Reed is a jerk” stories throughout Marvel comics, although the better stories make him so much more than that. Yes, he has smartest-guy-in-the-room syndrome, and he has a habit of concentrating more on his science than on his marriage. But then, the better stories have him overcome that and grow into being a loving family man. In one of the movie’s best-acted moments, Sue puts Reed on the spot for always preparing for every outcome, including the worst ones, and what that means.
Sue is also portrayed nicely in the film. Despite being pregnant, she’s never sidelined. She gets to demonstrate her role as the heart of the team in a big speech where she pleads her case for doing the right thing not just in front of her teammates, but in front of a whole crowd of New Yorkers. This speech could easily have been an eye-roller, but Vanessa Kirby goes for it, making it work.
We see so little of Johnny in the movie’s marketing that I feared he would be the weak link. But I really dug what actor Joseph Quinn is doing here. He gets the youthful “hothead” part of the character down pat, but he’s shown to be intelligent and capable in his own way. He helps fly the FF’s spaceship, and he figures out a science problem of his own rather than turning it over to Reed. The movie asks questions about sacrifice, and whether one should make a huge sacrifice for the greater good, or if there’s another way. Johnny’s willingness to make that sacrifice was an interesting aspect of his character, and I wonder if that’ll be explored more in upcoming movies.
Ben doesn’t have as much of a character arc in this film as the other characters. Instead, he’s here to be – for lack of a better word – a rock. No matter what, he’s got their backs. We get some nice character stuff with him wandering around his old neighborhood interacting with the locals, where we see him filling the “monster with a heart of gold” role. The movie only hints at him longing to be a normal human, but I liked that it didn’t bring things down by dwelling on that. I don’t know that Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s voice fit the character design, but he had some nice comedic timing that managed to shine through all the CGI.
A few miserable people complained online about the movie having a female Silver Surfer. But as the movie progresses, it’s evident why the filmmakers made that decision. Galactus makes for a gigantic, imposing figure, and Ralph Ineson’s voice (with a lot of digital enhancement, I’m guessing) served the character well. And, as usual, New York City is a character. This retro future is a lot of fun. It’s steeped in 1960s style, but with all kinds of far-out tech. It’s what we all wanted that Tomorrowland movie to be, but that we never got. A lot of fans argue that the movie should’ve been set in the actual ’60s, but I disagree. Not only would that have broken MCU continuity, but it would have gone back to the characters feeling old-fashioned rather than contemporary.
Did anything in the movie NOT work for me?
So, yeah, I enjoyed the movie. It did what it had to, informing audiences as to why they should care about the FF. It’s not as thematically rich as, say, Black Panther or Captain America: Civil War, but it’s also not as weightless and airy as The Marvels or Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Mostly, it’s great fun to see these characters on the big screen in a way that’s closer to how I know them after reading their adventures all these years.
Consider this a recommend. A fantastic one, even!
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Want more? Check out my novel MOM, I’M BULLETPROOF. It’s a comedic/romantic/dramatic superhero epic! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XPXBK14.
Forgotten TV shows I still like. We’re beginning this blog series with Nickelodeon GUTS from 1992-1995. Except this isn’t really forgotten, and not really a favorite of mine. But hey, we’re just getting started. I promise some true obscurities in weeks to come.
Full disclosure: I did not watch GUTS back in the day. I didn’t really get into this show and others like it until the YouTube era (era), after they’d become huge nostalgia items. It’s pretty clunky when watching it from a modern viewpoint, but it has that early ‘90s kid power feel that is impossible to replicate.
Any given episode has three kid contestants, both boys and girls, competing in various physical challenges. The idea seems to be taking ordinary sports and jazzing them up in various ways, often using bungee cords (called “elastics” on this show) to pull off huge jumps. There were obstacle courses, cannons that shot footballs and baseballs, and a track for running/biking/skating. Later seasons introduced a wave pool and even a mini ski slope.
Every episode built to a big finale in which the kids climbed a manmade mountain called the Aggro Crag. The goal isn’t just about getting to the top first, but hitting a series of buttons (sorry, “actuators”) along the way. It kills the momentum whenever a player reaches the top but has to climb back down because they missed an actuator. The winning prize is a “piece of the Aggro Crag,” That sounds like crap, but it’s actually a gigantic trophy. I checked, and you can buy replicas of the trophy on eBay, but I don’t see any genuine ones.
Just what is the identity of this show? Double Dare was all silly and jokey, while Legends of the Hidden Temple had its Indiana Jones-like theming. You’d think GUTS would have messaging about physical fitness for kids, but there’s none of that. The goal of the series seems to be treating this as if it’s a serious sporting event. The hosts go on and on about how these games are strenuous challenges, and they weirdly describe these scrawny 12-year-olds as having awesome muscular physiques.
About those hosts. Mike O’Malley is hyper to the point of exhaustion, going overboard in selling this show as the most exciting thing you’ve ever seen. The real face of Nickelodeon GUTS, though, is referee and cohost Moira “Mo” Quirk. With her warm, friendly demeanor and her oh-so-proper English accent, it’s no wonder that kids (and some adults) developed crushes on her over the years. Allegedly, although Mo had an education in theater, she was a Universal Studios employee at the time. She got the hosting gig as part of her regular theme park duties, turning her into a TV star pretty much by accident. Not bad.
Other thoughts:
There we have it. GUTS is amusing to throw on an episode once in a while for a nostalgic laugh, but the sameness of episodes make it dull to binge-watch. There are four seasons, plus at least three spinoffs that I know of, so there’s lots of GUTS out there if you’re interested.
Nickelodeon GUTS can be found on Paramount Plus and on YouTube.
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Want more? Check out my novel MOM, I’M BULLETPROOF. It’s a comedic/romantic/dramatic superhero epic! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XPXBK14.
Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. As I started this re-read of Matt Fraction’s dual run on Fantastic Four and FF, I asked myself, “Wasn’t this the storyline where they met Julius Caesar?” Now we’ve reached that point in vol. 4 issue #5 legacy #616.
We begin with the family aboard their space-time ship, where Franklin and Valeria are putting on a little play telling the story of the time Julius Caesar was captured by pirates, only to turn the tables on them. It’s a little Addams Family-ish in that it’s a morbid tale told with kid humor. Sharp-eyed readers will notice Reed trying to make eye contact with Sue during the play and her refusing him, building on the previous issue’s “We need to talk” cliffhanger.
Turn the page, and we see that the ship is cloaked in the air over Rome in the year 44 B.C.E., the time of Caesar. Alone with Reed, Sue tells him that she’ll help him with his condition, but she also does not forgive him for keeping this secret from her. In the next room, Ben, Johnny, and the kids are dressed in ancient Roman costumes to go exploring. Reed and Sue tell the kids are saying they’re staying on the ship for some “mommy-daddy time.”
Cut to Julius Caesar, who has had a vision of two black birds killing a white bird. He believes this is a dire omen of his death. Turn the page and there’s Johnny, Ben and the kids, who have come to Caesar in the form of fortune tellers. This is one day before the fateful Ides of March where Caesar was betrayed and murdered. The kids try to warn him of this, just as other fortune tellers and seers have told him. Caesar counters by quoting Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar at them.
On board the ship, Reed further explains his condition to Sue, saying that his body is being overrun by hostile invading cells. He admits that their year-long expedition throughout space-time is a charade for him to search for a cure. He adds that the more they explore, the more he doesn’t know about his condition. Sue tells him he doesn’t have to fight this alone.
Julius Caesar leads the rest of the FF on a tour through Rome, as the crowds all chant “Hail, Caesar!” In an underground chamber, Caesar promises answers. He reveals what looks like a futuristic spacecraft. Purple mist comes out of his face (!) and he says, “I am not Caesar. Caesar is already dead.” He is an alien, and he explains that he came from the future just like the FF did, to witness Caesar in action. Except he saw young Caesar fall from an elephant and die (!). Fearing a paradox, the alien inhabited Caesar’s body and lived out his life. Ben and Johnny say they can’t just sit there and let the alien Caesar be murdered, but the alien says it’s too large of a historic event to avoid. As such, they are confronted by swordsmen who demand his presence at the Senate.
Back in the ship, Sue jokes about how all the children’s socks are wearing out at the same time. This has her questioning whether the rest of the family are sick with the same affliction as Reed. In Rome, we see the “Senate” is the Coliseum, and Johnny, Ben, and the kids are chained up in the center. A fiery monster named Cacus the Son of Vulcan is unleashed in the arena. Ben throws off his disguise, breaks the chains, and fights the monster – paradoxes be damned. He defeats the monster, but then we learn that Caesar was killed during the fight, just as history demanded. The alien is still alive, however, so the FF pose as the beggars who carried Caesar’s body out of Rome (a real thing, apparently). The alien says he’ll stay around to follow Emperor Octavian.
Back at the ship, the FF say goodbye to the alien. Johnny asks about the pirate incident that started this issue, but the alien admits, “It was before my time.” Cut to the present day, where a wealthy man named “Mr. Cotta,” reads an newspaper article about the replacement Fantastic Four led by Ant-Man in the concurrent FF series. (This is the first hint in Fantastic Four that something’s up back on Earth.) Mr. Cotta opens a hidden door in his office to reveal the alien’s ship. Mr. Cotta is really the Caesar alien, he says, “Caesar repays his debts. Always.”
To be continued!
Unstable molecule: Reed says he considered that his illness might be psychosomatic, but he dismissed that upon further examination.
Fade out: Sue has a very harsh line where she says Reed behaves like a human so well that sometimes she forgets “what you really are.” A few pages later, Sue comes around and says, “What we fight, we fight together.” And then she kisses him. Relationships gotta be so complicated.
Clobberin’ time: Ben continues to be morose and distant from his teammates. Johnny is taken aback at how brutally Ben clobbers the monster.
Flame on: Johnny tries to impress Caesar with some fire effects, to convince Caesar that he and his teammates are fortune tellers. The alien sees right through the ruse, though, recognizing the heroes as fellow time travelers.
Four and a half: In his presentation, Franklin portrays the pirates as speaking in classic “Arr” speech. That is NOT from Roman times. The pirate “Arr” was popularized in pop culture by 1950s pirate films like Treasure Island and Blackbeard the Pirate.
Our gal Val: History records that three beggars, not four, escorted Caesar’s body out of Rome. Therefore, Valeria hides under a blanket next to the alien, who is pretending to be Caesar’s corpse. It’s… odd.
Trivia time: The Marvel Wiki confirms that every appearance of Julius Caesar set between 49 B.C.E. and his “death” in 44 B.C.E. is in fact the alien Mr. Cotta posing as Caesar. This retcons Incredible Hulk #210, as Caesar’s Ides of March murder happens in that issue as well.
This is the only appearance of Cacus, so we have no idea where the monster came from. The Marvel Wiki argues that the monster is indeed somehow the biological son of Vulcan, Roman god of the underworld. Vulcan has been a recurring character in Thor, Hulk, and Guardians of the Galaxy.
Fantastic or frightful? I wonder if there’s too much story for one issue, so things had to be consolidated. Like, how do we go from saying we’re going to the Senate, and then immediately having our heroes chained up in the center of the Coliseum? Where did the fire-breathing monster come from? But the Caesar alien is a fun concept, very Dr. Who-ish.
Next: The hair up there.
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Want more? Check out my novel MOM, I’M BULLETPROOF. It’s a comedic/romantic/dramatic superhero epic! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XPXBK14.
Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. In FF vol. 2 #4, we get a night out on the town, along with some good old-fashioned mischief.
The FF have taken off on a year-long exploration of time and space that was meant to be a year for them, but only four minutes on Earth. Except they didn’t reappear after those four minutes, leaving a temporary replacement FF – Ant-Man, She-Hulk, Medusa, and newcomer Darla Deering – to take care of the Future Foundation in their place. They then encountered an older Johnny Storm from the future, who spoke of a supervillain, the Avenging Doom. Ant-Man declared that to prevent this future from happening, the new team must confront Dr. Doom now.
We begin with a debate, where Alex Power asks what gives them the right to decide Dr. Doom’s fate, not to mention the fate of all Latveria. Ant-Man says Doom mustn’t be allowed to continue as he has been. When Alex suggests that Ant-Man blames Dr. Doom for the death of his daughter Cassie (this happened in the Children’s Crusade crossover), Ant-Man gives him a stern, “Get out.”
Elsewhere inside the new Baxter Building, She-Hulk is preparing for dinner with a friend, with the four Moloid kids pestering her about whether this is a date. She says it isn’t, but nonetheless tells them not to wait up. After she leaves, the Moloids admit that they’re in love with She-Hulk, so they go to Bentley-23 for help on disrupting their dinner.
Inside Reed’s lab, the older John Storm fails to recognize Reed’s inventions, and Medusa says she doesn’t believe he’s the real Human Torch. An argument breaks out, with Darla insisting it’s really him. Medusa takes Ant-Man aside and says she only made the accusation to see how he’d react. When Darla asks if John remembers her, he only says, “There were a lot of girls,” and he flies off.
She-Hulk meets Wyatt Wingfoot for dinner at a fancy French restaurant, while the Moloids and Bentley use a hypnotism device on the manager to sabotage dinner. It doesn’t work, as all the manager does is pay for all the customers’ meals. Afterward, She-Hulk and Wyatt go for a stroll by the lake in Central Park, while the kids follow underwater in a mini-submarine. The kids try to summon a monster, the “Lost Leviathan of New Amsterdam,” only to discover the creature is a weakling and not monstrous at all. She-Hulk and Wyatt then share a drink at a nearby bar, while Bentley proposes using one of Reed’s inventions, the “fantastic core,” which can instantly warm frozen planets. The increased heat inside the bar only makes for a festive atmosphere, though, so She-Hulk and Wyatt dance the night away. Walking back home, She-Hulk admits that Wyatt was the one who got away, and the man that all her other relationships have had to measure up to. Bentley drops the fantastic core, which makes the sky glow purple. She-Hulk and Jen makes the most of this magical moment, and they kiss.
Back in his bedroom, Bentley is fuming that his plans didn’t work, and the Moloids are no longer speaking to him. He feels like a failed supervillain. A mysterious voice encourages him. Turn the page and it’s Medusa, telling him she wants him to achieve his villainous destiny, and she’s going to help him do it.
To be continued?
Unstable molecule/fade out/clobberin’ time/flame on: There’s a flashback to Reed introducing the fantastic core to his teammates, only for it to blow up in Ben and Johnny’s faces when they horse around with it. This suggests that the device never worked as intended.
Fantastic fifth wheel: We see a newspaper front page showing the replacement Fantastic Four fighting the Miracle Man, who in turn is suing them for assault. It appears this story has never been told, and is here just to show us what the team has been up to between issues. She-Hulk tells the Foundation kids not to worry about the lawsuit.
She-Hulk says she and Wyatt almost got married once. This happened in the miniseries She-Hulk: Ceremony.
Medusa being sneaky and duplicitous (or is she?) hearkens back to her earliest Marvel appearances as a villain.
Foundational: Alex Power calls Ant-Man a “fascist,” which seems pretty extreme for the famously nice-boy Alex. I guess now that he’s nineteen, they’re making him a little edgier.
There’s a reference to the Future Foundation kids switching around the numbers on their uniforms as a prank to confuse Ant-Man. This is a little meta joke, referencing how the numbers had been drawn inconsistent in recent issues.
Trivia time: This is the only appearance of the Leviathan of New Amsterdam, although the Marvel Wiki provides some additional background info. The Wizard is the one who first discovered the existence of the creature, deeming it of no use in his evil schemes.
Fantastic or frightful? Fun cartoon-style antics with the Future Foundation kids, interesting developments for Medusa, and some nice character work for She-Hulk. It’s good for the series to have some breathing room to do stuff like this in the midst of a larger story.
Next: Caesar salad.
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Want more? Check out my novel MOM, I’M BULLETPROOF. It’s a comedic/romantic/dramatic superhero epic! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XPXBK14.
Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. Volume 4 issue #4 continues our heroes’ expedition in spacetime. Want blue-skinned aliens? We got blue-skinned aliens!
Recap: Reed is taking his family on a year-long journey through both time and space. What he’s not telling them is that he’s dying, and the trip is a ruse for him to look for a cure. What none of them know is that a whole lot of craziness is going on with the replacement team filling in for them back home.
We begin with a flashback to young Reed as a lodger in a house, learning that the landlady’s niece is young Sue. In the present, Reed says the next stop on the spacetime trip will be with a spacefaring species called the Ayleth. He’s already been in contact with them, exchanging cultural and biological information, so he suspects this will be a peaceful visit. Johnny plays a joke on Ben and reacts with violence. Sue breaks them up, and Ben admits he’s been feeling lonely and cooped up.
On Ayleth, the FF are greeted by the blue-skinned aliens led by a female named Drae. She takes particular interest in Sue, calling her “the old-friend from many sleeps ago.” Drae asks about the planet’s Caves of Faen, and Sue says she’s already read about them from the info shared with Reed. The caves contain the earliest date of the Ayleth’s development of language.
There’s another flashback of young Reed and young Sue flirting as he moves into the boarding house. Back on the planet, we learn that the caves contain ancient artwork of the Fantastic Four as they appear now. The paintings have been a mystery until now. The FF want to see these caves, with Sue especially excited about their educational value, how this is where the planet’s language and art were born.
Another flashback, to Reed and Sue on their first date. Then, it’s nighttime on the planet, and Franklin wakes from a nightmare in the family’s guest room. Franklin had a vision in his dream, of what looks like the FF being bombarded by cosmic rays. He insists it’s more than a dream, and he says to Reed, “You knew, so it’s all your fault.” Sue tells Reed she’ll get the kids back to sleep and they’ll talk about it more in the morning.
The next morning, the Ayleth aliens escort the rest of the family to the caves, where they see the painting of themselves. Drae gives a big speech about how this painting was proof the Ayleth had friends somewhere out in the stars. Drae says this makes Sue a person of such importance that she could be a queen on Ayleth if she would only ask. Sue asks Reed to take care of the kids, while she stays behind.
Sue returns that night, dressed in the Ayleth’s robes. She said her experience with the aliens had “quasi-religious overtones.” She reflects on Franklin’s dream, and tells Reed she suspects he’s hiding something. In the narration, Reed admits that keeping this secret from her is a huge burden for him.
In the flashback, young Reed is leaving the boarding house. Sue is heartbroken, thinking Reed is dumping her. He admits that the productivity on his research is down, because she is all he can think about. This turns her around, and they kiss. In the present, Reed goes back to the ship while everyone sleeps. He uses the ship’s time travel abilities to go back to ancient Ayleth, where he’s the one creates the cave painting. He returns to the present. In their bedroom, he says to Sue, “We need to talk.”
To be continued!
Unstable molecule: Reed was already “Dr. Richards,” in the flashback. He’s staying at the boarding house while working on his third doctorate.
Fade out: Sue’s aunt Mary is Marygay Wilkins, who we first met in the vampire-rific Before the Fantastic Four: The Storms miniseries, a pretty deep cut.
Clobberin’ time: Despite saying he wants to be left alone to sulk, Ben does join the team on their visit to the caves.
Flame on: Johnny weakened a leg on one of Ben’s chairs, and has been patiently waiting for weeks for Ben to sit on it at just the right angle so it breaks. That’s a lot of work for not a lot of payoff.
Four and a half: This issue remembers that prophetic dreams were part of Franklin’s powers during his time with Power Pack.
Our gal Val: Valeria keeps asking if the caves are haunted. You’d think someone as smart as her wouldn’t believe in ghosts. Maybe she’s just joking.
Trivia time: This issue rewrites Reed and Sue’s first meeting yet again, especially in reference to Sue’s age at the time. At first, she was much younger than him when they first met. This was changed to have them be the same age. Marvel even released a statement saying why they made the change (short version: so it wouldn’t be creepy.) But then this was rewritten again, to bring back their age difference, and now this issue rewrites it one more time, making them the same age again. I fear this is a continuity black hole that will never be properly rectified.
This issue is the only appearance of the Ayleth aliens, leaving a lot of questions unanswered. Is Reed still in regular contact with them? How did they feel about Sue not becoming their queen? If they’re spacefaring, how about having them visit Earth? And so on.
Fantastic or frightful? This issue is all about Reed’s inner monologue, and his love for Sue. While he cares for her deeply, he’s always had a hard time admitting when she’s right and he’s wrong. That leads to the ending of this issue, promising moving things forward in the main plot. But first we have to deal with Julius Caesar. You read that right.
Next: Moloid love.
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Want more? Check out my novel MOM, I’M BULLETPROOF. It’s a comedic/romantic/dramatic superhero epic! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XPXBK14.
Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. Matt Fraction’s multi-part epic kicks into gear in FF vol. 2 #3, with plenty of mystery and romance. Like Ford Prefect, I hope you brought a towel.
Recap: The Fantastic Four have left on a space-time expedition, which will be one year for them, but only four minutes on Earth. Except they never returned after that four minutes. In their place we have the replacement Fantastic Four – Ant-Man, She-Hulk, Medusa, and newcomer Darla Deering – to protect the Earth and take care of all the genius kids of the Future Foundation. Then things got further complicated by an appearance of an older, transformed Johnny Storm, who proclaimed, “The Fantastic Four are dead!”
We get a better look at Johnny, who says his name is John Storm now. He says the Fantastic Four died outside of space and time, and he’s been hunting the ones who killed them across space and time. He has white hair now, and a cybernetic arm and leg. John says that Dr. Doom, Annihilus, and Kang combined their powers and even their physical forms to create a new entity, Doom the Annihilating Conqueror. This new villain killed Reed, Sue, and Ben. John says he sealed the door behind him, but he fears Doom A.C. will find a way and hunt him down. Ant-Man has a brief flashback to his daughter’s death, and then says the team has to be assembled to “figure out who this guy is.” The first step is to get Darla back.
During all this, there are references to the Future Foundation’s four Moloid kids having run off. Deep underground, we see them secretly meeting with the Mole Man. They have stolen a “starheart” for him, and received his sanction as their reward. The Moloids also thank him for his recent attack on New York, which brought the Fantastic Four together. The Moloids ask the Mole Man not to tell him why he needs the starheart, so they don’t have to lie when the Fantastic Four eventually get involved.
We catch up with Darla, who left the FF after the last issue. Remember that she’s a huge popstar, and she’s performing a show on New Year’s Eve for a huge crowd. In the dressing room afterward, she feels like a phony and a coward. Ant-Man has sent flowers to her dressing room asking her to come back, and he’s secretly hiding on a flower pedal in his ant-sized form. Also note that for the rest of this issue, Darla is wearing only a towel and nothing else.
Darla also gets a package from the Yancy Street Gang. Fearing it’s a bomb, Ant-Man grows to normal size to rescue her. The “bomb” goes off, filling the room with whipped cream. A bunch of Yancy Streeters show up wearing Thing masks, accusing Darla of being a fake Thing. They take photos of her and Ant-Man and run off.
Back at HQ, She-Hulk and Medusa have brought Wyatt Wingfoot in to confirm that John is the real Johnny Storm. She-Hulk adds that all of Reed’s tech confirms he’s the real deal as well. Medusa says John is their only hope of saving the Fantastic Four, but also that she fears John is insane.
Ant-Man and Darla chase the Yancy Street Gang through the building, fearing they might be dangerous. (What concert venue is this that has all these long staircases?) Darla uses the express elevator to cut the gang off, knocking out two of them and taking their phones. The chase the last one outside in hopes of stopping the photos from getting out on the internet. They burst through a door, right out into Times Square on New Year’s, complete with confetti and everything.
Ant-Man says to Darla, “They’re gone,” meaning the Fantastic Four, not the Yancy Street guys. He says their last wishes were for the four of them to take their place, not three. Darla says she knows he’s right, but she doesn’t know what to do now. Scott shocks her by telling her, “We’re going to end Doom.” Later, Ant-Man assembles the entire Future Foundation, including John Storm, saying the FF will use their resources to take on Dr. Doom, to the point where they will eradicate the very thought of Doom from human existence. John Storm says, “That is a great idea, little man.”
To be continued!
Fantastic fifth wheel: The romantic/sexual tension between Ant-Man and Darla kicks off in a big way, with her nearly nude and him covered with whipped cream (wha-hey!).
Just as the Moloids referred to Ben as “the Ben,” they now call She-Hulk “the Jen.”
Darla’s concert has her in a fairy costume, with her band and backup dancers in furry mascot-like outfits. Okay, then.
Foundational: The four Moloids have only been comic relief up to this point, so it’s nice to see their serious sides in this. They now have some interiority, making choices that drive the plot.
Ant-Man wants the kids to go to bed early, only for Alex Power to say he’s nineteen years old and it’s New Year’s Eve. I want to know what kind of party Alex has planned.
Upon learning about Doom the Annihilating Conqueror, Bentley-23 responds with, “Siiick.”
The Marvel Wiki insists on calling John Storm “Old Man John.” We’ll have to see whether that name sticks.
Trivia time: The Marvel Wiki confirms that the underground scene is Subterranea, the Mole Man’s kingdom, except it looks abandoned. The new Baxter Building has a tunnel leading directly to Subterranea, somewhat oddly. I guess it functions like the Negative Zone portal. The Moloids say they wish they could seal the tunnel permanently.
Fantastic or frightful? Having Darla wearing only a towel throughout the issue is maybe more awkward than it is sexy, but I can see why they did it. She and Scott are given a moment to be vulnerable with each other, making a connection. The mysteries with John Storm and with the Mole Man are intriguing as well. This is truly an exciting time for Fantastic Four and FF.
Next: Blue meanies.
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Want more? Check out my novel MOM, I’M BULLETPROOF. It’s a comedic/romantic/dramatic superhero epic! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XPXBK14.
Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. In vol. 4, issue #3, legacy #614, our heroes begin their massive space-time adventure. Hope you like tentacles!
Recap: Reed is taking his family on a year-long expedition of time and space on board their ship the Pestilence. What he’s not telling them is that he’s dying, and this is his way of secretly looking for a cure. While it’ll be a year for them, it’ll only be four minutes back on Earth. (If you were reading only this series and not the accompanying FF series, you’d have no idea the craziness happening on Earth.)
It’s New Year’s Day on Earth, but the FF are thirty-seven light years from Earth. (Dante and Randal: “Thirty-seven?!?”). Their ship is approaching Zeta Doradus, a newly-formed planet made of unstable materials similar to the Fantastic Four’s famous unstable molecules. Alone, Reed muses about how this might be a cure to his condition. Reed continues not to tell his family that he’s dying. Franklin and Valeria debate who will be the first to step foot on the new planet. Everyone’s excited about the expedition, except for Ben, who is acting morose.
Reed launches an oxygen harvester ahead of them to the planet, to create a pocket of environment they can survive on when on the surface (although they still need spacesuits). They land on the planet, with Ben staying behind to pilot the ship, only to find that the harvester has been sucked underground. Franklin attempts to take a soil sample, which causes the surface to transform into tentacles that attack the entire family.
Everyone fights the tentacles and makes it back to the shuttle, only for it to be also surrounded by tentacles. Sue concentrates on keeping a force field between the shuttle and the tentacles, but it’s a struggle. Reed contacts Ben for help, but Ben has a different perspective. From the ship, he can see the entire planet changing shape.
Still inside the shuttle, Reed says the expedition has now become a fight for survival. Valeria wants to communicate with the planet, while Johnny argues against fighting the planet, saying “Them or us, Val.” Ben then takes action, jumping out of the ship without a spacesuit and falling straight down onto the planet, burning up in the atmosphere. He strikes the planet with a huge explosion and a classic, “It’s clobberin’ time!”
The shuttle escapes the tentacles, and then Johnny flies out to ignite the oxygen from the harvester. The flames free Ben and Reed stretches to grab him and return him to the shuttle. Back in space, far away from the danger, Reed deduces that Zeta Doradus is not a planet, but a planet-sized predator. Sue insists on no more danger during this trip, emphasizing less action, more adventure. Ben cheers up and says happy new year to everyone. Sue says the family’s resolution should be “No more surprises,” and Reed follows that up with, “Yes, of course. Here’s to no more ugly surprises.”
Unstable molecule: Reed compares the planet to real-life Earth predators the viperfish or the firefly squid. I’ll assume these were writer Matt Fraction’s inspirations for this issue.
Fade out: Considering some of the extremes that Sue has used her force fields in the past, it’s odd that she struggles this hard in surrounding the shuttle with a force field. I guess the tentacles’ attacks were just that aggressive.
Clobberin’ time: Ben turning himself into a bomb by falling through the atmosphere of a planet is a feat of strength like we haven’t seen from him before.
Flame on: Johnny’s full name is given in this issue as “Jonathan Lowell Spencer Storm.” After much googling, I cannot confirm whether this was introduced previously.
Four and a half/Our gal Val: Franklin and Valeria have their own version of rock-paper-scissors called “Nullifier,” which they use to decide who steps first on the planet. In the end, they both take the first step simultaneously.
Trivia time: This is the only appearance of planet-sized predator Zeta Doradus. You’d think it’d be a natural to show up in Marvel’s far-out cosmic storylines. Just imagine a Galactus vs. Zeta Doradus throwdown.
Fantastic or frightful? An amusing space adventure, nothing more. The only real character beat is Reed keeping this huge secret from his family, and that weighing heavily on him. Ben’s fiery dive from orbit is worth the price of admission.
Next: Blue meanie.
* * * *
Want more? Check out my novel MOM, I’M BULLETPROOF. It’s a comedic/romantic/dramatic superhero epic! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XPXBK14.
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