Star Trek movie rewatch! We’ve established a new timeline with a new Kirk and Spock, so where do we go now? We go… into darkness.
Here’s what happens: Starfleet is ready to demote Kirk for being too reckless, but then he’s called back to action when a rogue scientist goes on the run with a plot that endangers the entire Federation. But not everything is as it seems, and darkness is brewing deep within Starfleet.
The young captain: At its heart, this movie is about Kirk willing to violate the rules to do the right thing, while Spock sticks to rules no matter what – even at the cost of his own life. When the threat is revealed as not just one rogue scientist but a conspiracy among Starfleet, Kirk and Spock’s stances on following orders are put to the test.
Lil’ pointy ears: Don’t forget that Spock is in a relationship with Uhura in this timeline, and his hardline logic puts a strain on their relationship in this one. There’s a great scene aboard the shuttlecraft when Spock describes the ways in which he does care about life and death – and about her.
Ol’ pointy ears: Leonard Nimoy is back again, maintaining continuity with the original Trek timeline. There’s little mention as to how things are going with him rebuilding Vulcan society.
Welcome aboard: A big part of the movie’s marketing was keeping it secret just which character Benedict Cumberbatch is playing. The reveal was met by fandom with a big shrug. Cumberbatch is quite good in this, and I wish he were playing an original character rather than a nostalgia throwback.
The movie’s inciting incident has Kirk violating the Prime Directive to save Spock, allowing the primitive Nibrian aliens to see the Enterprise. It’s never been revealed what became of the Nibrians after this. Did they go into space earlier than expected? Did they not evolve because of this? We’ll likely never know. (Side note: the wiki informs me that the Nibrians’ makeup was designed and overseen by Nightmare on Elm Street’s own Heather Langenkamp. Awesome!)
Continuity café: What has the crew been up to since the last movie? The IDW comic series fills in the gaps, by doing new versions of classic episodes set in this timeline. Then, starting with the seventh issue, the series started telling stories about this new crew, following up on the destruction of Vulcan and the conflict with the Romulans.
What you leave behind: A lot of fans dislike how this movie deals with conspiracies, terrorist attacks, and suicide bombings in what is supposed to be the utopian Trek future. But remember that Vulcan was destroyed in the last movie, so this is an Earth and Federation without the Vulcans’ influence. But beyond that, the movie is just overly serious with its heady post-9/11 theming. I like that the movie is ambitious, but I wish it were more fun.
Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. We’ve reached an interesting and exciting time in the series’ history. This is still two comics, Fantastic Four and FF, now restarted with new #1 issues, both written by Matt Fraction, and both telling a single ongoing story meant to go for more than a year in real-world time.
Gimmie a gimmick: This issue is adorned with a “Marvel Now!” logo, and the tagline, “Join the Re-evolution.” I believe the idea behind “Marvel Now” was to draw in readers who had only seen the Marvel movies but hadn’t tried the comics. No idea how well it worked.
We begin with the caption “One year from now.” The Fantastic Four, along with Franklin and Valeria, are inside what looks like a crashing spaceship. Oh, and Ben is human again. But then we turn the page and see Franklin waking up, with this being a nightmare he’s having. He calls out for his mom, only to comforted by very creepy “Mombots.”
Then we cut to “The moment when everything went wrong,” according to the caption. The Fantastic Four are in some sort of cave, where Reed’s arm is crushed between two large sharp objects. Despite his stretching power, this injures him. As the scene goes on, we learn this is the distant past, and the four heroes are actually trapped inside the mouth of a giant dinosaur. Its teeth are what bit down on Reed’s arm. They debate the best way to get out of the dinosaur, when a portal opens and drops the four of them back to the new Baxter Building, onto the breakfast table no less.
There are a lot of comedy antics with the kids of the Future Foundation reunite with the heroes for breakfast. Franklin wants comfort from his mom, still troubled by his dream. He tries warning them not to go to space. Reed gets distracted during breakfast and wanders off. In his private “think tank,” Reed experiments on his own injured arm and concludes by saying, “Uh-oh.”
Cut to outer space (again!) where Johnny is on a date with his new girlfriend, a pink-haired pop star Darla Deering. She chides him for only talking about himself. We then see their romantic dinner is floating on a platform inside the Negative Zone, with Annihilus leading his insect armies into battle in the background. He says he brought her there so they could have a little privacy without paparazzi around. He pulls out a small box, and she thinks he’s about to propose. But inside is merely a slip of paper with his phone number. She says, “You sure know how to make a girl feel special.”
At the Grimm Youth Center on Yancy Street. We see the modern-day Yancy Street Gang has broken in during the middle of the night for some illegal boxing. (A fight club, as it were…) Ben shows up and breaks up the fight, but not before a bunch of the Yancy Streeters push him over (!). He then sees that the whole thing has been caught on camera and broadcast on the internet with the headline “Yancy Street Gang vs. Dummy.”
Back in Reed’s think tank, he deduces that the unstable molecules that give him his stretching power have reached cellular entropy. His body is slowly breaking apart. He further deduces that there is nothing in the known universe that can reverse this molecular decay, and that just leaves… unknown universes.
That night, after Sue checks in on the sleeping Future Foundation kids, Franklin tells her he’s been having nightmares and wants to sleep in her and Reed’s room. Still later that night, Reed returns from the think tank and says he’s had an amazing idea. In the morning, we’re reunited with Johnny’s warship from the Negative Zone. Reed is remodeling it from a warship into a flying classroom. He wants the Fantastic Four to take the Future Foundation with them on their adventures. It’s now a space-time machine, suggests taking one year to explore all of the universe, history, and the future. Then there’s a flashback of Franklin waking up from his nightmare, saying he doesn’t want to go to space.
Reed further says that it will be one year for the FF, but only a few seconds for New York. He suggests recruiting four replacements, so that there will still be an active Fantastic Four during those few seconds. Sue asks him if a year-long adventure is wise considering Reed was just injured. Reed answers, “I’m fine. Trust me.”
To be continued!
Unstable molecule: What I find interesting about this issue is how Matt Fraction picks and chooses various bits of recent-ish FF continuity to play around with. Reed’s so-called think tank was his secret room in the lead-up to Civil War, which he later wiped clean when he changed his ways. In this issue, the think tank is redesigned to be less creepy and more high tech.
Fade out: When Reed’s arm is injured, Sue puts an invisible force field cast around it, and she maintains the cast throughout their escape from the dinosaur.
Clobberin’ time: The Grimm Youth Center is a leftover story bit from when Ben became super-rich during the J. Michael Straczynski era (era). Another example of Fraction pulling out surprise pieces of continuity.
Flame on: During Johnny’s date with Darla, we can see he still wields the cosmic control rod, with it attached to his arm via some kind of alien armor. We’ll see how much longer this goes on.
Fantastic fifth wheel: Contrary to popular belief, this is not the first appearance of Darla Deering. She previously appeared in Marvel Now Point One, an anthology comic of various short stories. In the Ant-Man story, Darla and Johnny were seen attending a fancy banquet.
When discussing possible temporary replacements for the FF, Reed shows an image of potential candidates. These include former alternate members of the team Medusa, Luke Cage, She-Hulk, Black Panther, Ant-Man, and Spider-Man. Wolverine and the Hulk of the ad-hoc New Fantastic Four are also included.
Reed chats with a new version of H.E.R.B.I.E. the robot while inside the think tank. This one is taller and thinner than previous versions. Freakin’ H.E.R.B.I.E. the robot.
Four and a half: After all this business about Franklin being an omega-level mutant who can create pocket universes, now we’re back to him having dream-based powers. This is no doubt a shoutout to his old Power Pack days.
Our gal Val: If Franklin was sleeping in Sue and Reed’s room, then who is the blonde boy sharing a bedroom with Valeria? Process of elimination suggests it’s Alex Power. Either that, or Franklin left that bedroom and went to Sue’s room between panels.
Foundational: The Moloid kids are enamored of Ben, delighted to see him return from time traveling, and even having a poster of him on their wall. Ben plays along, horsing around with them during breakfast.
Trivia time: Hey, remember when Reed reprogrammed a bunch of Doombots so they could help around the house? We see a couple of them in this issue, working on the new space-time ship.
Fantastic or frightful? This is a prelude of what’s to come, mostly table-setting. It shows a lot of patience, telling readers “We’re in this for the long haul.” I don’t know about Reed keeping his condition secret from his family, as previous stories had him learn his lesson about doing this and being open and honest instead. But, again, we’ll be in this story for a long time, so we’ll see.
Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. It’s the final two issues for writer Jonathan Hickman. What’s his final word on our heroes?
Gimmie a gimmick: This issue and the following FF issue both have “Final issue” in big bold letters at the top. But this was Marvel’s usual shenanigans, as it had already been announced that a new team was taking over both series with new #1 issues.
Issue #611 begins with Dr. Doom on the other side of the Bridge, Reed’s portal to other universes, where he’s assembled his own version of the Council of Reeds, the Parliament of Doom. And he now has two Infinity Gauntlets from the Dr. Dooms of the other universes. Doom uses the bridge to find an empty reality and creates his own new universe, a world ruled by equal parts science and magic. He even gives his universe life, populating it with strange creatures.
On Earth, the adult versions of Franklin and Valeria are still hanging around. Future Valeria warns Reed that Doom is still alive. They are joined by Nathaniel Richards, who has a working version of the Bridge. They follow it through the old council chamber and then into Doom’s new reality, now called Doomworld. There, we learn that Doom has been overthrown, and there are six new rulers who have divided Doom’s Infinity Gems among themselves. It’s a short negotiation, but five of the six let Doom leave with Reed and the others. The sixth puts up a fight, sending a giant monster after our heroes. The monster almost comes through the Bridge, but he’s stopped by the rest of the Parliament of Doom. The force the beast back through the Bridge, after which Valeria blows it up.
Dr. Doom says he was a god in Doomworld, and adds, “I found it beneath me.” Valeria gives Doom a kiss on the cheek (!), and tells him, “Say thank you.” Instead, Doom only says, “Consider us even, Richards.” Back on Earth, Reed lets Doom return to his castle. Nathaniel and Valeria tell Reed they are not coming home. Instead, Nathaniel wants to continue exploring the multiverse for other Reeds who have been orphaned. Valeria will go with him to help. It’s a tearful goodbye, with the two of them promising to return someday. On the other side of the bridge, Nathaniel calls out Valeria on her B.S., asking what she really wants. We see she’s building a gigantic device of some kind, saying, “Here, I can build.”
FF #23 backs the timeline up a bit, so we see future Franklin and future Valeria discussing her plan to leave with Nathaniel. It’s another tearful goodbye, with her promising to see him again. All alone, future Franklin says, “So this is it.” Future Franklin meets with present-day Franklin and Leech, laying down some ground rules for young Franklin creating and exploring pocket universes. (There’s an amusing bit with young Franklin hiding a pet universe in his closet.) But then, inside one of these pocket universes, future Franklin tells his young self to chuck out all the rules and do whatever he wants. This is followed by several pages of the three of them letting their imaginations run wild, living any adventure they can dream of.
Franklin doesn’t want to show this universe to his sister, but future Franklin tells him not to worry about Valeria being so much smarter than him, because his creativity will someday match her intellect. “Creating is harder than knowing,” he says.
Later, Valeria is trying to teach complex mathematics to the other Future Foundation kids. She’s frustrated in their lack of interest, and she’s momentarily distracted as future Franklin pokes his head in to wave goodbye. He then shares a drink with Ben and Johnny, as his way of saying goodbye to them as well. He then says goodbye to Reed and Sue, saying there will be repercussions if he stays longer. Reed and Sue ask if they were good parents to him. He says they were perfect, and then he disappears. The last page is young Franklin leaping through the pocket dimension door in his closet for another adventure.
Unstable molecule: While Dr. Doom doesn’t exactly thank Reed as Valeria asked, Reed’s response to Doom is simply “Good enough,” and “Let’s go home.”
Fade out: Sue has a big speech about the doubts of parenting, saying it’s a constant struggle between uncertainty and hope.
Clobberin’ time/Flame on: Adult Franklin tells Ben and Johnny about the Fantastic Four’s last stand in the future. He says Ben got his clothes burned off, so he charged into battle wearing the Impossible Man’s pants. Johnny is, of course, amused.
Fantastic fifth wheel: This would appear to be the end for Nathaniel Richards, except that his final scene with Valeria promises more storylines with them in the future.
One of Franklin’s imaginings in his pocket universe is a “Herb-pocalypse,” featuring gigantic H.E.R.B.I.E.s. Freakin’ H.E.R.B.I.E. the robot.
Four and a half: We get a glimpse of some of Franklin’s ideas he’s written down for his pocket universe. They include “rocket car,” “cloud tunnels,” “olive planet,” “jumping ray,” Moloid jazz,” and “chocolate ice cream mountain toys.”
Our gal Val: Reed questions why the adult Valeria would say Doom is alive while present-day child Valeria insists he died. Future Valeria says her young self is not to be trusted.
Foundational: Each of the Future Foundation kids has their own way of being bored with Valeria’s lesson. Artie is the only one who tries to solve the problem, but he gets it wrong.
Fantastic or frightful? I’ve been awfully critical of Jonathan Hickman as I’ve read all this stuff over the past few months. I see his huge ambition in crafting this expansive narrative with lost civilizations and cosmic grandeur, but I felt his reach exceeded his grasp. But I’m the outlier here, because Hickman’s Fantastic Four was a financial and critical success. These two issues conclude with an essay from Hickman, and I must admit I agree with his thoughts in these, and I appreciate how he gets to the heart of the matter. So, I’ll let Hickman have the final word:
Star Trek movie rewatch! Star Trek (2009) gives us a whole new Kirk and Spock, a new timeline – new everything, really.
Here’s what happens: A gigantic Romulan ship travels back in time, resulting in a whole new universe in which the lives of Kirk, Spock, and the rest play out similarly yet differently. Our heroes meet at Starfleet Academy and then quickly climb the ranks on the Enterprise, all while that Romulan ship is still out there…
The young captain: Kirk’s arc in this movie is pretty straightforward. He starts out brash and arrogant, and always ready for a fight. But then his conflict with Spock knocks him down a few pegs, so he can emerge as a true leader, and friend to Spock. The part I find interesting is how Captain Pike of the Enterprise sees all this prodigy-like potential in Kirk, almost to the point where Kirk is some sort of “chosen one” or “destined” to be a captain himself.
Lil’ pointy ears: The first six movies were all about Spock learning to accept his human half, and where that took him next. This movie finds him back at the start of that journey. He fights with Kirk over the logical thing to do, yet he also endangers the Enterprise in an attempt to save his mother – an emotional thing to do. Kirk further gets to him by playing on his emotions, but the two of them end the movie with a growing respect for one another.
Ol’ pointy ears: The original Spock from the original timeline is here as well, to tie things back to continuity. He provides a voice of wisdom when Kirk needs it the most. What’s more interesting is our ties back to Romulan/Vulcan reunification efforts where we last saw Spock on TNG. Turns out Romulus was destroyed by a supernova. You’d think that would be bad, but the follow-up tie-in fiction revealed this led to the Romulan Free State.
Welcome aboard: Chris Hemsworth is so good in his one minute of screentime that it basically launched his whole career. I also like Bruce Greenwood as Captain Pike, who does the confident captain swagger that we want from this franchise.
Continuity café: How does this compare to the original Trek timeline? Classic Trek had multiple references to the characters’ many misadventures at Starfleet Academy, but we the audience never saw the academy until TNG. Many fans assume that Kirk and Spock first met at the academy, but the Star Trek Wiki alleges they didn’t meet until much later, when Kirk was first officer on a ship called the Farragut.
What you leave behind: This is a fun, fast-paced adventure romp. I don’t know if it continues the “human adventure” themes of the previous films, but it’s hugely entertaining so why not? And the lens flares aren’t as distracting as everyone says.
Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. As writer Jonathan Hickman prepares to move on to Avengers comics, he still has a lot of business to wrap up in the dual Fantastic Four and FF comics. Let’s see how that goes.
Issue #609 returns us to the increasingly convoluted continuity of Nu Earth and the New Defenders. Thousands of people from a dying future Earth were migrated to Nu Earth, a recreation of Earth in another dimension. This was powered by the New Defenders killing Galactus of the future and using the Power Cosmic in his corpse. Now, the New Defenders are stuck in the present. Also, Reed’s genius ex-girlfriend Alyssa Moy is here, but it’s not really her but a robot recreation of her after she died horribly. Were readers in 2012 really invested in these storylines?
Anyway, we’re at a construction site built around the dead Galactus (I think) where there’s a brief fight between Banner Jr. (the future Hulk of the New Defenders) and the FF, after which Banner calms down and everyone explores the site. Turns out the Galactus corpse has now been converted into a “god ship.” Banner says he’s ready to go home. The New Defenders take off in the ship, along with Alyssa and her husband Ted Castle. Reed explains that the god ship will take them all into the future, where they will make the Earth a better place. There’s some question of whether this mission will succeed, but Reed says, “They’ll make it. I know it.”
FF #20 continues to follow-up on previous storylines, reminding us that Black Bolt returned from the dead with a prophesized mission to defeat the Kree Supreme Intelligence. But now, just as the Inhumans wage war against the Kree, the adult Franklin Richards appears from the future yet again and tells Black Bolt that it’s time to go home. Black Bolt and the Inhumans return to the flying city of Attilan, now in orbit around Earth.
Johnny, after losing the Negative Zone election to Annihilus, prepares to return Annihilus to the Negative Zone. He’s joined by the Light Brigade, alien superheroes he befriended during his rise to power in the zone. They send Annihilus back, but Johnny says he’s keeping Annihilus’ cosmic control rod. At the Future Foundation’s new school, located on board the Foundation space station, Reed gives the kids a lesson about aliens, when Attilan approaches. There’s a bit of business where a Light Brigade member named Kal Blackbane is reunited with his mother (why is this in the comic???) and then Black Bolt and Medusa welcome them, letting Attilan be the Light Brigade’s new home.
Then it’s more kid stuff as Sue catches Valeria and Bentley-23 dreaming up ways to overthrow the Kree. Franklin is still hanging out with his future adult self, who has a real nostalgia trip at driving to Franklin to school and seeing all his classmates. Then we cut to Crystal and her new husband, Ronan the Accuser. They’re having a romantic moment out in space, only to be interrupted by Medusa and teleporting dog Lockjaw. Medusa tells Crystal it’s time to come home.
FF issue #21 starts with the Future Foundation kids wondering whether the Inhumans are there to fight now that they’ve forsaken Hala. There’s a flashback to Black Bolt and future Franklin confronting the Kree Supreme Intelligence, picking up from previous issues. The Supreme Intelligence draws Black Bolt into his mind, where he’s confronted by a bunch of other beings. Black Bolt fights them, and this appears to be him fulfilling the prophecy of his being the “Midnight King” that will destroy the Supreme Intelligence. But then Black Bolt surrenders, to make terms.
The flashback ends with Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Spider-Man entering Attilan. Medusa says there are complications, and the Inhumans’ newfound peace is in peril. This refers to Crystal and Ronan. In the flashback, we learn (sort of) that Black Bolt surrendered so that the Kree and the Inhumans would be separated. In the present, this means that Crystal and Ronan are to be separated. As they are driven apart, the captain asks who would dare ruin love. Turn the page and it’s Black Bolt sitting on the throne with the caption, “A king would dare.”
Fantastic Four issue #610 begins with the mad scientists of A.I.M. creating an international crisis after taking over the island nation of Barbuda. Reed, Captain America, Iron Man, and Hank Pym meet at the White House (!), where Reed says this is not A.I.M., but a splinter group of A.I.M. associated with the Wizard. The FF fly to Barbuda at the request of the president. When the Wizard learns they’re coming, he says, “Prayers answered.”
There’s a big fight with the A.I.M. goons, with the Wizard spouting apocalyptic end-of-the-world rhetoric the whole time. A.I.M. sends the Scientist Supreme, a guy in Iron Man-like armor, to capture the Wizard. Afterward, Reed shows the Scientist Supreme paperwork naming Reed the U.S. ambassador to Barbuda. The Scientist says the place is really A.I.M. Island. The Scientist says A.I.M. has a legal claim on the island, but they will let Reed stay on as ambassador and they will give him custody of the Wizard. Reed deduces that the Wizard is dying, so he arranges a meeting between the Wizard and his young clone, Bentley-23. Bentley gives the Wizard his old helmet, as a reminder of who he once was. The Wizard says the helmet belongs to Bentley now, and he says, “You put it on.”
Then we get FF #22, showing these events from Bentley’s point of view. After some horsing around with the other Future Foundation kids, Valeria and Bentley secretly follow the Fantastic Four to Barbuda during the conflict. In this version of the story, it’s not the Scientist Supreme, but a sleep dart fired by Valeria that knocks out the Wizard. There’s a bunch of comedy where Ben and Spider-Man inform the rest of the Foundation kids of what happened.
Then things get serious when Reed brings Valeria and Bentley outside of the Wizard’s cell. Valeria acts encouraging toward Bentley in meeting the Wizard, saying Bentley will know what to do. When the Wizard tells Bentley to put the helmet on, Bentley refuses, kicking the Wizard in the groin.Reed tells the Wizard that he promised to raise Bentley, so the boy would become something better. Reed says, “We are not slaves to our nature,” and says the even the Wizard can be whatever he wants to be. Back at the new Baxter Building, Bentley and Valeria have something of a romantic moment, where she praises him for standing up to the Wizard. But then she reminds him she’s too young for him.
Unstable molecule/Fade out: When Reed and Sue enter the Attilan throne room, they’re introduced as “the first family of Earth.” Does the rest of Earth know about this?
Clobberin’ time: Ben barely appears in any of these issues, demoted to watching the Future Foundation kids when they’re not in school.
Flame on: Johnny keeps Annihilus’ Cosmic Control Rod, and even uses it in battle at one point. I wonder how long this is going to go on.
Fantastic fifth wheel: Spider-Man is still acting as a full-on member of the Fantastic Four throughout these issues, but he’s back in his classic red and blue uniform by now. In Attilan, a Light Brigade alien mistakes him for a human man she once romanced, for some comedy.
Crystal’s heart-to-heart talk with Sue is about having children, leading me to think that Crystal was pregnant and that was the cause of the Attlian-Kree strife, but the Marvel Wiki mentions no baby.
Medusa continues in her role as speaking on behalf of Black Bolt, but he actually silences her at one point to confront the Supreme Intelligence on his own.
Four and a half: These issues confirm that Franklin is attending a normal school, and not participating in the Future Foundation classes. But then he also reveals he’s still experimenting with creating pocket universes, including one where Leech is the ruler.
Our gal Val: Sue disapproves of Valeria scheming of how to defeat the Kree, even if it’s only for a paper for class. There’s a strangely dark moment where Valeria calls Sue a “hag,” and Sue whaps Valeria upside her head. I think this is meant to be funny, but it doesn’t come off that way.
Foundational: New girl Onome is mesmerized by the far-out tech of the Foundation satellite, and she shows off her skills by outplaying the Moloids at ping-pong.
There’s a curious bit of business where the Moloid Mik calls fellow Moloid Korr a “beautiful yellow love slug.” What’s going on between these two?
Trivia time: Reed’s lesson about aliens includes a number of alien societies from throughout Marvel history. The Badoon, the Ovoids, and Cotati are the ones I’m familiar with, but I see the Marvel Wiki has entries on most of these.
Fantastic or frightful? Bless the hardworking person who updated the Marvel Wiki for these issues, because otherwise I’d be utterly lost. Just imagine someone in 2012 who loved the Avengers movie and decided to check out some Fantastic Four comics, only to get this stuff. Good lord.
Rewatching the Star Trek movies! Nemesis (2002) brought in a new director, Stuart Baird, who had no Trek experience and allegedly knew nothing of the franchise before this. The hope at the time was that he’d be an exciting new voice for the series. Was this a smart choice or was it fool… Hardy? (Couldn’t resist.)
Here’s what happens: The Enterprise is sent deep into Romulan space following a coup by the Remans, the Romulans’ worker class. What’s more, the leader of the coup, Praetor Shinzon, is a clone of Picard, discarded after a failed plot to replace him. Shinzon has a plan of his own, setting his sights on both Romulus and Earth – and Picard himself.
Captain’s holiday: What’s the point of making the villain a clone of Picard, rather than the usual scheming Romulan? Picard got his found family on board the Enterprise after being a loner for so long, and now here comes Shinzon to suggest the path Picard’s life might have gone if things had been different.
Ol’ yellow eyes: Oh yeah, there’s a whole other storyline. The Enterprise randomly (or not?) finds another Data-like android on a desert planet. This is B-4, an early Data prototype from Data’s creator. The idea is that B-4 is another road not taken. He’s what Data could have been if Data had not longed to be human. I get it, but I don’t know if Data’s story mirrors Picard’s in the ways the filmmakers hoped. (This would have been another good use of Data’s emotion chip, but it’s not even mentioned this time.)
Welcome aboard: At the time, actor Tom Hardy was considered to be a “boy band” type (silly in retrospect), but his back-and-forth dialogues with Patrick Stewart are electric, and the movie’s best scenes. I find Shinzon’s story to be quite tragic. Picard easily could have saved Shinzon and taken him away from the Remans to start a new life. But in the end, Shinzon only had his hatred.
Continuity café: Does Data ever return? Does B-4 become the new Data? Uh… both and neither, kind of. Continuity gets really weird in following what becomes of them in the various novels/comics/games that followed. The short version is that many writers took a stab at bringing back Data and/or B-4, each putting their own bizarre spin on it. Then Star Trek: Picard apparently closed the book on all things Data… but you never know.
Continuity café dessert: And just because I know everyone’s going to ask, my antiquated two-disc DVD set has the Wil Wheaton deleted scene where we catch up with Wesley Crusher. There’s no mention of him running off with that Traveler guy, but we learn he’s back in Starfleet and that he’s joining the crew of Riker’s new ship the Titan. (Talk of the Titan in this movie sets up a long-running series of novels, but that’s a whole other thing.)
What you leave behind: This is an overstuffed movie with a bunch of other subplots and sci-fi business I haven’t mentioned. It’s also a lot of action, fighting, and explosions, but I must admit I enjoy the talky dialogue scenes more than all the bombast. My big concern is Data’s exit from the franchise. After all this talk about aspiring to be something better than who we are, I don’t see Data’s sacrifice as him fulfilling that. Again, I’m in that place where I enjoy the movie, but I wonder about the movie it could have been.
Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. After everything that’s happened, it’s time for a vacation. I hear Wakanda is lovely this time of year.
Issue #607 begins with the Fantastic Four and the kids from the Future Foundation arriving in Wakanda to meet with Black Panther and Storm, still a married couple at this point. But then we learn that Wakanda’s famous Vibranium supply has been rendered inert by Dr. Doom, and that Black Panther recently stepped down from the throne. (This happened in Black Panther vol. 5 #8.) Despite no longer being in rule, Black Panther and Storm are still people of prominence, being addressed as “Your Majesty” and rolling out a royal welcome. T’Challa’s sister Shuri is now on the throne. Then there’s a flashback to ancient Egypt, where Anubis conquers the king Amun-Ra. Anubis tries to acquire Amun-Ra’s heart, but the king had already given his heart (literally!) the cat goddess Bast.
Back in the present, Reed says the Foundation kids have a lot of ideas for restoring Wakanda’s power and wealth. Black Panther is hesitant, saying Wakanda is a country that looks forward, not past. There’s another flashback where Bast uses the blood of Amun-Ra to anoint a warrior, making him the first Black Panther and more or less founding Wakanda. Later, during a fancy banquet, the skeleton warriors seen in the flashback attack, and the Panther says this is the real reason he asked the FF to come. Later, Reed and Black Panther visit an underground cavern deep beneath Wakanda, where they find a gigantic Anubis statue. Panther says this is where their journey begins.
FF #19 follows the Future Foundation kids in Wakanda, where a young Wakandan named Onome leads them through the jungle riding elephants and rhinos. She takes them to Wakandan reservoir, which promotes peace by providing water to four neighboring nations at once. The kids go swimming and it’s all fun until Alex Power spots a body nearby. It’s a warrior from the Hyena Clan, scavengers and thieves who know no nation. The kids accidentally set off a homing device, so the rest of the Hyenas teleport to the area. Their leader, Aardwolf, has a plan to steal all the water from the reservoir.
The kids fight the Hyenas while tinkering with the teleporter. Onome uses it to send the Hyenas straight to the palace where Dora Milaje arrests them. Onome says she wants Valeria to ask Reed if she can join the Future Foundation, and Valeria says she was already going to ask. She adds, “You’re going to love New York.”
In Fantastic Four #608, Reed and Black Panther open a door in the underground chamber, which Panther says is “forbidden to the living” and “This is where Black Panthers are laid to rest.” They arrive at the city of the dead, and they enter a temple where Bast is waiting for them. Bast says the two of them will be judged, and that this will create an inseparable bond between Reed and T’Challa. T’Challa starts to ask Bast how to defeat Anubis, but Anubis goads him into admitting what he really wants – to be king again. Bast says a great catastrophe is coming for Wakanda, and that T’Challa could be its salvation. He agrees to let Shuri remain on the throne so he can complete this greater work. He will be king of the Necropolis, with all the powers of past Black Panthers running through him.
Meanwhile, Sue, Storm, and Shuri are preparing a pilgrimage to the Wakandan gods so they may confront Anubis. This is done through some sort of meditation which transports them into another world or plane of existence or something. At least that’s what it seems. They fight a bunch of monsters before reaching Anubis. Anubis seems undefeatable until Bast appears and defeats him, after having made the deal with T’Challa in the previous issue. As the FF leave Wakanda, Bast gives them a warning, that dark days are ahead, and Reed and T’Challa must face them together.
Unstable molecule: When Bast asks Reed why he deserves to stand in the sacred space of the past Black Panthers, Reed answers, “Loyalty.”
Fade out: We’re told that the confrontation with Abubis was meant to be only for Storm and Shuri, but Sue insisted on joining them. It would have been nice to see this scene rather than hear about it afterward. But I get it, you only have so many pages.
Fantastic Fifth Wheel: Yes, Storm and Black Panther are still a couple at this time, with her continuing to bounce back and forth between Wakanda and the X-Men. T’Challa describes his friendship with Reed as being like brothers.
Four and a half: Once again, we raise the question of whether Franklin is considered a member of the Future Foundation. He has the uniform, but in this issue he refers to it as “their” school, and says his homework is different from theirs.
Our gal Val: In the Fantastic Four issue, Valeria says she wants to ride an elephant, and then the following FF issue opens with her riding one. Continuity! She also helps rewire the Hyenas’ teleporter.
Foundational: Welcome to the team, Onome! A lot of fans confuse her for Idie Okonkwo of the Jean Grey School, but they’re two different characters. The Marvel Wiki states that Onome’s big skill is using advanced mathematics to predict possible futures.
Dragon Man is often seen grouped together with all the kids like he’s one of the students, but in this issue he’s in a teacher role, instructing the other kids about the jungle. Alex Power is quite the powerhouse in this one, using his anti-grav powers to fly up to the top of a mountain, and then to take out the Hyena warriors. Bentley-23 shows he’s not all talk by fighting and defeating Aardwolf on his own.
Trivia time: While the Hyena clan was previously established as enemies of Wakanda, this is the only appearance of their leader Aardwolf. I’m assuming he got kicked out after being defeated by a bunch of kids.
Fantastic or frightful? Writer Jonathan Hickman again goes big with space gods and warring factions, but he does it in just a few issues instead of spending years building up to it. It’s curious that this big moment in Black Panther continuity is happening in Fantastic Four instead of his own comic, but it’s always nice to keep Black Panther and Wakanda connected to the FF.
Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. Writer Jonathan Hickman’s cosmic mega-epic has ended, but there are still some details to follow up on, most notably Johnny becoming ruler of the Negative Zone during the time everyone thought he was dead.
Issue #605: Because the FF changed the future in the recent cosmic storyline, time-traveling Nathaniel Richards no longer has knowledge of the future. So he and Reed build an observation platform, to observe but not interact with the future. They witness what appears to be utopian New York with multiple Baxter Buildings, and Franklin and an aging Ben leading a new Fantastic Four.
Reed deduces that Ben is aging slowly, and he and Nathaniel travel another thousand years ahead. Ben gives a graduation speech to the Future Foundation… of the future, made up of hundreds of kids, human and alien. Then it’s another thousand years ahead, where an older Ben is saddened, pining for the good old days. In another thousand years, an immortal Franklin returns from space to attend Ben’s funeral. Back in the present, Reed has a beer with Ben while Ben enjoys a TV boxing match. Ben says, “I’ve missed you too, stretch.”
In FF #17, we learn that the “Peter and Johnny are roommates” gag that ended the epic wasn’t a gag. Also, they’re not roommates at the new Baxter Building, but in Peter’s apartment. Johnny’s fun-loving lifestyle conflicts with Peter’s new professional job at Horizon Labs, so Peter is looking for an opportunity to kick Johnny out.
But then Johnny holds a huge party in the apartment, and Peter joins in, having too much to drink. The next morning, while hungover, Peter finds Annihilus in their bathroom, and he finally tells Johnny to leave.
Gimmie a gimmick: Suddenly we’re in the world of wacky comics numbering as the next issue is Fantastic Four #605.1. At the time, Marvel promoted these “Point One” issues as the big cool thing. Was it?
Things get uncomfortable in issue, as we’re in an alternate universe where the Fantastic Four’s origin is retold… in Nazi Germany?!? It’s the old alternate history where the other side won WWII thing. This version of Reed is pure evil, eventually becoming ruler of this world, defeating all the other superheroes and obtaining the Infinity Gauntlet. He loses control and destroys the Earth. But then, all alone in space, he invents the Bridge, which puts him in contact with the interdimensional Council of Reeds.
Issue #606 has the FF exploring an alien environment, confined to their spacesuits and confronting blob-like aliens. It’s pretty obvious what’s going on, that we’re doing a Fantastic Voyage remake, with them having shrunk down and swimming around inside a person.
In a flashback, it’s revealed that this is happening inside old mailman Willie Lumpkin, who’s developed a deadly tumor. The doctors say it would take a miracle to save him, and Ben says, “Does that guy have any idea who he’s talking to?” The heroes manage to teleport the tumor out of Willie, who makes a full recovery.
In FF #18, Johnny acts as substitute teacher for the Future Foundation. One of the Moloid kids asks him about procreation. He tries to be nice about it, and says it’s all about love. But the Moloids and the Atlantean kids were bred in large groups of hatchlings, while Dragon Man and Bentley-23 were grown in science labs. To teach the kids a lesson about love, Johnny offers a field trip to the Negative Zone, where he’s still a big deal after acquiring Annihilus’ Cosmic Control Rod. Once there, everyone learns that a rebellion is under way to overthrow Johnny, and his generals have joined this rebellion.
We cut to outer space, where Franklin and his future self are using Franklin’s reality-bending powers to heal the sun of Hala, the Kree homeworld. Reed encourages the Inhumans and the Kree to stop fighting and start making peace. But Black Bolt, who was brought back to life to destroy the Kree Supreme Intelligence, only wants to fight. Future Franklin seals Black Bolt in some sort of energy cube and convinces him that he’s needed back on Earth because something very bad is coming.
In the Negative Zone, the rebels are confined to a single city held under siege. Johnny meets with the generals, who demand free elections among the Negative Zone creatures. This leads to a lengthy discussion among the Future Foundation kids about democracy. The generals agree, and the Negative Zone holds its first election. Johnny loses, which he expected, but then there’s a surprise where Annihilus wins by write-in vote. Johnny says, “At least it was fun while it lasted.”
Unstable molecule: Nathaniel is apologetic to Reed for missing so much of Reed’s youth, but he says that Reed would appreciate time travel more than playing catch.
Fade out: Sue of course uses her force fields in various ways during the Fantastic Voyage takeoff, including sealing a hull breach. But she’s also in a scientist/leadership role, detailing to the others the perils of the environment.
Clobberin’ time: Ben’s slow aging is explained by the Future Foundation kids giving him the ability to be human for one week per year, with him only aging during that one week. Also, future Ben has a big beard made of his rocks. Not sure how that works.
Flame on: Among Johnny’s antics is a portal to the Negative Zone in Peter Parker’s closet, serving as a reminder that he’s the ruler there.
Fantastic fifth wheel: Is Spider-Man still a member of the team, or not? He’s no longer included on the opening text pages that half-heartedly catch readers up to speed.
Reed has yet another new version of H.E.R.B.I.E., called a “Herbot.” No idea is this one of the H.E.R.B.I.E.s that was built from old Doombots. Freakin’ H.E.R.B.I.E. the robot.
She-Hulk and Luke Cage are seen among the Avengers trying to stop evil Reed in the alternate WWII universe.
Four and a half: Franklin’s future self is still hanging around, and still using godlike powers to do stuff. Future Franklin is basically the Beyonder at this point, and I wonder where they’re going with this character. Another question is what does present-day pre-teen Franklin think of his future self? He seems cool with it, but in the 2020s Fantastic Four comics, Franklin is a frustrated, disaffected teen. Could that be fallout from everything he’s seen in these issues?
Our gal Val: Valeria takes something of a back seat in these issues. In the Negative Zone conflict, she says she wishes Franklin was there, setting up the reveal that Franklin is with the Kree.
Foundational: Bentley-23 watches the boxing match alongside Ben and Reed, saying he likes the violence. He’s later disappointed that there’s an election in the Negative Zone instead of a battle.
Moloids Mik and Turg are at Johnny’s party. It’s suggested that they’re getting drunk with everyone else, but this is not made explicit.
Trivia time: Peter Parker started working at Horizon Labs during the “Big Time” event. The idea was that Peter is finally living up to his potential by getting a high profile, well-paying job – hitting the big time, as it were. My pet theory is that Horizon Labs was a metaphor for the Marvel movies, where Marvel also hit the big time by becoming the biggest name in Hollywood.
Fantastic or frightful? Jonathan Hickman gives us some issues that are less plotty and more character-based, and it’s refreshing. We can see his more humorous side, and it’s such a nice change of pace from all the cosmic mumbo-jumbo we’ve been through. I could’ve done without the Nazi stuff, though.
Rewatching the Star Trek movies! Insurrection (1998) is a bit of an oddity, more like an episode of the week rather than a grand cinematic adventure. But hey, everybody sings Gilbert and Sullivan!
Here’s what happens: Data goes haywire while on a mission to study a primitive civilization. But those primitives are actually highly intelligent, and their planet is a bona fide foundation of youth, with all kinds of life-giving properties. When rival aliens stake a claim on the planet, Starfleet tells Captain Picard to back off and let them. In response, the Enterprise crew goes rogue and stages an… insurrection.
Captain’s holiday: The life-giving planet has an effect on the crew, making them feel younger – even teenager-like in some scenes. TNG was all about Picard going from a loner to finding a family among the crew. This movie suggests a road not taken for Picard, with him befriending (romancing?) one of the locals, and talk of slowing time for one perfect moment. Picard’s character arc is a little muddled, to be honest. I don’t know that the “feeling young again” parts of the movie parallel with the “rebelling against Starfleet” parts adequately enough.
Ol’ yellow eyes: Data makes friends with a kid on the planet, which has Data musing how he’s never had a childhood, a whole world of experience that will be forever unknown to him. It ends with him further exploring these sensations by learning to play with the kids. You’d think this would be a good use for Data’s emotion chip, but, oddly, we’re told he “left it at home.” That’s a baffling choice by the filmmakers that I just don’t understand.
Welcome aboard: The captain’s yacht is part of the Enterprise mentioned in Next Generation trading cards and those technical manual books, but it was never seen on the TV show. It’s not until this movie we actually see the yacht in action. It doesn’t do much except give Picard a means to return to the planet once the heat is on, but it’s still fun to include for fans.
Continuity café: At the time this movie was released, the Dominion War was in full swing every week on Deep Space 9. Insurrection only barely references the war, so the movie can be a stand-alone. But then there’s another DS9 reference when we learn the villains also produce the drug ketracel-white. Every DS-niner can tell you that this was the drug the Dominion used to keep its Jem Ha’dar troops perfectly loyal. How are these guys producing the drug that comes from the other side of the galaxy via the DS9 wormhole? I suppose they’re just working with the Dominion, and not originating the white themselves.
What you leave behind: A lot of fans were expecting something a lot bigger with the premise of Picard going rogue against the Federation, and instead most of the conflict is based in this one valley on this one planet. Despite the relatively smaller stakes, the movie does have some interesting ideas and fun bits. The original screenplay was allegedly much bigger and space opera-y, so we’ll always wonder what might’ve been.
Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. Writer Jonathan Hickman’s years-long mega-epic finally comes to a close in Fantastic Four #604. Was the journey worth it?
Gimmie a gimmick: The cover sports an Avengers vs. X-Men logo in the corner, even though the Fantastic Four were not major players in that crossover. (At least not to my recollection.)
All this business of the past several issues has finally come to a head, with the Council of Reeds, four lost civilizations, and more all leading to Earth under attack by gigantic Mad Celestial, with adult versions of Franklin and Valeria arriving from the future in hopes of saving the day. In a single flash of light, the two of them disappear the Mad Celestials, and that’s that.
Nathaniel Richards celebrates with future Franklin and Valeria, saying that this was their plan all along, and that it actually worked. Turns out the Celestials were only teleported into a gas giant, and they’ll be back. Future Franklin asks our Franklin to hand over the pocket universe he has created in secret over the last few issues. The Celestials return. Future Franklin tries to fight them, but he’s not powerful enough. During the fight, Nathaniel says this was meant to be the day Reed died. It all began when he opened the Bridge, his portal to other worlds, and met the interdimensional Council of Reeds. That moment, Nathaniel says, always led to Reed’s death at this moment, and it’s what Franklin is fighting to prevent.
Future Franklin sends the pocket universe to the corpse of Galactus (which has been another ongoing concern during all this). Franklin says “To me… my Galactus!” and Galactus returns from the dead. Galactus and future Franklin team up to fight the Celestials, while Nathaniel speechifies some more about how the Council of Reeds eschewed love and family in favor of power. Our Reed chose his family first, which led to future Franklin fighting to save him.
Future Franklin flies into a Celestial’s chest, creating an explosion so huge it’s seen all over the Earth and through space. The Celestials are defeated, and Galactus reveals future Franklin survived. There’s a speech about how hope exists, while Reed and his grown son embrace. This is followed by a black page with just “The Fantastic Four” in big letters. There’s a one-page epilogue of Reed and current-day Franklin on the edge of a building, with Franklin leaping off and flying for the first time.
FF #16 picks up the pieces. Franklin connects with his future self, with them being buddies. Valeria, however, dislikes her future self, and there’s mistrust between them. Ben and the others remember that the new Baxter Building and huge chunks of New York were trashed in the big battle, so they head home to make things right. In space, Galactus and future Franklin muse about the end of the universe. Galactus says he always thought it would end with him alone, and Franklin says, “But now, you know better.” The end of the universe will be the birth of a new universe, Franklin says, but only if Galactus does not devour the Earth.
Back in NYC, the FF and the Avengers repair the damage, sending the debris into the Negative Zone, where scavenger aliens will use it to rebuild. Reed uses the teleporter to restore the Baxter Building. Not only that, but it’s been redesigned so the Future Foundation kids now have their own personalized quarters. The kids’ uniforms get a redesign, with them each assigned a number. Then Reed has an even bigger surprise for them. He takes the kids into space, showing them their very own orbital space station, simply called the Foundation. It’s here that the kids can study all things space-y, and Johnny’s Negative Zone battleship is parked there as well. But Johnny decides to move back into the Baxter Building, joking that he and Spider-Man can be roommates now.
Throughout all this, there’s been a running gag about Valeria being grounded. But now it’s no joke as her parents confront her about her secret dealings with Dr. Doom. Sue says she understands why Valeria did it, but she cannot abide Valeria being deceitful. Valeria promises, “I won’t keep any more secrets. Ever.” Cut to the other side of the Bridge, where Dr. Doom survives. There’s a flashback to Valeria saying she’s leaving a gift behind for him, and that it’s their secret. (Uh-oh.) Doom rises from the wreckage and helps himself to all the tech left behind by the evil Council of Reeds, including an Infinity Gauntlet from another universe. A bunch of Doombots also emerge from the wreckage, chanting Doom’s name. He says, “Here, I can rebuild.”
To be continued?
Unstable molecule: While the Fantastic Four are on the sidelines during the final Franklin/Galactus/Celestials fight, it’s Reed hugging his future son that’s the emotional climax to this entire story.
Fade out: When the Future Foundation kids first visit their new orbiting satellite, an unseen force lifts them up through the air and into space. Is it understood that Sue is doing this with her force fields, or is this some unseen tech?
Clobberin’ time: Ben also makes a reference to moving back to the Baxter Building, saying his bed was destroyed in the New York battle. Was his living situation something we’ve meant to follow during all this?
Flame on: These issues make it a point that Johnny is keeping his space battleship for future use. We’ll see how long that lasts.
Fantastic fifth wheel: Spider-Man is given less and less to do with so many characters around. She-Hulk and Power Man are seen among the Avengers during the NYC cleanup scenes.
Four and a half: Lots of unanswered questions about future Franklin. Time travel in Marvel Comics normally dictates that he’s not from the only future, but one of many possible futures. Okay, sure. But then there’s the matter of the baby universe present-day Franklin created, and how this of all things brought Galactus back from the dead. I suppose when things reach a cosmic level, they’re not for us to understand.
Our gal Val: Val promises no more secrets, only for the series to suggest immediately that there are still plenty of secrets. And we all know that whatever this thing is between her and Dr. Doom will still be a concern through the 2015 Secret Wars and maybe beyond.
Foundational: Each Future Foundation kid is now an assigned number, something that’ll be a thing moving forward. Bentley-23 is somehow not 23, but 13. He likes it, though, because it’s the ol’ unlucky 13. Valeria ponders her having a crush on him someday.
The kids’ new rooms in the Baxter Building are built to their specifications, so Atlanteans Vii and Wu have a big pool to swim around in, and subterranean Moloids have a rocky, cave-like room.
Trivia time: Galactus not devouring the Earth and witnessing the end of the universe flies in the face of John Byrne’s 1984 classic “The Last Galactus Story” that ran in Marvel’s Epic Illustrated in 1984. Or does it? The story has Galactus and Nova (the FF”s own Frankie Raye!) finding an abandoned Earth in the distant future, and then a cluster of planets hidden away from him. The story was unfinished, and Byrne alleges it would have concluded with Galactus being part of the end of the universe, and the birth of a new one – just like these issues suggest.
Fantastic or frightful? So, this whole story is about Reed refusing to join the Council of Reeds due to his love of his family, and because of that his own son appears from the future to save him when things become dire. That sounds like a pretty cool story. But then why is this also about four lost civilizations and Dr. Doom’s struggle to retake Latveria, and Reed starting a school for kid geniuses, and Johnny dying and coming back while also being replaced by Spider-Man and a couple dozen other things. These final issues (are they final?) get to the heart of what this has been all about, but it’s been such a long and unwieldy tale so full of other stuff. I applaud writer Jonathan Hickman for his ambition, but the run of issues leading up to this has just been TOO MUCH.
macmcentire 