The Mighty Muscled Thing! The pliable fleshed, aptly name Mr. Fantastic!, His Wife the force field wielding Invisible Woman! Her brother the hot headed and tempestuous Human Torch! Together they form the greatest fighting team the world has ever known! They are, now and forever,

The Fantastic Four!

Giant double sized issue!

Fantastic Four #12

The Doom of all things!

By Ralph L. Angelo Jr.

 The Thing struggled futilely as he watched the terrible tableau unfolding before his blue eyes! Dr. Doom, the Fantastic Fours most horrible foe, was sending them , along with a copy of their previous home, the Baxter Building, towards deep space, and certain death. Ben was in a tank filled with a thick substance that resisted his every move, and used his own strength against him, forcing him be still or he would only pull himself under to a choking death.

 Nearby, Reed Richards brilliant mind fought to find an escape. He was trapped in plastic cylinders that crushed his pliable form and pulled it taught. But his mid was free, and that was his most dangerous weapon!

Johnny Storm, the Human Torch did nothing. Like the Mighty Thing, he too was trapped in a tank. Though his was more of a fish bowl filled with a noxious bacteria that feasted on heat. Every time he tried to ‘Flame on’ the bacteria would multiply, and he would lose more breathing space, but the Human torch realized a flaw in Dooms trap, and had a plan...

 Sharon Ventura, The Vivacious Vixen pulled against her chains that bound her to a wall section. She was beaten and bloodied by the demented torturing of their other persecutor, the woman once known as...

Sue Richards, the Invisible woman, now and possibly forever more known as the malevolent Malice ! Malice laughed heartily as she watched the predicament the Four found themselves in.

“Susan, stop this!” Reed shouted, desperation tinging his voice. “Take control of yourself! We can all get away from here and defeat Doom, but we need you!”

“Shut up, Richards.” She replied from beneath her leather mask. “Sue is gone, lover. Only Malice remains, forever!”

“You are a fool Richards.” Doom Begins. “Within mere moments this domicile will explode, scattering your atoms across the cosmos, along with your putrid families. The device embedded in this buildings core is nuclear, and will assuredly finish you off completely, ending our years of conflict with the only final victory possible, Dooms!”

He turns towards Malice. “It is time to go, my dear. We leave these malcontents to their own fate. Come along.”

Sharon looks up at them both and spits in disgust. “You’re a sorry excuse for a woman, Malice. I know Sue can’t be in there any more, because she would never let a wretch like you get her body anywhere near a foul, repugnant thing like Doom. You disgust me.”

Doom takes a step closer to Vixen, then is stopped by Malice’s hand. “Hold it Vic, she’s mine.”

Suddenly Vixen is yanked upwards by invisible hands once more, as she screams in agony at nearly having her limbs ripped from her sockets once again. After an interminably long time she flops to the floor. Pain wracked and sweat covered.

Malice walks away and snakes her left arm seductively around Dooms waist, then waves to the others with her free right hand, as Doom presses a button on his gauntlet, causing them both to shimmer from view.

“They‘re gone“ The Thing begins. “How do we get outta here? Anyone?”

“Ben, I’m sorry,” Reed answers. “ but he’s got me trapped completely. I can’t move a muscle. The most I could do is stretch my nose., and at this point that’s not going to do us any good.”

“C’n ya stretch it ta me , Pinnochio?” The Thing asks quizzically.

“I might be able to, but what are you thinking?”

“I’m thinkin’ this is gonna hurt you a lot more’n me, but it’s the only shot we got. I’m gonna yank you outta there by yer beak. If you pass out, I’ll just keep pullin’ till yer free.”

“It’s worth a shot, old friend, and you know I’ll do whatever it takes, deal with whatever agony I must, to free us and then take our revenge on Doom.”

“Wait.”

Both men turn towards Johnny Storms cage of glass.

“You have an alternative, Johnny?” Reed asks.

“Yes, and I think it’s a darned good one too. Everyone hold on, it’s going to get very cold in here.”

Suddenly the Human Torch concentrates mightily, as his body seems to glow from within, and instantly the room around them experiences a massive temperature drop!

“Brilliant!” Reed exclaims.

“He doin’ what I think he’s doin?”Ben asks , wide eyed.

“He’s pulling all the heat out of the room, and his cage, freezing the area down to a level so cold, the bacteria encasing him will die, at which point he will burst free. In theory it should work perfectly.”

“Yeah, well if the cold don’t kill you ‘an Shari.”

“Don’t worry about me,” Sharon Ventura almost growls from her side of the room. “I can take care of myself!”

Ba-ROOOM!

She yanks hard against her restraints, shattering them, then falling to her knees in pain.

“Huh? I thought you wuz trapped?” Ben exclaims in surprise.

“I was, Ben. But I kept goading her to yank me upwards, and every time she did, I strained against my bonds. That last time was the icing on the cake. I knew I’d never break out on my own. So without realizing it, Sue helped me.”

Suddenly a loud crashing fills the room, as Johnny succeeds in shattering the giant bowl he is trapped in, the room now down well below zero!

Dead bacteria and an exhausted Human torch flop onto the frozen floor, as Vixen quickly breaks Reeds plastic prison, helping him out of his entrapment.

“How ‘bout a little help over here?” The Thing bellows “Who knows how much time we got left? Move it Torchie!”

“Hang on, you orange orangutang .” The Torch groans from the floor as he forces himself upwards, and then shouts “Flame on!” Instantly the Human Torch is covered in burning heat, as he raises an arm and fires a blast of flame at Bens prison. Burning a hole through it instantly, shattering its side, as the Thing spills out onto the floor amidst the molasses like substance.

“We’ve no time for this.” Reed shouts as he stretches through the nearby hallway, the rest of the team right behind him. “Johnny, get to the hanger immediately. If the Pogo plane is compromised, we’ll have to find another way off this missile.”

“Right Reed.” The Torch replies as he streaks ahead.

“Hey Stretch, what are our other options outta here if the P plane is, uh compromised?” Ben asks

“I’m making this up as I go, Ben. I’m not sure.”

“There’s Johnny.” Sharon shouts as the building begins to rumble anew.

“Uh oh.” Ben growls. “Lets get outta here.”

The Thing leaps aboard the Pogo plane, and pushes the Torch into the co-pilot seat.

“Hey!” Johnny yells, surprised.

“Sorry squirt, I ain’t got no time ta be gentle. Keep yer fingers and toesies crossed that this crate’s alright. Buckle up everyone we’re outta here!”

Ben pulls the yoke towards him and hits the accelerator, as the now rumbling building seems to vibrate apart around them, as they claw for space!

Shhhwwoooosh!

The Pogo plane rockets free of the building, and then drops towards Earth.

“Reed, correct me if I’m wrong, but this bird ain’t made fer space travel is it?”

“No Ben, You are correct, old friend.”

“So we’re still in trouble.” Sharon states matter of factly.

“Part o’ the job description, babe, and you don’t know the half a it, either. This bird just went dead on me. I got no response from this thing. It’s like tryin’ ta fly a piece o’ driftwood.” Ben answers as he fights the controls of the tumbling ship.

“We’ll be hitting the atmosphere in 3,2,1 NOW!” Reed shouts as the ship seems to buck and heave as if it ran into a brick wall. “Susan must have given Doom the codes to get in here. Obviously he sabotaged the Pogo plane.”

“Things are getting better and better. This reminds me of something we did a while back, right Ben?” Johnny asks with a smile amidst the shaking, rumbling ship.

“Yeah kid, sorta like we did all those years back. That trip that made us inta the worlds greatest human fighting team.”

“The worlds greatest adventurers.” Reed almost whispers as his mind wanders into the past. The past where a group of four people, a teenager, his sister, her genius boyfriend, and his best friend, who happened to be a world class test pilot took an experimental spacecraft from a secret government facility, and flew it into space, without the proper shielding against the deadly cosmic rays. Cosmic rays that affected each of the differently. The scientist became a stretchable, flexible “Mr Fantastic”. The teams leader. His friend, the pilot became one of the strongest men on the face of the planet, the monstrous, rocky, orange skinned Thing! The genius leaders girlfriend became a wielder of force fields with the ability to become invisible, an Invisible woman! And her brother, her brother found himself suddenly bursting into flames and able to make himself lighter then air, able to fly with the speed of a jet plane! He became a burning, fiery Human Torch! And the world was never the same again!

BOOM!

The Pogo plane shook violently, forcing Reeds mind to wander back to the here and now , as it began to spiral downwards.

“Ben!” Reed begins excitedly, “What happened?”

“Explosion from above us, must be the buildin’ fragmentin’. If that things a nuke, its’ gonna kill a lotta people, mebbe the whole damned world. What are we gonna do?”

“Nothing, Ben. Doom wants to rule the world, not destroy it. If that building is set to explode with a nuclear charge, it will be far out of Earths atmosphere. I think we’re safe for now.”

“Not really Reed”, Johnny yelps as the Pogo Plane shudders and shakes and begins to pull itself apart. “We’re losing structural integrity, and fast!”“ The Torch concludes. “Guys. We have to do something like now!”

“Johnny, get outta here! Take Shari with ya!” The Thing bellows!

“I’m not going anywhere, without you!” Sharon Ventura shouts defiantly.

“Alla you get outta here!” Ben roars, as he fights the controls to try and right the shattered Pogo plane. “You guys gotta stop Doom, an’ save Suzie! No way does he get away with this!”

“No Ben.” Reed answers calmly, we’ll do this together. Everyone hold on, we’re going down!”

“Awright. We’ve all done this a few times awready, you too Ventura. So hang on everybody!”

The battered Pogo plane falls like a stone towards a barren hillside below...

BA-KA-WRA WHRRROOOOMMMMMMMMM!!!

End part one...

Part the second...

Latveria, kingdom of Doom. The Iron monarch stands at a balcony overlooking his kingdom. Above in the star flecked sky, a burst of light fills the horizon for a moment, then dissipates.

“Finally.” he breathes through his steel mask. “After all these years, they are gone. Dead. Doom has won. Do you hear ? All of you? Doom has won!” He proclaims his victory loud and clearly from the balcony of his stone castle, to no one in particular. Below, peasants stop and stare at their master, and then shuffle off humbly back to their poor existence.

Doom turns and reenters his castle, as one of his many Doombots approaches him. “Master” The blank faced automaton begins. “Sources in the United States claim a flying vehicle matching the description of the Fantastic Fours Pogo Plane crashed in California.”

Doom shakes his head, and aims his hand at the robots chest, as light rips from his finger tips, incinerating the robot instantly. The other robots passing by pay its destruction no heed.

“Foolish creature. The Fantastic Four are destroyed. Their plane obviously fell out of the building before the explosion and burned up in the atmosphere on its way down. Though why would witnesses claim if it was theirs if that was the case?” Doom questions himself. “No matter. This is a day of celebration. Finally the accursed Fantastic Four are dead, and by my own hand!”

“Wrong darling, by our hands.” A sultry female voice intrudes.

Doom turns and see Sue Richards, now known as Malice standing framed in the moonlight, wearing only a sheer see through night gown, decidedly much shorter then Sue would wear normally.

Doom stares at her, then waves her away. “Begone fool. Our work together is finished. Leave my site immediately, or I will forget your hand in this and treat you as I would were you still Susan herself.”

“What?” Malice is startled by Dooms dismissal.

“Begone woman. The Lord of Latveria has no time for you.” He then storms away, as Malice/Sue suddenly grips her forehead in deep pain and moans once , before dropping to the ground unconscious in a heap.

California... A burning hillside near Central City, where firefighters from five nearby towns have gathered to put out a jet fuel powered blaze. One created by the wreckage of a unique and very special plane.

“I can’t believe they’re gone.” One fireman speaks to another.

“I know. After all these years, you would think they would get out of anything imaginable, and most things not imaginable. I can’t believe a plane wreck killed the Fantastic Four.”

Nearby, along a deep furrow in the ground, four figures lie furtively hidden amidst the smoke and flames, out of sight of the rescue workers.

Reed Richards turns towards his companions, Ben Grimm, the Mighty Muscled Thing, Johnny Storm the hot headed Human Torch, and Sharon Ventura, the Vivacious Vixen and wipes dirt and sweat from his brow, as he removes a small device from his ear. “They think we’re dead. Lets leave it that way a while longer, shall we?”

The Thing nods in agreement, as do Johnny and Sharon. “Okay Stretcho, what’s next?”

“Next is arriving momentarily, but invisibly.”

Almost as if on cue, the air around them begins to whip up with the frenzy of a small hurricane, as dust clouds obscure vision, and sand blows all about them.

“It’s here.” Reed states firmly. “Lets get out of here.”

The Fantastic Four stealthily creep aboard an invisible entry stair that hides their images from view as soon as they step upon it, and then they are gone! As the highly powerful Skrull Stealth Hawk they appropriated from the Alien Skrull a few years back invisibly rockets skywards.

Below, Firemen shield their eyes from blowing sand which quickly subsides. One stares about himself , at the area the Stealth hawk had been sitting in mere moments earlier.

“You see something?” his friend asks him.

“I-I dunno. For a minute, I thought I saw a big, huge figure walking on air towards light, then everything disappeared completely, and the wind whipped up stronger then ever.”

“This place must be haunted.” The other firefighter replies as he shakes his head and goes back to work spraying the brush down.

Aboard the Stealth Hawk...

“I can’t believe we crashed back in Central City, or at least near it. The same place we crashed the first time.” Johnny exclaims.

“That’s got to be some kind of omen.” Sharon answers.

“I don’t believe in that stuff.” Ben answers from behind the controls of the Stealth Hawk.

“After everything we’ve been through over the years, Ben, It’s hard NOT to believe in just about everything. For instance, an alien built spacecraft that can be remote controlled from half a country away to whisk us to safety?”

As Reed Talks, he puts on a fresh FF uniform, as does Johnny.

“How long to Latveria?” Johnny asks.

“At our present speed, runt, figger another five minutes. This thing is fast, even in atmosphere.”

“And totally undetectable.” Johnny ads

“I know kid. By the time Doom realizes we’re there, we’ll be knockin’on his door, an from these mitts it’s gonna be one helluva heavy knock.”

“Just keep it together gentlemen.” Reed begins. “Our first priority is rescuing Sue, from both Doom, and Malice.”

“How we gonna do that, Reed? I mean Suzie ain’t likely ta be invitin’ us in when we get there.”

“Something triggered her change to Malice, and the return of her powers. I’m willing to wager Doom had something to do with both instances.”

“Coming up on Latveria, High pockets.” Ben announces.

Sharon leans up near the window and stares out. “I forgot what a backwards country this is. These people live in abject poverty.”

“That’s how Doom wants them to be, Sharon. He provides just enough for them to remain docile, and wanting more. It’s a typical tactic of a dictator.” Reed answers. “You ready Ben?”

“Yup, lets start the party.” The Thing hands the controls to Reed as he ambles over to a sliding door on the side of the Stealth Hawk. Johnny stands at his side. “Lets do it, squirt.”

“After you, Mr Grimm!” The Torch bows at the waist and beckons Ben before him , who leaps out the door at over five hundred feet above the castle!

“Geeeeronimo!” Shouts the Thing as he rockets downwards, fists first towards the looming , ancient castle’s wall, following him closely is the red hot Human Torch!

Ba-da-da- WROOOM!

The Things Impact rocks the castle like a bomb going off, as Doom Bots immediately race towards the position of Bens attack! When they arrive, they are stopped by a wave of deadly flame that melts them in their tracks!

Fwooossh!

The Human Torch fires raging flame from both hands as he hangs in the air above.

“Hey hot head, save some fer me!” The Thing roars as he easily extricates himself from the wreckage of an entire parapet!

“Aaaa go get your own, rock head.” Johnny taunts as he rockets through the air, drawing fire from the robots built in arm lasers!

Dooms throne room...

A doombot appears at Dr Dooms side “Master, we are under attack, the Fantastic Four have returned.”

“Whaaaaaattt???” Doom shouts in uncharacteristic anger. “That is impossible!”

He rises up out of his throne and races across his castle, towards the sound of battle! “No man may attack Doom in his own home, and live!”

“No? Then how about a woman?” Doom turns towards the sound to late as Vixen levels a side thrust kick to his head, snapping it around like thunder!

Thrung!

She instantly follows it up with a spinning wheel kick, to Dooms chest, knocking him backwards again.

Bang!

Then she leaps in with a deadly punch to his face, one he catches in a steel gloved hand. “Woman, you begin to bore me.” He begins to crush her hand in his steel gauntlet, when suddenly a blue pliable form wraps itself around his head, and sling shots the villain down the hallway.

Boing!

“Not so fast Von Doom. You won’t be bored, that much I can assure you today.”

“Richards? Impossible. You and your quartet of imbeciles are notoriously hard to kill, as always. But sooner or later I WILL get it right.”

As he speaks, Von Doom fires a blast from his right gauntlet at Mr fantastic, who deftly spreads around it, and avoids it completely.

“It’s not going to be so easy this time Doom. We’re not apt to be surprised by you when we are on the attack, unlike last time!” Reed snaps through the air, to create a block like appendage out of his right fist, which he hammers Doom with.

Pa-Quack!

“Idiot.” is Dooms only response as he touches a stud on his armor, and a blast of hellish energy engulfs Mr Fantastic from the very walls themselves!

“AAAAAAGGGGGHHHH!” Reed screams in agony, as nearby, Sharon fights her way to her feet, to leap through the air and tackle Doom, knocking him to the ground!

Blang!

She delivers two crushing punches one after the other in quick succession to his face, which he easily shakes off. “Stupid cow, what do you hope to do here? You cannot best Doom.”

“No, but we can!”

Doom spins towards the voice as he is instantly engulfed in white hot flame, being poured upon him by a fighting mad Human Torch!

Sha-KROOOM!

“Gangway Kid, Unca Benjy’s comin’ through!” The Thing hurls himself at Doom, cocking back his mighty right arm and bellowing “It’s Clobberin’ Time!” as he unleashes a haymaker that rocks the entire castle with its power !

Ka-KROOOM!

“Ben! I’m going to find Sue, you three keep him occupied.”

“Oh no prob there buddy. Me an’ Doomsie got a lotta catchin’ up ta do.”

Doom pulls himself to one knee as he fires a blast from his gauntlet directly at the Thing, causing Ben to yowl in agony!

Sha-KROW!

“Unnngghh!” Ben shouts as he’s slammed backwards by the fury of Dooms blast!

“I’ll kill you with my own hands you misanthropic moron!”

“Not likely.” The Thing rumbles as he pounds the hallway beneath their feet with such strength it collapses beneath them all!

Ka-KRROOM!

They all fall through to the next level, Sharon landing on her feet, Johnny floating in the air, Doom landing on his back, while the Thing lands feet first, and immediately leaps at Doom!’

“Hang on Vic, yer goin’ fer a ride!” Ben roars as he grabs Doom by the boot and swings him around his head to release him straight through a wall !

Ta-BOOM!

Johnny flies through the hole first, to be met by a roaring blast of energy, that slams him back out into the hallway in a heap!

“Johnny!” Ben yells as he leaps to his partners side!

“No Ben!” Johnny moans, “get him!”

The Thing turns, but to late! As he too is engulfed in Dooms powerful blast, as both heroes are driven to their knees.

“This is a neural disrupter, Thing. Not that I expect you or the fool on the floor next to you to understand what I am talking about. Only Richards could fathom that.”

“I don’t have to fathom it Doom, to take you out!” Vixen shouts as she leaps from the shadows and kicks the metal encased villain in the back of the head with a flying kick.

Ka-POW!

Doom stumbles forwards, as instantly the Thing throws himself at Doom, pulling back and releasing a stunning left that crushes Doom through another wall, like a round out of a cannon~!

Ka-KOW!

‘You okay kid?” Ben asks Johnny as the Torch fights his way to his feet.

“Y-yeah, forget me, get him. Get Doom. I’m right behind you.” Johnny holds his head as he fights back nausea, as Ben and Sharon prepare to throw themselves at Doom. But Ben stops her silently, the hole that Doom created is dark and silent. Ben motions towards the floor, and jams his hand through it, ripping a hole in the floor out of view of the room, then dropping through it, he motions her to go ahead into the room where Von Doom disappeared into. She does and is instantly attacked by Doom himself, as he wraps arms of steel around her neck from behind.

“I will separate your head from its shoulders Ventura.”Doom growls like an enraged jungle cat, as Sharon gasps for air. But suddenly two huge orange hands rip up the floor from below and grip Dooms legs, yanking him down yet another level!

CROOM!

“Hey Doomsie, Batter up!” The Thing grabs a steel girder from one of the damaged walls, and swings it with the force to shatter a building to rubble!

Ba-KROOM!

Doom is heaved from the castle like a missile! Arcing away to land unceremoniously in a lake a mile distant!

“That oughta buy us a few minutes. You okay babe?” He asks Sharon, who nods in the affirmative.

“I couldn’t break free of his grip. I thought he was going to pull my head off.”

“Never happen while bashful Benjy’s around darlin’”

Just then the Torch flies down to their side from two levels up.

“Everyone okay? Johnny asks?”

“Yes, you?” Sharon answers.

“I’m good. But we better find Reed before Doom gets back.”

Then the sound of metallic marching feet heading in their direction can be heard.

“Doombots!” Johnny blurts out. “I’ll take care of them, you two find Reed!”

“No way Jose’.” Ben rumbles, “We’re all in this together. We’ll all find Stretch.”

The three attack as one, The Thing throwing one ground shaking blow after another at the hapless robots, shattering them like cheap tin toys. Vixen uses her great strength and agility to make the robots fire upon one another, or to actually slam into each other as she tumbles away in acrobatic moves performed so fast as to be almost invisible. Last, but far from least the Human Torch fires blasts of flame that melt and destroy the fighting robots.

Within minutes the hundred Doombots are no more! Rendered to heaps of smoking slag by the fabulous Fantastic Four.

Ben slaps his hands together in a wiping motion. “Lets go get Reed an’ Suzie an’ blow this popsicle stand.”

Far beneath the castle, in an old drainage aqueduct, Victor Von Doom crawls back into his own home.

“They will pay for this ignobility.” he speaks aloud. “I will don a new suit of armor and crush their skulls in my hands, especially the brutish Thing. His constant hammering destroyed this suits integrity to the point where it is now almost useless, barely able to stand on its power, it becomes more dead weight by the second.”

He surreptitiously makes his way to his armor room, which is on the lower level near one of the aqueducts openings. He enters cautiously, but when he turns the lights on with a thought, the scene that is displayed before him stuns him into silence!

Before him stands Malice, and in her arms is the form of Reed Richards, unconscious and stretched out all about the room. Behind them both lie Dooms spare suits, destroyed and spread all around the room “I’ve been waiting for you Darling. Look what I have for you.”

“Woman, your duplicity surprises even me. How did you managed to defeat him?” Then he adds “What happened to my armor?”

“How do you think, Victor? He was in here destroying the suits when I arrived. He was looking to save his precious Susan, and I battered him with a force sphere till he was unconscious. You can do with him what you want. I’m through with this fool.” She drops Reeds body unceremoniously onto the floor at her feet.

“Very well. I will incinerate his form with the last vestiges of power this suit has. Then I will deal with the others.” He raises both gauntlets and aims them at Reeds prone form, then fires every erg of power he has at Reeds body!

Suddenly, the energy he released arcs upwards back towards Doom himself! An explosion of energy that smashes Doom backwards, and to the floor of the sub basement.

“What?” he stammers from within his now powerless armor. His gaze turns to Malice who shimmers from view. And then behind him two forms reappear. One female, one male. Both wearing FF uniforms. Mr Fantastic, and the Invisible Woman!

“It’s over Victor. You’ve lost.” Reed states calmly. Then adds “Yet again.”

“NO! Doom will never be defeated. Not by you. Nor any of your motley band of fools.”

“Yeah Metal head? Well it just happened again.” The Thing grins from ear to ear as he rubs his fist with his other hand. “I think I’ll peel ya outta that sardine can right about now.”

“Stay away from me, fool! If I cannot defeat you , I will kill us all, in one blast of anti-matter.” He reaches into his suit and removes a small, glowing metallic box , about the size of a pill box.

“Whoa!” The Thing backs up in surprise, “Where’d that come from? I thought he wuz powerless?”

“He was a second ago, Ben that’s a tertiary dimensional containment vessel. I’ve theorized one could be constructed a few years ago. It seems Victor built one as a doomsday solution.”

“Huh? English please?”

“He just reached into his powerless suit and pulled a box containing anti-matter, or negative zone matter into our universe. When he opens that box everything within at least a hundred mile radius will cease to exist in an explosion so devastating that any Nuclear blast will seem like nothing short of fireworks when compared to it.”

“Uh oh.” Johnny mumbles as he and Sharon stare at Doom.

“Fools! This was always our destiny from time imemorium. To die in combat at each others hands.”

“I already told these guys I don’t believe in that prophecy, an’ destiny stuff Doom. Now I’m tellin’ you.” The Thing grunts as he walks towards Doom. “Drop the box Vic, and everyone gets ta live. You spend the rest a yer life in a NATO or UN nuthouse. We go home in time for “Angel” . What’s it gonna be?”

 “Fool, I’ll kill you all yet!” Dooms begins to open the box, as Reed shouts “Susan, NOW!”

Instantly, A force field encases Doom in a bubble as the explosive force rocks the castles walls, and disintegrates the towering structure around them.

Wa-Ka- Ka-KOWWWW!!!

The castle fades from view, crumbling into dust with the fury of the explosion! Peasants scatter in every direction as the streets and buildings suddenly are swallowed up in a slow, almost inexorable wave of fury, as the small town around Dooms castle all but disappears in a ring of destruction.

A few miles from the epicenter of the blast, the destruction ceases, and the ground settles. Leaving a massive crater where Latverias primary town once stood. In the midst of the blasts epicenter, nothing stirs. Wreckage covers everything as every building, every stone, every piece of steel is mostly rendered to mere dust. Long minutes pass, until suddenly a mighty, rocky orange arm juts out of the rubble, heaving tons of material aside as if it were paper. He pulls two figures out from beneath him, the Human Torch and Sharon Ventura were shielded by Bens own body.

“You two okay?” They wave him off.

“Get Reed and Sue.” Johnny moans as he grasps his leg.

“Already on it , champ.” Ben answers as he digs through the rubble like a bulldozer on steroids, but several feet from him the ground suddenly erupts as a two figures rise out of it on a platform of invisible force field energy .

“Reed, Suzie! Yer okay!”

“A little battered and slightly worse for the wear, old friend, but otherwise good.”

Epilogue

The Stealth Hawk glides through the atmosphere, heading towards New York. Ben sits at the controls, as the rest of the FF relax behind him .

“I don’t get it Reed,” Johnny asks, “I thought Dooms anti matter box would have killed us all. How are we still here?”

“Reed frowns and shakes his head non commitedly . “Johnny, I’m just not sure. My best guess would be to say that either Doom did not have anti matter in there, and some other kind of powerful explosive instead, or he lied and escaped us yet again. I sincerely doubt any of us would have survived this day if he had unleashed anti matter. But again, There are to many variables, and we just can’t be sure. We may have actually seen the end of our oldest, deadliest foe today, or we may have not. I don’t see how Sues force field could have contained that blast, and then shielded both her and I from the aftereffects. Yet here we are, and there was no trace of Doom. We did scour the blast site looking for him after all.”

“Speaking of Sue, what happened there? How’d you suddenly return to the side of the angels?” Vixen asks, while wrapped in a blanket drinking hot chocolate on the side of the cabin.

Sue grimaces. “It was as if I was watching someone else for the past several days. I was aware of everything that was going on, but had no control. It was horrible. About a week ago, I began hearing Malice’s voice in my head while I slept. She was emerging again, and this time I could do nothing about it. Every night she grew stronger, and as she did, my will to oppose her shrunk. She whispered that she could return my power, that she was holding it in check and only she could release it. When I attacked you, Reed, she was in full control. But I have a feeling if you do a scan of the building and surrounding areas, you’ll find some device of Dooms that was broadcasting something at me, to force Malice out of my Id.”

“I’ll make sure to do that immediately, when we return Sue, and I agree with your hypothesis, by the way.”

“So how’d you break free then, sis?” Johnny asks.

“I saw what was happening, and fought my way back to the forefront of my mind. Malice is a part of me that I thought was long, long gone. But Doom did something that drove her out of my mind again.”

Reed hugs his wife and kisses her on the forehead gently. “She‘s gone darling and so is Doom. You’re safe.”

“Am I Reed? Are any of us?”

He smiles and hugs her again. “Yes Sue, we are. Because no matter who attacks us, no matter where, The Fantastic Four, Our family will always prevail. You have my solemn oath on that, my love.”

“What about the explosion that took out Doom, and how’d he think he was shootin’ at Reed?” Ben asks.

“I found Susan in one of Dooms corridors, or rather she found me. I was tracking her using the implant I used earlier to track her in the Adirondacks.* After we met, we raced back to the Stealth hawk, where Sue changed into an FF uniform and I readied a few surprises for Victor. Such as an image inducer, which was programmed to supply Doom with an image of both Susan and myself. Do you remember what Susan did to the Miracle man**? Where she created an invisible force field funnel that sent his energy back at him? Well she did the same thing here, Dooms power level was far below Miracle mans, but it was enough to render him powerless and inert.”

* two issues ago

** Issue #4

“So you think Dooms really Gone, Reed?” Ben asks.

“Old friend, I don’t even want to bother to conjecture on that subject. We’ve thought so many times in the past, and been wrong before. If he died in that blast then good riddance. If not, we have to be vigilant in either scenario .”

Johnny steps forward near Ben and places his hand out in mid air, palm down. “We will be Brother in law, we always will be. That’s why we‘re the best. That’s why we’re the Fantastic Four!”

The Thing smiles and places his hand atop Johnny’s , The Reed places his atop Bens and Sue places her there as well. They all turn towards Sharon who continues to sit on the side, before shaking her head to the side and saying, “What the heck?” She places her hand atop theirs.

Reed smiles then speaks for them all, “Let everyone who has evil in his heart beware, because the Fantastic Four is here to stay!”

“You got it , big brain, you got it.” The Thing smiles as he agrees.

So say we all, Ben Grimm! So say we all!

And there it is folks, my last issue of the FF here on the Avengers 2000 Network! Hope you enjoyed it. I enjoyed writing it!

Email me complaints and Kudos alike to [email protected]

Thanks everyone! Ralph