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Appearing in "Thundra and Lightning"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Fantastic Four #151

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  • Sky-Cycle

Synopsis for "Thundra and Lightning"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Fantastic Four #151

Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm are at a haberdashery trying on new outfits, but Ben soon gives up in exasperation, saying that nothing in the store will ever improve his appearance. When the owner turns his attention to Johnny, he unfortunately makes some disparaging remarks about Ben, and an annoyed Ben brandishes his fist at the frightened man. Fortunately, Johnny calms Ben down, and a short while later, Johnny and Ben, wearing their new suits, walk back to the Baxter Building. But when Ben and Johnny approach the Baxter Building, they see that it is surrounded by a crackling glow. Alarmed, Johnny bursts into flame, reducing his new $110 suit to a cinder, and Ben flexes his muscles and tears his own $150 suit to shreds. Then Johnny flashes up to the top of the skyscraper, while Ben climbs up the wall. Johnny knows that Reed and Sue are spending the day in the country with Franklin, which means that someone is trying to invade their headquarters. Suddenly the wall next to Johnny explodes, and a powerful figure, glowing with energy, strides forth, demanding to know the whereabouts of the "she-witch," Thundra the Femizon.

Meanwhile, Medusa is walking through a park near the United Nations building, where she had gone to learn the legal status of her countrymen. After being pestered by a reporter, she meets Thundra, and the women strike up a conversation. Thundra explains that she wants to see Reed Richards, who is quite reasonable—even though he is a man. She comes from a future Earth that in a way does not yet exist. In this alternate future, women are dominant and men are reduced to slavery. Of all the Femizons, she continues, she is the strongest and the bravest. There are a thousand million alternate futures, she says, one born every time a decision is made. Thus there also exists a world called Machus, a future in which men are in power. Machus is a bestial place where women are kept as slaves and men fight eternal wars. Somehow, says Thundra, the world of Machus and the world of the Femizons have recently been drawing together, and the normally docile men of her world have begun to rebel. The Femizons have been forced to squelch the rebellion by bloody means, which is not to their liking. For this reason, Thundra was sent by the Queen of the Femizons to find and battle the Earth's most powerful male and defeat him so soundly that men will learn their lesson for all time. This, says Thundra, would eliminate the alternate future of Machus.

Meanwhile, the huge figure, who calls himself Mahkizmo, grabs Johnny's legs and pitches Johnny into a bank of machinery. But he burns himself and, howling with pain, he vows to break Johnny's neck. No one injuries Mahkizmo, he says, least of all an "effeminate" like Johnny, Johnny manages to evade Mahkizmo's blows until the Thing climbs up to where they are battling, but then a solid punch sends Johnny hurtling over Ben's head. When Mahkizmo sees Ben, he again demands to know about Thundra, saying he will not rest until she is in his hands But when he says that Ben is too weak to stop him, Ben staggers him with a powerful punch. Mahkizmo, however, retaliates with a punch of his own. He will not be mocked and have his manhood insulted, he shouts, for among the men of his world, he is the strongest, and only he has been chosen to wield the "ultimate energy." This is the power that gives him his name—Mahkizmo, the Nuclear Man. Then Mahkizmo strikes a thunderous blow into Reed's equipment, reducing it to scrap. Johnny and Ben can only look on dumbfounded.

Meanwhile, Thundra explains to Medusa that there is some kind of temporal field surrounding the Baxter Building, which brought her to the Thing rather than to the Hulk or Thor, who are both stronger. In her months on Earth, she has come to understand something of the world, and now she does not want to battle the Thing because she is no longer certain that the Femizon path is the proper path for the future. Yet, she says, neither is Machus. Thus, she says, something must be done about Mahkizmo. Meanwhile, Reed is returning from the country aboard the rebuilt Airjet Cycle. He is delighted to have his wife and son back, although he let them stay with Sue's friends for a few days. As he approaches the Baxter Building, he spots the hole in the wall and suddenly the portable Geiger counter on his '"Fantasti-Cycle" begins to register a strong reading. The area is flooded with radiated beta particles, he says, and he wonders whether Ben or Johnny accidentally set off a contained fusion reactor. They could have been killed in the explosion. When Reed stretches down into the hole, he sees Johnny lying semi-conscious on the floor with Ben beside him. Then Reed sees Mahkizmo, who renews his demand for Thundra and starts to pound Reed with his powerful fists. Reed is no match for the nuclear-powered warrior, and he is quickly knocked unconscious and starts to fall toward the street. Just then Medusa and Thundra approach, and when they follow the gaze of the horrified bystanders, they see Reed's elastic form plunging toward them.

Appearing in "The End of the Fantastic Four!"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Fantastic Four #9

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Synopsis for "The End of the Fantastic Four!"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Fantastic Four #9
Fantastic Four Vol 1 9 Title

The Sub-Mariner is monitoring television broadcasts from the surface to learn that the Fantastic Four has officially declared bankruptcy and are liquidating their assets to pay off their creditors. Learning this, Namor is convinced that now is the right time to strike against the group.

At the Baxter Building headquarters of the Fantastic Four, Reed and the others are forced to stand back as creditors begin repossessing Reed's various inventions.[Continuity 1] Unable to stand watching this, the Thing decides to leave to visit his new girlfriend, Alicia. However, when he tries to get a cab he is refused due to the press about the FF's recent financial troubles. In anger, Ben impales the cab on a lamp post and then fires an FF signal flare, bringing Johnny in the Fantasti-Car, who gives Ben a lift to Alicia's house. There, Ben finds his mood soured further when he cannot bring himself to believe Alicia's words of praise and kindness toward him.

When Ben returns to the Baxter Building later it is just moments after a telegram has arrived from SM Studios offering the Fantastic Four to all act in a film based on their lives, offering enough money to the group for them to resume operations. However, despite this salvation, the now penniless super-heroes are forced to hitchhike all the way to Los Angeles to take up the job.

Part 2:

Fantastic Four Vol 1 9 Part 2 Title

When they arrive at SM Studios they are star-struck by all the celebrities upon their arrival.[Continuity 2] When they meet the owner of the studio they are shocked to find that it is none other than the Sub-Mariner who explains to them that he was able to fund the movie studio by selling sunken treasure on the ocean floor. Although he has clashed with them in the past, Namor managed to convince the Fantastic Four that his intentions this time are altruistic in order to help the Fantastic Four earn the money they desperately need.

After acclimatizing them to the Hollywood lifestyle, they then begin shooting the film. Namor takes Reed out to a Mediterranean island where Reed will be filmed apparently fighting the mythical Cyclops,[Continuity 3] convincing Mr. Fantastic that the Cyclops is a mechanical construct.

Part 3:

Fantastic Four Vol 1 9 Part 3 Title

However when Reed stretches to the island he soon learns that the Cyclops is the real creature of myth. While Namor leaves the scene, convinced that Reed will die in the conflict, Mr. Fantastic does just the opposite when he trips the Cyclops making the monster fall into a pit that he cannot get out of. Namor then flies the Human Torch to a part of Africa to battle a tribe of natives whom Namor convinces the Torch that they are really actors. However, after Namor leaves, Johnny realizes that they are the genuine article and that he has been tricked into fighting a tribe of natives who are immune to fire.

Part 4:

Fantastic Four Vol 1 9 Part 4 Title

While they capture Johnny, he manages to flame on and break out of his cell and then superheats a volcano causing an eruption of lava that sends the natives fleeing and then escapes.

Namor then meets with the Thing on a Hollywood beach and informs him that it is him that Ben will have to fight. Although Namor gains the upper hand in the battle, Ben quickly realizes that Namor gets his strength from the ocean and pulls him away from the water.[Continuity 4]

Part 5:

Fantastic Four Vol 1 9 Part 5 Title

The Thing begins turning the battle around when a freak lightning strike hits him causing the Thing to revert to human form. This allows Namor to knock Ben out in a single punch. He then returns to SM Studios where he reveals his entire purpose for bringing the Fantastic Four there was to kill the male members so that he would have Sue all to himself. Sue refuses his advances but is overpowered by Namor's various sea-animal spawned abilities. However, before he can subdue her the male members arrive alive and well (Ben having reverted back into the Thing). They are about to attack Namor when Sue gets in their way and convinces them to stand down. Having been defeated, the Sub-Mariner agrees to honor his deal to complete the film and pay them the money they need and then returns to the ocean. Weeks later the completed Fantastic Four film is released and is a critical success, earning the Fantastic Four enough money to resume their operations.[Continuity 5]

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