Fantastic Four Adventures Vol 1 9

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:

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:

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:

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:

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]}

Appearing in "Under Her Skin"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Fantastic Four (Vol. 3) #67

Featured Characters:

Doctor Doom (Victor von Doom)

Supporting Characters:

Valeria (Death)

Antagonists:

Haazareth Three (Behind the scenes)

Other Characters:

Madame Katrina (First appearance), psychic
Queen Marie (First appearance)
Colin & his mom (First appearance)
Fantastic Four (Only in flashback)
- Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards) (Only in flashback)
- Invisible Woman (Susan Richards) (Only in flashback)
- Human Torch (Johnny Storm) (Only in flashback)
- Thing (Ben Grimm) (Only in flashback)
Werner von Doom (Only in flashback)

Races and Species:

Locations:

United States of America
- Georgia
  - Cassamonte (Only in flashback)
    - Hotel Tranquility (Only in flashback) (First appearance)
- New York State (Only in flashback)
  - - Hegeman (Only in flashback)
      - State University (Only in flashback)
Hungary (Only in flashback)
- Miskolc (Only in flashback)

Items:

Doctor Doom's Armor (Only in flashback)
Doctor Doom's Mystical Armor (First appearance)

Synopsis for "Under Her Skin"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Fantastic Four (Vol. 3) #67

Doctor Doom has come to the United States to search for his long lost childhood sweetheart, Valeria. To help him on this quest he has paid a visit to a palm reader who tells him that she cannot help him in this quest. She reads his fortune and tells him that he has lived a life of an altered destiny and that his soul aches with remorse. This strikes Victor as true. He tells her that a life of technological achievements have left him wanting. He tells her that he intents to change this and Valeria is the key, should she return his love.

As he exits the fortune tellers business into the streets of Georgia, Von Doom scoffs at the offerings of the United States, not liking being in this uncivilized nation for very long. He recalls that a lot of the times he comes to this country is when he battles his foes the Fantastic Four. However his search for Valeria has brought him here. His travels takes him to a fortune teller named Queen Marie LaVoie to have tea leaves read. When he looks at the arrangements of the tea reminds Victor of autumn. This brings back recollections to his childhood when he and Valeria would spend time together as his people traveled through Hungary, avoiding persecution. He remembers happier times when he gifted Valeria with a wooden music box that he handcrafted. He recalls how things started going dark shortly after his mother died and he discovered her trunk full of magical artifacts. This started Von Doom's infatuation with the dark arts. As he practices these forbidden craft he also learned all he could about science as well. As his obsessive drive propelled him further he became more and more distant to Valeria. Using his mastery of both arts he helped protect his people and fight back against those who persecuted his people. He then recalls how these activities attracted the attention of the United States military who offered Victor a chance to expand his knowledge by pursing his education. When the fortune teller presses Victor to tell more, he stops his recounting, calling her a charlatan and leaving her presence.

Retiring to his hotel Victor walks past a woman with a stroller. When the child suddenly begins to cry, Victor apologizes as the mask he wears to cover his disfigured face frightens children easily. The woman tells him that it's not his face that is making her son cry, pointing out that the boy is blind. Victor returns to his room where he tosses all the electronic devices outside and spends his evening giving himself a Tarot card reading. When he draw the Star card, Victor removes his mask and retires for the night.

The following day Victor visits another phony fortune teller, this one using a crystal ball. Still he continues his narrative, explaining how he left Valeria behind in order to pursue his education in the United States. There he met and formed a rivalry with Reed Richards while attending State University. He recounts how he ignored Reed's warnings that the calculations were off on a device that would allow him to contact the spirit of his mother in the netherworld. Because he did not heed this warning, the device literally blew up in his face. As Victor explains how Valeria knows the man he became after the fact, when suddenly he catches the glimpse of a house in the crystal ball. The fortune teller smirks, telling Victor that not all fortune tellers are frauds. She tells him that Valeria is in the house he sees within the crystal ball and is waiting for him.

Valeria has become obsessed with fortunes herself, destroying the various telling instruments when tell her the fortune she has been dreading. When Victor finally arrive she tells him he was never supposed to find her. Victor explains that he only wishes to bring something very fond to him and give it to her. It is a locket with photos of them as children. This touches her, but when he professes his love to her and asks her to come back with him, she explains that the child she fell in love with is no more. Victor then does something that she does not expect: he takes off his mask and allows her to see his face. He further explains that he comes to her out of his armor as it represents the technology he has come to reject. He tells her that if she returns his love it will make him a changed man. When he opens the music box that he made for her so many years ago, Valeria begins to reconsider. As Victor puts the locket around her neck, she agrees to go with him, at least provisionally in order to give him a chance. When she takes his hand the locket suddenly snaps shut and begins to glow green with mystical energy. When Valeria tries to rip it off, the magic begins to burn mystical sigils on her flesh. As the symbols creep up her skin and Valeria screams in pain, Victor explains how as a child he made a choice and picked science over sorcery and now he is making the choice again. How he is now embracing his mystical heritage and made a pact with netherdemons for unimaginable power, all he had to do was make the ultimate sacrifice -- his childhood love.

Victor bids farewell to Valeria as her flesh suddenly is stripped from her bones. As it turns into a mystical costume fashioned after Doom's traditional armor, he tells her that he will always hold her close to his heart.

Appearing in "Unthinkable: Part One"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Fantastic Four (Vol. 3) #68

Featured Characters:

Fantastic Four

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Doctor Doom

Other Characters:

Inhuman Royal Family
- Medusa
- Crystal
- Lockjaw

Races:

Locations:

Items:

Doctor Doom's Mystical Armor

Vehicles:

Synopsis for "Unthinkable: Part One"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Fantastic Four (Vol. 3) #68

Johnny is taking advantage of his position as Fantastic Four, Inc.'s Chief Financial Officer to have some fun at the expense of Ben. Throughout the week whenever Ben comes to get an advance on his allowance from the company, Johnny has one excuse or another to deny him money. After a week of getting the run around, the Thing decides to play a prank on Johnny by filling up a massive water balloon and dropping it on the Torch while he is out suntanning.

Meanwhile, Reed and Sue are exploring another dimension where alien creatures that speak in trinary are fighting with each other. Reed warns his wife that her invisibility powers will be less reliable in this dimension. However when Reed decodes their language and tries to introduce himself to the aliens, the mere mention of the Fantastic Four's name evokes enough fear that their attackers flee. Having collected the photonuclear crystals he was looking for, the paid prepare to head back to their portal. Along the way Sue points out that Reed still hasn't been able to figure out what happened in Val's room the other night. When she suggests that it must have been magic, Reed tells her he doesn't believe in magic. When Sue points out that Reed has seen feats of magic before, he tells her all he saw was a form of science that he hasn't bothered to explore yet. They drop the conversation as they approach the portal and find the aliens they encountered earlier have regrouped and are now blocking their portal. These attackers prove of little challenge against the two members of the Fantastic Four.

At that moment on the Moon, Franklin and Valeria are being babysat by the Inhumans. Franklin is trying to get his younger sister to speak for the first time by trying to teach her how to say "mama" or "dada". Crystal and Medusa try to explain to Franklin that Valeria is much too young to be speaking just yet. Soon the portal back to Earth opens with Sue standing in the doorway, having come to collect the children. While Sue takes Valeria off to be fed, Reed asks Franklin if he wishes to help in the lab. There they find a soaking wet Johnny searching for a weapon to get back at Ben for dropping the water balloon on him. Reed believes Johnny's claims that he did nothing to provoke Ben this time and agrees to help them on a prank to play on him. He then sends Johnny and Franklin off to get the supplies he needs to carry it out. While in the kitchen, Ben borrows money from Sue to tide him over. He then begins trying to get Valeria to say his name. When Sue remarks how everyone is trying to get Valeria to talk, Ben points out that she is Reed's daughter and has the potential to be as smart as he is. Sue suddenly breaks down and admits that she fears that Valeria might not be normal after Doctor Doom helped deliver her. Watching Valeria playing with her blocks on the floor, Ben tries to encourage Sue to see that Valeria is as normal as can be.

What they don't see is the sudden image of Doctor Doom appearing on the face of one of the blocks. Doom reintroduces himself to the girl he calls his goddaughter, explaining how is mastery over sorcery helped her be born without the complications of her parents physiology killing her in the process. He explains how he named Valeria after someone close to him, touching the armor made from the flesh of the very woman Valeria was named after. Doom goes on to explain that helping birth Valeria gave him a window of opportunity to finally strike the ultimate revenge against his hated enemies the Fantastic Four and mystically bonded himself to the infant making her his familiar. Doom explains that he will use her as a conduit for his sorcerer to get revenge against her father, blaming Reed for the damage done to his face. Doom removes his mask to show Valeria the scarred visage behind it. Doom then tells her that it is time to begin.

At that moment in Reed's lab, Mister Fantastic has completed the device for Johnny's prank. When Johnny goes to test it out a strange green energy beam emits from it, an effect that was not designed by Reed. When the beam tries to strike at Franklin both Johnny and Reed pull the boy away. With the strange energy following after them, Reed decides to send Franklin back to the moon where he can be safe. He activates the transporter with Crystal standing in waiting on the other side. Back in the kitchen, Sue picks up Valeria and believes that the baby is trying to talk. Encouraging Valeria to say "dada", the infant instead says the word "Doom". In the lab, the transporter begins to malfunction. Reed sends Franklin through anyway, but is horrified to notice that instead of transporting Franklin to the moon, the child is now in Hell being dragged away by demons. In utter horror the boy begins screaming for his fathers for help.

Links and References

References

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[Continuity 1]

[Continuity 2]

[Continuity 3]

[Continuity 4]

[Continuity 5]

Fantastic Four Adventures Vol 1 9

Appearing in "The End of the Fantastic Four!"

Synopsis for "The End of the Fantastic Four!"