—Invisible WomanLucky for us our children knew how to push our buttons. They were 'playing' us, dear.
Appearing in "Hothouse"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Flower from pocket dimension
Other Characters:
- Life Model Decoy of Mr. Fantastic
Mentions:
- Celestials (Mentioned)
- Annihilus (Mentioned)
- Kree (Mentioned)
Locations:
Items:
- Obedience Collars
- Omni-Wave Cannon
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "Hothouse"
The Thing and Mister Fantastic are exploring a pocket dimension but have run into trouble when one of the carnivorous plants tries to eat Ben. Reed frees Ben and they manage to escape without further trouble.
At the Baxter Building, Reed has contained a plant sample that he believes that can be transplanted on Earth so it can produce five hundred times the amount of wood pulp. Valeria points out that plants from other dimensions don't tend to fare well on their world. While Reed agrees they have to find out if this sample can or not. While Reed and Sue wonder what to get Valeria for her birthday, Ben has brought his own plant which he and Franklin are going to give her on the big day. While down in the parking garage, Johnny is heading off on a hot date when suddenly a level 5 lockdown is initiated, trapping him in the Baxter Building. The group meets in the briefing room where Reed tells them that they have to remain quarantined. He explains that his recent exploration has brought back something from that pocket dimension is the reason. He recounts how Ben was attacked and the fluid in the plant infected him and it has spread to Ben. Reed assures them that they will be fine in 48 hours due to their altered chemistry, but they can't risk exposing the outside world.
However, after the first day, the Fantastic Four are already at each others throats. By noon, Johnny is upset that Reed has shut down all forms of communication with the outside to do some work. Later, the Thing brings something up out of storage for Sue. She later returns the favor by sandblasting his stony body as this helps with his hygiene better. Johnny later plays a rock-n-roll simulator with the kids. However, when they rank higher than him, Johnny loses his temper and uses his flame to blow up the television. Later that day on the roof, the Thing's reading is interrupted by Reed who has discovered that Ben brought a plant from the other dimension, although the plant scans harmless, Reed still destroys it -- seemingly out of spite.
By that evening the Fantastic Four are becoming increasingly emotional, worrying the children. Particularly in the case of the Invisible Woman, who has been subjugating LMDs of Reed. Valeria thinks something is wrong and noticed that they keep on going down to a utility closet that has been locked. The pair use a spy camera to find out what's in the storage closet. They are shocked to discover that the plant that their father had seemingly vaporized is in that room. Reviewing the security tapes they discover that Reed has pretended to vaporize the flower. Valeria theorizes that the flower is somehow affecting the adults, or at least those with fully developed brains. Moments later, Valeria sends out a message on the intercom telling the members of the Fantastic Four that she is taking over control of the team.
The Fantastic Four come rushing into the lab where they find that Valeria has Franklin restrained. Valeria explains that she is going to prove that she is fit to lead by eliminating Franklin because his dormant powers are a threat to them all. The threat on Franklin's life causes the Fantastic Four to snap out of the plant's control. While Reed and Sue disable Valeria's Omni-Wave Cannon, Johnny and Ben break into the storage closet and destroy the flower. With the flower destroyed the Fantastic Four snap out of its control. In the aftermath of the battle, Reed examines the remains of the flower and learns that it subsisted on their minds, but points out that their strong connection as a family was able to fight against it. Shortly thereafter the Fantastic Four and the children head off to New Jersey for some sushi.
Appearing in "The Eyes Have It!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Franklin Richards
- Alicia Masters
- Frankie Raye
- Juliette D'Angelo (First appearance)
- Doctor Doom
Antagonists:
- Spinnerette (Solon-Stabilizer) (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Mr. Raymond
Races and Species:
- Solons (First appearance)
Realities:
Locations:
- New York City
- Manhattan
- Baxter Building
- Central Park
- Narducy's Jewels
- Peterson's Pawn Shop
- Manhattan
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "The Eyes Have It!"
Meanwhile, Johnny arrives at the apartment where his girlfriend leaves. Knocking on the door he is surprised when it is answered by Frankie's roommate, actress Juliette D'Angelo -- who insists that he call her Julie Angel. Frankie calls Johnny into her room and she tells him that something horrible has happened and she has been trying to get a hold of him for days. Calming her down, Johnny tells her to explain what is going on. Frankie has Johnny sit down, and she removes her bathrobe -- exposing herself to him -- and what Johnny sees comes as a sudden shock.
Later that day, Reed and Sue are out horseback riding with Franklin in Central Park when suddenly their afternoon together is interrupted by the sound of an alarm. Going to its source, Reed finds that a nearby jewelry store is being robbed by what appears to be some homeless men. As Reed tries to subdue them a seven foot blue skinned woman emerges from the robbed store and suddenly strikes Reed with a powerful vertigo that sends him into unconsciousness. Witnessing this from an alley, Sue tells Franklin to wait for her and tries to approach the alien woman and hobos invisibly. However the strange alien -- called Spinnerette by the vagabonds -- is able to see her and use its powers against her as well. Seeing both of his parents hurt angers Franklin lashes out with is mutant powers, felling Spinnerette with his powerful abilities. The homeless man then grabs the strange woman and flee the scene. Franklin rushes to his parents who are just recovering from the attack, just as the authorities arrive. With the police, Reed and Sue investigate the scene of the crime and learn that after stealing pieces of silver, the alien woman left some strange ball bearings while the homeless men looting the place.
The investigation is interrupted when another burglar alarm begins to blare down the street. Reed and Sue rush to the scene where they spot Spinneret and the homeless men fleeing from a pawn shop. Once again the crooks manage to elude the two heroes, but Reed manages to nab one of the homeless men as he flees. Questioning the pawn shop owner, Reed learns that the alien took some calculators that operate on solar cells and left behind more ball bearings. Getting an idea what might be going on, they question the homeless man they took prisoner. He learns how he and his fellow drifters came across the strange alien woman on the outskirts of the city one night. After seeing her power and noticing her interest in a watch worn by a derelict named Archie, they managed to convince her to help them commit robberies even though there was a significant language barrier between them.
Realizing what is going on, Reed and Sue return to the Baxter Building where he recovers their universal translator. Telling he that they have to stop a diplomatic blinder, they go out and catch Spinnerette and the homeless men involved in yet another robbery -- this one surrounded by the police. Reed tells the officers to stand down while he tries to communicate with the alien using his universal translator, but finds that it is only translating gibberish. Realizing what is wrong, Reed tells Sue to place a force field around Spinneret. Complying, Reed explains that the oxygen content in Earth's atmosphere is too rich, and the alien they know as Spinnerette was intoxicated by it the whole time. With her mind finally clear, "Spinnerette" explains that she is an explorer named Solon Stabilizer and her people were on a mission when they crash landed on Earth.
With the truth revealed, Reed and Sue assist the Solon in collecting the things she needs to make repairs on their ship. There they meet the rest of the Solons who are genetic clones of each other. Reed explains to Sue that they each have powers tailor-made to deal with the rigors of space travel, Solon Stabilizer was tasked with protecting her crew from vertigo caused by space travel. With the ship repaired, the Solons bid the couple farewell and blast off into space.Solicit Synopsis
- When Reed and Ben return from an excursion in a pocket dimension, they bring a nasty toxin back with them that requires The Fantastic Four to place themselves under quarantine in the Baxter Building for two days. No big deal, right?
- Wrong! What starts out as a series of petty squabbles along the lines of a typical episode of The Real World quickly escalates to Def-Con 5 level life-and-death grudge matches that put Reed and Sue, Ben and Johnny at each other's throats.
- With all the adults going insane, it's up to young Valeria and Franklin to save the day - and their family - before no one under the Baxter roof is left alive!
Notes
Continuity Notes[]
- This story happens between the Fantastic Four's battle with the Marquis of Death and the Thing's wedding that occurred in Fantastic Four (Vol. 3) #569.
- Valeria states some facts about Franklin's powers:
- That his powers are on the level of the Celestials. This was first revealed in Heroes Reborn: The Return #1–4.
- She also explained after the Fantastic Four defeated Annihilus once had to shut down Franklin's mind in order to prevent Franklin's powers from going out of control. This happened in Fantastic Four #141, Franklin's mind was restored to normal in Fantastic Four #150.