Fantastic Four Vol 1 324

Part of the Inferno event
Fantastic Four #324
Previous Issue	Fantastic Four #323
Next Issue	Fantastic Four #325
Art by: Ron Frenz and Joe Sinnott
Release Date	November 22, 1988
Cover Date	March, 1989
Issue Details
Editor-in-Chief	Tom DeFalco

1. "I Die Like the Stars!"
Appearances · Synopsis
Writer(s)	Steve Englehart
Penciler(s)	Keith Pollard
Inker(s)	Romeo Tanghal
Colorist(s)	George Roussos
Letterer(s)	Joe Rosen
Editor(s)	Ralph Macchio

 But despite your low regard for my intelligence, I'm not forgetting that you're going to get this flame back under control after we save Mantis! 

—Human Torch (Jonathan Storm)

Appearing in "I Die Like the Stars!"

Featured Characters:

• Fantastic Four
  • ⏴ Thing ⏵
  • ⏴ Human Torch ⏵
  • ⏴ Ms. Marvel ⏵

Supporting Characters:

• ⏴ Mantis ⏵

Antagonists:

• ⏴ Kang ⏵
• ⏴ Necrodamus
• ⏴ N'astirh ⏵

Other Characters:

• Council of Cross-Time Kangs (Mentioned)
• Dreaming Celestial (Mentioned)
• Dragon Man (Only in flashback)
• Aron (Only in flashback)
• Namor (Only in flashback)
• Scarlet Witch (Only in flashback)
• ⏴ Silver Surfer ⏵ (Cameo)

Locations:

• New York City
  • Manhattan
    • Empire State Building
• California
  • Mount Diablo
• Mercury

Races and Species:

• Humans
• Zenn-Lavians (Cameo)

Items:

• Power Cosmic (Cameo)

Vehicles:

• Fantasti-Car MK II
• Silver Surfer's Surfboard (Cameo)

Synopsis for "I Die Like the Stars!"

The Human Torch struggles with control over his powers as he can not flame off. Ms. Marvel and Thing unsuccessfully try to put it by burying him and blowing it out. Kang accuses the Fantastic Four of kidnapping Mantis from him, but Thing says he does not know what he is talking about. Before leaving, Kang leaves behind a bomb, which the Torch promptly throws into space.

Both the Fantastic Four and Kang find that Necrodamus had captured Mantis from Kang's ship. Necrodamus plans to sacrifice Mantis at the precise moment when the planets align so that he can use her life force to get rewarded by the gods of evil. The Fantastic Four try attacking Necrodamus' invisible shield, but not even Kang's weapons can make a crack. Necrodamus makes a deal with N'astirh that he will use the power to aid the demon in his wars against humanity.

Kang and Johnny travel into space to pull Mercury out of alignment to foil the plan. They successfully do so when Johnny buries Kang's device deep within the planet. Necrodamus' plan is ruined and the villain fades into Limbo. Kang turns on Johnny and leaves him in space near Mercury. Nearby, the Silver Surfer decides to investigate Mercury's strange behavior.

Notes

Continuity Notes

• This story takes place during the Inferno event when New York City was being invaded by demons from Limbo led by N'astirh. The primary battle against N'astirh was taking place in the pages of Uncanny X-Men #239–Uncanny X-Men #243 and X-Factor #36–39. The issue does not have the Inferno logo on its cover indicating its part in the crossover, however.

• Kang states that Johnny will recover from his uncontrollable flame, this proves to be correct as seen in Fantastic Four #326.

• Mention is made that Reed Richards used to lead the Fantastic Four. He left the group in Fantastic Four #307 with his wife Sue to spend more time with their son Franklin. They will return to the team in Fantastic Four #326.

• Sharon makes mention that she could possibly change back to her human form by will. This assumption is based on a theory Reed made about Ben's mutation into a Thing back in Fantastic Four #245.

• Kang's talks about there being a temporal duplicate of himself also active here. His appearance here is marred in some temporal confusion that is not fully explained here. The details:
  • As revealed in Avengers #267–269 every time Kang traveled through time he created a divergent version of himself. During these issues the "Prime" Kang began culling his counterparts until only he existed. He was later driven mad by his future self Immortus and sent out into temporal Limbo.
  • As revealed in Avengers: Forever #9 Kang killed himself which triggered a device that transferred his mind into a new body in his native 40th Century and left a divergent self behind in the past.
  • During the time of this story, there are two version of Kangs active in the modern era. The Kang featured in this story was later identified as the "Prime" Kang in Avengers Annual #21 (The one who was revived in the future as stated in Avengers: Forever #9). The other is a spectral shade seen in Avengers #300, this is one of the last remaining temporal Kangs that was a member of the Council of Cross-Time Kangs seen in Avengers #291–297 who was later seemingly lost in the Time Bubble.

• Necrodamus goes through some of his past history in this story:
  • He mentions how he attempted to gain god-like powers in a failed attempt to sacrifice the life of the Sub-Mariner in Defenders #1.
  • Also how he was bested by the Scarlet Witch in Avengers #128
  • Lastly about how he broke free of his spectral existence last issue.

• Necrodamus mentions how Mantis is a fusion of human and plant life. This happened after her union with the Cotati in Giant-Size Avengers #4.

• Johnny mentions how Sharon "recovered" from turning into a Thing. Sharon was transformed into a She-Thing in Fantastic Four #310. She was suicidal upon this discovery the following issue but later came to accept her transformation in issue Vol 1 312.

• The demon N'astirh makes his appearance here between Excalibur #6 where he battles Excalibur and New Mutants #73 where he fails to stop the New Mutants from freeing their teammate Magik from her demonic Darkchilde persona.

• The Silver Surfer sensing that a world had moved within the Earth's solar system is also depicted at the end of Silver Surfer (Vol. 3) #22.

Publication Notes

• The script credit on this issue is to "S.F.X. Englehart" due to Steve's unhappiness with the editorial direction regarding the Mantis storyline.

See Also

• 2 image(s) from Fantastic Four Vol 1 324
• 2 reprint(s) of Fantastic Four Vol 1 324

Recommended Reading

• Necrodamus' backstory:
  • Defenders #1
  • Avengers #128