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Appearing in "The Mesozoic Mambo!"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

  • Dinosaurs
    • Pterodactyl (Only in flashback)
    • Spinosaurus (Death)
    • Triceratops
    • multiple Deinonychus (Some killed)

Races and Species:

Realities:

Locations:

Items:

Vehicles:

Synopsis for "The Mesozoic Mambo!"

The five members of the Fantastic Four are traveling through the timestream in their Time Sled on their way back home after a mission in time and space. However, after re-entering their own timeline, they encounter a time storm that threatens to tear their time sled to pieces. Spotting a break in the storm, they head for it and find themselves making timefall in a jungle. They all survive the crash landing but then see that Ms. Marvel has been knocked out. Upon closer examination, they notice that Sharon's hair is growing back and she is returning to human form. Suddenly, they are confronted by American soldiers who surround them. When Reed, Johnny and Sue try to disarm the soldiers, they discover that their powers are also gone. They identify themselves, revealing that they've just arrived themselves and have lost their powers, but the commanding officer -- Lieutenant Glazier -- doesn't believe them. While Reed tries to explain himself, he also mentions that he's not sure if they're even on the right world.

Before they can discuss things further, the humans are suddenly attacked by a massive dinosaur, a Spinosaurus, who bites off the top half of one of the soldiers before turning towards the others. Reacting quickly, Reed grabs a gun from a solider and begins firing into the monster's mouth in an attempt to destroy its brain and the lieutenant joins him. When this doesn't work, Ben pulls a miniature rocket launcher from his briefcase and uses it to blow the dinosaur's head off. Puzzled as to how US soldiers and dinosaurs could exist in the same period, Reed asks the lieutenent for any knowledge that he might possess about their present situation. Lt. Glazier reveals that he and his men are part of the 82nd Airborne out of Fort Bragg, and that they had been on a flight from the West Coast to Guam when their plane ran into heavy weather. As the pilots tried to climb above, the plane was attacked by something big (a pterodactyl) that caused the plane to lose power and drop like a stone. The soldiers were forced to parachute out and aimed for the island they could see below. although the flight crew were unable to make it out of the plane before it went down, all of the soldiers landed safely on the island except for one who died of a broken neck when he landed in trees. While trying to recover his body, the soldiers had their first encounter with dinosaurs and have been trying to survive for the past six hours. While this story is being told, Sharon wakes up and is surprised to see that she is a normal woman again.

Still unsure if the heroes are the real Fantastic Four or not, a tentative truce is made and they all agree to work together, although Glazier warns his men to keep an eye on Ben Grimm and his weapon for the time being. They all hike to the summit of a nearby volcano to get a better look of the land, confirming they are trapped on an island with no other land in sight. Spotting a herd of Sauropods being attacked by a pack of Deinonychus, they decide to pull back so their scents won't be picked up. Back in the jungle, they make their way back towards the wreckage of the time sled but a massive dinosaur is in their way. Instead, Glazier suggests that they pull back and set up some lean-tos on higher ground where they can be safe for the night.

They finish setting up camp around dusk. As Ben and Reed assess the situation, Grimm decides to spend some time alone with Sharon. Before he goes, he leaves his gun in Reed's care, pointing out that the soldiers are pretty twitchy right now. Given some privacy, Sharon admits that she is enjoying being a real woman again after so long of being afraid of her femininity and since she was transformed into a She-Thing. However, she tells him that she is afraid to lose her new-found humanity and him in the process. Ben reassures her that he will love her no matter how she appears and the pair share a kiss.

The following morning, the camp is disturbed by the arrival of a triceratops that charges into camp. Acting quickly, Reed uses his uniform like a bullfighter's cape to lure the giant dinosaur out of their camp but he warns the soldiers to stay alert because something must have stampeded it. Sure enough, the humans are then attacked by the pack of Deinonychus from the previous afternoon who had followed their scent. After another solider is killed, Sue recovers Ben's rocket pistol and begins using it. Sharon takes up the fallen soldier's rifle and joins the soldiers in firing on the creatures while Johnny tries to use a burning log from the fire to force them back. When Ben's gun soon runs out of ammunition, the battle seems to be lost until Ben suddenly comes crashing in wearing his Thing exoskeleton and easily sends the creatures packing. Even though Ben shows them that his Thing form is really a suit of armor, Glazer and his men are finally convinced that they are really the Fantastic Four.

After Reed borrows a spare uniform from the soldiers, they begin to make their way back to the wreckage of the time sled and the camp where Glazier had left the rest of his men. However, hours later, when they push their way through some tall vegetation, they are all surprised to see that the part of the island where they had left the time sled and the other soldiers has completely disappeared. Reed realizes that the island is a slice of time out of joint and that, as time tries to straighten itself out, the island is being pulled back into the past where it belongs. If they don't find a way off, they too will fade away another time period.

Notes

Continuity Notes[]

  • Unknown to all, the Fantastic Four and the soldiers were trapped on the island due to a mistake made by a department of the Time Variance Authority, as revealed next issue.
  • The reason why the FF lost their powers while on Dinosaur Island has never been properly explained. A statement made by Mobius M. Mobius in Fantastic Four #354 about knowing that the TVA "should have left the Fantastic Four's powers turned off on that Mesozoic island" is confusing because they were powerless throughout their entire time on the island.
  • This is the first time Sharon has been reverted to human form since she was first mutated by Cosmic Rays in Fantastic Four #310.
  • Sharon's insecurities about being human again are based on the following:
  • Some facts about Ben Grimm in this issue:
    • Ben lost his powers some time prior to their arrival on this island in Fantastic Four #326, they remain lost until he purposely transforms himself again in Fantastic Four #350.
    • Later on in this story he wears an exoskeleton based on his Thing form. This is based off the original that was constructed for Ben back in Fantastic Four #168 that he wore until it was destroyed in Fantastic Four #175 when Galactus forced Ben to resume his Thing form.
    • Ben recently started wearing the exo-skeleton in battle on occasion beginning in Fantastic Four Annual #22.

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