FANTASTIC
FOUR # 419
by Mark Bousquet
"Mom, Are We Home Yet?"
PROLOGUE: YESTERDAY
Phillip Masters works clay beneath his fingers, making yet another sculpture
of the Silver Surfer. It's a bit weird, he tells himself for the hundredth
time, the fascination the people of Satori have for the Surfer.
The creak of the wheels of Dr. Ganger's wheelchair alert Phillip to the
presence of the leader of Satori. "Dr. Ganger, how goes it, sir?"
"It goes well for me, Phillip, but I fear your future has gotten darker,"
Ganger says, clutching a folder in his lap. Why? Phillip wonders. "It
involves Alicia. No, nothing has happened to her. Not yet, anyways. I take
it you haven't seen a newsfeed in the last several days?" Phillip shakes
his head, No. "The Heroes have Returned to Earth."
"That's fabulous news!" Phillip exclaims.
"Is it, Phillip? I should think Alicia's love for the one known as
the Thing would still bother you."
"N-no, Dr. Ganger," Phillip whispers unconvincingly, "I made
my peace with that long ago."
"Have you, Phillip? Have you really accepted the monster? Is that the
kind of thing you really want to see Alicia marry?"
"Well, of course not," Phillip snaps, "but that is her choice!
Too much strain-"
"Really, Phillip, how unconvincing you sound," Ganger squeezes.
"Can the Thing really protect her? Can he - it - keep her safe? As
safe, say, as our messiah, the Silver Surfer can? You know he can't. And
did you know, Phillip, that the Surfer has left the planet Earth, again?*
We do not know where he went or when he'll return." **
* You do if you read last issue - Just 30 Days Ago Mark
** Ganger should pick up current issues of Silver Surfer
to see where he went, but we'll give you a hint, it has something to do
with the big G - Herald of Vanlactus Mark
"W-what should I do, Dr. Ganger?" Phillip asks, fearing the answer.
"A test, Phillip, that you will control to make sure Alicia doesn't
get hurt. Will you do it?" He offers the folder to Phillip. "All
the information you need is contained within this folder."
"O-of course." Phillip takes the folder from Ganger, who wheels
out of the room, smiling all the way. 'Still a sheep, Phillip,' Ganger thinks
to himself, 'it's almost a shame you can't think for yourself.'
Phillip opens the folder to find pictures of the Knights of Wundagore and
starts to read Ganger's plan.
TODAY:
"CRYSTAL!!!!"
Pietro Maximoff has been through a lot in his life. He has had his life
take unexpected and unwanted turns, with no regard for the condition it
left him in. After all this time, truth be told, the man whose power causes
him to perceive the world as if it were moving at a snail's pace, is rather
partial to the status-quo. Change, he has found, brings nothing but pain.
Today is an exception.
As he rushes from the tower of the castle he now resides in to the ground
below, he makes a detour to the other side of the building to sweep his
daughter Luna up into his arms before he rushes to where the Fantasti-Car
landed. The whole trip takes under three seconds, but he wanted to take
it slow, so he didn't cause any undo harm to his daughter.
For the Inhuman known as Crystal, the moment might be the happiest of her
life. She didn't know what reaction she would receive from her husband,
with whom she has spent more time estranged from than with. She finds his
reaction is exactly what she wanted. Pietro stops before Crystal and their
eyes meet for only a second.
It is a second that feels like it lasts forever for Pietro, but it has nothing
to do with his power and everything to do with love.
"Crystal," he whispers. "I ..." he chokes on the words.
She smiles her elfish smile and whispers back, "It's okay. Come here.
Please." They embrace, their daughter between them.
The Fantastic Four and Alicia Masters look on, embarrassed to be witness
to the family's private moment. Johnny finds he both can not watch and can
not stop watching Crystal and Pietro. He and Crystal were in love once,
but ... he remembers the first time he saw her - it was nothing less than
love at first sight. (Back in FF # 45 - Didja know Dragon
Man was in that issue, too? Remembering Mark) The fact that
she know loves another bothers him less than the notion that she and Quicksilver
have been through more than he and she ever went through and yet they are
finding a way to overcome those obstacles.
Pietro and Crystal break their embrace and Pietro hands Luna to her mother.
"Welcome to my new home, Fantastic Four. I apologize that you had to
witness that private moment."
Reed assures him not to worry. He and Sue know what it's like to be reunited
after such an instance.
"Whoah, who are they?" Franklin asks.
Pietro turns, "These are my new ... friends. Fantastic Four, meet the
Knights of Wundagore! Well, and Bova, but you knew her already." The
Knights approach and introductions are made. Pietro explains that the Knights
are animals evolved under the guidance of the High Evolutionary, thus their
humanoid forms.
"Dearest Crystal, though I tried to take care of the little one, a
child's best place is with her mother. I hope I have done well in your absence."
"I'm sure you have, Bova. And I'm sure you will continue to."
An evolved dolphin named Sir Delphis approaches Reed. "It is truly
an honor, sir. Even the master, the High Evolutionary himself, knows of
your genius."
"Well, ah, thank you, Delphis, was it?" Reed responds.
"Sir Delphis, sir."
"Perhaps, Sir Pietro, a feast should be in order? In celebration of
our guests?" Sir Ram offers. "You have offered to let them stay,
haven't you? Since their former home is-"
"Yes, yes, Sir Ram," Pietro sighs. "Well, no, I haven't made
the offer yet, but I will. Prepare a feast! Tonight," he proclaims,
"we celebrate!" Cheers are shouted from all around, except for
Ben and Johnny, who have chosen to give in to their misery.
On a monitor in a darkened room, the following images are displayed: Dragon
Man, the Wizard, Cottonmouth, Rhino, Plantman, Frankenstein's Monster, the
Griffin , Doctor Demonicus and Annihilus.
"Yes," the unseen man speaks, "another is added."
Pietro, Crystal, the Knights and the FF are finishing up their feast. Franklin
and Luna have left the table and are busy playing games with two of the
Knights: Lady Ursula (an evolved bear) and Lord Churchill (canine). Bova
watches on, always protective of those in her care.
Behind her, on the ledge of a window, sits a black bird, watching the scene.
Ben and Alicia sit next to one another, but it is yet another episode of
little communication. Flanking Ben on his opposite side is Lord Tyger. Never
one to let a chance for conversation pass, he quickly steps in to fill Ben's
void. He and Alicia begin talking about sculpting and it quickly turns to
the classics. Ben merely sits between them and pouts.
Across the table, Johnny sits bored out of his skull as Sir Delphis excuses
himself. Lady Vermin, an evolving rat that still resides in her rat form,
walks across the table to stand next to Johnny. "You look bored, sir."
"I am." Johnny, as he has throughout the meal, steals a glance
down to the smiling forms of Crystal and Pietro. The fact that Quicksilver,
a man with a disposition that makes Ben Grimm's look like Mickey Mouse on
happy drugs, has found a moment of joy is a thought that irks him to no
end.
"Would you like a tour of the castle, sir?" Lady Vermin asks as
Johnny sighs in boredom. "You're not restricted to the banquet hall."
Johnny smiles, "Why Lady Vermin, you're right."
"A tour then," Lady Vermin starts, but before she can say another
word the Human Torch has flown out of the room and out a window, past a
second black bird that pays him no attention.
Across the way, Reed and Sue thank Pietro for the meal and excuse themselves.
Pietro responds by telling them that for delivering Crystal back to him,
it is he who owes them thanks.
As Reed and Sue leave, Crystal turns to her husband. "It seems so perfect
now, Pietro, that I hesitate to even bring this up, but it won't always
be this way. We will have our fights-"
"And I will inevitably turn grumpy and aloof and not be so open with
my emotions, right? I am aware of our past troubles, Crystal," he says
as he puts his hand on hers, "and I am aware that we have work to do.
All I can do is promise to try to keep this family together. That is our
daughter over there and I am determined that she have a better life than
mine."
Crystal kisses Pietro on the cheek. "That's all I ask. And all I want."
The same room, the same mysterious figure, the same screen, but now with
a different set of faces: Kro, Collector, Stryfe, Unicorn, Wendigo, Pyro,
Scorpion, Beetle, Bullseye, Super-Skrull, Mr. Hyde and Venom.
"Well, I'm sure the Fantastic Four would be surprised to see you meddling
in their affairs, won't they?"
Reed and Sue stand outside the castle, overlooking the Hudson River. They
discuss their recent problems and admit that they seem out of synch on the
field of battle. Reed knows he shouldn't just assume he's the leader of
the team after all his time away, but Sue is just as adamant that it is
his team to lead, it always has been and it always will be. They embrace
and reaffirm their love for one another. They are certain they will find
a way to gel in battle again, as they already have in their personal moments.
Inside the castle, Ben sits slumped in his chair. He sits with his back
to the dancing Lord Tyger and Alicia, though he can't help but watch them
in the reflection of his goblet. In front of him, Franklin and Luna still
play with Lady Ursula and Lord Churchill.
He sits wondering where he should disappear to, even though he knows he's
not leaving while Alicia is still here. He prepares to bury himself further
into his misery when Lord Tyger growls loudly. Ben turns to find him with
bared claws.
"I don't know what your problem is, pal, but you're scaring the lady."
Ben steps out of his chair and takes a step towards Tyger who faces him,
ready to fight. "You and me, then, Tiger Man?"
"Don't forget me," Sir Ram insists, drawing his sword.
"Unca Ben, heeelp!" He turns quickly to see Ursula and Churchill
chasing Franklin and Luna around, with Bova pleading for them to stop.
Ben is caught between saving the kids and saving Alicia. Thinking quickly,
Ben picks up a chair and tosses it at Ursula and Churchill, knocking them
off-stride. "Get her out of here, Franklin! Go find some help!"
Tyger attacks knocking Ben off-balance. Sir Ram charges, head down, and
knocks Ben backwards towards Ursula, who grips him in a bear hug and squeezes.
`Where the heck did Matchstick go to in such a hurry anyway?' Ben grumbles
to himself.
New York City. Johnny flies through the night time air, blowing off steam.
He looks for Spider-Man or Daredevil or anyone to talk to, but he sees no
one.
On the streets below, someone see him, though. His estranged wife, the Skrull
known as Lyja, sees him flying and her heart skips a beat. She had thought
him dead and had gone on with her life on Earth, using her shape shifting
powers to live as a human amongst the humans. She wonders if she should
even bother going to see him.
The Human Torch rounds a corner and sees a beautiful woman on a penthouse
terrace, holding a drink in her hand.
`Silver Sable,' Johnny thinks. `Wonder if I should stop?' Sable motions
to him to fly over, so he does.
"What a fortuitous turn of events this is. Welcome home, Human Torch."
Sable smiles, handing him a drink. Johnny thanks her. "Already back
to stopping crime?"
"Nah, just out flying. Good to be back in the city, though I hear we
don't have a home to return to."
"Ah, yes, New York's newest sensation, the Thunderbolts are now residing
there. They are an interesting group of people." Sable smiles, taking
another sip, but not breaking eye-contact.
"What can you tell me about them?" Johnny asks.
"It's too late for business, Johnny and I've already had a very long
day. And aren't you out flying around to stave off boredom? And isn't business
boring?" Sable takes a step closer to him. "Aren't you really
looking for something a little exciting?"
Reed and Sue - alerted by Franklin and Luna - enter the room to see that
Ben and the Knights have done a decent job of trashing the place. Sue uses
her powers to knock Sir Ram off his feat and save Ben from taking another
hit from Sir Ram's blade.
Reed yells to Bova to ask if she's alright, and Bova, hiding behind a table
says she is. She asks what's happening and Reed informs her that they must
be under some sort of mind control.
"Geez," Ben yells, "ya think? I wonder who could be doing
it? Any ideas, Stretch? Howzabout you Alicia? You know anyone who could
do something like this? Like maybe, oh, I don't know, the Puppet Master?"
"No!" Alicia screams back, tears forming in her eyes. "It
can't be! He's living someplace safe, someplace where he can't get to any
of his special clay."
Delphis and Churchill charge Reed, who expands his body and extends his
arms to wrap them up. Sue is busy keeping Sir Ram pinned against the wall
and is about to do the same to Lord Tyger who has lunged for Alicia. She
doesn't get the chance as Lady Vermin jumps in her face, causing Sue to
lose concentration.
"Sue!" Reed yells and drops both Delphis and Churchill to save
Sue. He flattens his hand and slides it along Sue's body until he is under
Lady Vermin's feet. He flips her off. Sue thanks him. "You know, Sue,
if not for the dire circumstances, I would find this highly ironic turn
of events to be quite amusing." Sue gives him a look as if to say he's
crazy, so Reed continues, "See, the Puppet Master, if it is him, is
controlling the Knights of Wundagore."
"So?" Sue asks as she uses her power to place an invisible barrier
in the path of Sir Ram, who was charging the Thing, causing him to trip
up and fall on his face.
"So the Puppet Masters clay is originally from Wundagore Mountain.
It is possible that they clay's power comes from the region of the mountain
and not from radiation."
"That's really fascinating, Reed, but maybe we should help Ben out.
Now put me down." Reed does, and unnoticed to all, Bova slips out a
side door of the banquet hall.
Mole Man enters a darkened room, "Are you done yet? You only need four
people afterall. It shouldn't take two days to find them."
On the screen in front of the mysterious figure resides even more pictures.
This time the assembled faces inculde: Madcap, Psycho-Man, Orka, Sabretooth,
Ulik, Fenris, Carnage, Fasaud, the Shaper of Worlds, Maelstrom, Killer Shrike
and Exodus.
"Yes, my inferior ally, I am done. This should be quite the bit of
mayhem I want. It's time to put the Fantastic Four to a real test."
Bova heads to Pietro's room and knocks on the door. "Go away!"
Pietro shouts, agitated.
"Please, sir, it's Bova and the matter is of the utmost importance!"
"Can't it wait, Bova?" Crystal asks from behind the wooden door.
"I'm afraid it can't! It's about Luna!" Quicksilver has opened
the door before Bova has finished saying Luna's name. "Something has
happened to the Knights, sir, they've-"
Quicksilver is already downstaris, where he's confronted with his Knights
engaged in battle with the Fantastic Four. "What is the meaning of
this?!?" he screams, then turns cold. To his left, Lord Tyger holds
Alicia against her will, his claws out and held close to Alicia's throat.
The two black birds swoop in to get a better view. Reed takes note of them.
Ben starts to rush Tyger, but when his claws press ever so gently into Alicia's
neck he stops short.
Quicksilver feels betrayed, but Reed explains that there is some kind of
mind control going on here. Pietro threatens that he could rush in and remove
Alicia before Tyger knew what hit him, but the Knights have surrounded him
in a circle. Pietro would have to go through them to get to Tyger and one
second is all he would need to end Alicia's life.
Quicksilver storms out of the hall, back up the steps to his room.
Reed tells Alicia to plead her case to Phillip, on the chance that he's
behind this. She asks why and Reed, looking at the black birds, says he's
sure Phillip can hear and see them. Alicia, trusting Reed's opinion, asks
for Phillip to stop.
Far away, in Satori, Phillip decides to do just that. It has gone on far
enough, and he's ashamed to have been party to this. He moves to break the
figurines of the Knights of Wundagore, but Ganger says no, so Phillip Masters,
his will historically weak, does not.
Upstairs, Bova explains to Pietro exactly what is going on and how he can
save the Knights. "You see, the wood from Wundagore Mountain possess
the same abilities as the Puppet Masters clay. We just need to make a wooden
doll of the Puppet Master, Master Pietro."
Pietro scowls, "Where will we get wood from Wundagore Mountain, Bova?
Shall I run back and get some?"
"The Master believed he should always be prepared for anything and
he dearly loved the Mountain. Your wooden door should do the trick."
Pietro grabs his ceremonial sword and hacks a chuck of wood from his door.
Using his mutant powers of superspeed, he quickly sculpts a doll of the
Puppet Master. In a flash he is back downstairs.
He arrives in the room and the Knights take a step closer to Tyger and Alicia.
He asks Reed if they can communicate with the Puppet Master. Reed says yes,
the black birds are spies of some sort. Pietro walks up to the birds and
puts the wooden doll of the Puppet Master in front of their eyes. "This
is a wooden figurine of you, Puppet Master. Wood from Wundagore Mountain.
Wood with the same properties as your clay."
One of the birds opens it's beak, "He is not using his old clay."
Alicia explains that that is the voice of Dr. Ganger, the man in charge
of Satori.
Pietro continues, "It matters not. You have five seconds to release
the Knights from your spell. If not, I will use the doll to take control
of the Puppet Master."
>From the bird, "Go ahead. You have a figurine, not a doll. You cannot
make Phillip do anything but stand still."
Pietro is undaunted, his face set firm, "You have harmed my friends
and my guests. Worse, you have put my daughter in danger. Refuse to release
the Knights and I will break Phillip's arm."
"You don't-"
Quicksilver stares at the bird, "So be it." He grabs an arm of
the figurine and begins to bend it backwards. Far away, in Satori, Phillip
begins to scream as his arm is bent backwards against his will.
"Fine!" Ganger yells, "You may have your Knights back, just
stop what you're doing. Phillip is too important to us and our quest. We
have learned what we wanted to." Dr. Ganger breaks the sculpted figures
of the Knights, restoring free will to them immediately. All are ashamed
at what they've been forced to do.
Alicia runs to the birds, "How could you, Phillip?!? How could-"
"He did it for you, girl," Ganger replies. "He did it to
prove to you that the only person who can keep you safe is the cosmic messiah
known as the Silver Surfer."
Across the room, Ben cringes at the words. "Shouldn't we be getting
home and kicking the Thunderbolts out of our place?"
END 
NEXT ISSUE:
FANTASTIC FOUR # 420 - It's the
story all of fandom has been clamoring for as the FF come face to face with
the THUNDERBOLTS! The teams join forces to take on the new Frightful Four!
The Frightful Four? Why do you need *both* teams to take on the Frightful
Four, you ask? Well, you haven't seen who's in the new Frightful Four is
yet, have you? And when the issue is over, who'll be living in Four Freedoms?