FANTASTIC FOUR # 425

by Mark Bousquet

FRANKLIN MUST DIE

BOOK III: THE BEGINNING

CHAPTER ONE: ASSAULT ON BALUUR

SANCTUARY III, THE SHIP OF THANOS

"What are you going to do with my Mommy and Daddy?!?"

The voice is loud and commanding, even though what it sounds like is exactly what it is: that of a five year old child.

"I'm going to kill them, of course. And I'm going to make you watch."

Thanos the Titan stands in the command room of his ship, the Sanctuary III and watches the assault on Baluur. Trapped in a cylindrical tube that is dulling his latent mutant powers, stands Franklin Richards. At Franklin's side, outside the containment tube is Firelord, a former herald of Galactus.

His place here is uncertain. Though he has acted as an ally to Thanos, bringing him both the containment tube that dulls Franklin's power and the device needed to realign Stygorr's dissipated energy, Thanos does not trust him. He allows Firelord's presence because to remove him by force would be a distraction. Though Thanos is certain a battle with Firelord would result in victory, it would not be an easy one. Firelord wields a portion of the Power Cosmic, granted to him by Galactus, and would be a formidable opponent. He is not to be underestimated.

And Thanos is weary of continually being the cause of his own demise. He has decided on taking small steps for the time being, and those small steps begin with Franklin Richards.

On one of the many picture globes hanging before them, Franklin can see his parents and Ben and She-Hulk battling with some bad-people who look like Blastaar.

Thanos is very aware of the power the boy possesses. He has heard the stories, but what's more, he heard the cosmos rumble. He heard, he saw, the Celestials themselves move to see Franklin.

"Mommy and Daddy and Unca-"

"Silence!" Thanos commands and Franklin, though he steps back not an inch, though he doesn't for one second drop his gaze, does what he is told.

Thanos does not care if anyone watching would consider him a bully. He is beyond caring what others think. There is only one purpose in his life, to gain the favor of his mistress, Death herself.

And there is only one way, he believes, to do that.

Kill. Everyone. Everything. If it is sentient, if it breathes, it if it eats, it if exists, it must die.

He is happy, the assault goes well and many will die this day.

The thousands of death, however, are not his priority. Franklin Richards, a young god with the power to shake the cosmos, is.

Thanos has heard the stories. A short time ago, on Franklin's home planet of Earth, a menace named Onslaught had the city of New York on it's knees. The heroes of the city sacrificed themselves so that the menace was put down. They apparently died, but Franklin, this young boy, created an entire alternate world from his thoughts and took the heroes away from Death and put them on that world.

Thanos has planned long for this moment.

He has come to this moment, in this place, to discover if Franklin can do it again.

NEGATIVE ZONE - SECTION 56-D - THE PLANET BALUUR

"Mother of God!" Reed exclaims as the Fantastic Four - Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic), Susan Richards (Invisible Woman), Benjamin Grimm (Thing) and Jennifer Walters (She-Hulk) - stand in the Fantasti-Car, eyes wide, mouths agape, stunned.

In front of them rests the planet Baluur, under a full-scale attack.

Though none of them put words to their concern, all four of them wonder if maybe, just maybe, they shouldn't have come.

The forces of Annihilus and Blastaar are laying waste to Baluur. The Baluurians fight back as best they can, but it is clear that without help they will fall.

"My god, Reed, what do we do?" Sue asks.

"Kajiir is in the Royal Palace, that's where I'm going," Reed says, his face grim. "I need to speak to him to see what the situation is, to see what we can do to best stop Annihilus and Blastaar."

"Heck, Stretch," Ben dryly adds, "I can tell everything you need to know. The situation? Not good. What can we do? Same thing we always do, bust heads."

"Reed," She-Hulk asks, "not that I'm saying we shouldn't help, but should we be getting involved in a political situation like this? I mean, aren't we just protecting one monarch from another?"

"No, Jen. The Baluurians still use the Royal Palace, but they are trying to establish a free society. But even if they weren't, we'd do this to protect the innocents from a pair of madmen."

"So," Sue begins, almost not wanting to be the impetus to enter the battle, "we should go do what we came to do. Ben, Jen and myself will go join the battle."

"You should come with me, Sue, it's-" Reed begins, when Sue cuts him off.

"It's what, Reed?" Sue asks, irritated. "It's safer?"

Reed winces at the words. "No, Sue, I was going to say that it's highly likely that Blastaar and Annihilus are already on the surface and I can't stop them alone."

"Uh, guys, not to get in the middle of this, uh, discussion, but we've got company coming this way," Jen says. They turn to see a group of Baluurian rebels, clearly hostile, bearing down on them.

"Welcome to Baluur, Fantastic Four," the Baluurian rebel leader taunts. "We've been waiting for you. Prepare to-"

"Die?" Ben asks.

"No, though if it were up to me, that would be our intent," the leader says. "You are needed for a test. You will come with us."

"I don't think so," Sue responds. "What test? Who needs us? Annihilus and Blastaar?"

The rebel forces laugh. "The Clowns of Sub Space? They haven't the brains for tests! They seek only to destroy."

"Then who?" Reed asks, his curiosity piqued. Who else would put something like this together?

"We don't know," the leader shrugs, "and we don't care. Whoever it is has promised us much."

The Baluurian rebels move in close to the Fantasti-Car. "Come with us."

The Thing smiles, "Nah, I'd rather bust your heads in. IT'S CLOBBERIN' TIME!!!"

And with a roundhouse punch from Benjamin Grimm, the battle is joined.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PLANET BALUUR

Annihilus and Blastaar float in space, dozens of dead Baluurian bodies floating around them.

"Do you not feel for the deaths of your fellow species?" Annihilus asks Blastaar in his screeching voice, hoping to hit a sore spot.

"Bah!" Blastaar snorts. "They are the deaths of betrayers! My only pity is that I cannot slay them all myself."

"We need to talk," Annihilus says, his voice, for once, low.

"Yes. Thanos." Blastaar responds, his low voice booming even as a whisper.

"It is beneath him, do you not think, to seek to slay four people?"

"Thanos would get of bed in the middle of the night to slay an elder Druff."

"But all this subterfuge?!?" Annihilus rages, his shrill voice as annoying to Blastaar now as it was the first time they met. "Shouldn't he be seeking to destroy half the universe with one fell swoop again?"

"Enough!" Blastaar bellows. "Enough! He has promised me my planet and you the chance to slay the Fantastic Four! Whatever else he does is not my concern! Whatever reason for his help is beyond me caring! Now, go! Destroy the Fantastic Four, I have a planet to reclaim!"

Blastaar speeds off to find a ship that will take him to the surface.

Annihilus watches and fumes, then follows. If Blastaar wants him to be somewhere else, there must be a reason. Annihilus brings his hand to the Cosmic Control Rod that he wears at his neck, certain that Blastaar is planning, once again, to steal it from him.

SANCTUARY III

"They are fools, Thanos."

"Yes, Firelord, they are," Thanos says grimly, watching Annihilus chase after Blastaar on a picture globe. "But they will serve their purpose. You will see to that."

"Will I?" Firelord asks. "You must think of me as a bigger fool than they if you think I am going to go to the surface of Baluur."

"You know, then, my plans?" Thanos asks.

"Of course. And I am here, sent by Galactus himself, to make sure your plans come to fruition."

"Yes." Thanos muses. "I can see why Galactus might take an interest in this boy."

In his containment tube, Franklin Richards pays almost no attention to the Titan and former herald. His eyes are glued to the picture globe where his parents are battling a group of Baluurian soldiers.

He can't lose them again. Somehow, someway, he will keep Thanos from killing his family.

PIER 4

Johnny Storm lays unconscious on the floor of the room where Thanos snatched away Franklin.

If he were awake, he would hear metal boots walking across the outer hallway, coming his way, and then silencing as they hit the plush carpet of the room where he lays. The boots come to a stop when they reach Johnny's body.

"You will need to be fixed," Nathaniel Richards says. "The protection of the boy is too important."

Nathaniel Richards bends down and picks up the cerebral cortex of the HERBIE robot that he had assigned the task of watching Franklin. Looking for a moment at the small device's burnt edges, Nathaniel slides it into a pocket.

He turns and exits the room, leaving Johnny Storm unconscious on the floor.

THE SURFACE OF THE PLANET BALUUR

Chaos reigns on the surface of Baluur.

The Fantastic Four have been planet side for only minutes, and the scene on the ground is far worse than it was in space.

Baluur lies in ruins. The capital city has practically been razed to the ground. Fights between rebels and loyalists are everywhere. Laser blasts fly overhead, fly from building to building, fly from one unseen location to the other.

Death is everywhere.

"My god, Reed," She-Hulk gasps, "it looks like Bosnia or Sarejeyvo."

"Please, Fantastic Four, hurry this way," the Baluurian named Rol'nack speaks in harried tones. "We must get you to the Royal Palace. There have been ... developments."

"What kind?" Reed asks as the move through alleyways, staying away from the main streets of commerce.

"An hour ago, four large ships descended from the sky and-"

Rol'nack is interrupted as an explosion overhead sends rubble falling down on them. Sue puts up a force-field to protect themselves from further debris.

Sue begins to apologize, "Sorry, I should've-"

"That's a good idea, Sue. Why don't you-?"

"I'm on it, Reed." Sue finishes and extends an invisible force-field to completely surround them.

Above them, floating in the sky, Annihilus seethes. To his left he spies the Fantastic Four making their way, apparently, to the Royal Palace. To his right, he sees Blastaar entering the Royal Palace. He is torn as to whom he should seek to destroy first.

'I shall wait,' Annihilus reasons. 'I shall let them destroy each other. And if I wait long enough, I shall discover what Thanos seeks to gain from all of this.'

CHAPTER TWO: THE TEST OF THANOS

SANCTUARY III

"Tell me, child, what are your thoughts as you prepare to watch your parents die?" Thanos asks, his face coming close to the child's, but separated from him by the containment tube.

"My mommy and daddy will stop you!" Franklin shouts, defiantly.

"Just like they stopped Onslaught?" Thanos asks, smiling. "If a supposed threat like that can bring about the death of your parents, what hope do they have against Thanos?"

"They beat Onslaught! They beat him!" Franklin yells, his eyes showing the tiniest bit of panic. To the side, Firelord watches, but does nothing. Galactus has told him not to, and though Galactus is no longer his master, Firelord does as he is told because when Galactus explained the situation to him, he knew he must do what he can in regards to the child-god named Franklin.

"Yes, they beat him," Thanos smiles, "but they would've died if you hadn't saved them. What hope do they have if you are stuck here, unable to do anything? Anything, that is, but watch them die."

Thanos turns his back on Franklin, whose panic gives way to grim resolve. "You're a bully."

Thanos responds, but doesn't turn around, "No, Franklin. I am not a bully. I am death." Thanos walks to a control panel and pushes four buttons. "The time to kill your parents has come."

BALUUR - THE ROYAL PALACE

The Fantastic Four are ushered into a laboratory, where they find Kajiir and a group of scientists busy pressing controls.

"Kajiir, the Fantastic Four have arrived!" a Baluurian scientist yells.

"Thank heavens!" Kajiir exclaims. He comes over to greet the Fantastic Four. "We haven't much time, Blastaar is in the building. But that's not the worst of it. An hour ago, four large ships descended to the surface. One went to the Northern pole, another to the south. The other two sit on opposite sides of the planet along the equatorial line. They have been powering up since they landed. We believe they are farming ships. They're going to send shockwaves across the planet, destroying everything in it's path. We need to calibrate the controls of this teleporter so we can send the women and children to safety!"

"Right, let me at it," Reed says, already stretching across the lab to the control board.

"And what are we supposed to do?" She-Hulk asks. "I hate just sitting here."

"I'm with you, beautiful," the Thing responds. "Let's go find Blastaar."

Thing and She-Hulk bound out of the room. The sound of battle can be heard in the lab. The building shakes as concussive blasts rip into the planet. Sue stands off to the side. She wonders what Franklin is doing right now, and if he has any idea of the trouble they're in.

In another part of the building, the Thing and She-Hulk run through the corridors, when suddenly Ben is knocked in the back by a blast of energy.

Jen turns around and sees Annihilus standing there, power oozing from the Cosmic Control Rod. "Well, ain't you an ugly one."

"Die, female!" Annihilus screams as a blast rips into She-Hulk knocking her back and to the ground.

"Good one, Shulkie," Ben says, "you really taught him a lesson."

"Stow it, Ben." She-Hulk says grimly. "We get knocked down, we get up," she says as she stands. "I'm gonna go clean this guy's clock."

She-Hulk takes a step forward when a blast from behind sends her sprawling towards Annihilus.

Ben turns around, "Blastaar. Wonderful."

SANCTUARY III

Thanos watches, a smile upon his face. It is time to play out the scenario. He presses a final button and moves to stand back by Franklin's left. To Franklin's right still stands Firelord.

On the picture globes before them, an epic battle is taking place between the Thing, She-Hulk, Blastaar and Annihilus.

Ben grabs Blastaar around the neck and hurls him towards Jen and Annihilus. Jen ducks, just in time for Blastaar to fly over her head and slam into Annihilus.

Firelord stands, aware, but not nervous. He knows what Thanos is about to do, but he'll have plenty of time to save the Fantastic Four from death.

A robotic voice begins a countdown, "10 ... 9 ..."

"Firelord," Thanos says, smiling, "you do not know what I am about to do, so you can start panicking."

"...8 ... 7 ..."

"I don't know what you mean, Thanos," Firelord says, perturbed. "You are going to kill the Fantastic Four by sending shockwaves across the planet. The Caranthan farming ships you've put on the surface are a testament to that. Everything will be razed to the ground, anything alive will be shaken to pieces. You will make Franklin watch this on the picture globes and see if he can save his parents again."

"...4 ... 3 ..."

Thanos smiles. "You are a fool."

"... 2 ... 1 ... 0 ... sequence complete. Preparations complete. Probes have reached planet's core."

"What?!?!" Firelord screams, his Cosmic Flame rippling about him.

Franklin catches the panic in Firelord's voice and watches the picture globes. He sees his parents panicking ... a black gateway ... She-Hulk and Thing, along with Annihilus and Blastaar running back towards the laboratory ... the ceiling crumbling ... everything shaking ... his mother screaming-

And then Thanos shuts off the picture globes and sends a blast towards Franklin's tube shattering it. Franklin feels a power surge go through him as his mutant ability, now free of the containment tube's inhibiting forces, comes alive!

Firelord stands stunned for only a second, then uses his staff to send a burst of Cosmic Flame hurtling at Thanos. The Titan is knocked to the ground, but laughs.

"I will be back for you, Titan!" Firelord screams. "I will rescue your parents!" he says to Franklin, when it becomes apparent he won't.

Through the viewing deck of the control room aboard the Sanctuary III, Thanos the Titan, Firelord the former herald of Galactus and Franklin Richards, the child god who can create life from a thought, all look towards the planet Baluur, sensing what is to happen.

And then it does.

Fires erupt across the surface of the planet.

The Negative Zone begins to shake.

And then ...

KRAKABOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!

The planet of Baluur explodes.

"Mommy!" Franklin yells. "Daddy!"

The only answer received is that of debris, as chunks of the planet blow outwards from the center.

Impressive as it is to watch a planet explode - Thanos can almost hear the dying screams of hundreds of thousands - the Titan watches Franklin. He sees what he had hoped: power, raw, massive power flow out of the young boy and towards where the planet used to lie. He will need to keep Franklin alive for a time, to see if the boy has done again, what he did the time previous.

Firelord raises his staff and points it at Thanos. "You've gone too far."

"Because I've destroyed a planet?" Thanos laughs. "That sounds weak coming from a herald of Galactus. What did you think I wanted to discover? If the boy could save his parents? Don't be a fool. I have planned all this to see if the boy can create life. You see the alternate world he created and think of the heroes he stole from Death's grasp and placed there. I see the millions of other people who populated the planet. Where did they come from? Are they other souls that he snatched from the beyond? Or did the boy create them from nothingness?"

"You're mad."

"Most geniuses are, herald. If Franklin can create life than he is my Opposite. He is my great adversary. For where I seek to destroy life, he can recreate it and keep me from ever killing everything that lives. And if he snatches souls from the beyond, then-"

"Then you will kill him anyways," Firelord says grimly. "So why not kill him now?"

Thanos laughs. A cold, deep laugh. "Don't you see, herald? Don't you see the genius of Thanos? I have spent my life trying to appease Death, my mistress. I have destroyed half of the Everything for her and yet I can not win her favor. If the boy has been snatching souls from Death's domain, then I will bring him to her so that she herself may slay the thief." Thanos pauses, letting the words sink in. "He will be the prize that shall win me my beloved Death's cold heart!"

Firelord says nothing, but sends a blast of the Cosmic Flame towards Thanos. Thanos steps into the flame, laughter still coming from his lips, and walks towards Franklin. Firelord steps between them.

"You will have to kill me, Thanos," Firelord says.

"I don't suppose I will mind," Thanos grins.

"Stop!" A burst of power erupts from Franklin and Thanos and Firelord are knocked backwards. "I hate you! I hate both of you!" Tears well up in the eyes of the child god and spill down his cheeks. Without thinking of the consequences, Franklin blasts them again, sending them hurtling into outer space.

"Franklin!" a kind voice yells as a bubble encases Franklin, puling him out into space.

Franklin turns, hoping to see his parents, but knowing it isn't. "Hi, Mr. Silver Surfer."

"Hello, Franklin," the Surfer speaks. "I'm sorry that-"

"You should help your friend." Franklin says quietly.

The Silver Surfer turns to see Thanos and Firelord engaged in battle. Energy swirls around them. Planet debris continues to spew towards them. They rush towards one another, power streaming out of their bodies. They collide and another explosion erupts.

When the blinding light subsides, Thanos and Firelord have vanished.

"Are they dead?" Franklin asks.

"No, Franklin," the Surfer answers. "I sensed that the power caused a rip in the universe. Where they went, I do not know, but they are not dead." The Silver Surfer pauses. "Franklin, your parents-"

"Are alive," Franklin says, his eyes lighting up.

The Surfer turns to look, but he sees nothing. He looks back to Franklin, skeptical, "How do you know?"

"I didn't feel them dying," Franklin says, wiping the drying tears from his cheek. "When they ... died last time, against Onslaught, I could feel them. My mom reached out to me. This time, she didn't. They escaped."

The Silver Surfer still looks skeptical. "Where did they go?"

"I don't know," Franklin sits down in the bubble, "but I want to go home. Can you take me there?"

"Of course." The Silver Surfer streaks across the Negative Zone, carrying Franklin along. As they reach the Distortion Area, the Surfer has one last question. "Franklin, if you knew they weren't dead, why were you crying?"

Franklin is silent for a moment before responding. "Because," he says, closing his eyes, "it makes me sad that people would want to kill Mommy and Daddy and the Fantastic Four just because of me."

The Silver Surfer looks down at the child he holds in his arms. 'Such words,' he thinks, 'from one so young. It is no wonder there are forces at work to protect you, young Franklin. It is no wonder at all. But I wonder what the Everything needs more, your power ... or your heart?"

PROLOGUE

200 YEARS INTO THE FUTURE

Galactus stands by the empty location in space that used to hold the Earth, when he feels a slight buzzing at the base of his skull.

"Interesting," he speaks to the emptiness. He waits, knowing that something will happen.

And then it does.

Before him, shimmering back into existence, is the planet Earth.

"And so it begins," the Planet Destroyer states. "And so it begins."

END FF 425

END FRANKLIN MUST DIE

mbQ 2.1.98