Fantastic Force #15
Wakanda Screams
A massive creature made out of Vibranium and the victims of the Vibrasurge accident has risen from the grounds beneath Wakanda, unleashing a powerful sonic blast across the area, staggering the members of Fantastic Force. As the creature goes on a rampage through the village, Psi-Lord informs Vibraxas that there is psychic-static of multiple minds within the creature, suggesting that it is filled with human lives. N'Kano hopes that this means they can save the life of his mother who was long thought to have died in the explosion. Vibraxas blames himself for the creation of this creature, which he dubs the Vibravore. The Torch is uninterested in who is at fault and rallies his team to stop the creature. As the Torch flames on and flies after the Vibravore, the Black Panther calls in the Wakandan air force to lend a hand. However neither Johnny's flame nor the fighter pilots weapons cause any damage and the Vibrabore blasts the planes out of the sky with a sonic blast. Johnny and Franlin then rescue the falling pilots. Elsewhere, She-Hulk and Devlor work together helping to evacuate the area of people. During the this crisis, Devlor surprises himself when he is able to hold up a building to allow people to evacuate, another side effect of his exposure to the Omnivirus which trapped him in his ever evolving bestial form. Although Devlor is wiped out, he fears that the Omnivirus might be having an ill effect on him. Despite this, Devlor is hailed as a hero by his new friend, the Wakandan woman named M'Zaki.
Back at the battle, Vibraxas uses his powers on the Vibravore, and notices that one of the humans trapped in its form is reaching out for help. Vibraxas tries to help pull the man free, but is kicked away by the massive creature. Franklin goes to help Devlor, but suddenly the Vibranium in the area begins to have an effect on his Psycho-Armor. With the situation looking bleak, the elder N'Kano decrees that he Vibravore must be destroyed despite the economic lost. This infuriates Vibraxas who is disgusted with is father for being more concerned with the financial impact than the life of his own wife who might still be alive somewhere witnhin the creature. However, despite the fact hat the Black Panther agrees with Vibraxas' sentiments, as ruler of Wakanda he agrees with N'Kano's decision and authorizes lethal force to be used. When Vibraxas asks Psi-Lord for help, he tells his teammate that they will do everything in their power to stop the creature without killing the people trapped inside it.
Psi-Lord then rallies the members of Fantastic Force to the Vibrasurge facility. There Franklin explains that his Psycho-Armor disruppted the cohesion of the Vibravore. Suggesting they over surge the creature, with She-Hulk acting as a conductor to bring power back to the facility, Vibraxas uses his powers on the facility's amplification cooridore to overpower the creautre. Then Frankling and Johnny attack the Vibravore full force and the resulting onslaught overloads the creature to violently come apart. As the people are freed from the Vibravore, the members of Fantastic Force search the wreckage for survivors. While they find many people alive and well, there is no sign of A'Kane, Vibraxas' mother, leaving Franklin to believe that she was likely atomized in the original explosion, unlike the others.
In the aftermath of the battle, Vibraxas is brought before the tribunal once again to stand sentence for the murder of the gang member back in the United States. While the tribunal finds Vibraxas not guilty, however the council orders that all Wakandan financial backing to Fantastic Force gets cut. This angers Vibraxas who calls the council hypocrites, pointing out how it was their arrogance that created the Vibravore in the first place and it took the power of Fantastic Force to stop that threat. When his own father points out that Vibraxas is just as much to blame for the Vibravore existing, the youth angrilly renounces his country and his people. Suddenly, Devlor -- who hasn't been feeling well since the battle -- suddenly collapses on the floor, his body mutating into an even more bestial form.
Recurring Characters
Fantastic Force (Human Torch, Black Panther, Psi-Lord, Vibraxas, Devlor, She-Hulk), Wyatt Wingfoot, N’Kano, R’Shumba, Vibravore
Continuity Notes
The teenage Franklin seen here was delivered to the modern age by Nathaniel Richards from Earth-6311 to replace his Earth-616 counterpart. This occurred in Fantastic Four #376. Although everyone reacts as though this is Earth-616's Franklin all grown up, the young Franklin is returned in Fantastic Four #413. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #14 confirms that they are separate entities. Franklin believes that his mission was to stop the Dark Raider from destroying the Fantastic Four as explained in Fantastic Four #387, however this is part of a larger scheme to stop Hyperstorm that is not realized until Fantastic Four #414.
During the fight Franklin wishes his aunt Huntara were present. Huntara was a founding member of Fantastic Force back in Fantastic Force #1. She later stayed behind in the realm of Elsewhen after the team's battle against Vangaard in Fantastic Force #12.
Devlor mentions being exposed to the Omnivirus, this happened in Fantastic Force #11.
Vibraxas is standing trial for the accidental death of an American gang member which occurred in Fantastic Force #6.
Although unspoken in this issue, this is the last issue with the Human Torch and Black Panther as members of Fantastic Force. Johnny returns to the Fantastic Four in Fantastic Four #407 to assist them in saving Mister Fantastic from Hyperstorm while the Black Panther rejoins the Avengers to help them during the Crossing crisis.
