Nick Peron

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Fantastic Force #3

Seek and Ye Shall Find

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When Psi-Lord attempts to enroll Devlor in school this is met with protests, but depsite Devlor's insistance that everything he needs to learn about Earth culture he can learn by watching teleivison, Frankling refuses to budge on the issue, leaving the young adult to wonder if this is what his parents had to go through with him. Elsewhere in the loft, Huntara and Vibraxas is sparring. As Huntara continues to push her comrade, Vibraxas becomes more determined to prove the better particularly because she has been riding him since their battle with Zarathustra. Vibraxas assumes he has the upper hand when he manages to grab her Psi-Sythe and tries to destroy it with his vibrantional powers but is shocked when nothing happens. Huntara easily defeats Vibraxas, reminding him to never underestimate his opponents. They are interrupted by Franklin who tells them that he is brining Devlor to school and then seeing what he can learn from the soldiers they captured during their battle with Zarathustra. Before he leaves, Vibraxas mentions how the day before a man referred to him as a "buck" and was curious as to what it meant. Psi-Lord explains that it is a racist comment, a concept which Vibraxas doesn't understand. When Franklin explains that people who are prejudiced based on skin color, Vibraxas begins to laugh finding the concept preposterous and wishes Devlor luck on being taught in an American school.

Soon, while Huntara and Vibraxas continue their training session they are suddenly attacked by the Inhuman known as the Seeker who has come searching for Devlor. Vibraxas and Huntara try to incapacitate their foe, but the Seeker is able to knock them out with his weapons. Determining that Devlor is no longer on site, the Seeker is convinced that his scanners will soon lead him to his quary. Meanwhile at a local high school, Principal Warren Borrows is showing Frankling and Devlor around the school. They are soon taken to the classroom of Sonia Wu, who will be Devlor's social studies teacher. After introductions are made, Devlor is welcome to the class and shown his new desk. While at that moment, Paul Alvarez is developing the photos he took during the battle between Fantastic Force and Zarathustra. He has made a startling theory on the identity of Huntara's identity, something that has personal ties to his own life.

Later Devlor is lamenting his "captivity" at the high school when he is suddenly attacked by the Seeker. Devlor transforms into his bestial form in an attempt to intimidate his attacker. But when Devlor refuses to go with the Seeker he attacks. When Devlor tires to find cover he learns that the Seeker is trying to get him to return to Attilan for genetic testing to try and prevent Inhumans like him -- ones with human forms that morph into something else -- from reoccurring in their gene pool. When Devlor refuses to stand down, the Seeker attempts to draw him out by tossing a car full of passengers at him. When Devlor catches it, it leaves him open for capture. Meanwhile, Huntara and Vibraxas revive from their attack, and using her Psi-Scythe to track the Seeker's energy trail, they begin following it. Elsewhere, Franklin is using his powers to try and probe the minds of the agents of Zarathustra they captured. His mental probes learn find that the only thing one the minds of these prisoners is the image of Mount Ararat in Turkey. When Franklin tells this to Professor Sandor, Isaac is convinced that with the right questions they will be able to unfold this mystery.

Back at the battle, Devlor finally manages to get a hold of the Seeker and decides that the only way to end their battle is to kill the Seeker. Although he tries to snap the Seeker's neck, Devlor realizes that he cannot bring himself to do it and lets go. When the Seeker incapacitates him, Devlor surrenders but points out that despite the Seeker's loyalty to the Genetic Council of the Inhumans, he points out that the Seeker and his brother were twins and that they too are aberrations in the eyes of the Genetic Council since there is to be only one Seeker per birth cycle. This causes the Seeker to wonder if Devlor might be the "one" of legends. He deactivates the device incapacitating Devlor then sends a report back stating that Devlor was killed in an attempt at apprehension. Regardless of the possible repercussions of letting Devlor go free when the truth is learned, the Seeker wishes the youth farewell, telling him that the boy must follow his destined path just as much as he must his. Just as the Seeker takes off for the moon, Huntara and Vibraxas arrive. When Vibraxas asks who their attacker was, Devlor claims that he was a friend, possibly the best friend he has ever had.

Recurring Characters

Fantastic Force (Psi-Lord, Vibraxas, Huntara, Devlor), Sonia Wu, Paul Alvarez, Professor Sandor, Seeker

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.

  • There are multiple mentions to the Fantastic Force's battle with Zarathustra from last issue.

  • Paul Alvarez comes to believe the Huntara is his long lost sister as explained in Fantastic Force #9. This is left ambiguous and never fully explained as the Fantastic Force series was later cancelled.

  • This Seeker is named Uys, the brother to Kadlec (first seen in Fantastic Four #46). Uys first identified himself as the twin brother of Kadlec in Fantastic Four Unlimited #2. Kadlec died years prior to this story as seen in Inhumans Special #1.

  • Devlor's destiny as "The One" is also not fully explored and dropped as a plot point following the cancellation of this series.