...And One Shall Save Him!

Following their battle against the Sandman, Reed has been sent hurtling through the Negative Zone, and is en route with the explosive core where positive and anti-matter meet. As the Fantastic Four lament over the situation, Crystal of the Inhumans teleports into their headquarters with her dog Lockjaw. The Human Torch, who has grown to love Crystal, is happy to see that she is finally free, but the reunion is marred by the impending demise of Reed Richards. However Crystal believes that she has a solution and teleports away with Lockjaw to bring help.

Meanwhile, within the Negative Zone, some alien beings pass by the destruction wave and drop off a dangerous criminal who is imprisoned in a special containment suit and left on an asteroid to be drawn into total annihilation. Reed observes as the ship flies away, unaware of the potentially dangerous cargo they just dumped on the opposite side of the asteroid he is standing on.

Back on Earth, a foreign army begins setting up weapons on an a seemingly deserted island in direct contravention of NATO rules. Unfortunately for these soldiers they selected to set up shop on an island claimed by the Inhuman royal family who easily trounce the soldiers and destroy their weapons. With the enemy sub destroyed and the soldiers sent back to the mainland, the Inhumans regroup. They are soon joined by Crystal who explains her plight to them and asks Triton to help pull Reed out of the Negative Zone as Triton's swimming abilities would be the most useful in the zero gravity of that dimension. As the Fantastic Four continue to watch each agonizing moment of their leader's impending demise, Crystal returns with Triton and Lockjaw.

Quickly explaining her plan, Triton is then sent through the Negative Zone portal and quickly "swims" out and rescues Reed and brings him back toward the portal. While their backs are turned, the special containment suit explodes outward, revealing it's prisoner: Blastaar the Living Bomb-Burst. Watching as Triton and Reed Richards pass through the portal back to Earth, Blastaar decides to follow after them. On the other side, the Fantastic Four are happily reunited, and take Reed out of the lab to celebrate. As they go, they are unaware that Blastaar has followed them. Seeing this as a new world to conquer, Blastaar climbs out the window and is suddenly grabbed by the Sandman. The two briefly come to blows until Blastaar hears that the Sandman wishes to work with him and the two agree to team up and destroy the Fantastic Four, then take over the world.

Recurring Characters

Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Girl, Human Torch, Thing), Inhumans (Crystal,Triton, Black Bolt, Medusa, Gorgon, Karnak), Sandman, Blastaar

Continuity Notes

• Reed ended up being trapped in the Negative Zone after his battle against the Sandman last issue. The Sandman has been hiding on the roof of the Baxter Building since last issue as well.

• Crystal had been looking for the Human Torch since she and her people freed themselves from the Negative Zone Barrier (no relation to the Negative Zone dimension) in Fantastic Four #59.

• The island that the Inhumans have settled on was legally purchased by the Black Panther as revealed in Fantastic Four Annual #5.

• The soldiers in this story appear to be members of the Cuban military, their choice selection as opponents for the Inhumans to fight in this story is likely due to the fact that there were tensions between the United States and Cuba during the Cold War thanks in part to the Cuban Missile Crisis. That said, the identity of the nation who has sent these soldiers should be considered topical per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616.

• Why Blastaar was contained and left to die in the blast field is not revealed until Marvel Two-In-One #75 which explains that he was the ruler of planet Baluur until his people rose up against him and left to die in the debris belt of the Negative Zone.