Death in the Negative Zone!

Annihilus is about to breach the barrier between his Negative Zone and Earth, and the only thing standing in his way is the Nega-Power-crazed scientist known as Richard Janus. Watching from a control monitor within the Baxter Building, Reed tells his teammates that they need to stop them both before Annihilus discovers where the portal is and threatens their world. As Janus and Annihilus battle it out, Reed rushes to get flight harnesses for himself and Ben so that they and Johnny can enter the Negative Zone to stop the battle. When Sue asks why she is not coming along, Reed informs her that they need someone to stay behind and monitor things on Earth and warns her of the dangers that could occur if negative matter got into their universe, causing a chain reaction that could wipe out the entire population. Equipping himself with gyro devices that will lead them back to the portal, Reed, Ben, and Johnny enter the Negative Zone, leaving Sue behind to worry over if they will make it out alive or not.

Meanwhile, Janus has lost his footing on some debris and is now at the mercy of Annihilus. When Janus offers Annihilus a means of destroying the entire human race in exchange for his life, the lord of the Negative Zone is intrigued, as he is seeking to get revenge against the Fantastic Four. When the Fantastic Four enter the Zone, they manage to track down Janus and Annihilus just as the villains have completed their deal -- more Nega-Power for Janus in exchange for a means to reach Earth. As the Fantastic Four are occupied battling Annihilus, Janus manages to escape in a ship.

Back on Earth, Sue watches as the grim battle carries on when, suddenly, she receives a phone call from Agatha Harkness. The old woman is insistent that Sue comes to pick up her son Franklin right away. Incapable of explaining the situation to Harkness, she begins to lament over the choice between her son and her husband, brother, and best friend. As Johnny and Ben focus on Annihilus and a massive creature he has summoned, Reed goes after Janus. As he is brought closer to the source of the Nega-Energy, Janus tries to slay the two creatures that Annihilus sent to guide him there. With the last of their lives, the creatures eject Janus from the ship, sending him hurtling into the annihilation zone where positive and anti-mater explosively meet. Reed tries his best to reach Janus but is too late and watches in horror as Janus seemingly plunges into the heart of the destruction field and is annihilated.

Reed rushes back to the battle and orders Johnny and Ben to retreat, giving them two of the gyros that will pull them back home, not telling them that he lost his in the battle. Reed keeps Annihilus at bay while the others flee, fully willing to sacrifice his life in order to save their lives. As Johnny and Ben return to Earth, they and Sue realize what Reed's plan was and watch in horror as the debris he is on inches closer and closer to the destruction field of the Negative Zone.

Recurring Characters

Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Girl, Human Torch, Thing), Agatha Harkness, Nega-Man, Annihilus, Scavengers

Continuity Notes

• Although seemingly killed here, Janus turns up alive and well as a member of the Gideon Trust in Fantastic Four (vol. 3) #40-43. It is during this tale that it is explained that because he was charged with Negative-Energy, he could survive the blast area and faked his death to continue his research without interference from Mister Fantastic.