Fantastic Four #139
Target: Tomorrow!
The Fantastic Four and members of the Keewazi tribe have just been sent falling into a chasm created by the Miracle Man. To avoid falling to their doom, the heroes act quickly to brace themselves as Johnny melts the walls of the pit to create a makeshift bottom for the Keewazi to safely land on. When regaining their bearings, Johnny points out that the way out has been sealed by the Miracle Man above.
Assuming his foes are dead, the Miracle Man gloats over his victory and then begins the next phase of his plan. Using his mind-over-mater powers he creates a massive futuristic city to rule over. Moments after the massive city is built, the Thing smashed through the ground to free those trapped below. Unphased by the return of his enemy, the Miracle Man then uses his power to create an army of android creatures to battle Ben. As the Thing battles the creatures, he is joined by Medusa and the Human Torch who make short work of the Miracle Man's army as the Keewazi people climb out of the pit. Furious at this turn of events, the Miracle Man then uses his power to summon a massive whirlwind to spirit his enemies away from his city.
Meanwhile, at the Baxter Building, Reed Richards works away at a new experiment although his heart is not much into it as his mind keeps on drawing back to his wife and child who recently left him. As he laments, he is unaware that a warning light over the Negative Zone portal has begun to blink. While back at the Pennsylvania ranch of Bob and Carol Landers, Sue is putting one of the horses away when she suddenly hears Franklin begin to scream. She rushes out of the barn calling to Carol to call a doctor. When Carol arrives, Franklin has finally stopped screaming and has fallen asleep, but Sue is still concerned.
While back in Oklahoma, the Fantastic Four, Wyatt and his people recover from the whirlwind to find that they have been carried miles away from Keewazi land. Finding themselves at the Kichuma River, they begin making a makeshift raft in order to sail back to the Miracle Man's city. There, the Miracle Man begins the next step of his plan by using his powers to create a race of people to lord over, including a woman that is his ideal of perfection. However, when he tries to touch the woman, she shirks back in fear, angering him. Elsewhere at a high priority military meeting, a scientist informs the military brass gathered that something is causing all nuclear material on the planet to become unstable and if it continues the entire world may be eradicated in the process. The brass thank the scientist for his report and begin planning what to do next.
At that moment, the Fantastic Four and Wyatt return to the Miracle Man's city. They attack the Miracle Man who sends his slaves against the Fantastic Four, but they send them fleeing. Facing his foes alone, the Miracle Man uses his powers to increase his size and strength so he can go toe-to-toe against the Thing. The more the Miracle Man uses his powers the more the nuclear stockpiles around the world grow unstable. Despite his increased strength, the Miracle Man is no match for the Thing who knocks out his foe with a single powerful blow. Still, the Miracle Man manages to pick himself up from the ground, but before he can attack further he has suddenly teleported away against his will. Suddenly, the spirits of the Cheemuzwa appear in the sky and tell the FF and Wyatt that they have spirited the Miracle Man away to teach him the errors of his ways in the hopes that he will never abuse his new-found powers again. As they vanish, the Thing muses about how the Miracle Man claimed to have killed the Cheemuzwa, and spooks himself upon realizing that they were talking to ghosts.
While back at the Baxter Building, the warning light over the Negative Zone portal continues to blink, warning of danger yet to come.
Recurring Characters
Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Medusa, Human Torch, Thing), Wyatt Wingfoot, Invisible Girl, Franklin Richards, Miracle Man, Light Horse, Silent Fox, Carol Landers
Continuity Notes
Reed is depressed over Sue leaving him over marital problems in Fantastic Four #130.
The purpose of Reed's experiment is revealed in Fantastic Four #141, while the danger from the Negative Zone and Franklin's fears are revealed to be Annihilus next issue.
