Fantastic Four #178
Call My Killer the Brute
Following his battle against the Brute, the Thing has been pulled into the Negative Zone, hurtling out of control and is about to be attacked by one of it's creatures when he suddenly blacks out. Coming around, he finds himself in bondage inside the Baxter Building, a prisoner once more of the Frightful Four. Surprised to see another man who looks like Reed Richards, this Reed reveals himself to be Mr. Fantastic's counterpart from Counter-Earth.
He explains that when the High Evolutionary and Galactus battled each other on Counter-Earth he was sent into space by military to investigate. Passing through a cosmic ray storm his ship would explode but he would eject himself before it's destruction. Coming across the High Evolutionary's artificial asteroid base, after snooping around he would stow away aboard the ship that the FF piloted back to Earth where he was struck on the head. Upon arriving on Earth he would answer the advertisement placed in the papers by the Frightful Four looking to recruit a new fourth member. With his origins revealed, the Counter-Earth Richards transforms into the Brute and is about to slay Mr. Fantastic the Wizard stop him. The Wizard explains that the Brute is being too rash as he will try to hold the Fantastic Four hostage and try to get a large sum of money in order to continue their own independent pursuits.
However, a call to the mayor of New York City, which is currently cash-strapped leads to more calls to a higher level of government to no avail. Eventually, the military surrounds the Baxter Building to prepare for the worst. As the 3 am deadline closes in the Impossible Man continues to watch television. As the network concludes it's broadcasting day the Impossible Man decides to try and "fix" the supposed "broken" television. To do so, he begins messing around with the Baxter Building's fuse box causing a black out on the building.
This allows the Fantastic Four to break free and battle the Frightful Four, Tigra and Thundra. During the fight Reed Richards is horrified to find that his stretching powers have completely faded. As the Fantastic Four battle the other members of the Frightful Four, Reed Richards battles his Counter-Earth doppelganger, taking them into Reed's lab. As the others easily defeat the Trapster, Sandman, and Wizard it appears that Reed has managed to defeat the Brute and trap him in the Negative Zone, however it is in reality it is the Brute who managed to over power Reed, switch outfits with him and send him into the Negative Zone.
Recurring Characters
Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Girl, Human Torch, Thing), Thundra, Tigra, Impossible Man, Frightful Four (The Wizard, Trapster, Sandman, The Brute)
Continuity Notes
Some facts about the Brute in this story:
The Reed Richards of Counter-Earth became the Brute during the events of Warlock #6. He was apparently cured and had his memories of his first transformation of the Brute erased in Warlock #7.
The Brute mentions how his own version of Sue Storm is in a coma back on Counter-Earth. This occurred in Warlock #6 during a similar rocket flight that created the Fantastic Four was duplicated but interfered with by the Man-Beast.
The first flashback in this story shows Counter-Earth Reed watching the battle between Galactus and the High Evolutionary which took place in Fantastic Four #175.
C-E Reed stowed away aboard the Fantastic Four's ship behind the scenes in Fantastic Four #176.
A number of real life politicians appear in this story. Their appearances here should be considered Topical References per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616 relative to the original date of publication. They are:
Abe Beame, who was the mayor of New York City from 1974 to 1977.
Jimmy Carter who became President of the United States on January 20th 1977.
Gerald Ford, who was President previous to Carter from August 1974 to January 1977.
And lastly Ronald Reagan the Republican candidate in the 1976 election.
The inclusion of Carter, Ford, and Reagan in this story was because this issue was published on the same month of the 1976 Presidential Election. Since the story was written months in advance, the inclusion of the former president and the two competing leaders would allow for the text in the story to be altered as necessary depending on the results of the election.
Reed's stretching powers are completely gone as of this issue, his powers began to fade in in Fantastic Four #157. His powers are eventually restored in Fantastic Four #197.
