Fantastic Four #94
The Return of the Frightful Four
Deciding to name their baby Franklin Benjamin Richards (honoring both Sue's father and Ben) Reed informs his friends that they are going to bring baby Franklin to a child-rearing expert named Agatha Harkness, who lives in a mansion on Whisper Hill. What the team is unaware of is that the Frightful Four has reunited and plans to attack during their visit with Agatha Harkness.
That night after introductions are made, the Fantastic Four retire for the night as guests of Agatha. When the Frightful Four break into the mansion, they incapacitate Ben and the Torch, then trap Reed and Sue in their room. Planning to kidnap Franklin, they are first stopped by Medusa who had only joined up with the group to help protect the Fantastic Four from them. However, she is bound by the Trapster's paste, but the Frightful Four are then defeated by Agatha and her cat Ebony, unleashing her magical might and defeating each member with ease.
When the Fantastic Four free themselves, they are shocked to find all the villains defeated. They find Agatha quietly rocking Franklin to sleep. When the Thing spies a book about the Salem witches, Agatha hints at the fact that she herself is truly a witch, which spooks Ben.
Recurring Characters
Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Girl, Human Torch, Thing, Crystal), Franklin Richards, Agatha Harkness, Frightful Four (The Wizard, Trapster, Sandman, Medusa), Ebony
Continuity Notes
Reed and Sue's son was born in Fantastic Four Annual #6, his name here is in honor of Sue and Johnny's father Franklin Storm who sacrificed his life to save the Fantastic Four from a Skrull bomb in Fantastic Four #32.
Although heavily implied here, Agatha Harkness it is clarified that Agatha Harkness is a witch in Fantastic Four #110. Her origins have been years in the making, her earliest noted appearance was in Silver Surfer (Vol. 3) #135 which dates her existence to half a century prior to the fall of Atlantis. In more recent times she was seen in the town of Salem, Massachusetts during the Salem witch trials circa 1692 as seen in Nova (Vol. 2) #6-7. She later established the hidden community of New Salem, Colorado. Eventually, she abandoned her commune to live on Whisper Hill as explained in Fantastic Four #185.
The period of time is briefly visited by the spirit of Ben Grimm's future self in Domination Factor Fantastic Four #1.1 who was on a quest to retrieve a slice of a Golden Apples of Idunn. As a result of the events in Domination Factor Fantastic Four #1.1-4.7 and Domination Factor: Avengers #1.2-4.8 a divergent reality of Earth-8921 is created.
