Fantastic Four #228
Ego-Spawn
At the Baxter Building, Johnny tries to impress Ben with his enthusiasm for his imminent date with Lorrie Melton, but Ben feigns disinterest. At the same time, Reed and Sue discuss the re-emergence of Franklin's powers and, with Sue and Franklin's blessing, he makes contact with an old colleague, Professor Abe Jankovitz, in the hope that by running some tests on their son they will learn more about the nature of his abilities and Franklin to begin to control them.
When Lorrie arrives at the Baxter Building, Johnny agrees tat they will take their date in Massachusetts with Reed, Sue, Ben and Franklin and all six board the Fantasticar and head north. A Seaboard University Franklin begins some tests of his psychic abilities under Dr. Jankovitz's supervision, but they prove nothing out of the ordinary. Jankovitz surmises that Franklin's powers may be triggered by stress, and Reed and Sue agree to let the professor try out a new biofeedback device on their son. Johnny and Lorrie, meanwhile, make their apologies and take the Fanasticar to a drive-in diner at a local beauty spot. Johnny flames on and takes Lorrie on a flight around the area in an attempt to impress her, unaware that his actions have caught the attention of another diner by the name of Franco who is unimpressed by Johnny's showing off and says as much to his girlfriend Betty.
Meanwhile, Reed, Sue and Jankovitz are monitoring Franklin's progress as he sleeps under the biofeedback helmet when suddenly the boy unleashes a brightly coloured ball of psychic ectoplasm that passes through the walls of the room and streaks off into the night. Back at the beauty spot, Johnny conducts an impromptu fireworks display in the night sky that enrages Franco, who confronts Johnny and threatens him with physical violence. Just as the two are about to come to blows, the psychic ectoplasm transforms Franco into a super-powered being who appears more than a match for Johnny. Lorrie pilots the Fantasticar back to the University and brings back reinforcements in the form of Reed and Ben, leaving Sue and Jankovitz to try to shut down the feedback helmet without harming Franklin, but the boy resists until Jankovitz can distract him long enough for Sue to turn invisible and cut the power to the helmet.
Franklin emerges from under the helmet unscathed and with no recollection of the events that just happened. Jankovitz is optimistic of future success with the helmet but Reed counters that Franklin's powers are too dangerous to risk exposing any more members of the public to them, and with that they take their leave.
Recurring Characters
Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Girl, Human Torch, Thing), Franklin Richards, Lorrie Milton, Ego-Spawn
Continuity Notes
Reed and Sue discuss the state of Franklin's powers:
Franklin's powers began manifesting in Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Comics Magazine #4. His powers were developing from Fantastic Four #129-141 when Reed was forced to shut down Franklin's mind. Franklin's mind was restored and his powers went dormant following the events of Fantastic Four #150.
Reed states that Franklin's powers began manifesting again following his possession by Nicholas Scratch in Fantastic Four #222-223. However this is not correct, his powers began resurfacing earlier than that when he used them to defend his mother against Blastaar in Fantastic Four #218.
Reed also mentions when Franklin used his powers against the Brain Parasites from last issue.
Ben acts like this is the first time he has met Lorrie, even though she was at the Fantastic Four's last Christmas Party in Marvel Two-In-One #74. This is an unavoidable continuity error that is caused by the placement of the Thing's solo adventures in Marvel Two-In-One in between his adventures with the Fantastic Four in a functional chronology. Chronologically, the events of Marvel Two-In-One #74 occur prior to this story, even though it was printed a month after this issue was originally published.
This is the first time Franklin's powers manifest in another form or aspect. The next time this happens is in Fantastic Four #244 when Franklin's powers manifest in the adult form later referred to as the Avatar (first coined in Fantastic Force #10) The Ego-Spawn returns again years later in Fantastic Four: Atlantis Rising #2 when he taunts Psi-Lord, Franklin's teenage counterpart from Earth-6311.
