Fantastic Four #405
Terror Is Tomorrow!
In Brazil the Thing has been placed under the device discovered at the temple of the sun demons in order to heal him of his wounds sustained fighting an army of men transformed into things. The Fantastic Four, Sub-Mariner, Kristoff Vernard and Professor Robeson watch in awe as Ben is not only healed but restored to human form. Ben is happy to discover this, but when he looks in the mirror he sees that the device did not heal the scars on his face. Losing his temper, Ben smashes the mirror he is looking in anger, furious that his newfound humanity has a catch to it. However, Sue calms him down by telling him that they will seek a plastic surgeon to see what they can do to restore his face. Ben's tantrum however uncovered more hieroglyphics. Examining them Professor Robeson informs Ben that the transformations are only temporary. Ben is about to lose his temper when Kristoff points out that they can load the device into the Stealth-Hawk and set it up at the Four Freedoms Plaza so Ben can use it whenever he likes. When this is met with protests from the Professor, Ben points out that the device creates monsters and is a threat, so it is safest with the Fantastic Four. Although all are in agreement, Sue couldn't help but notice that Ben became more volatile after being exposed to the rays.
Back at the Four Freedoms Plaza, the man who has been posing as Boris has dropped his cover and is now trying to kill Scott Lang before he can alert the others. Scott has been fleeing to the lab and seals himself inside. There he finds the new Ant-Man armor that Kristoff has been making for him. While he puts the armor on, "Boris" decides to seal Ant-Man inside by welding the door shut with his ray gun. While back in Brazil, the Fantastic Four are returning home in the Stealth-Hawk where Ben is losing his temper because Scott is not answering their calls. Lyja and Kristoff offer that Lang is probably spending time with his daughter Cassie. Lyja notes that Kristoff appears to have a crush on Cassie, and it causes her to think about her ex-husband Johnny. Meanwhile, Namor attempts to convince Sue that they deserve to be together after the apparent death of her husband and the loss of his kingdom. Sue denies him, telling Namor that she needs more time to grieve the loss of Reed. The Sub-Mariner respects Sue's wishes and tells her that he can wait. However, Sue is left to wonder if she should still be waiting so long after Reed's demise.
Meanwhile, back at the Four Freedoms Plaza, "Boris" reports back to his master that the Fantastic Four are on their way back unaware that Ant-Man is spying on him through the ventilation shaft. He ambushes "Boris" from behind, but Boris is ready for this. Suddenly Conan the Barbarian appears out of nowhere and tries to kill the diminutive Ant-Man with his sword, he is also joined by the Iron Man of the year 2020 who tries to blast Ant-Man as well. By this point "Boris" has decided to drop his disguise, revealing himself to be the time traveler known as Zarrko the Tomorrow Man. Ant-Man manages to trip up his two attackers and they vanish but are quickly replaced by the original Green Goblin. Zarrko gloats over his impending victory unaware that his presence has set off a device. It sets off an alert in Castle Doom in Latveria, where Nathaniel Richards has been operating since the apparent demise of Doctor Doom. When the alarm goes off, Nathaniel fears that what he has come to prevent is about to come to pass.
When the rest of the Fantastic Four return home, they are suddenly attacked by more time-displaced super-humans: The Red Raven, Bucky, Toro, the Once and Future Thor, the Melter, Snowbird, and the original Union Jack. While they defend themselves, Ben reverts back to his Thing form to lend a hand in the battle. While not far away, Ant-Man continues to fight for his life against Omega the Unknown as Zarrko continues to gloat. Meanwhile, the heroes in the other room have to face off against the Rawhide Kid, the original Black Knight, the original Blizzard, Blackout, Skurge the Executioner. Back in the lab, Ant-Man narrowly dodges the Whizzer and manages to snag Zarrko's time control device attached to his belt. With the device disabled it returns all the attackers to their proper era. Before Zarrko and get it back, Ben comes crashing through the wall and apprehends him. With the battle over, Sue tells Scott that she sent Lyja to free Cassie. Before Scott can doff his costume and preserve his double identity, Cassie enters the room. She instantly recognizes him and Scott is surprised to learn that his daughter has known about his double identity all along. Having been defeated, Zarrko offers to give the heroes information regarding the fate of Mister Fantastic and Doctor Doom in exchange for his freedom. This comes as a shock to Sue, but before Zarrko can say anymore he is seemingly incinerated by a blast of energy, leaving behind only ash. However Kristoff was scanning the room and tells the others that it was a time beam that took Zarrko away, and more importantly -- he can track it to its source.
Recurring Characters
Fantastic Four (Invisible Woman, Thing, Lyja, Ant-Man), Sub-Mariner, Kristoff Vernard, Kenneth Robeson, Nathaniel Richards, Cassie Lang, Zarrko the Tomorrow Man, Hyperstorm, Conan the Barbarian, Iron Man 2020, Green Goblin, Red Raven, Bucky, Toro, Thor, Melter, Snowbird, Union Jack, Omega the Unknown, Rawhide Kid, Black Knight, Blizzard, Blackout, Executioner, Whizzer, Roberta
Continuity Notes
Ben's face is scarred because he was slashed in the face by Wolverine in Fantastic Four #374. His face is finally healed in Fantastic Four #409.
Kristoff mentions he has the scientific knowledge of Doctor Doom. Kristoff was granted this knowledge when Doom's mind was imprinted on his own back in Fantastic Four #278.
Lyja mentions Johnny, who is not present with the Fantastic Four. He left to join Fantastic Force whom he is a member of from Fantastic Force #10-15.
Although this story begins to set up a plotline involving the morphogenetic device and its effects on Ben's mind, this premise is quickly dropped when Ben sacrifices the device to help Mister Fantastic build a device to combat Onslaught in Fantastic Four #416.
Lyja recounts her own painful relationship with Johnny. Some facts:
As revealed in Fantastic Four #358, Lyja took Alicia's place circa Fantastic Four #265, just about when the Fantastic Four returned from the Secret Wars.
Ben eventually returned to Earth in Fantastic Four #277 and discovered Johnny and "Alicia's" marriage, he was estranged from the Fantastic Four until Fantastic Four #296.
Johnny and "Alicia" later got married in Fantastic Four #300.
Later Ben exposed Lyja as a spy in Fantastic Four #357.
The Fantastic Four and Lyja rescued the real Alicia Masters from the Skrulls in Fantastic Four #358, although Lyja seemingly died.
However she and her former partner Paibok were rescued and formed an alliance with Devos in Fantastic Four #365. As revealed in Fantastic Four #390 it was at this point that Paibok implanted Lyja with the Sha'Barri egg.
Lyja gave birth to her "child" in Fantastic Four #386
That hatching of the Sha'Barri occurred in Fantastic Four #389 and the creature was slain in the Fantastic Four #390.
Johnny ultimately rejected Lyja in Fantastic Four #392.
Lyja has been posing as Laura Green since Fantastic Four #393 in order to be near her ex-husband who rejected her in Fantastic Four #392 after discovering that the "child" she claimed was his turned out to be an alien assassin.
The tension between Namor and Sue is because there is a long history here: Namor was constant competition for Sue's affections since the Torch revived him in Fantastic Four #4. However, she would move on to marry Reed Richards in Fantastic Four Annual #3. More recently, Namor has been trying to take advantage of Reed’s alleged death in issue #381.
Sue mentions the apparent death of Reed and Doctor Doom. This happened in Fantastic Four #381, however, as revealed in Fantastic Four #406-407 they are actually prisoners of Hyperstorm.
Zarrko's time-displaced warriors come from the following different eras:
Conan appears here between Thor Corps #3 and Conan vs Rune #1
Iron Man 2020 during the events of Machine Man (vol. 2) #3
Likewise, the Green Goblin appears here during the events of Amazing Spider-Man #98.
This is not the real Red Raven, but a construct created by the Bird People. It was plucked out of time from its battle with the Angel in X-Men #44.
Bucky and Toro make mention of Namor "terrorizing" the surface world. Placing them as being plucked from history circa 1941 when Namor was still hostile towards the surface. This places these Bucky as being taken between Captain America Comics #6 and Captain America Comics #7 and Toro from Human Torch Comics #5 (Fall) and Marvel Mystery Comics #22.
The future Thor is taken between Thor Annual #16 and Thor #438
The Melter was abducted during the events of Tales of Suspense #89.
Snowbird was taken prior to the events of Rom #58
This appears to be the original Union Jack, which can be taken from the fact that he doesn't specifically call the members of the Fantastic Four Nazi spies. As such his appearance here just before he retired from the Union Jack role circa the flashback from Invaders #7.
Omega the Unknown appears here just prior to his death in Omega the Unknown #10.
Rawhide Kid likely appears here from the year 1873, the year where he has consistently been interacting with time travelers. Placing this appearance between Avengers #143 and Indestructible Hulk #11.
The original Black Knight appears here between Uncanny Origins #11 and Black Knight (vol. 2) #1
While Blizzard was taken during the events of Iron Man #87 Blackout during Nova #19 and the Executioner in the middle of his fight in Avengers #10.
The Whizzer appears here between Marvel Universe #3 and Amazing Comics #1.
Lyja states that Snowbird is reportedly dead. She seemingly perished in Alpha Flight #45. However, she was later resurrected in Wolverine (vol. 2) #143.
Likewise, the Melter is dead in the present during this story, he was killed by the Scourge of the Underworld in Avengers #263.
Iron Man 2020’s assertion that he comes from the year 2020 should now be considered a topical reference as the modern age of the Marvel Universe has since carried over into this year in real life. As such it should be assumed that Iron Man 2020 exists in a future that is always roughly 36 years in the future of the modern age.
