Unfinished Business

Onslaught continues from Avengers #402…

From a hidden bunker somewhere in the Balkans, Doctor Doom gets a report of Onslaught assault on New York City. When Doom's assistant informs him that Onslaught has kidnapped Franklin Richards, the son of his greatest foe, Doom decides that the situation may warrant his personal attention....

At the Four Freedoms Plaza, the Fantastic Four and their allies in the Avengers and X-Men are caring for their various allies who have been injured during the electromagnetic pulse unleashed upon the city by Onslaught. Among them is the Invisible Woman who is going through some of her son's belongings and fears the worst for her son who is now in their enemi’s clutches. She stops when she notices Scott Lang trying to get up from his bed, she tells him to rest up after his mind was almost fried by the EMP while wearing his new Ant-Man armor. She and the X-Men's Beast recommend that Scott get his rest. When Lang expresses his concerns over his daughter's safety, Sue tells her that Cassie is being looked after by Kristoff Gerard. Hearing this, Scott remarks how much he realizes he can trust Kristoff with his daughter’s life and regrets he didn't take the time to get to know him better. Sue tells him that they all have regrets and how she hopes that they'll all get the chance to put them right. Reed enters the room with his father and tells Sue that they will succeed no matter what. Nathaniel, however, believes the contrary, reminding them that he has traveled through time and knows that the Fantastic Four and their allies are destined to fall at the hands of Onslaught and suggests that their best course of action is to flee. When the Beast wonders if that's not a smart idea, Sue tells him that for the past while Nathaniel has been known to manipulate the facts for his own end. Bishop pipes up by telling the others that there are many possible futures and Nathaniel may be mistaken. Reed considers that as a possibility, and Sue tells him that no matter what happens, once the battle is over they have to think about what the future means for them and their family.

Meanwhile, somewhere hidden deep inside Onslaught's citadel in Central Park, Franklin tries to focus his powers to send out a call for help to his parents. This flare of power is noticed by Onslaught who decides to let the message receive it's intended recipients, but not before altering it to suit his own ends. While on the roof of the Four Freedoms Plaza both Hawkeye and Iceman are watching out for trouble and complaining about how boring waiting around has gotten. However when they see what is coming over the horizon they are shocked by the sheer size of the coming attackers. While down below, Sue confides to her husband and asks if they are good parents or not. Reed tells her that while they have a responsibility to raise Franklin, but also a responsibility to the world to defend it with their powers. But Reed tells her that once they have defeated Onslaught and rescued their son, he promises that they will take a break from being in the Fantastic Four and try to find a balance in their lives that they can all live with. Elsewhere in the building, Ben almost walks in on Lyja and Johnny having a tender moment and hopes for the best for the two of them. His thoughts are interrupted by the arrival of Alicia Masters and her step-father the Puppet Master. They explain that they have come to help out with those injured in the battle, and their offer of aid is warmly accepted by both Ben and Sue. Sue takes Phillip off to help so that Alicia and Ben can have a private moment alone.

In another part of the building, Kristoff inquires to Cassie about what happened to her classmate Donald Halberg who was being abused by his father. Cassie tells him that she convinced him to get help from school and now his family is seeking counseling. Suddenly their conversation is cut short when what appears to be Kang the Conqueror appears in the room. When Kristoff demands to know what Kang is doing there, the conqueror explains that he has come to strike at his rival, Doctor Doom, by killing his heir. Kristoff fights back and is surprised when he strikes a blow and Kang suddenly dissolves into smoke. While back in his private quarters, Ben tells Alicia about the machine he obtained that allows him to change back and forth into the Thing at will. He happiness for him is interrupted when they are attacked by what appears to be the Psycho-Man, whose emotion caster to create a manifestation of Ben's self-hatred. Ben is about to give in to his fear as well until he remembers that Alicia is also in danger as well. This allows him to summon up the strength to fight back. While in the stairs, Johnny and Lyja are discussing their feelings. When Johnny tells Lyja that he forgives her for all the hurt she has caused, they are interrupted by what appears to be Paibok and the Super-Skrull. Although they are ambushed, the couple is assisted by the timely arrival of Gorgon, Karnak and Black Bolt who help them fight off their foes. Like Kang earlier, they dissipate after being struck back hard enough. Suddenly, Blastaar appears out of nowhere but is subdued and dissipated by Medusa. In another part of the building, Reed and Sue takedown astral projections of the Wizard, the Mad Thinker, and his Monster Android. When Reed is in turn attacked by a simulacrum of Devos the Devastator, it is destroyed by the Sub-Mariner who attacks it from behind. Namor's arrival, Reed admits that they have had their differences in the past but thanks the Sub-Mariner for coming to help nonetheless. Reed asks Namor to stick around until he finishes building his neuromantic disrupter which he hopes will dispose of all the simulacrums of the Fantastic Four's old foes.

In another chamber, Nathaniel Richards is attacked by simulations of the Red Ghost and his Super-Apes who have him on the ropes until the timely arrival of the Black Panther and his Fantastic Force, who make short work of these new attackers. As Reed works away in his lab, the Thing struggles with Tyros the Tamer until he gets an assist from She-Hulk, who knocks the imitation straight out the window. Reed completes his work but needs a power source strong enough to operate the device, but after the electromagnetic pulse there are not many options available. Ben shocks Reed when he is willing to sacrifice the power source for the device that can restore him to human form in order to power the device. when Reed asks if Ben is sure about it, the Thing response by telling him that he is willing to sacrifice anything for his godson. While outside, Johnny is squaring off against duplicates of Dragon Man and Annihilus when they are suddenly destroyed by the real Doctor Doom. Doom then demands that Johnny escort him inside to Mister Fantastic. Inside, Sue is pinned to the wall by a construct of her evil Malice persona. However this phantom is banished by the arriving Agatha Harkness, who come to lend her aid after hearing that Franklin had been kidnapped.

Back in the lab, Reed has completed the device and activates it causing the remaining specters to disappear. Just then Sue enters the room with Agatha who brings news that Franklin is still alive. Reed promises his wife they will free him no matter what. Another surprise comes when Johnny enters the room with Doctor Doom who is offering his aid to stop Onslaught as the creature is a threat to the entire world. Although they cannot trust Doom, Reed admits that they need all the help they can get. With the final battle rapidly approaching, Sue has everyone puts their hands down together like they did on the day they first became the Fantastic Four and pledged to aid mankind with their powers. With the end game approaching, Reed reminds everyone that if they fail the world will end, but sends them off to battle using his oldest friends battle cry: It's Clobberin' Time!

… Onslaught continues in Wolverine (vol. 2) #105.

Recurring Characters

Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, Thing), Franklin Richards, Ant-Man, Nathaniel Richards, Lyja, Alicia Masters, Puppet Master, Cassie Lang, Kristoff Vernard, Inhumans (Black Bolt, Medusa, Gorgon, Karnak), Sub-Mariner, Fantastic Force (Black Panther, Huntara, Devlor, Vibraxas, She-Hulk), Agatha Harkness, Onslaught, Doctor Doom, X-Men (Beast, Bishop, Iceman, Archangel), Avengers (Crystal, Vision, Hawkeye, Thor), Spider-Man, Sentinels, Ebony

Continuity Notes

• The video footage that is being watched by Doctor Doom is from earlier on in the Onslaught event. taking place between X-Men (vol. 2) #55 and Uncanny X-Men #336.

• Doom's comparison of Onslaught to Magneto is a valid one. Unknown to him, Onslaught was born when Professor X used his powers to wipe out Magneto's mind in X-Men (vol. 2) #25. As explained in Wolverine (vol. 2) #104 this caused Magneto's dark side to manifest in Xavier's mind and grow into a separate entity that became Onslaught.

• The heroes in Four Freedoms Plaza are mostly recovering from the EMP that was unleashed by Onslaught in X-Men (vol. 2) #55.

• The narrative mentions that the Beast had just recently escaped captivity from his doppelganger, the Dark Beast of Earth-295. The Dark Beast escaped to Earth-616 in X-Men Omega #1. Fearing that he might be discovered by this realities Mister Sinister, the Dark Beast took his Earth-616 counterparts place in X-Men Unlimited #11, locking up the good Beast behind a brick wall. The Dark Beast later sided with Onslaught in Onslaught X-Men #1. The real Beast was eventually freed by X-Factor in X-Factor #126.

• Bishop is quite familiar with alternate timelines as he came from one himself (Earth-1191) in Uncanny X-Men #282, and has been struggling with the memories of his Earth-295 counterpart since X-Men Prime #1.

• Franklin has been a prisoner of Onslaught since last issue.

• The tension between Lyja and Johnny is due to the following:

  • Lyja used to pose as Ben's now ex-girlfriend Alicia Masters. As revealed in Fantastic Four #358 she did so during the events of Fantastic Four #265.

  • She pursued a romance with Johnny and they were eventually married in Fantastic Four #300 but Ben eventually exposed her as a Skrull in Fantastic Four #357

  • Meanwhile, as revealed in Fantastic Four #390, Lyja sought revenge against Johnny for abandoning her during the rescue mission that she allowed her fellow Skrull Paibok implant a Sha'Barri egg in her body. Since Fantastic Four #371 she led Johnny to believe she was pregnant with their child.

  • Lyja realized that she still had feelings for Johnny betrayed Paibok to be by his side in Fantastic Four #374. She eventually gave birth to the Sha'Barri egg in Fantastic Four #385. However, she was forced to admit that it wasn't their child in Fantastic Four #390. Horrified by this deception, Johnny rejected her in Fantastic Four #392.

  • What Johnny is not aware of is the fact that Lyja still cares for her ex-husband and has been posing as a woman named Laura Green since Fantastic Four #393 just to be near him.

  • Johnny figured this out after kissing Laura Green last issue.

• The Puppet Master and Alicia have been estranged from Ben since the Puppet Master tried to force Ben into a relationship with her in Fantastic Four #393.

• Cassie and Kristoff discovered that Donald Halberg was being abused by his father in Fantastic Four #410.

• The Kang construct mentions that he and Doctor Doom and rivals. The pair first opposed each other in Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #4.

• The device that allows Ben to change back and forth was recovered in Fantastic Four #405 from the jungles of Brazil.

• The recent animosity between Reed and Namor came when Namor tried to force himself upon Sue in Fantastic Four #412, a resurgence in a romantic interest Namor has had in Sue since Fantastic Four #4.

• Oddly enough Tyros appears in his form prior to his transformation into Terrax in Fantastic Four #210.

• Sue mentions she no longer has the "insecurities" that she used to have. Technically Malice is Sue's dark side, created by the Hate-Monger in Fantastic Four #280. Sue expunged this persona from herself in Fantastic Four #384.

• Agatha Harkness has been estranged from the Fantastic Four ever since she allowed Nathaniel to take Franklin into the future and replace him with his teenage counterpart in Fantastic Four #376.

Onslaught Reading Order

Onslaught: X-Men #1, Uncanny X-Men #335, X-Factor #125, Excalibur #99-100, Cable #34, Incredible Hulk #444, Wolverine (vol. 2) #104, X-Men Unlimited #11, Avengers #401, Fantastic Four #415, Generation X #18, X-Men Unlimited #12, X-Men (vol. 2) #55, Green Goblin #12, Amazing Spider-Man #415, Spider-Man #72, X-Man #18, X-Force #57, Excalibur #101, X-Factor #126, Uncanny X-Men #336, Cable #35, X-Force #58, Generation X #19, X-Man #19, Punisher (vol. 3) #11, Incredible Hulk #445, Iron Man #332, Avengers #402, Fantastic Four #416, Wolverine (vol. 2) #105, Thor #502, X-Men (vol. 2) #56, Onslaught: Marvel Universe #1