Nick Peron

View Original

Fantastic Four (Vol 3) #9

Nick Peron

A Day in the Life

Credits

Early in the morning, Sue Richards answers a knock at the door of their Peir 4 headquarters. When she answers it she finds NPR reporters Neal Conan and Manoli Wetherell there to greet her. They explain that they have been invited over by Reed to film a documentary about the daily life of the Fantastic Four. Upset about this surprise visit, Sue quickly slams the door in their face and screams at her husband. Johnny quickly comes to the door and invites them in. When the scurity alarm goes off, Johnny and Ben have to ask them for credentials and to remove all weapons. When they see the amount of weapons the two reporters are hiding on their bodies and learn that it is because the two reporters used to hang out with the X-Men, neither are really surprised. When Ben asks what brings them here, they reiterate that they were invited by Reed to film a documentary since the Fantastic Four are big news after returning from their apparent deaths. Inviting the reporters in, Ben excuses himself while he goes shopping with Franklin and Alyssa.

Walking down to the Tribeca, Ben, Alyssa and Franklin pay a visit to Uncle Stan's Sausage Shack. After their meal they go for a walk and when Ben asks Franklin why he keeps looking around, the boy tells him he's keeping an eye out for monsters. When the Thing tells Franklin there is nothing to be scared of, Alyssa points out how easy it is for him to say that given his lifetime of experiences, reminding him that Franklin is only a boy. She get him to understand by explaining how his family recently disappeared for a long tim and all he wants is a happy ending for them all. When they go past the Four Freedoms Plaza, Franklin asks why they can't move back into their old home. Ben reminds Franklin that it had been taken over by the Thunderbolts and when they were outted as former members of the Masters of Evil they trashed the lace leaving it condemned and unsafe to live in until it can be thoroughly inspected.

Below the city streets city workers are checking out the tunnels below the Four Freedoms to ensure they are still structurally sound. When they hear a blood curdling howl, they fear that some kind of menace is loose in the sewers. The workers refuse to work in the tunnel further until whatever is making that noise is found and killed. Before they can call anyone to help them, they are approached by Kraven the Hunter who tells them that they do not need super-heroes now that he is here to hunt the elusive beast.

Back at Pier Four, Johnny is telling the reporters how he has gotten certification from the New York City Fire Department so he can learn how to better control his flames. He also talks about how frightening the first manifestation of his powers were and how he had nightmares for quite some time. Ben soon returns with breakfast and when Reed finally comes out of his lab, Sue asks him why he didn't tell her about the documentary crew. He tells her that it must have slipped his mind. They are interrupted once again by yet another visitor, fashion designer Kaye Cera who has come answering Sue's calls for help making herself presentable. Johnny is lovestruck by the models who have come in tow, but he can't linger as he has other duties.

Going outside he goes to an out-of-place British telephone booth, stepping inside he ends up in a strange infinite space where jumped by the woman he has come to see... Alysande Stuart.. a former slave that Johnny helped rescue while the Fantastic Four were still on Otherworld. When it's clear that Alysande doesn't remember him, Johnny reminds her of how he rescued her and brought her back to Earth in order to hide out from her captors. Johnny has brought her some food, but regrets to tell her that she can't stay at Pier Four until he's gotten Reed's permission but has a solution to this problem. He then takes Alysande out into the condemed Four Freedoms Plaza. He is busy showing her around when suddenly they are visited by Spider-Man who has come to mock Johnny for his setting for this "first date". Spider-Man introduces himself to Stuard and then tells Johnny that he came as a reunion. Johnny questions Spider-Man about the bounty he currently has on his head and about an crude imitator that he recently ran into called the Hornet. Spider-Man keeps quiet about how the Hornet was really himself in disguise. Spider-Man explains that he was cleared of any wrong doing and then notices that there is something wrong with Alysande. When she loses her temper on Spider-Man, Johnny explains to him her recent troubles. When the wall-crawler asks if she can be trusted, Johnny can't answer before they hear the strange howl coming from down below. When Alyesande dives into the building to investigate Spider-Man and the Torch follow after her. On their way after her the Torch accidentally triggers a deadfall trap that seals off the exit.

Back at Pier Four Ben is telling the documentary crue about his time as a test pilot. Sue learns that Johnny went out and Reed is out back playing baseball with Franklin. Sue goes to join her husband, there she hears Reed telling Franklin it is very brave that he keeps looking out for monsters but assures him that their family will be there to protect him. Back at the ruins of the Four Freedoms Plaza, Spider-Man and the Torch recover from their falls when they are suddenly attacked by Kraven who unleashes a lion on them. They are saved by Alysande who has transformed into her costumed identity of Caledonia and fights off the lion. Out numbered, Kraven then flees back into the sewers. Caledonia then shows Johnny what the source of the strange howls were. They take this surprise back and when Johnny learns that Franklin is afraid of monsters, Johnny says he has a solution. He then shows them what they found in the sewers: A puppy dog that has an antenna on its brow just like Lockjaw, the loyal dog of the Inhumans. Franklin and this dog become fast friends much to the delight of everybody.

Recurring Characters

Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, Thing), Franklin Richards, Alyssa Moy, Spider-Man, Caledonia, Kraven the Hunter, Neal Conan, Manoli Wetherell, Kay Cera, Stan Lee, Captain America

Continuity Notes

  • Conan and Manoli mention that they "hang out with the X-Men" which is putting it lightly. The pair filmed the group of mutants during the Fall of the Mutants event in Uncanny X-Men #226-227 where they seemingly sacrificed their lives to save the universe from the Adversary.

  • There are multiple mentions to the fact that the Fantastic Four spent a long time on Franklin's Counter-Earth. During Onslaught Marvel Universe #1 the Fantastic Four and Avengers were seemingly slain fighting Onslaught. In reality Franklin saved their lives by sending them to live re-lived lives on Counter-Earth. This was chronicled in Fantastic Four (vol. 2) #1-13. The Fantastic Four and their allies were returned to Earth during Heroes Reborn: The Return #1-4.

  • Stan Lee is depicted here in his relative prime. Unlike other real life individuals depicted in comics, Marvel Comics creators are exempt from the topical reference rules of the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616. Instead they all appear in the Modern Age in the relative prime of their lives.

  • Ben mentions how the Four Freedoms Plaza was occupied by the Thunderbolts which happened in Thunderbolts #3 shortly after the Fantastic Four reportedly died. At the time of this story the Thunderbolts were recently outed as members of the Masters of Evil and they subsequently damaged the Four Freedoms beyond the point of habitation as seen in Thunderbolts #10.

  • Kaye Cera mentions she got to New York from Milan quickly thanks to her sister "Sam". She is referring to Samantha Destine. Unknown to the Fantastic Four at this time, Cera is a member of the Destine family a family of quasi-immortals with magical powers. They were first seen in Marvel Comics Presents #158.

  • Alysande Stuart had an Alysande Stuart had a counterpart on Earth-616 first seen in Excalibur #6. At the time of this story Alysande-616 had since died as seen in Excalibur #55.