Fantastic Four #563

Mr. & Mrs. Thing

Red-Beard, one of Johnny's bandmates comes to talk to him in his room and is shocked to see him fooling around with two women dressed up like Storm and the Scarlet Witch. Red-Beard explains that the Thing has been trying to call Johnny and tell him about his recent engagement to his girlfriend Debbie Green. This is huge news, so Johnny flames on and takes off for the Baxter Building. As he arrives a throng of reporters are at the main doors into the Baxter Building. Inside, Johnny joins Sue, Reed and the children in congratulating the Thing and Debbie for their recent announcement. Outside, the press wonders why the Thing is marrying an ordinary teacher. It's then that her ex-boyfriend Jason approaches them and tells them that he has all the dirt they could want on Debbie Green.

In his study, Mister Fantastic has contacted Iron Man to advise him on Doctor Doom's claims that he has a master, and this master will be attacking them soon. When Iron Man asks if Reed is going to cancel his family vacation, but Reed won't do it based on a vague threat from his oldest enemy. Suddenly the Baxter Building shudders, however it's only a massive Panther totem delivered by the Black Panther as a wedding gift to the Thing from the entire nation of Wakanda. The statue broke loose and fallen on the roof. The Thing easily rights the statue and carries it back downstairs. In Madison Square Park, Debbie and the Invisible Woman are taking Franklin and Valeria to the park. Debbie finds a sudden interest in her because she has agreed to marry the Thing. Sue tells her that a lack of privacy comes with being associated with the Fantastic Four. Sue warns Debbie that marrying Ben brings all the danger of the Fantastic Four with it and cautions her not to move ahead without considering what she is giving up first.

Meanwhile, one dimension away, Manhattan is in shambles and most of its heroes are dead. There the so-called master of Doctor Doom taunts this realities Reed Richards over the fact that he killed Sue and Ben before ripping his heart out of his chest. That's when Reed's husband, Jack Storm, tries one last attack on this menace but he too is easily slain. With the last of Earth's heroes dead, the master uses his powers to extinguish all life on Earth. He the master then tells his apprentice that they are going to check on his favorite pupil, Victor von Doom and teleport away. While on his native Earth, Doctor Doom grins from his cell in the Hague. When the guards ask what he is smiling about, he tells them that they will soon find out.

Recurring Characters

Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, Thing), Franklin Richards, Valeria Richards, Debbie Green, Iron Man, Marques of Death, Doctor Doom, The Apprentice