Fantastic Four (Vol. 3) #33

Mar 8

Mar 8 Fantastic Four (Vol. 3) #33

A Town Called Revelation

While the Fantastic Four are away from their Pier Four headquarters a mysterious costumed being teleports in and sets a bomb that goes off with success. While over the town of Arizona, the Fantastic Four's Fantasti-Car begins to malfunction in mid-air. As Ben tries to prevent the Fantasti-Car from crashing on the town of Revelation, the rest of the Fantastic Four clear the area of civilians. The Thing manages to get control just before it crashes, stopping right in front of Revelation's deputy Beauregard Feiffer. Feiffer is unimpressed with the Fantastic Four's near crash in his town and tells them to remove their craft from his city streets. When the Fantastic Four explain that they have come searching for whoever was responsible for blowing up their headquarters in New York, Beauregard tells them that they have to follow the local laws and put in an official request with the Revelation police department before being able to search the town. Needing a place for the night, the Fantastic Four check in at a local hotel, but they don't have a bed sturdy enough for the Thing, who is content with camping outside for the night.

At that same time, the deputy pays a visit to Quinn, a local reclusive scientist and warns him that the Fantastic Four might be looking for him. Quinn thanks him, but his daughter Miranda is upset that her father isn't doing more than spending time in her mother's garden while the Fantastic Four stand to ruin everything they've been working on. When he still doesn't move on the issue, Miranda decides to deal with the problem herself. Quinn feels his daughter just doesn't listen to her and knows that the Fantastic Four's arrival is the least of their problems. Meanwhile, the Fantastic Four are at the local drive-in theater where they have space to examine the Fantasti-Car and determine what is wrong with it. While examining the vehicle, Reed explains to his team that someone was trying to destroy his interstellar transceiver before he could finish his scan of an uncharged region of space while Reed was investigating an anomaly first discovered by one of his old teachers years ago when he attended State University. Reed explains that he was able to track the teleporter's signal to Revelation. Reed then mentions how the area is a hotbed for paranormal phenomenon: namely unexplained disappearances, UFO activity, and a local legend of a monster called the Howler operating in the area.

With more work needing to be done on the Fantasti-Car and their bomber still out on the loose, Johnny decides to do some recon over the area while Sue goes into town to see what she can learn there. Reed finds that the atmospheric conditions in the area are also affecting his onboard computer's ability to access his database back in New York, forcing him to use a nearby payphone to check his messages. Among them is a call from the Fantastic Four's accountants at Schulman-Roker who report that the Fantastic Four could be heading into some financial trouble. As Ben works away on the Fantasti-Car he worries that Reed might not have it all together since being freed from Doctor Doom's armor. However, his thoughts are cut off when he hears something nearby. He is soon attacked by the costumed being responsible for blowing up their headquarters. Ben is incapacitated allowing the saboteur to plant another bomb onto the Fantasti-Car. When Reed tries to stop them he is incapacitated as well, and their attacker flees leaving the two downed heroes to deal with the bomb.

Meanwhile, in town, the Invisible Woman finds that the locals are giving her the cold shoulder. She decides to step into a shop called Ma Rose's Antiques. There she meets the owner, Desiree Longbow, who shows her a special mirror that makes the viewer see something different each time they gaze into it. Sue looks into the mirror and finds herself suddenly transported back in time and into the body of a woman named Constance Lyendecker, a woman who just had a romantic interlude with the famous outlaw known as Kid Colt circa the year 1870. As Sue tries to make sense of what is happening, the Kid is suddenly attacked by Moses Kincaid. When Kincaid tries to shoot the Kid, Sue uses her powers to block the shotgun blast. Kid Colt then easily knocked out Kincaid. Needing to hide out, Kid Colt grabs "Constance" and takes rides her off to the mine at Camp Verde where he hopes a local Apache tribe will keep him hidden. As they ride, Sue notes that the sky is ablaze, and the Kid explains that it is coming from the very copper mine they are seeking refuge in. Back in the present, the Human Torch thinks about Reed's state of mind as well as he lands and flames off the wilderness. There he happens upon what appears to be the creature known as the Howler. When he tries to follow it, the creature detects his presence and manages to sneak up on him and knock him out. Johnny wakes up on the side of the road just inches from where a woman in an El Dorado came to a breaking stop to prevent running him over. The attractive blonde introduces herself as Anastasia Contrares and offers Johnny a ride.

Elsewhere, Reed and Ben succeeded in shutting down the bomb and repairing the Fantasti-Car and are now on the trail of their attacker. When they pass over Quinn's home, Reed's scanners pick up something strange. Putting on special goggles they discover a massive technological construct next to the unassuming home that has been cloaked from natural sight. Flying into the complex they find a massive tropical jungle hidden inside. As they explore they are unaware that they are being observed by Miranda who opens the pens. Reed and Ben are suddenly attacked by a humanoid lizard. The pair easily subdue their monstrous attacker when Quinn orders the monster to stand down in an alien tongue. Quinn apologizes for his daughter's over-zealousness, he explains that they reveal their true forms as members of the Z'lyztayan race. Reed and Ben learn that they fled to Earth fleeing a creature called the Obliterator that goes from world-to-world exterminating all life that it finds. They go on to say that Reed's probes into space put them at the risk of being discovered by the Obliterator who would come to Earth and exterminate the last surviving Z'lyztayans and all life on Earth in order to finish its job. However, they explain that their attempts to stop the probe were futile as the Obliterator has discovered their location and its ship now hovers over the planet as they speak.

Recurring Characters

Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, Thing), Anastasia Contrares, Kid Colt, Howler, Obliterator

Continuity Notes

There are multiple references to Reed being trapped in the armor of Doctor Doom by the Dreaming Celestial. This happened in Fantastic Four Vol 3 #25. Reed's mind was slowly being rewritten to be like Doctor Doom's while trapped in the armor, however, he was recently freed in Fantastic Four Vol 3 #31.

So mentions when "Franklin gets back"... Franklin was sent to safety in Fantastic Four Vol 3 #24 when the Fantastic Four were preparing for their battle against Doctor Doom. As revealed in Fantastic 4th Voyage of Sinbad #1, Franklin is being kept in Otherworld. He will return to Earth in that story.