And the Walls Came Tumbling Down

Mister Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, the Thing and their allies Hellscout and Gornkai have made an alliance with the mad Inhuman known as Maximus who has set up operations in the ruins of the Four Freedoms Plaza that is located in the Negative Zone. With a group of pirates ransacking the Negative Zone for resources that are being taken into the positive universe, Reed Richards fears that any instability in the process could cause both realms to be obliterated. In discovering the Negative Zone, Reed always tried to keep close control over the technology to breach the barrier, but now feels responsible that it has fallen into the hands of less altruistic individuals. Sue tells her husband not to blame himself and is confident that Reed will be able to help resolve this danger before it is too late. Elsewhere on the alien world, the Trapster continues to lead the Gideon Trust's N-Explorers have tracked a powerful energy signature to the location of Annihilus who kills one of their number. The ruler of the Negative Zone vows to kill all the invaders to his domain. The Trapster quickly uses his communicator to call for reinforcements.

Meanwhile, at the Baxter Building on Earth, Johnny has called together the Sub-Mariner, Namorita, She-Hulk, and Ant-Man together to deal with the Gideon Trust after they used their know-how to brainwash the Sub-Mariner into attacking the city. They confer with Noah Baxter who advises them that they are not facing a super-villain but an evil multinational corporation and that their standard methods of dealing with evil will not work in this case. When a frontal assault is not a viable option, Namorita suggests a subtler approach. At that moment at the Gideon building, Richard Janus gloats over his current life standing. He recounts back to his days back in university alongside Reed Richards and Victor von Doom. He also recalls how his own research into the Negative Zone resulted in the creation of his alter-ego the Nega-Man and how he faked his own death so he could continue his exploration -- and later exploitation -- of the Negative Zone out from under the watchful eye of Reed Richards. This led him to the Gideon Trust which was then used to secure some of Richards patents to gain access to the technology needed to breach the Zone. When the Colonel reports that the Trapster and his men hit trouble, Janus then uses his powers to open a portal and send reinforcements. Soon, Annihilus finds himself outnumbered. Elsewhere, the Fantastic Four and their allies press forward with the technology they needed from the Four Freedoms Plaza. Their ally Hellscout is helping them track their quarry but he detects something strange happening. Pressing forward they run into one of the Trapsters squads and easily subdue them and demand answers as to who they are and what they are doing and where they are going next.

Back on Earth, Johnny's ad-hoc Fantastic Four team has used Ant-Man's shrinking gas to reduce themselves in size. Riding flying ants they have infiltrated the Gideon Building. Directed through the building’s inner workers by Noah Baxter, this novice team accidentally sets off a security system that unleashes an army of tiny HERBIE robots upon them. About to be smothered, Johnny decides to put caution to the wind and uses his flame to incinerate the endless flood of robots long enough so they can escape out a heating vent. Resuming their normal sizes, they press onward but are soon attacked by an Awesome Android. While back in the Negative Zone, the Fantastic Four and their allies have tracked down the Trapster and his N-Explorers who have defeated Annihilus and are now binding and torturing him.

Recurring Characters

Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, Thing), She-Hulk, Ant-Man, Namorita, Hellscout, Gornkai, Maximus, Sub-Mariner, Noah Baxter, Gideon Trust (Nega-Man, Trapster, HERBIE guards, Awesome Android), Annihilus

Continuity Notes

• These remains of the Four Freedoms Plaza were transported into the Negative Zone by Nathaniel Richards and Kristoff Vernard in Tales of the Marvel Universe #1.

• Richard Janus' plot to fake his death was originally chronicled in Fantastic Four #107-109.

• The Gideon Trust has access to Negative Zone portals, HERBIE robots, and Awesome Android designs because they purchased a number of Reed's patents from him in Fantastic Four Vol 3 #35 when the Fantastic Four were forced to sell some in order to avoid financial troubles.