In Latveria, the Flowers Bloom in Winter

While the Fantastic Four are containing an uprising in the neutral zone around the Forever City, Valeria decides to go snooping in her father's lab. Getting past the security, Valeria manages to get into Reed's private lab and learns that he still has the Bridge, even though he promised his wife that he would destroy it. When Valeria learns about the Interdimensional Council of Reeds, she fears that her mother will be mad at Reed.

Meanwhile, in Latveria, Doctor Doom thinks about how his mind was recently used by the Intelligencia against his will. He then tells his servant Boris to call his son Kristoff Vernard out of exile. Doom intends to have Kristoff take the Latverian throne until he can restore his damaged mind. Just then, Valeria Richards teleports into the middle of his throne room. She tells Doom what she has learned from her father's machine, and has come to see what her "Uncle Doom" would do in this situation.

Valeria recounts how she entered the Bridge and found the domain of the Interdimensional Council of Reeds, who are still battling the Mad Celestials. Seeing the open gate as a way out, four of the Reeds manage to carry Valeria back to safety through her Bridge. Once upon Valeria's Earth, the Reeds examine the situation before teleporting away. Once she is finished this recounting, she tells Doom that her father was wrong and asks for Doom's advice. Doom tells her that on this day he is the wrong man to ask, but she needs him to help her father.

Back in the Future City, the Fantastic Four discover that the Evolutionary Engine is increasing its range when Ben's facemask breaks and he evolves into his simian form again. Needing to shut it down, Reed has Sue put a force field around the Future City, while Johnny burns out all the air with a Nova Flame. With the Future City's population now unconscious, Reed is able to shut down the engine.

The Fantastic Four soon return home to find their children waiting for them. When Reed asks Valeria if anything exciting happened, she thinks back to the end of her conversation with Doom. How she discovered that Doctor Doom has brain damage and offers to cure him in exchange for his promise to help her father. With no other choice, Doctor Doom accepts the offer. Valeria tells her father that there wasn't anything she couldn't handle.

Meanwhile, deep below the Earth, the Silver Surfer has discovered the future corpse of his master, Galactus, and finds this discovery unacceptable.

Recurring Characters

Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, Thing), Valeria Richards, Franklin Richards, Artie Maddicks, Leech, Silver Surfer, Mad Celestials, Doctor Doom, Interdimensional Council of Reeds (Reed Richards of Earths 12498, 4280, 99107, 98570), Boris

Continuity Notes

• Doctor Doom suffered brain damage when he was a prisoner of the Intelligencia as seen in Incredible Hulk #606.

• Valeria refers to Doctor Doom as her "uncle" as he helped with her birth, as seen in Fantastic Four Vol 3 #53.

• The conversation between the Interdimensional Council of Reeds is revealed in FF #3.