Four to the Fourth Power

In the so-called Doomed Universe, two Fantastic Four teams from alternate dimensions are now locked in battle against Doom the Annihilating Conqueror, an amalgam of the powers of Doctor Doom, Kang, and Annihilus. The heroes pile on while Doom adjusts to his new powers, but soon Doom gets a foothold and easily casts his foes aside. Seeing Marvel Girl as a nuisance than anything else he returns her to his own time. Then he seizes both Mister Fantastics. Johnny is surprised to find that he remembers these events happening before even though he never experienced them. Doom then opens a portal in time and space showing Reed Richards his own world where Doom's counterpart is just now fighting Ant-Man. Doom the Annihilating Conqueror states that if his counterpart cannot stop Ant-Man he will take over that and all other universes.

Suddenly the Fantastic Four rescue the two Mister Fantastics with the alternate Fantastic Four's time-space ship. Just then, the Baxter Building suddenly explodes as well. The two Fantastic Four teams then agree to use the power transfer device to completely transfer the alternate team's powers to the Fantastic Four. With their powers increased two-fold, the Fantastic Four only have a limited time to stop Doctor Doom or they will die. While the Fantastic Four use their doubled powers to keep Doom at bay, the alternate team crashes the time-space ship into Doom, annihilating Doom for good and ending his threat.

However, the battle has taken its toll and the Fantastic Four collapse dead. However, the alternate team is able to revive them a few minutes later and reverse the double-flow of powers. In thanks, the alternate team raises a monument to their counterparts in thanks for their sacrifice to stop Doom.

The Fantastic Four finally return to their proper home in the Baxter Building. They are greeted by Lockjaw, Franklin, Valeria and Old John Storm. John Storm explains that Johnny's "recall" during the battle where Old John's own memories. With the memories no longer needed, Old John takes them back and then teleports away to complete his mission. Old John appears within the alternate Baxter Building during the heat of the battle and uses his powers to destroy the Baxter Building, sacrificing his life so the two Fantastic Four teams could defeat Doom the Annihilating Conqueror. Learning how Old John sacrificed his life to stop Doom, they begin to wonder how to commemorate his memory, Johnny, however, has the right idea...

Recurring Characters

Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, Thing), Alternate Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, Thing), Marvel Girl, Old John Storm, Franklin Richards, Valeria Richards, Doom the Annihilating Conqueror, Doctor Doom, Ant-Man

4

... Following their victories over Doom the Annihilating Conqueror, the Fantastic Four and the Future Foundation and their friends and family are having a barbeque at the Watcher's citadel on the Blue Area of the Moon. As the Fantastic Four inform their friends what happened, Johnny discovers that his girlfriend Darla Deering has left him for Ant-Man. This doesn't bother Johnny overly much as he has decided that he is going to take up music himself.

Elsewhere, Mister Fantastic talks with Uatu the Watcher and discusses the various alternate versions of his family he has seen. His encounter with Old Man John was disturbing and Reed hopes that Uatu does not have to deal with his family making mistakes. Reed then offers to try and guide Uatu's family in the future. Surprisingly, Uatu makes the same vow as well. While Sue talks to Ulana about her pregnancy, Valeria stews about the situation before Onome convinces her to have fun. Ant-Man is also pulled away from Darla by Reed who chastises him for using the children to go after Doctor Doom. Ant-Man explains that he had discovered something about Pym Particles that helped him assure victory. Hearing this, Reed is impressed, especially considering the applications they could use in the future.

With everyone up to speed, the Fantastic Four and the Future Foundation continue to enjoy their party with their friends and family.

Recurring Characters

Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, Thing, Ant-Man, She-Hulk, Medusa, Miss Thing), Future Foundation (Franklin Richards, Valeria Richards, Alex Power, Dragon Man, Bentley-23, Onome, Ahura, Luna, Wu, Vil, Mik, Korr, Tong, Turg, Leech, Artie Maddicks, Adolf Impossible), Wyatt Wingfoot, Silver Surfer, Uatu and Ulana the Watchers, Inhumans (Black Bolt, Gorgon, Karnak, Crystal, Triton, Lockjaw), Ravonna, Kid Immortus, Teen Annihilus, Sentry 444, Willi Lumpkin, Mike Allred, Laura Allred, Matt Fraction, Tom Brevoort, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Nathaniel Richards, Charles Cotta, James Power, Margaret Power, Dakor the Mystic, Impossible Man, Impossible Woman, Awesome Android

Continuity Notes

• This story is told from the perspective of the Future Foundation in FF Vol 2 #16.

• Stan Lee and Jack Kirby are, like all other Marvel Comics creators, exempt from the Sliding Timescale rules of Earth-616 with respect to Topical Appearances. All Marvel Creators exist in the Modern Age in the relative prime of their lives, hence why Jack Kirby appears here despite the fact that he died in 1994.