Nick Peron

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Fantastic Four: Atlantis Rising #1

Nick Peron

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Atlantis Rising!

Nathaniel Richards teleports himself within the Watcher's citadel hoping to gather the advanced technology hidden there. However as he passes a monitor he notices that it is recording the raising of Atlantis. Richards realizes that he is witnessing the greatest geological event in history. Down on the surface of the Earth, Atlantis continues to rise out of the Atlantic Ocean thanks to a spell cast by Morgan le Fay, who seeks to raise the land of her mystical ancestors. In the waves below, the Sub-Mariner is battling it out with his friend, the Inhuman known as Triton, who is still under Morgan's thrall. As Triton is defeated, Namor's ally Sean Dolan points out that Triton is still "bleeding" mystical energies and needs immediate medical attention or he will die. With no other choice, Namor takes Triton and Dolan and flies away. While below the surface of the ocean Llyron, the current ruler of Atlantis, has manged to get many of his people to safety. When figuring out the death toll, Lord Vashti informs Llyron that 60% of their population has been wiped out by the event. Furious, Llyron vows to get revenge against the surface world.

Meanwhile in New York City, the Human Torch is out on a date with his current girlfriend, Laura Green, when their date is interrupted by a Fantsti-Flare calling Johnny to action. Apologizing for breaking off their date, Johnny flames on and flies off to Four Freedoms Plaza. Unknown to Johnny, Laura Green is actually his estranged wife -- the shape-shifting Skrull known as Lyja. When the Torch is out of sight she drops her Laura Green disguise and then turns into a bird to try and fly after him. At Four Freedoms Plaza, the Invisible Woman is taking a call from the US Navy who are asking for the Fantastic Four's assistance in investigating the sudden raising of Atlantis. With the Avengers away on a mission of their own, the Fantastic Four are stuck dealing with the crisis on their own. As the group prepares for the coming mission, Kristoff and Ant-Man squabble with each other. This is enjoyed by the man posing as Boris, Kristoff's aid, as he believes the constant in-fighting among the members of the Fantastic Four will allow him to destroy them that much easier.

While back on the moon, the Inhuman Genetic Council also learns of the raising of Atlantis. Because the Inhumans have ancestral ties to Atlantis, but with the prospect of others seeking to claim the island they begin discussing what to do about the situation developing on Earth. While at the Watcher's Citadel, Nathaniel Richards continues his search and accidentally trips off a security device. It activates a massive sphere that creates a powerful vacuum sucking in all objects into it. While Nathaniel fights to prevent himself from being sucked in, it also has an affect on Attilan causing massive earthquakes. With the atmosphere around Attilan at a risk of being compromised, the Genetic Council decide to take the Terrigen Mist and return to Earth and try and claim Atlantis for themselves. At that very moment, Nathaniel Richards manages to teleport away just moments before the entire Citadel is sucked into the sphere. However without the massive construct around it, the sphere also begins sucking up the atmosphere around the Blue Area. This prompts the Genetic Council to flee to Earth. Learning that a human was responsible for setting off the trap, the Crimson Cadre also heads to Earth with an Atmo-Gun in the hopes of avenging their people by wiping out the entire human race.

At that moment in England, Triton is turned over to a hospital. There Namor and Sean Dolan are confronted by the British police. When Sean tries to pull out his Ebony Blade, Namor grabs it from his hands and flees the scene. While back at the recently risen Atlantis, Morgan and her followers prepare for the next phase of their operation when they are suddenly interrupted by the Asgardian thunder god Thor. Although Thor tries to attack the women, Morgan uses her mystical powers to enthrall and enslave Thor due to his connection with the Earth goddess Gaea. While at the same time, Nathaniel Richards materializes on his teleporter within Castle Doom in Latveria. Although the Watcher's Citadel was a complete wash he becomes aware of ships heading toward Earth and believes this could open up some new opportunities for him. Back at the Four Freedoms Plaza, the Fantastic Four receive a distress call from Attilan and decide to deal with that crisis first. Coming up with a solution on how to save Attilan the team gets ready to disembark for the moon. Meanwhile, Namor is on his way back to Atlantis when he is suddenly attacked by Thor, making him drop the Ebony Blade into the ocean. Although Thor has the upper hand, when their fight takes them into the water, Namor regains his strength and begins fighting back.

While on the moon, the Inhumans are still in a panic fearing that they will soon die once the atmosphere is gone around their home. Among those frightened are members of the renegade Inhumans who have noted the absence of both the Genetic Council and the Crimson Cadre. Leonus suggests that they take this opportunity to free their former master Maximus. Meanwhile, the Fantastic Four are speeding toward the moon aboard their Stealth-Hawk ship. While aboard both Kristoff and Ant-Man work on a device to shrink the city down in size allowing them to take it aboard their ship and relocate it. While back on Earth, Morgan and her followers channel their mystical energy to create magnetic ley-lines around Atlantis to defend it from outside invaders. As Namor and Thor battle on, the Genetic Council ship arrives on the scene. Seeking to curry favor with Morgn le Fay they blast Namor into the water and are welcomed onto the island as allies. Although most of the council insists that Morgan leave their ancestral land, Lord Arcadus interrupts them and offers to make a mutual deal. At that moment in the New Jersey circus where the Inhuman Royal family lives, Black Bolt decides to answer the call to help from his people on the moon. However when he teleports there alone with Lockjaw he finds nothing bu a massive crater where Attilan used to be and is quickly teleported back as there is no air.

What Black Bolt and the rest of the royal family are unaware of is the fact that the Fantastic Four succeeded in rescuing Attilan moments earlier by shrinking it and bringing it aboard their ship via tractor beam. As the Fantastic Four head back to Earth, the Crimson Cadre land on the Hawaii Islands where they begin their full out assault on the human race. While aboard the Stealth-Hawk, the Fantastic Four set up a means of communication with the people of Attilan. Tricked by Leonus into enlarging five "delegates", the Fantastic Four instead enlarge Maximus and his renegade Inhumans who ambush the team and knock them out.

Recurring Characters

Fantastic Four (Invisible Woman, Human Torch, Thing, Ant-Man), Nathaniel Richards, Sub-Mariner, Sean Dolan, Lord Vashti, Lyja, Kristoff Vernard, “Boris”, Black Panter, Inhumans (Black Bolt, Medusa, Gorgon, Karnak, Triton, Ahura, Lockjaw, Lord Arcadius, Cynas, Procal, Furgar, Sapphiras, Targon, General Ator, Pulssus, Margoyle, Rootar, Eelak, Glaboo, Maximus, Timberus, Leonus, Nebulo, Stallior), Morgan le Fay, Thor, Llyron

Continuity Notes

  • Nathaniel Richards became interested in the Watcher's citadel when he first visited it in Fantastic Four #399-400.

  • Morgan le Fay's plot to raise Atlantis to the ocean surface was chronicled in Namor the Sub-Mariner #60-62. Part of her spell also transformed Triton, making him more muscular and with more fins and loyal to Morgan le Fay. This story picks up immediately after the events of Namor the Sub-Mariner #62.

  • Llyron usurped control of Atlantis back in Namor the Sub-Mariner #55, although he eventually loses it sometime prior to Marvel Team-Up (vol. 2) #11.

  • Llyja has been posing as Laura Green since Johnny ended their relationship back in Fantastic Four #392.

  • The Black Panther states that he Avengers are away on a mission. At the time of this story the Avengers were battling AIM and the Red Skull in Avengers #386-388.

  • The man posing as Doctor Doom's former retainer Boris is actually Zarrko the Tomorrow man as revealed in Fantastic Four #405 he is spying on the Fantastic Four for his master Hyperstorm.

  • Although seemingly destroyed here, the Watcher's citadel returns or is rebuilt, as seen in Iron Man (vol. 3) #14.

  • The reason why Morgan le Fay was able to take control of Thor is because her magic draws power from Gaea the female god that is the embodiment of the Earth. As revealed in Thor Annual #11, Thor is the biological son of Gaea.

  • Nathaniel Richards has been hiding out at Castle Doom since the apparent demise of both Mister Fantastic and Doctor Doom in Fantastic Four #381.

  • The Fantastic Four shrink Attilan much like they did the population of Xantha back in Fantastic Four #7. Although Attilan is removed from the moon in this story, it is eventually returned there in Fantastic Four (vol. 3) #54.

Errors

  • It is stated a few times in this story that Attilan is contained under a dome with an atmosphere. This is in contradiction to the fact that, also stated in this story and many times elsehwere, that there is an artificial atmosphere within the Blue Area of the Moon.

Atlantis Rising Reading Order