Chapter Four

The Fantastic Four have moved into the top floors of the Baxter Building and the military is assisting them the reconstruction of those floors to suit the needs of Reed Richards. The reaction to this news is mixed among New Yorkers across the city. The Thing is sulking in Central Park when he is joined by a blind man who begins discussing the news about the Fantastic Four. The blind man says that his niece described them to him and he thinks that even though they look strange they only want to help out and they should be considered heroes for that.

Inside the Baxter Building, Sue and Johnny are talking about the current developments. Johnny feels that they will be hiding in the Baxter Building instead of living in it and Sue asks him if he has any choice of the matter. However, when Johnny tells her that he has a life outside, she explains to him that he owes it to Reed to stick by his side. Not liking the idea of being lectured by his sister, Johnny flames on and flies off. Elsewhere in the building, Mister Fantastic and General Montgomery are overseeing the reconstruction of the floors the Fantastic Four will inhabit. While Montgomery is overwhelmed by the sheer scope of what Reed wants to do, Richards assures him that the Baxter Building will be the safest in New York City. Meanwhile, Johnny arrives at Swenson's Garage in Glenville to find a throng of female admirers waiting for him. When Johnny realizes that he has become an instant heartthrob he suddenly likes the idea of being the Human Torch.

Part 9: The Ties The Bind

The Thing returns to the Baxter Building where he finds that Sue and Reed are squabbling over the construction. When Ben announces his presence, Reed shows Ben his room, which has been specially designed to accommodate his form. This upsets Ben who doesn't want to be seen as a lab rat to Reed and storms out. When Reed tries to talk to his best friend, Ben points out that Reed doesn't seem to get his needs, pointing out that there are no mirrors in the room. He then goes on to call out Reed for thinking that they are going to be a happy family. Reed tells him that the living quarters are a matter of practicality and will allow Reed to work on finding a cure for Ben's condition. However in his explanations to the difficulties ahead, Reed considers that maybe Ben will find benefit to his new form. This causes Ben to lose his temper and smashes the device Reed is working on. He tells them that his condition is penance for flying on that mission half-cocked and storms out.

Later, Sue tries to talk to Reed who has no idea why Ben lashed out the way he did. Sue then points out that in all his planning he hasn't consulted any of the others and asks him where their relationship stands. Reed asks her what she means and makes a number of assumptions, which upsets Sue enough to force him away. She tells him not to assume her feelings and those of the others. When Reed suggests that they wait until things have settled down to figure out where their relationship is going, Sue takes offense to it and storms out on him. When Sue is gone, Reed loses his temper and takes it out on his lab.

It's then that Reed is contacted telepathically by Franz Stohl, who mocks Reed's domestic problems. He explains to Reed that he is jump-starting the next phase of human evolution at the very government facility they were all contained in before severing contact.

Part 10: Evolutionary Modern

At the Heyford military base, Stohl has used his mental powers to force his way back into the facility. With General Montgomery as his prisoner, he tortures Stohl while also explaining that he is going to change humanity. He then goes into the lab where cosmic energy powered meteor is being contained. Stohl plans to use it in his plans to further his goals.

Recurring Characters

Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Girl, Human Torch, Thing), Franz Stohl

Continuity Notes

• Although Fantastic Four #22 states that Sue did not gain the power to create force fields until then, she always had this power. This story implies that she didn't have the fine controlled.