Family Values

The Thing's bubble bath is interrupted by Spider-Man who has come to the Baxter Building after getting a text message asking him for his help. The Thing didn't send the text message, so they go about asking everyone else didn't send the message either. With no emergencies to speak of, the Thing agrees to sit down to a poker game with Spider-Man. No sooner have they sat down are they suddenly attacked by what appears to be Doctor Doom. As the rest of the Fantastic Four rush into the room, they learn their attacker is actually Kristoff Vernard. The Fantastic Four are shocked to see Kristoff who they haven't seen since the Onslaught crisis. Kristoff explains that after a failed bid to reclaim Latveria, he foresaw the return of the Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom (who were believed dead at the time) and began plotting to retake Latveria and defeat the Fantastic Four.

Kristoff explains how he went back in time to utilize mystical texts from that were located in the Latverian embassy before they were destroyed. He then stole a sample of the Venom symbiote during the period in time that the Fantastic Four had it in their possession. Returning it to the present, Kristoff used it to set off a Venom bomb that Doctor Doom was blamed for and ultimately incarcerated. But his subsequent release at the hands of Norman Osborn led to Vernard to destroy the Doom directly. He stole a portion of the Technotroid and replicated its armor. He explains that he has come to seek the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man's aid in overthrowing Doom. However, the Invisible Woman refuses to do so, pointing out that the majority of people in Latveria worship Doctor Doom and that any time they have tried to dispose of him, things went poorly.

When Reed suggests that Kristoff needs help, and the youth lashes out at them. The Fantastic Four fight him back but one-by-one they all fall, leaving Spider-Man alone to fight him. Instead of fighting him, the wall-crawler pulls out one of the Fantastic Four's family albums. Seeing pictures of how happy he was living with the Fantastic Four was. Kristoff is shocked they kept photos of him. By this point, the Fantastic Four have recovered and tell Kristoff that they searched for him after they returned and that they still consider him part of their family. Unwilling to accept them now, Kristoff is determined to meet his destiny and teleports away. In the aftermath of the battle, the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man feel pity for Kristoff who has nobody while they all had family they could rely on. This gets them to think that Spider-Man is part of their expanded family. While back at his hideout, Kristoff has wrecked all his machinery.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, Thing), Franklin Richards, Valeria Richards, Kristoff Vernard

Continuity Notes

• This story focuses a lot on the relationship between the Fantastic Four and Kristoff Vernard. Some facts:

  • Kristoff was programmed with the memories of Doctor Doom in Fantastic Four #278 during a period that Doom was thought to be dead.

  • Kristoff eventually shook off Doom's programming circa Fantastic Four #350. He later ended up living with the Fantastic Four from Fantastic Four #396-416. He was last seen in Tales of the Marvel Universe #1.

• They also mention the Onslaught event, which saw the seeming demise of the Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom in Onslaught Marvel Universe #1. In reality, they were transported to Franklin's Counter-Earth as seen in Fantastic Four Vol 2 #1. They eventually were brought back to Earth in Heroes Reborn: The Return #4.

• The Venom Bomb was unleashed in Mighty Avengers #7-8 this led to Doom's arrest in Mighty Avengers #11. However, Doom was eventually released in Dark Reign: The Cabal #1.

• Sue mentions the times that removing Doctor Doom ended poorly:

  • The first time was in Fantastic Four #200 when the Fantastic Four assisted Prince Zorba to oust Doom. Zorba turned out to be as much a tyrant and the Fantastic Four were forced to help Doom remove him in Fantastic Four #247.

  • Years later, the Fantastic Four trapped Doom in Hell in Fantastic Four #500 and then attempted to take over Latveria from Fantastic Four #501-508 and were forced to rescind by the UN.

• The two-page spread of Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four cover various events in their history:

  • The time Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four first met back in Amazing Spider-Man #1.

  • When Spider-Man and the Human Torch battled the Green Goblin in Amazing Spider-Man #17.

  • Spider-Man web-slinging with Mister Fantastic was from Fantastic Four #240.

  • The scene with Spider-Man web-slinging with Franklin is from Fantastic Four #574.