Fantastic 4th Voyage of Sinbad #1
The Fantastic 4th Voyage of Sinbad
A strange mist begins rolling across the city of New York, grinding everything to a halt. With the waterways ordered cleared, nobody sees an impossibly ancient sailing ship appears out of the mist and heading into New York harbor. Not far away at the Fantastic Four's Pier Four headquarters, the Fantastic Four wait at an open portal as Reed and Sue's children Franklin and Valeria (a teenaged girl from a possible future) arrive home from Haven with their bodyguard Caledonia and Franklin's Inhuman dog Puppy. It's a happy reunion all around and the family sits down to a pizza dinner, little knowing the adventure that is about to unfold. As the mist begins to roll inland, the Fantastic Four and their family begin to retire for the night after a peaceful evening. Soon this tranquillity is interrupted when out of the mist come four elementals who attack the members of the Fantastic Four in their beds.
Each member is caught off guard but soon defeats the attackers when they switch opponents. Hearing a racket outside they exit the building to see a massive hydra attacking the children and Caledonia. Attacking the beast when suddenly they are confronted by its master, a mystical being calling himself Jihad. Jihad tells the adventurers that they belong to him and he blasts them with mystical energy. When Reed and Sue wake up they find themselves in the captain’s quarter of the sailing ship that appeared out front of their headquarters. Checking the ship they find the others safe and sound but they are out in the middle of the sea with no idea of where they are or what their foe has in store for them. Searching the ship, they make an astonishing discovery: That this ship is owned by the legendary sailor Sinbad and that the hero was seeking various mystical artifacts: the Mystical Eye (which beholds all), a gauntlet (to grasp all) a Crystal Casque (to contain all) and the Mallet of Destiny (which releases the heart's desire). Suspecting that Jihad is seeking to obtain these objects the Fantastic Four decide that they will seek them out themselves. Ben vows to find them for Sinbad, wherever he may be, unaware that the masthead of their ship is crying.
Their first quest is to find the Crystal Casque which they track down to a massive floating island made of crystal. With the reflective surfaces it is difficult to figure out how to navigate the island until Sue uses her invisibility powers to traverse it without casting a reflection. Next they search for the gauntlet, which takes them to a strange kingdom where Reed pits his chess skill against the emperor, with their chosen champions acting like real-life chess pieces. Reed's superior skill allows them to win the match and recover the gauntlet. Next, they seek to recover the hammer. In an ancient temple, they battle the creature known as Iblis, who transforms Reed, Sue, and Johnny into demons. It's Ben's strength at that allows them to win the day. Compromising the temple with his strength, Ben allows sunlight to enter it for the first time in centuries. The light causes the marble surfaces to cast a reflection with, upon looking on her own image, causes Iblis to turn into stone. With their foe defeated, the others are restored to normal and Ben recovers the hammer. On their way to seek the eye, they are attacked by a massive Ruhk, but manage to evade destruction thanks to Sue's invisible force fields. Soon they are upon a rocky island where many ship ruins are floating in the waters. Inside they find a massive statue in the form of Shiva with the eye placed on its forehead. In their way are the massive Rouk and its nest of hatchlings. Using his flame, Johnny scares off the Rouk and its hatchlings, saving a strange green creature that was to be their next meal. Recovering the eye, the Fantastic Four return to shore, rescuing the strange creature in the process. Once there they are surprised to discover that this creature was merely Jihad in disguise. Having tricked the Fantastic Four into recovering the mystical objects for him. Taking them and turning Franklin, Valeria, and Caledonia into wooden statues, Jihad takes them along with two others -- one of which was the masthead of their ship. Quickly, Ben has Sue launch him up at Jihad's massive hands and he rends one of the wooden statues free just moments before Jihad teleports away.
Sue is upset that Ben grabbed a statue that wasn't her children, but they quickly learn why: the statue that Ben grabbed was the imprisoned form of Sinbad the sailor, and upon freeing him from Jihad, Sinbad has been restored to human form. Sinbad explains that Jihad has sought out these items to make himself the ruler of Sinbad's world and that once he has conquered this one, the world the Fantastic Four live in will surely be next. With his own daughter, Dioné, also a prisoner of Jihad, Sinbad vows to help the Fantastic Four stop their mutual foe. With their ship wrecked, the Fantastic Four use their powers to subdue the Rouke and use it as a means of following after Jihad. At a city not far away, Jihad prepares the mystical artifacts and the wooden statues of his victims. He intends to increase his power through the mystical objects, and then use the life forces of his prisoners to travel between worlds and conquer this dimension and that of Earth. While the rest of the Fantastic Four keep Jihad busy, Ben and Sinbad recover the prisoners as well as the mystical objects. After Ben lands a powerful blow that sends Jihad flying into the nearby water, Sinbad begins preparations to free their family members. With each of the Fantastic Four utilizing one of the objects, they channel their powers and mystical energies to restore the prisoners back to flesh-and-blood. When Jihad returns for a second round, the thing wallops him with the Hammer of Destiny, destroying Jihad and completing the spell, freeing everyone.
With their quest over, Sinbad and his daughter sail the Fantastic Four back to New York City where they find that very little time has passed in their dimension. As a parting gift, Dioné gives Ben a portrait of herself and her father and wishes him all the luck finding love in his life. Soon Sinbad and his daughter are sailing off and disappear into the mist that brought them here.
Recurring Characters
Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, Thing), Sinbad, Franklin Richards, Marvel Girl, Caledonia, Puppy
Continuity Notes
Valeria von Doom is actually an adult version of Valeria Richards the stillborn second child of Reed and Sue. Valeria didn't survive the child birthing process as depicted in Fantastic Four #267. This is revealed in Fantastic Four Vol 3 #49. Franklin ultimately uses his powers to restore Valeria to her newborn state so Sue can give birth to her again in Fantastic Four Vol 3 #50.
Franklin and Valeria have been sent to Otherworld for their own safety when the Fantastic Four were busy dealing with Doctor Doom and his Generals from Counter-Earth. They were sent away in Fantastic Four Vol 3 #25 and 27 respectively.
Ben looks at old photos of himself and the mutant known as Logan -- later Wolverine. Ben met Logan at least twice prior to his transformation in the Thing. These encounters were chronicled in Wolverine Vol 2 #-1 and Before the Fantastic Four: Ben Grimm and Logan #1-3.
