Fantastic Four Unlimited #11

Jan 17

Jan 17 Fantastic Four Unlimited #11

The Inhuman Condition

The city of Attilan is being returned to its natural size on the raised island of Atlantis. Amid the chaos is the Inhuman Royal Family who is caring for their leader Black Bolt whose antenna has been damaged during a battle with Thor. With Black Bolt out of his right mind, he attacks his family until his son Ahura is able to calm him with is powers. With the city crumbling around them, they decide to get to safety and have Lockjaw teleport Bolt, Medusa, Ahura, Gorgon and Karnak outside the city limits. Suddenly a Negative Zone Barrier is erected around Attilan, trapping them outside their home. Try as they might, neither Gorgon nor Karnak are able to break through the barrier. Suddenly they are attacked by the elite Inhuman military unit known as the Crimson Cadre. The Cadre has come to take the Royal Family into protective custody by the decree of the Genetic Council. A battle breaks out until Black Bolt calls and end to hostilities, however instead of surrendering to the Crimson Cadre, he orders Lockjaw to teleport them away.

The Royal Family appear in New York City not far from the Four Freedoms Plaza. Before they can go and seek the aid of their allies the Fantastic Four some police cars arrive on the scene forcing them to flee. Following this with his mental powers is the leader of the Genetic Council, Lord Arcadus who decides to reign in the royal family with his own powers. Entering a meditative state he uses his powers to animate the statue "The Genius of Electricity" and sets it to attack the Royal Family. Although Black Bolt's antenna is damaged, he manages to blast the statue rendering it inert again. Arcadus then animates a building gargoyle as well as the "Immigrants" and "Fisher of Men" sculptures and sets them against his enemies. The Inhumans hold their own against their attackers but the tide is slowly turning until Crystal and Quicksilver of the Avengers arrive to lend a hand.

With the statues destroyed, Crystal and Quicksilver take their family back to Avengers Mansion to have Giant-Man examine the damage done to Black Bolt. Unfortunately, the work is too intricate for Henry Pym to repair. When Medusa asks Crystal to return to her family, her sister refuses telling them her place is with the Avengers. When Gorgon balks at this, he and Quicksilver almost come to blows. Deciding that it is time to depart the Inhumans leave, but not before Crystal tells Ahura that if they ever need help Lockjaw will bring them to her. The Inhuman Royal Family then leave Avengers Mansion with an uncertain future ahead of them.

Recurring Characters

Inhumans (Black Bolt, Medusa, Gorgon, Karnak, Triton, Lockjaw), Avengers (Crystal, Quicksilver, Hercules, Giant-Man, Black Widow), Crimson Cadre (General Ator, Margoyle, Eelak, Glaboo, Rootar, Pulssus), Lord Arcadius

Continuity Notes

his story takes place after the events of Fantastic Four: Atlantis Rising #2. In the first issue of that series, Attilan was shrunk down in size and taken from the moon, while Atlantis was risen from the ocean floor. Attilan was restored to its normal size in Atlantis Rising #2.

In this story it is mentioned that the Terrigen Mist was released when the city was enlarged again and trapped within the Negative Zone barrier. Eventually this plot thread is dropped and appears not to be an issue when Attilan is seen again in Quicksilver #5. The Negative Zone Barrier erected around Attilan in this story is similar to the one put around the city from Fantastic Four #48 to 59.

Crystal's has been a member of the Avengers since Avengers #336. She and Quicksilver have been married since Fantastic Four #150. Crystal mentions her daughter Luna. She gave birth to this child in Fantastic Four #240.

Giant-Man states that both Mister Fantastic and Doctor Doom are dead. They were believed to have been killed in Fantastic Four #381. However they are actually prisoners of Hyperstorm as revealed in Fantastic Four #405-406. In fact, Mister Fantastic eventually repairs Black Bolt's antenna in Fantastic Four #411.

Gorgon refers to Quicksilver as a mutant in this story. However as revealed in Uncanny Avengers (vol. 2) #4-5, Quicksilver is not actually a mutant. His powers were derived from experiments conducted on him by the High Evolutionary. In order to cover his tracks, the Evolutionary altered Pietro in such a way that any genetic scans would identify him as a mutant.

No Man is an Island

With Atlantis risen from the ocean floor, the Sub-Mariner flies over his former kingdom and observes the thousands who have died by suffocating on the surface. In the dead city he finds his old for Llyra who has been chained up and forced to remain in this charnel house. When Namor demands to know where his son Llyorn has gone with his surviving people she explains that Llyron is more than just one with MacKenzie blood. She explains how she made a deal with the exiled geneticist named Lyrra to create Namor's "son" by combining his and her DNA. Instead of erecting a statue to Lyrra in Atlantis once Llyorn sized the throne, Llyra killed him. She then points out that there is a statue of Lyrra erected in the city, which is something Llyron could only have done had he Lyrra's memories. When Llyra suggests that they work together to stop Llyron, Namor declines to free her, leaving her a dead fish and hopes that it is her last meal.

Flying over the ruins of his once great kingdom, Namor comes across a young Atlantean girl struggling to find enough water to breath and calling out to her family. Namor rescues her and carries her deep into the ocean. But unfortunately it is too little too late, as the girl dies soon after, causing Namor to scream in mourning. Elsewhere in an air filled cave, the remaining members of Atlantean society have gathered, using water recyclers to breath out of the water. When Warlord Seth protests he has his recycler blasted off. When Vashti protests this, Llyoron informs his people that with their dwindling numbers all women capable of child baring will have to be impregnated immediately with cloned stock of their fiercest warriors. When Vashti points out that Atlantean law had long since outlawed cloning Llyron insists that they will need an army of Sub-Mariners if they will be able of taking over the surface world.

Meanwhile at the United Nations, government leaders from all over the worlds hold an assembly to discuss what to do about the newly arisen Atlantis. As the meeting carries on it becomes clear that various nations of the world have a keen interest in the resources and riches that might be found there. Elsewhere on Earth, Power Princess tells her lover Hyperion she must go and investigate Atlantis to see if it has any connection with Utopia Isle, the island she grew up on in their native reality. Also at the same time, Silver Sable International pilots a ship toward the island in order to exploit its resources for the nation of Symkaria. The wake caused by Atlantis rising is felt elsewhere in the world as well, as Hydrobase is struck hard by the waves causing flooding. Scientist Walter Newell and his crew have to work hard to eliminate the flooding so he can save his wife Dianne and other members trapped in water. While scientists off the British Coast fear that the changes to the North Atlantic Drift, England could potentially become a frozen wasteland within a year.

While on the island of Altantis, fortune seekers land on the island hoping to dig for riches but soon find themselves facign off against the Portuguese Navy who have laid claim to the island. This is followed by the United States Marine Corps who also lands on the island to claim it for the United States as well as mercenaries under the employ of the Brand Corporation. Finding this conflict on his land, Namor angrily confronts the invaders and forces them into retreat. The Brand Corporation unleashes a mutated creature they call Man-Of-War to deal with Namor, but he slays it with one of their Vibranium blasters. This allows the Marines to regroup and fire on Namor, but he fights back smashing their military equipment and sending everyone packing. He warns those gathered that Atlantis is off limits and under his protection. With the invaders repelled, Namor retakes his throne in a dead kingdom without a people or a queen.

Recurring Characters

Sub-Mariner, Lord Vashti, Warlord Seth, Power Princess, Silver Sable, Stringray, Diane Newell, Llyra, Llyron, Brand Corporation, Hyperion

Continuity Notes

This story takes place after the events of Fantastic Four: Atlantis Rising #2. In the first issue of that series, Attilan was shrunk down in size and taken from the moon, while Atlantis was risen from the ocean floor. Attilan was restored to its normal size in Atlantis Rising #2.

Llyron's origins were seen in Namor the Sub-Mariner #48-50.

Llyron's plan to clone an army of Sub-Mariners is eventually dropped. Namor eventually reclaims his people around Marvel Team-Up (vol. 2) #11, with no explanation as to why or how.

Likewise is the plot involving Power Princess going to investigate any ties between Atlantis and Paradise Isle. She's next seen in Siren #1 back among the Squadron Supreme.

Namor eventually clashes with the Inhumans over reclaiming his kingdom. This is depicted in Inhumans (vol. 2) #1-12 which ends with Attilan being transported back to the Himalayan Mountains, the island sank at that moment.