The Merciless Menace Of MODOK!

Following their attempt to collect some Sentinels for protection from the X-Men, the Fantastic Four bid farewell to their friends at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. As they leave, Professor X suspects that the Fantastic Four are about to face the greatest threat they have ever known.

Meanwhile, in Harlem, the novice hero known as the Falcon stalks a trio of men who have been hired to stir up racial tensions in the neighborhood. Before the Falcon can act he is suddenly attacked by a group of AIM soldiers. While back at Castle Doom in Upstate New York, Doctor Doom's technicians have completed reconstructing Doom's time machine after recovering it from Reed's lab. Seeking to recover the Cosmic Cube for his own use, Doctor Doom activates the device and travels into the recent past.

While at the home of Agatha Harkness in Whisper Hill, the Invisible Girl visits her son Franklin who is in the care of the old witch. Sue is surprised when a teddy bear she is holding suddenly appears in Franklin's playpen but dismisses anything supernatural about the occurrence. Later, when Reed, Ben, and Johnny return to the Baxter Building they discover that Sue and Crystal have not returned from their trip. Reed sends Ben and Johnny out to Whisper Hill to make sure their safe, giving Reed time to work on his latest invention which believes may be able to save them all.

Meanwhile back in Harlem, the Falcon is greatly outnumbered by AIM agents and their Mechanoids, but is joined by his partner Captain America who lends a hand. As the fight continues, one of the AIM soldiers spots the Thing flying by in a sky-cycle and believes that the Fantastic Four are also coming to interfere. Ben is blasted out of the sky and quickly joins Cap and Falcon in their fight. However, the trio is knocked down by a mental blast fired by MODOK. But before the Thing is incapacitated he is able to fire a Fantasti-Flare into the sky. At that same moment, Crystal is teleported to the throne room of the Inhumans by Lockjaw. There she learns that her family in the royal family has taken her to inform her that something of great value has been stolen from their people. Back in New York, the Torch spots the Thing's flare and comes to his aid and the four heroes begin fighting back against their AIM attackers. While in the past, Doctor Doom scans for a trace of the Cosmic Cube and finds it deep below the ocean floor.

Back in the present, Ben, Johnny, Cap and Falcon continue their battle but it is abruptly ended when Reed arrives with a weapon that incapacitates all of the AIM soldiers, although MODOK manages to escape. While Cap and Falcon are left to dispose of their foes, the three members of the Fantastic Four return to their headquarters. There Reed explains to them that he has been unable to second guess their mystery attackers because his brain had been infiltrated with mental inhibitors, a fact confirmed by their visit with Professor X. When posed for questions, Reed tells his two teammates that he hasn't figured out how, but he certainly knows who their attacker is.

Recurring Characters

Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Girl, Human Torch, Thing, Crystal), Captain America, Falcon, AIM (MODOK), Doctor Doom, X-Men (Professor X, Marvel Girl, Beast, Iceman, Angel), Franklin Richards, Agatha Harkness, Inhumans (Black Bolt, Medusa, Triton, Gorgon, Karnak, Lockjaw), Ebony

Continuity Notes

• This story is the earliest chronological point in time that Franklin uses his growing mutant powers. His powers were hinted at in Fantastic Four #129-141 when Reed was forced to shut down Franklin's mind in order to prevent his powers from exploding out of control.

• Doctor Doom travels back in time to recover the Cosmic Cube following its use by the Red Skull in Tales of Suspense #79-81. That tale ended with the Cosmic Cube being dropped into the ocean. The reason why Doom goes back in time to collect the Cosmic Cube is that it was believed to have been destroyed after the Red Skull's next failed attempt to use it in Captain America #119.

• In this story, Doom reclaims the Time-Platform that Reed has had in his lab since the Fantastic Four first defeated Doctor Doom in Fantastic Four #5. However, it is a replica as the original time machine remained in Doom's American castle as seen in Avengers Annual #2 and Marvel Super-Heroes #20.