Wolf at the Door: Part 4

Reed Richards has a dream about his grandfather John who was a paratrooper in the 101st Airborn Division during World War II. Waking up from the dream, Reed gets up and goes through the motions of his first day at work. He thinks about how his grandfather was part of the team of soldiers that were dropped into Normandy in June of 1944. He recalls that after the war his grandfather left the army started his own business and made a fortune before retiring. Although he is dead now, Reed believes that his grandfather would like his wife Sue. Kissing Sue goodbye, Reed heads off for his first day on the job. Outside he finds Johnny outside and learns that he wasn't out partying all night, but out running because he is trying to get in shape so he can pass the physical when applying for the FDNY.

As Reed takes the subway into downtown from Washington Heights, he thinks back to the ceremony where the Fantastic Four were forced to turn over the Baxter Building to the City of New York in order to pay their debts to the city when it was decided that the group had to pay for all the damages they have caused over the years. Reed is bemused when he recalls how, after handing over the property, Sue used her powers to make a city official's pants disappear in front of the press, which landed on the front page of the paper. When Reed exits the subway he is asked to approach and enter a limo that pulls up. Inside is the mobster known as Hammerhead who has learned about the Fantastic Four's tight financial situation. Hammerhead explains how the Fantastic Four's former money manager, Terry Giacometti, also swindled him out of money and asks Richards if he wants to join on the vendetta the Maggia has against the embezzler. When Reed refuses, Hammerhead gets angry and asks why he isn't accepting this offer when the rest of the superhero community has seemingly forgotten all about them. Reed thinks about how he met with Tony Stark earlier and was offered a loan until the Fantastic Four could get back on their feet. However, Reed declined the offer as a matter of pride, sure that the Fantastic Four could get by on the jobs they have taken up. Reed doesn't tell this to Hammerhead but tells him he's not interested and excuses himself so he can get to work.

However, along the way Reed notices a crowd forming outside the building. He learns that there is a man threatening to jump from the roof. Reed decides to get involved and uses his stretching powers to get to the ledge the man is standing on and convinces him to talk. Reed learns that the man lost his sixteen-year-old son to a car accident and his wife had left him due to the strain of the loss. The man, Martin, tells Reed that he has terminal cancer and that he decided to jump off the building because he is afraid of dying alone. Reed decides that that won't do and gives Martin his number telling him to call the moment he is at his last moments and promises to be there.

With the crisis averted, Reed goes about his day job and completes his day and heads home. He arrives to learn that Johnny's girlfriend Kourtney patched things up with him and will be joining them for dinner. He also learns what's for dinner, and what his children have been up too. When Sue asks he strangely silent husband if everything is okay, he gives her the thumbs up as that is what his grandfather would do before jumping out of a plane.

Recurring Characters

Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, Thing), Valeria Richards, Hammerhead, Tony Stark (in flashback)

Continuity Notes

• The events of Marvel Knights: 4 #1-12 occur between Fantastic Four #516 and 517.

• It's a possible explanation that John Richards might have been the "Reed Richards" that Nick Fury encountered in Sgt Fury and his Howling Commandos #4 as the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616 makes it impossible for Reed to have been active during World War II. John Richards is referred to as Reed's grandfather, this direct relation appears to be locked in as his father Nathaniel Richards was active as an adult in the 1950s as seen in S.H.I.E.L.D. #1. Given Nathaniel's experience with time travel, this is entirely possible. However, both of these assertions have yet to be officially verified.