Spider-Man Team-Up #3
The Wizards Fantastic
Swinging across the city, Spider-Man arrives at the Four Freedoms Plaza on a very special evening.[1] Breaking into the building, the wall-crawler easily slips past the security systems in order to gain access to Johnny Storm's bedroom. There, the web-slinger plants a bomb on the roof that, when it explodes, throws a net of webbing into the Human Torch's face. As it turns out, it is the Torch's birthday and Spider-Man is maintaining an annual tradition of playing a prank on his old rival.[2] The Torch instantly realizes that he has been pranked by the wall-crawler and is furious. As Spider-Man tries to flee through the ventilation system, he is caught by the Thing who drags the web-slinger into the living room where the rest of the Fantastic Four demands to know what he is doing in their headquarters. As Spider-Man tries to explain himself, Mister Fantastic realizes that the alarm is still going off and there is another intruder in the building.[3]
The Fantastic Four and Spider-Man rush back to the Human Torch's room where they discover a strange portal has opened. When the Thing gets too close a tentacle comes out and pulls him in. Reed stretches his arm in after the Thing. However, when he thinks he got a hold of Ben he instead pulls out a diminutive man in a robe. This stranger introduces himself Shiwa ven Garmchee the most powerful wizard in the realm of Perrinois. When they have no idea what Shiwa is talking about, he tells them about his realm. He explains that he was looking through the Pool of Diamonno when he saw a vision of a vast starscape and amazing ships and decided that he wanted to visit this amazing site. As he cast a spell to an open a portal to this realm he believed angels were singing to him, although he was confused as to why they were singing "Happy Birthday". That's when Johnny realizes that Shiwa heard the recording that Spider-Man included in his birthday prank. Reed also theorizes that the only way the Ven Garmchee managed to open a portal in the middle of their headquarters was because Spider-Man had deactivated their security systems while breaking in. That's when Shiwan notices Johnny's television which has the star field that he saw through the Pool. As it turns out, the diminutive wizard was drawn to their world by one of Johnny's video games. It's then that the Invisible Woman reminds them that they still don't know what happened to Ben.
At that moment, the Thing makes a less than graceful landing in a bathing pool in the realm of Perrinois. At first, Ben is delighted to be surrounded by a large group of beautiful women, but he is soon attacked by sword carrying guards. However, their weapons are no match for the Thing's rocky hide and with their weapons broken the guards flee in abject fear. Walking outside, Ben realizes that he is in some primitive land.[4] Deciding he needs to keep a low profile, Ben uses a concentrated capsule of cosmic rays created by Reed Richards to temporarily restore himself to human form. Grabbing a robe, Ben heads outside where he runs into some guards looking for the "monster" that was sighted. He sends the guards in a wild goose chase and then begins trying to think of a way to get home. While back on Earth, the rest of the Fantastic Four have gotten into costume and are planning their next move. Spider-Man, Mister Fantastic, and the Invisible Woman go into the port. The Torch is upset that he isn't tagging along, but Spider-Man points out that the fireproofing in his webbing will prevent Johnny from flaming on, Sue also points out that they need someone to keep an eye on Shiwa while they are gone.
Meanwhile, in Perrinois, Ben figures that the rest of the team will be here to rescue him soon and decides to keep an eye out for them on higher ground. Spotting a castle, he decides to go inside where he is attacked by guards who recognize him. Despite the fact that he has been stripped of his powers, Ben still has the skill to defeat them in hand-to-hand combat. Getting to the top of the tower, he is confronted by another dwarf calling himself Rasheed ven Garmchee, who also claims to be the most powerful wizard of this realm. He refuses to let Ben get past him and go through the door to the top of the tower. This threat doesn't even phase Ben who tries to push his way past the wizard. However, Rasheed uses his magic to transform into a demonic creature called a Bordok. This also does little to frighten Grimm, who uses another cosmic ray capsule to transform back into the Thing. Unable to match the Thing's strength, Rasheed reverts back to human form and uses his magic to summon the Flying Wizards of Alganom. That's when Reed, Sue, and Spider-Man arrive and join the battle.[5]
As the three members of the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man deal with the dragon riding wizards, Rasheed spots the portal and his mortal enemy, Shiwa, on the other side. As the evil wizard tosses mystical bolts across the dimensional void, Johnny tries to get Shiwa to do something about this attack, but the wizard is too engrossed with the Torch's video game to notice. The heroes in Perrinois manage to knock out Rasheed. In order to force Shiwa to return to his home and close the portal, Spider-Man offers Johnny's video game console in exchange. Shiwa agrees and begins sealing the portal. Reed, Ben, Sue, and Spider-Man just barely manage to make it to through the portal before it closes. In the aftermath of the battle, the Fantastic Four have Spider-Man present Johnny his birthday cake while wearing a tuxedo for punishment for causing the whole disaster. While back in Perrionis, Shiwa realizes that the video game console is useless to him without electricity, much to his chagrin.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, Thing)
Continuity Notes
The original twin towers of the World Trade Center are depicted as part of the New York City skyline here. This should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616. The original towers were destroyed in a terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, and have since been replaced by the Freedom Tower.
Per Before the Fantastic Four: The Storms #1, was fifteen years old. That story takes place one year prior to Fantastic Four #1. As such, Johnny was 16 when he first became the Human Torch. Per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616 this would make Johnny roughly 23 or 24 years old at the time of this story.
Spider-Man makes a comment about how Reed Richards has a beard here. Reed grew the beard during a period he was believed to be dead from Fantastic Four #381-407.
Ben states that it is the year 1996. This should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616.
Sue wishes she still had her forcefield powers. This story refers readers to "recent issues of Fantastic Four". At the time of this story, Sue was tapping into hyperspace to boost her invisibility powers since Fantastic Four #400. However, because of the danger of harnessing such power, Reed has suggested that she refrain from using these abilities following their battle with Hyperstrom in Fantastic Four #406-410. However, she hasn't actually lost these powers as this story suggests.
