Kni-Ton said:
Thanks!
My idea for a Fantastic Four movie is a lot larger in scale than the 2005 film. It is more epic, and fantastic. There is no holding back, an evident flaw in the 2005 film which obviously made the entire film an origin so they wouldn't have to go epic right away.
It begins with Reed Richards and Victor Von Doom in college. They are room-mates. There is an obvious tension between the two of them. Reed just wants to be friends and likes to help Doom with his projects. But Doom obviousloy does not think much of friendship and wants to work alone. One night Reed hears something in the college lab, he gets up and investigates. He sees Doom in the lab, working on a strange machine. He questions Doom. Doom is shocked at Reed's prescence, and immediately gets hostile. Reed tries to calm the situation down by asking exactly what Doom is making (he knows Doom loves to gloat). Doom explains he has created a machine that can open a portal to another dimension, and that it is finally ready and he plans to open it. Reed tries to talk him out of it, and it leads to a fight. In the scuffle, the portal is accidentally opened. Doom starts cackling with glee, yelling about how he has built something far superior to what Reed has ever built. Reed tries to turn off the machine, but Doom pushes him away. Doom does not notice the portal is starting to get eratic. Energy shoots out, and blasts Doom in the face. Reed turns off the machine. Immediately security comes in to handle the situation. Doom leaves the college to go back home to Latveria. Reed is racked with guilt in how he failed to stop the machine, which injured Victor.
Fast forward years later. Reed is an accomplished scientist and lives with his girlfriend, Sue Storm. He has a good friendship with Ben Grimm, an air force pilot. Johnny, Sue's little brother, usually hangs around.
Victor Von Doom has been appearing in the news a lot. He has grown up to become king of Latveria, and his views often clash with the United Nations.
Reed has been working on an experiment, and it is finally ready. A large scale version of Victor's experiment back in college. A portal to the Negative Zone. Reed plans to lead an expedition into the Negative Zone, with Ben piloting the ship, and Sue and Johnny as passengers. Reed is surprised that they are able to come, despite their lack of any scientific expertise. But Boris, head of the company, doesn't seem to have a problem with it. After all, this experiment will only benefit.. VON DOOM INDUSTRIES.
Yes, Von Doom has become so succesful that he has a company in America. And Reed is working for this company. Doom does not actually run it, instead leaving his faithful associate Boris to run the show. But on the day of the expedition, Doom is going to visit.
Doom arrives at New York City. The press is everywhere. Doom steps out of the plane. He is wearing a green pin-striped business suit. Along with a darker green cape and hood. And a vicous-looking iron mask. Doom has always been known as being eccentric. Doom is barking orders to his business associates, as he storms into the Baxter Building, home of Von Doom Industries. He enters the test site, where a huge version of his experiment back in college stands. Doom quiets down his associates, and steps up to take a closer look. As he walks, he passes Reed Richards, and catches his eye. He walks past with the most hateful look on his face. Reed explains to Sue how he knew Doom back in his college years.
Doom studies the machine. "Good." He mutters. He walks away. Johnny comments on how spooky he is.
The experiment begins. The four board the ship. The portal opens. The ship nears the Negative Zone. They brace themselves as they pass through the portal. Reed breathes a sign of relief as he discovers they are unharmed. Everyone in the building claps. Except Doom. Who just stares with his arms folded.
Reed, Ben, Sue and Johnny watch in amazement at the world around them. There appears to be no signs of life. Suddenly, a bad thing happens. The ship is blasted with a ray of energy, like the one that scarred Doom. Reed says the shields should protect them. But the ship continues to be blasted with energy. Then it breaks through. The four are bathed in the energy. A light flashes. The ship disappears, and reappears back on earth, on a beach. Reed staggers out of the ship. His friends scattered around the beach. Where are they?
TO BE CONTINUED.
Thanks for posting, Kni-Ton.
I would definitely do a few things differently, though.
Firstly, I'd keep the college era the same as was in the comics, for the most part. Von Doom and Reed Richards were supposed to be roommates, but Von Doom instantly dislikes Richards, despite Reed's trying to be friends right off. On the day they move into their dorm, as Von Doom is about to give Reed a severe and distainful dressing-down, football scholarship student Ben Grimm enters and claims he was also assigned to that dorm room, but the room is only a double. Victor has had enough of this nonsense, grabs his bags and exits the room in a huff, leaving the other two to settle in. Thus begins the friendship between Reed Richards and Ben Grimm, and the tension between they and Victor Von Doom. I think it's important to have Reed and Ben be friends since college.
Also, I'd have the circumstances of Victor's experiment remain faithful to the comics. Just like in your scenario, though, he would be trying to open up another dimension, but whether it's stated or not, he's trying to get into a demon dimension to fetch his damned mother, not the Negative Zone. Even though they don't live together, Reed and Victor run into each other occasionally, and I'd go with Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's plot where Reed gets a glimpse of Victor's equations and points out a flaw. Von Doom won't hear of it and goes ahead with his experiment anyway when Reed isn't there to pester him. There's an explosion in the lab and Victor has his whole face bandaged up when the dean of the university tells him he's expelled (although we don't know what his face looks like, so it could be a complete disfigurement or just a small scar).
Secondly, I'd actually keep the origin catalyst the same as it was in the Foxtastic Four movie: a study of the once-in-a-dozen-lifetimes cosmic storm passing through, from a space station.
The most important differences would be that Doom would be nowhere near the voyage or space station, Reed and Sue would not be estranged, and Ben Grimm would unquestionably be the primary pilot instead of Johnny Storm. Also, while Sue wouldn't be a full-blown scientist with a doctorate, she should probably have some actual function on the mission (Reed's assistant, maybe?), and Johnny could be a shuttlecraft mechanic as well as co-pilot.
I was also actually thinking of possibly having Doom be pulling strings from behind the scenes regarding the space voyage, but I'd have his involvement be completely secret (I was unclear as to whether this was strictly the case in your scenario or not) and there would be no American corporation with the name "Von Doom Industries." He could still own an American corporation, though, and it could be run by a man named Boris (I forget was his last name is, but he'd have to have one in the movie). The Batxter Building would be owned or leased long-term by Reed Richards, not affiliated with Von Doom.
I'd also have Doom be the monarch of Latveria by the time Reed and friends go up in space, like in your scenario. He'd be called "Lord Doom" by most people, but Reed (by the time they're in direct conflict) would call him
Doctor Doom, since he has respect for the scientist in Victor, but has no regard for anachronistic tyrants.
The reason I'd have Doom indirectly guide Reed toward taking on this observation mission and supply opportunities and resources for him is because he'd be using the Four as guinea pigs. Doom believes that the cosmic storm's radiation can grant tremendous power to humans exposed to it and wants that power for himself (even though he already has near-unlimited wealth and resources, scientific superiority over most of the world, political power and a superpowerful suit of battle armor which he basically never takes off). I'm thinking the space shuttle heading to the space station is carrying, among other things, special cells that will collect samples of matter and energy from the cosmic radiation storm. The cells will be set up outside the station while the Four are supposedly safe behind the structure's shielding. Von Doom will arrange for the shielding to be compromised during the storm's passing, leaving the Four vulnerable enough to be bombarded by cosmic rays. If they can survive the radiation, they will either recooperate there or come back to Earth; either way, Doom can study their mutations, whether it grants them power or unpleasant deaths. The radiation cells will be brought back to where Doom can retrieve them, and if the Four are empowered without severe negative side affects, Doom would plan to expose himself. That's what I've conjured as a reason for why Doom would want a piece of this action, without him being present. Thoughts?
Would you have Dr. Doom use robots and have him be renowned as a robotics expert? Would you have Reed Richards intentionally create unstable molecules?
Well, at least for what I am doing.. 
