YOU are the script writer....

[Kelly]

What adventures would the Fantastic Four go on....

What aspects of the family are important to you in your script...

As for myself, I really enjoyed the Marvel Knights F4 because it really spent time on the relationships of the 4.

How the 4 related to the people around them was very intriguing to me and is what got me interested in the comics, so since Trank seems to be going for grounded and gritty, here are some of things I would add to make him happy. These are things that I have seen in the comics that could be brought to the big screen...

To me, they could do all they wanted to do as far as "grounded and gritty" and still have them be the explorers of the universe that they are.

1. At home, Johnny could still be the guy trying to figure out what he wanted to do with his life, besides superhero, who to date....to date?, to date how many?

2. Ben could still have bouts of depression...

3. Sue could kick the ass of the husband of the woman that asked for her help with an abusive husband.

4. Reed could .... I'm working on Reed....lol....working far too long in the lab, forgetting about the relationships that are important all around him.

but the point is, all of those things are from ALL of the comics, some 616, some MK and some UFF....grounded, gritty, real life, and in the middle of all of that take off into space to explore, get into trouble, get out of trouble, be fantastic... and back home to the real world once again.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR IDEAS?

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

One of my main things is I WOULDN'T do an origin.

Here's something I did probably 20 years ago (it was so old, my computer had to revise the format to Word.


Chapter 1

Sakarov glanced just a bit too long at the bloodshot eyes behind the iron slots. He had a clear sense that if his gaze had lasted a quarter second longer, the image would likely be the last thing he ever saw.

"Nine . . .Eight . . . Seven . . .Six . . . . . .System shutdown. We have interruption of countdown."

Sakarov shifted his feet uncomfortably as the command center buzzed with controlled confusion. He exhaled loudly, leaned against the stone wall and waited for an explanation from the mission watch commander.

Sakarov had been regretting his decision to leave Moscow to head Latveria's space program. At the time it seemed an unbelievable opportunity to escape post-Soviet Union chaos while taking advantage of the invaluable experience he had gained as one of their star engineers.

"Electrical system failure. Subsystem . . . G7-432-HT5 . . .main engine ignition initiation control subsystem."

Latveria's Monarch: Victor Von Doom, was unusual to say the least. Maniacally and sociapathically evil to say the most. He wore a full suit of armor beneath a green tunic and cape, and as far as Sakarov could tell, never took it off.

"Sakarov!?" Doom's voice was clear and resonant despite the obstruction of the iron mask.

"Yes. . .your highness?"

"Who was responsible for the design team of the main engine ignition circuitry, and who was responsible for the final inspection of that system?"

Sakarov consulted his notes. "It seems . . .Bernhard Friedrich . . .was responsible for the design team, and . . .Friedrich was also responsible for final inspection of that system."

"Have the problem corrected within the next ten minutes. After the rocket has cleared the atmosphere, dispose of Friedrich. Does he have any family?"

Sakarov stumbled on his words: "Hhhe has a wife and one son."

"Send flowers to his family and inform them his death was the result of an unfortunate accident. The details needn't be explained. This is difficult for me. It truly is. I love my subjects, more than any one who isn't in my position could ever understand, but discipline must be maintained."

Sakarov was anxious to get to work on the problem before his ten minutes expired, but he sensed Doom wasn't quite done.

"Sakarov?"

"Yes, Highness?"

"To whom does Friedrich report?"

Sakarov found it difficult to speak. "He reports to me Sire."

"This mission is too important for any more delays."

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

Chapter 2

Ben Grimm trudged through the puddles toward the sub shop. He didn't much mind the rain. His thick, rocky hide effectively insulated him from the cold, wet, drizzle. Of course it also insulated him from warm sunshine, cool breezes and a gentle, loving hand brushed against his cheek, but that was all part of the deal. Ben actually sort of liked the rain. It gave him an excuse to trudge.

Something was watching him from the shadows. A creature that couldn't quite think, but knew, in some dim, primitive way, that it was meant to hurt that huge orange man in the hat and raincoat.

Ben turned into his favorite sub shop, but didn’t remove his dripping hat. The woman in front of him made brief eye contact then turned quickly away. At her side, a small boy of three or four stared intently at Ben. He held his mother’s hand with one hand, and the other was fishing around in his mouth on the off chance there was something there that he hadn’t noticed five minutes ago. His mother would have a long talk with him as soon as they were safely out of ear shot, but for the moment she seemed intently interested in the menu posted behind the counter.

Ben looked down at the boy and lifted his hand at the wrist, wiggling three enormous orange fingers that were each nearly as big as one of the boy’s arms.

The boy removed the hand from his mouth long enough to return a quick, slimy wave.

Ben smiled. For a brief moment he felt ecstatically happy, but the mood was quickly broken. There was a commotion near the door, and Ben could see a man waving a gun at a woman in an Oldsmobile. He forced her to slide into the passenger seat as he took the driver's seat.

Ben made several huge strides to the door. As he reached for the handle, he missed, shattering the tempered glass and bending the frame that held the glass in place. He continued through, bumping the door-frame with his shoulder, bending it and shattering another pane of glass.

The car’s tires were spinning on the wet pavement as Ben stumbled onto the sidewalk. He regained his balance and made two more powerful strides, then jumped forward reaching his right arm out as far as he could. He managed to dig his fingers into the rear fender as the car swerved into traffic. Ben ended up on his belly as the car accelerated. He rolled on his left side as the Olds turned a corner then twisted himself back on his stomach.

His clothes were falling off around him, but the pavement did little more than tickle his thick skin. The Oldsmobile was swerving through traffic and approaching 40 mph. Ben pulled his feet under himself and shakily stood up into a water-skiing position. He got a good grip on the frame with his left hand, and slowly began to extend his legs. The rear springs stretched, but the wheels maintained contact until his legs were nearly fully extended.

The car swerved as the rear wheels lost contact with the ground. There was the grating sound of rocky armor scraping against wet pavement as the car skidded to a halt.

After they had stopped, Ben moved quickly. He took three big strides up the left side of the car, ripped the driver side door completely off and tossed it behind him. He saw the gun lying between the driver’s legs and quickly snatched it before the car-jacker thought to point it at the passenger.

It was a chrome, Colt Python with an eight-inch barrel that glinted in the street light, recently polished and also wet with still warm urine.

From the shadows, the creature chittered nervously. Its tiny brain was trying to decide if it was the appropriate time to strike.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

Chapter 3

"It's so nice that we can ssssiissssss ffrrrr gerr"

Reed completely lost track of Sue's conversation as he pondered the meaning of the information he had received just before they left for the restaurant.

Victor Von Doom was up to something. Space launches weren't unusual. Doom had made himself a legitimate player in the world space industry over the years. He offered quick, efficient, inexpensive and almost always successful launches to interested parties. His success rate alone gave him a huge advantage over other countries and companies. Even if a satellite was insured, a failed launch could cost a company years - years that could allow a competitor to leap-frog ahead of them.

The only drawback to dealing with Von Doom was that companies were required do so on his terms. Payloads would be delivered to the border of Latveria where Doom’s agents would take possession. No one entered Latveria without a visa signed by Von Doom, and simply owning a satellite was not nearly justification for issuance of a visa. Most customers were quite happy with the terms, and those who weren't could simply go elsewhere.

Reed understood Von Doom's business. He knew that launches weren't unusual, but the most recent one was. The payload was huge. Satellite photos clearly showed that the payload compartment was larger than nearly anything that had ever been put into orbit, but the thing that bothered Reed most was the size of the engines and the amount of fuel the rocket carried.

The sum mass of engines and fuel far exceeded anything that had ever been launched by the U. S., Russia, or old Soviet Union. Even taking into account the large payload, the thrusting capacity was vastly, disproportionately large. It wasn't designed to simply put a large payload into orbit. Doom was sending something out into deep space for a purpose that Reed couldn't even begin to guess.

"And that's when I started juggling the frogs and singing The Battle Hymn of The Republic."

"Huhhh?"

"Reed Richards, you haven't been listening to a word I've been saying. I've been talking gibberish for the past thirty seconds just waiting for you to notice." Sue folded her arms and scowled, but she could only hold her anger for a few seconds as her husband’s face flushed bright red.

"I'm sorry, I promise, the rest of the night is yours. In fact. . ." He glanced quickly around. "Let's get out of here." He said it with a boyishly naughty look in his eye.

Sue smiled as she chased after her fleeing husband thinking that most people would never picture the publicly stuffy and professional Reed Richards as any sort of lover, but Reed was an intense man. When he focused that intensity on romance, there were few in the world who could compete. Besides, there were certain advantages to a man who could stretch any part of his body to incredible lengths.

The restaurant was in one of New York’s finer hotels, and as they passed through the lobby, Reed eyed the check-in counter. "Would you like to get a room Mrs. Richards?"

Sue returned his look with a naughtier one of her own. She pulled him into a dark corner, and the two of them became invisible as Reed wrapped his arms around her . . .and him and her a few more times for good measure.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

Chapter 4:

"Now don't think about touching my sub." Ben shook a thick finger at Johnny. He was wearing nothing but a very large bath towel. "I'm gonna take a shower, and then there's a Godzillathon on the tube."

"Gee, here I was going to catch a show and have dinner with a super-model, but if you've got a sub. . .maybe I'll just eat that and burp all evening." Johnny continued into the living room and handed Shuana a diet Coke. He opened a Vanilla Coke for himself and sat next to her. "You about ready?"

"Just about, could I use your bathroom before we go?"

"Sure it's . . .” Johnny looked over his shoulder toward the guest powder room, then got a mischievous grin and pointed back the way he had just come. "Second door on the left."

Johnny admired the view as she walked away. She was a truly beautiful, intelligent, fascinating person, but he could sense he was quickly approaching the "losing interest" stage.

It was always the same: First date he would fall madly in love. He'd look forward to the second date and always be a little disappointed with the result. By the third or fourth date, he'd realize she wasn't that special and they'd soon drift apart.

"Oh, My!"

"Aaaaaaaaaahhh!"

"Excuse me, I'm so sorry."

The moment would have been perfect for Johnny if he wasn't suffering the burning sensation of soda up his nose.

"Johnny Storm! That was not funny at all."

"I'm sorry babe. You gotta admit though, it's quite a sight."

Shuana softened, tried to hold back laughter then spoke in a hushed voice. "He's got those rocks all over."

The two of them broke out laughing, then Johnny hurried Shuana out to the elevator before Ben had a chance to wrap himself in a towel.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

Chapter 5:

Ben was in “big galoot heaven”. His stomach was full, and he was into the second movie and 6th or 7th rubber-suited rampage.

He sat back on the couch and felt his eyes drifting shut periodically. Something caught his attention at the window.

He was sure he heard some sort of noise at the window, but the rain was long over. He stood, stretched his long arms and yawned exaggeratedly. He scratched a hard, rocky hand against his rough chest, more a reflex than a reaction to any itch. It would require an industrial strength grinder to begin to tickle him through his cosmically altered exterior. He decided it was time for bed, but headed to the window for a peek first.

He looked out over the city. It was an incredible view, and though Ben was used to it, he still enjoyed pausing to admire it every once in a while. Something flashed outside the window. Ben squinted and leaned closer until his stubby nose nearly touched the glass.

Suddenly, the glass shattered in his face, sending him stumbling backward. He landed hard on his butt, shaking the building. He felt vulnerable and off balance as something slashed furiously into his face. He swatted at it, but despite his tremendous strength, he couldn't move fast enough to do any damage.

The animal backed off for a moment, allowing Ben to catch his breath and get a look. It was a strange creature, about five feet tall and maybe 150 lbs. It was a cross between a lizard and bird with a sharp beak, scaly skin, thin legs and leathery wings. It had six taloned limbs and stood on two. The other four clawed the air in preparation for another attack.

Ben scooted backward on his butt, keeping his eye on the animal and trying to gain a better position. Before he could get to his feet, the thing was on him again, slashing with incredible quickness. Ben swung and connected with an awkward left punch that did some serious damage.

The creature slid across the floor then scrambled back on its feet. It reconsidered Ben, bobbed its head and leaned from one side to the other. Its talons opened and closed as It began to circle its opponent. Ben maintained his distance and kept his eyes on the animal. His fists were raised defensively, shielding his body.

When the bird-thing made its move, it was so quick that Ben felt painfully slow and awkward in comparison. It flashed around behind him and was on his back before he could react. When he did react, his flailing didn't hurt the animal, but knocked him off balance again. He was kneeling with the creature digging painfully into his shoulders. Out of desperation, Ben slammed his back against the floor. The bird-thing flapped harmlessly out of the way, but the floor (being somewhat less mobile) wasn't as lucky.

Ben was in a crater of smashed flooring, and in a terrible position to defend himself. The animal attacked again slashing mercilessly at Ben's face. That time Ben was able to get a good hold, and he threw the thing against the wall.

He definitely hurt it that time. The creature flapped in the corner. Ben scrambled to his feet and tried to press his advantage. He charged the creature trying to build as much speed as possible. At the last moment the bird-thing burst out of the way, and Ben hit the wall hard, knocking a four foot hole in it.

Ben's right arm dangled out the hole. He just lay there limply, trying to collect his thoughts and breath. The bird-thing took advantage of his lack of attention and attacked again. Ben twisted, and the next thing he knew, he was dangling from his left hand forty stories above terra firma. The creature pressed its attack, and Ben had no choice but to resist. He held on with his left hand and swatted with his right. He made enough occasional contact to keep the animal from forcing him to release the hand he had clamped into the concrete.

The bird-creature was also wearing down. Ben watched for an opening and then managed to grab it mid-body. The animal squawked, and ribs cracked. Ben threw it back into the room and clawed his way in before it had a chance to recover. The animal was clearly wounded and flapped awkwardly on the floor. Ben approached it cautiously, and when he was within a few feet, the creature took off in a panic. It darted past Ben and out the hole, half falling, half flying as it made its escape.

Ben fell to his knees, then rolled heavily onto his back, keeping one eye on the opening in the wall for a possible return. He tensed for a moment when something did fly through the hole, but relaxed when he saw it was his annoying fiery house-mate, Johnny.

"Ben! Are you all right? What happened?" The voice wasn't Johnny's, but came from behind Ben. He turned and saw Reed and Sue running in from the direction of the elevator.

"Don't you guys ever watch movies? The cavalry's supposed to come before the trouble's over." Ben grumbled as he rubbed his head.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

(looks like I may be missing chapter 6)

Chapter 7:

Gerhard Friedrich crept through the deserted streets with one simple thought driving him: escape.

He had no plan, he had no one to help him. He was a twelve year-old blindly attempting to do what strong, skilled experienced men had not been able to with extensive planning.

He was completely alone on the cobblestone streets. There was a strictly enforced ten o'clock curfew. "No honest person needs to be out after ten o'clock.". As a result, crime was non-existent in Latveria. Many citizens found it a small price to pay for security.

Gerhard's heart beat rapidly as he glimpsed the sentry robot trundling quietly toward him.

The robot was dark and nearly silent. Its sensors had no need for lights that would simply make it visible to the weak-sensed humans it monitored.

Gerhard backed against a wall and clutched the rough stone with his fingertips. He tried to pull himself tighter into it, but his back was already pressed against it. He could feel tiny spots of sweat forming on his forehead as the sentry rolled past.

The robot sensed him, but its programming prevented it from acting. At seventy five pounds, Gerhard was beneath the sentry's notice. The programming assumed anything under eighty pounds was a stray dog, cat or some other animal that had wondered into the streets from the surrounding forest. Parents were well aware of the rules, and made sure that their children were indoors before ten o'clock. The fears they planted were much more substantial than any "boogy man".

When Gerhard felt sure the robot was not going to do anything, he continued. Slowly at first, then running as fast as he could toward the water he could see shimmering in the distance.

When he reached the docks, he had his choice of several cargo ships in various stages of loading. He dashed up a gangplank and settled down between two large crates. he sat nervously for several hours before relaxing enough to fall asleep.

He was still asleep in the morning when the ship departed. It passed through a security screen on its way out of the bay, but he, once again, was beneath the notice of the sensor's calibration parameters.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

Chapter 8:

Sakarov entered the throne room as he always did - tentatively, eyes downcast, heart pounding. The circumstance made no difference. Sakarov often mused that if it were his responsibility to simply inform the Monarch his lunch was ready, he would still have that unshakable sense of dread.

"I am ready for your report." Doom spoke without emotion. The best of all possible moods.

"Your highness, the project proceeds without incident."

Doom nodded.

Sakarov shifted his weight uncomfortably not sure if he should say more or simply dismiss himself.

Doom broke the uncomfortable silence. "This next step is crucial."

"Yes, my lord."

"It must be timed precisely. You must not initiate the maneuver until you receive word from our operatives in the United States."

"I understand completely your highness."

Doom responded with a clearly annoyed tone: "You needn't understand completely. You simply must obey precisely."

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

Chapter 9:

The driver glanced nervously from side to side. No one seemed to be paying attention. He hit a button on the dashboard, and an automatic ramp extended from the back of the truck as the doors opened. The animal clambered loudly down the ramp. The driver waited until he could see the creature in his mirror then retracted the ramp.

The driver let out a sigh of relief and drove quickly out of the alley. He took up a position several blocks away and parked the truck. "L1 to B1, phase one complete. Acknowledge."

He drummed the microphone nervously and waited for a response. The pause was painfully long, and he was getting impatient. "Dammit! I did my part now acknowledge so we can finish this up!" He made sure not to activate the microphone before he said that part. His job was fairly simple and it paid well, but there was just too much pressure. His boss wouldn't accept any screw ups of any kind, and he didn't want to have to try to explain that it wasn't his screw up.

"Acknowledge L1. Confirm phase two increments MF, T, HT, IW."

"Acknowledge. Will confirm phase two and appropriate increments." He signaled to his associate across the street. If he wasn't able to signal for some reason, his associate would. That sort of failure might be embarrassing, but not fatal. The hard part was over. He sipped his coffee and tried to relax.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

Chapter 10:

"What was that awful-looking white, metal cylinder we saw being lowered into your headquarters by helicopter." A neatly dressed elderly woman in the front row asked.

Sue thought for a moment. The meetings had become a regular occurrence. The Fantastic Four had no legal obligation to answer the questions of concerned citizens who lived near their building. Many were convinced Reed was creating bombs that would make nuclear warheads seem like spit-balls, so simple explanations reduced some of the ignorance-based fear.

Sue was the only member of the group with enough tact and patience to handle the assignment.

"That tank was liquid nitrogen. It's used as a coolant." Sue answered with a smile.

The elderly woman followed up: "Well it looked very dangerous, what if you had a fire? I'm afraid that thing would blow up several blocks."

Sue continued to smile and hoped it didn't look too forced. "Actually the nitrogen would extinguish flame. Nitrogen is the largest part of our atmosphere. The liquid nitrogen is very cold and could cause harm if spilled directly on someone, but it boils off very quickly when exposed to room temperature and becomes a harmless gas. As I've said, it comprises most of the air you're breathing right now. Hospitals and doctors use it to freeze samples regularly. I'm sure there are hundreds . . .probably thousands of liquid nitrogen tanks in Manhattan right now."

The woman didn't seem particularly convinced, but she didn't press it.

"Any more questions?" Sue sustained her smile and began to gather her things, taking care not too appear in too much of a rush. No one said anything, and Sue tried not to give them too much time. "Well then, thank you for your concerns. We'll meet again on the first Wednesday of next month. That will be the. . ." She checked her palm-pilot. "The fourth. I'll look forward to seeing you then." She forced one last smile, closed her briefcase and waited for the room to nearly empty before making her dash.

A few people came up with small questions and comments. Those questions always seemed simple, and Sue suspected the people just wanted to talk. She answered them, masking the weariness in her eyes and continued to move - down the elevator, into the lobby, some standard-issue goodbyes, a sigh of relief, and through the revolving door.

Suddenly Sue snapped from her weary sleep-walk. All around her crowds and police were in a state of agitated excitement. The street was blocked off, and a crowd circled around a cleared area approximately half the size of a football field.

In the center of the area was a strange animal roughly the size and shape of a rhinoceros, but clearly something else. It had thick, scaly plates hanging like overlapping shingles all over its body, and, rather than a rhinoceros’s horns, it had a bony plate with five large bumps on the forward part of its head.

The animal trotted one way then the other, then stopped and surveyed the crowd. It seemed to be keeping toward the center of the cleared area and away from the onlookers as much as possible.

Sue turned invisible and ducked into an alley. She quickly took off her skirt and rolled down the pants of her uniform which she wore underneath. She pulled on boots, shirt and gloves, pushed her briefcase behind a dumpster then headed for the action.

A police lieutenant was orchestrating efforts. Sue maintained invisibility for ease of movement and walked briskly toward him. When she was ten feet away she turned visible and waited until the lieutenant took a pause from directing efforts to subdue the creature.

"Can I be of any help lieutenant."

The officer's head snapped around in surprise to hear someone next to him. When he recognized Sue, his face flushed. He wasn't sure why, but he felt embarrassed to be standing beside the gorgeous, famous woman in form fitting uniform who was offering to help him do his job. "Uh. . .thanks Ms. Richards. . .I'm not sure yet, lets see how the animal-control people do first."

"Phase two increment IW confirmed."

The two animal control representatives had unloaded several cases of equipment from their van. One sorted through a selection of tranquilizer darts and held one up to his associate who was too busy examining his dart gun to notice. "Matt, here you go."

Matt took the dart and loaded it into the breach opening. "Thanks." He raised the gun and focused in on his target.

The animal was clearly agitated. It eyed the crowd and moved in short bursts of movement that never took it far from its original position. It was facing Matt and the cluster of police officers. It seemed to recognize that a threat was coming from that direction.

"Turn, damn it turn." Matt spoke through nervously clenched teeth without allowing the strange creature out of his sights.

A sound to the animal's side caught its attention for a moment, and Matt took his opening. A burst of CO2 sent the dart to its target. It slammed hard into one of the protective plates, nearly braking the needle, but it stuck. Matt Lowered the gun. "I don't know if that will get into its blood or not." He looked over his shoulder. "Don't know how we're going to fit it in the van even if it does drop."

The crowd waited, not sure what to expect. For a moment the creature seemed to slow, but it didn't fall. Matt, who knew better than most of the observers, saw that the dart was clearly not having the intended effect. When he saw an opening, he launched another dart that also stuck in one of the shingle-like scales.

Sue clenched her teeth and avoided running in. She felt confident she could do more than the animal control people, but she didn't want to step on any toes or offend anyone. She waited for a signal from the lieutenant.

The lieutenant observed pensively with his fist against his lips. It was obvious to him and everyone else that the second dart wasn't doing anything. He looked in Sue's direction and that was all the signal she needed.

She took off at a run toward the creature. She threw up a force field around it and then cursed herself for not having thought out a plan.

It had seemed such a simple thing. The beast was odd, but it didn't seem on a par with the super powered beings she had battled in the past.

That was part of the problem. She felt uncomfortable pummeling the thing. It looked to be just a strange, scared animal that was in a strange, scary situation. It hadn't hurt anybody, and if it had, it would have been self defense. Besides, she was sure Reed would want to study it, and he would much rather study it alive and uninjured than dead or beaten.

Sue maneuvered around toward the animal-control people. As she moved, the animal backed up slowly until it bumped into her field. It squawked loudly and lurched forward until it hit the field's front barrier. That set it off. The creature shook its head furiously and butted the field repeatedly.

Sue maintained concentration on the field as she moved toward Matt. "I'm going to knock it out by cutting off its air supply." She glanced quickly over her shoulder so Matt could see she was addressing him. He acknowledged with a quick nod.

"Once it's unconscious. . ." Sue continued. "Do you have something you can use to sedate him at close range if you can get in close and get around its protective plates?"

Matt nodded then realized Sue wasn't looking. "Yes, yes I think so." He fumbled through his equipment and pulled out a three foot long prod. He inserted a specially designed tranquilizer dart into the tip and cocked the spring loaded device. "I'm all set," he said as he waved the device.

Sue glanced over her shoulder. "All right. Sit tight for a couple minutes. I'll let you know when it's time."

The animal had calmed down some and wasn't struggling violently anymore. Sue lowered the field and created a small, tight one around its head.

She could maintain as many fields as she could imagine, but the strength was proportional to the amount of concentration she was able to hold. The more numerous and complex the fields, the weaker each one became. With the one small field cutting off the beast's air supply, she would be able to quickly erect a defensive field if needed.

Sue held her right arm up so she could drop it as a signal to Matt when the animal lost consciousness. She didn't expect it to take long. There was no space for air in her force field, so it only had what was in its lungs.

Sue was a little surprised when the thing didn't seem to be struggling for breath and more surprised when it charged her. It lowered its head and accelerated quickly toward her, catching her by surprise and barely allowing her to raise a defensive field. She raised a field just in time, but lost her footing as she backpedaled. She fell hard on her tail-bone and cringed at the pain but maintained the field. The animal had hit the field hard, and was stumbling and slightly stunned.

It didn't seem to be suffering from oxygen deprivation at all. It re-focused and headed for her again, not quite as quickly as before. That time she softened her field some so it wouldn't hurt itself. When it struck the field, it backed off, but it kept Sue in its field of vision.

Sue's hand drifted down to her belt and hovered there. She had hoped not to have to go that route, but it was coming to it. She pulled a tiny gun from her belt and lifted it slowly, pointing it toward the sky while never losing her concentration on the animal.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

Chapter 11:

Ben hated shopping. He also hated having things done for him, and that latter feeling was enough to overrule the former and prevent him from hiring someone to do the shopping for him.

He pushed the cart through the health & beauty section searching for toothpaste.

Unknown to Ben, he was being followed.

A shadowy figure slipped in behind him, stealthily avoiding detection, and as Ben bent down to compare prices on toothpaste, he made his move.

The mysterious stalker dropped a tube of "Extra sStrength Preparation H" into Ben's cart then quickly and quietly slipped away.

Ben dropped a tube of toothpaste into his cart and continued on, without noticing his extra cargo. When he paused to flip through a wrestling magazine, the mysterious figure dropped a ten pack of “Lady Shicks" into his cart and slipped away again. It wasn't until after he had dropped a tube of KY - Super Economy Size - into the cart that Ben even noticed anyone near him. "Johnny?"

"Hey! Rockhead!" Johnny turned and pretended to just notice him. "I didn't know you were going shopping. I would have had you pick up a few things for me."

"Are you up to something?" Ben had known Johnny enough to recognize that slight smirk. He had also known Johnny long enough to know that if his eyes were open, he was up to something.

"Whaaa . . .? Me?" Johnny feigned innocence badly. "I don't know why you're always so suspicious. I'll see you around."

Ben just shook his head and continued his shopping.

As he unloaded his cart, he realized what Johnny had done. "These aren't mine. I mean someone else put these in my cart. . .Can you just put them behind the counter or something." If it were possible, his thick orange skin would have turned bright red, but at that moment, he saw something that made him forget about such small matters.

He tried to squeeze past his cart, flattening it and badly damaging the counter behind him in his frustrated exit. "Sorry. . .excuse me." He made it to the automatic doors which didn't react in time and ended up broken, mangled twisted scrap. "Sorry!" Ben yelled over his shoulder.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

Chapter 12:

When Ben arrived, Johnny was fully 'flamed on' and was floating and slowly circling the scared creature at a distance that was safe for both of them. He shared his sister's desire not to hurt something just for being in the wrong place.

"What's up Suzie?" Ben asked.

"Oh, Ben, thank goodness you're here. It's the strangest thing. This creature just seemed to appear here. It's not trying to hurt anybody. It just seems scared."

"So why can't the animal control people take care of it?"

"They tried." Sue pointed. "Those plates. They're too hard to penetrate with needles."

"You have a plan?"

"Do you think you can get a hold of it and flip it on its back?"

Ben looked at her. "Do I hafta not hurt it?"

Sue smiled. The smile she used to when she wanted Ben to do something that he wasn't thrilled to do. "I would prefer that."

"What happens when I get it on its back?"

Sue held up the dart-prod she had gotten from Matt. "I stick it with this."

"Why can't Johnny stick it with that?"

Sue shot Ben a slightly annoyed glance. "Because Johnny can't turn himself invisible, and he can't protect himself with a force field."

Ben realized there was no point arguing and headed for the animal. "Then let's do it."

Johnny saw Ben approaching, and positioned himself opposite the creature. He floated in place, moving just enough to maintain the attention of the animal which focused intently on him.

Ben moved slowly and quietly. His movements resembled a stalking predator. He reached over the animal's body and his arms stopped inches from making contact with each shoulder. He made his final movements quickly, grabbing and lifting simultaneously.

The beast lurched violently in surprise, kicking and writhing. Ben lifted it and tried to get it completely off the ground, but it was too tall. It maintained contact with its hind legs, and threatened to knock Ben off balance.

Ben was well aware of the large crowd that was watching intently. He didn't want the embarrassment of letting the animal take him down. He decided if they were going down, he wanted it to be on his terms. He rocked back and fell onto his back as gently as was possible with his hands occupied by more than a ton of kicking animal. Once he was on his back, the animal's legs were completely separated from the ground, and they kicked violently in the air.

Ben had a good hold, but still hoped Sue would get her part done quickly. He heard a strange sound, and saw a dart appear in the creature's belly as if by magic. Within a few seconds, Sue materialized about ten feet away, holding the prod. "Let's see if that works."

From his back, Ben had a particularly good view of Reed's descent as he brought the Fantasticar down to settle on the street. Reed exited the vehicle and was by Sue's side within seconds.

"Amazing!" His neck extended and examined the creature from all angles.

"I'm glad you're impressed." Ben grunted from beneath the creature. "If this thing doesn't go nighty-night soon, I'm not sure how much longer I can take the smell."

Its kicks were clearly becoming slower and more lethargic as Ben spoke. Eventually its head slumped, and an enormous tongue fell out of its mouth and brushed Ben's cheek.

"Eeeeeyechhhh." Ben rolled it off him and stood up, violently swiping at his cheek with a rough hand. "I've got to take a look at my 401-K. I don't know how much longer I can take this hero thing."

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

Chapter 13:


Sue, Johnny and Ben sat around the conference table waiting for Reed. Ben and Johnny flicked a paper football back and forth.

Reed arrived with a stack of papers. "Sorry I'm late." He dropped bound reports in front of each of his teammates. "Here are copies of my test results on that unusual animal. Since I know none of you will read them, I'll summarize. It seems to be basically mammalian - not like anything I've ever heard of or read about - but not all that different from animals that are currently living or have lived in the past."

"If we compare it to any known animals, it seems most similar to a rhinoceros. The protective plates are made of matted hair, nearly identical to the composition of a rhino's horn. The most unusual feature of the animal is shown in these photographs. . ." Reed paged through his report. "Here, on page ten." He pointed to a photo and waited for his colleagues to find their copies.

There was an X-ray accompanied by a photograph of an external feature. "This X-ray shows a nasal passage running from the creature's trachea to a spot on its back hidden by the protective plates. You'll notice the photo below shows the nasal openings visible because the plates are being lifted. The trachea also connects to a fairly normal passage to the mouth and facial nostrils."

"Weird, so it's got an extra nose on its back!" Johnny paraphrased.

"Basically, yes, but I can't imagine the purpose. The 'normal' nostrils are higher, and would be more functional if it were swimming. It might provide a distinct advantage against a predator such as a lion. Lions typically clamp onto the trachea of their prey to kill it. The thing is, this animal seems massive enough and well protected by its armor. I can't imagine a lion would get far enough for the kill-choke in most cases."

"The adaptation sure comes in handy when someone tries to knock it out by throwing a force field around its head." Sue pointed out.

"Yes, but I'm not aware of any predators skilled in the art of casting force fields. . .Keep it in mind it may be connected to this other, more disturbing, information I'd like to discuss." Reed distributed another set of reports and keyed some buttons on a control panel that brought up a set of graphics on a large screen. An aerial photo of a large rocket on a launch pad appeared.

"A little over two weeks ago, this vehicle launched from Latveria. Government agencies and my own estimations put it's payload significantly above anything else that has ever been launched."

"I followed its trajectory, of course. It didn't settle into orbit but continued into deep space. It didn't seem to be heading for any known objects in our solar system.

"The same day it was launched, it made a sharp course change. I nearly lost it, and had to perform an extensive scan to reacquire it. After that, I adjusted my algorithms, so my computers would automatically follow course changes. Coincidentally, this course adjustment took place at just about the same time Ben was being attacked by that strange, winged creature.

"It's getting near the extent of my monitoring equipment now, and it just changed course again." Reed paused for effect. "The timing was nearly perfectly synchronized with the moment we were capturing this creature."

"So you think they're connected?" Johnny asked.

"Possibly. . .it's hard to say at this point, but it is coincidental."

"Do you think these attacks are designed to prevent us from following course corrections?" Sue was trying to guess what might be going on.

"That was my thought. It's very disconcerting though. What could that rocket be carrying that is so important it's worth this effort?" Reed shook his head.

Ben realized it was his turn to say something: "I'm hungry. Anyone interested in splitting a pizza?"

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

Chapter 14:

"Do you know who you're messing with?" the larger boy asked as he gave Gerhard a shove. "I don't think you do. I don't think you'd be acting so stupid if you knew who I was."

The three boys weren't much older than Gerhard, but they were much stronger, tougher and meaner. He had been terrified since he left his house. Terrified of sentry robots, terrified of being discovered before the ship reached its destination, and, now that he had reached that destination, even it didn't seem safe.

He had heard tales of the violence of the United States, but always assumed it was propaganda. Right now it was very real and very threatening.

"If you have any money, you can give it to me now, and I'll let you run away. Personally I'd rather hurt you, because I like hurting people, but my friends . . ." He eyed them with distaste. "They'd rather have the money."

"I. . .I . . .I don't have any money."

The young tough gave him a quick hard jab in the stomach that knocked the wind from him. Everything seemed to fade for a second, as Gerhard stumbled backward but maintained his balance. His diaphragm frantically tried to draw air into his lungs. The process seemed desperately slow as he heard the oxygen rasping through his trachea.

Gerhard stumbled backward as his attacker approached again, but something suddenly stopped his adversary. A huge orange hand spread across the larger boy’s chest and gently but irresistibly pressed. That boy found himself the one stumbling backward as the hand slowly pushed.

Ben squatted down and met the tough-guy eyeball-to-eyeball. His massive face filled the boys vision. His voice was powerful but calm. "Right 'bout now would be a perfect time to whimper like a baby, wet your pants, and run home to your mommy."

The boy backed up a couple steps then turned and took off at a run. His friends already had a one hundred yard head-start.

Ben turned to face Gerhard who had no idea how to react. His experiences over the past two weeks had left his mind so off balance that he faced the huge, orange rocky man with an odd calmness. He had heard stories in Latveria of a group of four monsters (one of which perfectly fit the description of the man who faced him) who had terrible powers. While he suspected the tales of violence were propaganda, he was sure those stories of a monstrous quadrad were fictitious. Gerhard was the son of an engineer and had been taught better than to believe in fairies or goblins.

"You alright kid?" Ben stooped casually and tried to be as nonthreatening as is possible for an eight-hundred pound pile of talking rock.

Gerhard nodded shakily.

"Need any help getting home?"

Gerhard thought for a moment before speaking. "My mother is in another country." He paused again as his throat clenched and he fought tears. "My father is dead."

Ben straightened and eyed the boy. He could detect an obvious accent. "Where do you live?"

Gerhard thought a long time. "I shouldn't be here. . . I'm not a citizen. I ran away from my country. . .Stowed away on a ship. . .It's a horrible country . . .I couldn't live there. My father has a good friend here - Dr. Henry Richter. I'm sure if I could find him, he would give me a home. He's a kind, generous man. . .Very successful in your country."

Ben considered the thin, shivering child. He really had no choice. The boy was hitting a soft spot that Ben kept hidden deep beneath his rocky skin. A spot he rarely allowed even his closest friends to see.

Ben pulled off his overcoat, folded it in half, and draped it over the boys shoulders like a blanket. Gerhard's knees buckled at first from the weight, but he set his jaw and straightened himself.

Ben put a hand gently on his shoulder and began walking toward The Baxter Building.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

Chapter 15:

Reed stared at the monitor. His eyes drifted out of focus as he pondered. At that range, he had no idea what the vessel was up to. Its course served no purpose he could imagine, but he had no idea when the next course adjustment would take it in a completely different direction.

Sue crept in behind him. When Reed was at that level of concentration, it wouldn't matter if she was pounding on a pot - he wouldn't notice her either way. She extended her index fingers and slowly brought them in close to his ribs on opposite sides.

She jabbed them in quickly. "Boo!"

Reed continued staring for a few moments then slowly turned around to face his wife. He exhaled loudly, rubbed his eyes, and allowed himself to re-enter the that world for a few moments. "I'm sorry, have you been here long?"

"Sometimes, you're just absolutely no fun."

"I don't get it, I just don't get it."

"You will, you always do."

"That's just it!" Reed said a bit too abruptly. "What if I don't get it this time? What if I don't get it until it's too late? The results could be catastrophic."

Sue wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "I'm not worried."

"I wish I could be that way," Reed said as put a hand over hers. "Sometimes I just wish I could go to bed and feel like someone else would take care of things. Sometimes I wish the world didn't expect me to just be able to fix everything with my magic brain."

Sue considered arguing with him for a moment, but she knew he was right. She and everyone else just knew that in any situation, Reed would have the answer. "You want anything to eat?" she asked. "I'll make you a sandwich."

"Hey! You kids got your clothes on? We have a visitor." Ben's gravely voice announced from behind them.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

Chapter 16:

"I apologize if it seems this is some sort of interrogation, Gerhard." Reed forced a smile and tried to be non-threatening. He wasn't very good at it. "You have to understand that anything associated with Latveria raises flags in our minds."

Their conversation was interrupted by Sue who was escorting a handsome, well dressed fortyish gentleman into the room.

Reed stood to greet him. "Dr. Richter, a pleasure to meet you."

"That's very kind Dr. Richards, but it's clear the honor is mine." He turned to the boy who had been standing nervously by. "Gerhard, how are you son?" He opened his arms, and the boy fell into them.

"I'm well," Gerhard said, holding back tears as a flood of emotions rushed to the surface.

"It's good to see you. Dr. Richards told me about your father. I was very sad to hear it, but seeing you takes some of the pain away." He stooped down to meet Gerhard eye to eye. "We've got a room for you. Mrs. Richter is setting it up now." He caught Reed's look. "Give me a couple minutes to talk with Dr. Richards. I'll be right with you."

Sue gestured to the boy. "Come on Gerhard, I've got some cookies in the kitchen."

Reed waited until they had left before speaking. "I don't mean to put you on the spot."

"Oh, no, don't think about it. His father and I really were very close friends. . .and he's a bright and wonderful boy. I'm still a little shaken by the news, but it's a joy to have the boy. My wife and I will treat him as our own. . .That is if we can get around the rather tricky legal issues. I've put a call into the state department and will be meeting with a representative tomorrow."

"I'm glad to hear that. I don't mean to blow my own horn, but I do have certain degree of influence. I'll be glad to help you if I can." Reed offered.

"Thank you. That's very generous, and I'm sure you do have some friends in high places."

"I've read some of your papers. Fascinating research. Your work on somatic codon mapping is groundbreaking."

Dr. Richter flushed. He doubted Reed had heard of him before Gerhard had arrived. He probably only looked up the papers after, but it was still a bit heady just to think that Reed Richards had read any of his work. "You're too kind. I'm really just a dabbler compared to someone of your background."

"Don't sell yourself short. I'll admit I'm a beneficiary of the "status factor". Once I made a name for myself, everything became a lot easier. I have some of the brightest minds standing in line to suggest new concepts to me, but your papers show some clear insight - fresh and creative thinking that should serve you well."

"Thank you, that is a tremendous compliment."

"To change the subject. . ." Reed shifted uncomfortably. "I'll just be blunt and direct . . . you needn't answer if you don't want to, but I'm wondering, how are you affiliated with Latveria?"

"Ahhhh, I guess that would interest you. Well, I've got nothing to hide. I had worked with Victor Von Doom for several years. That's how I met Gerhard's Father. I was never a citizen, I only did some work for him. He actually financed some of the work on the papers you'd mentioned."

"Yes, I'm aware of that."

"Anyhow, we no longer have a working relationship. I found him nearly impossible to work with - very stifling and unwilling to accept ideas that were different from his own."

"You're fortunate. Most people find it . . .difficult to get away from Doom once they've worked for him." Reed commented.

"Yes, I suppose I am." He fidgeted and seemed to think for a moment. "I suppose I should be offended. The fact I was able to get away must mean he wasn't particularly impressed by my work or ability."

"Oh, I'm sure that's not the case, " Reed said as he lead Dr. Richter toward the kitchen. "So what are you working on now?"

"I'm teaching a few classes, and I'm doing some very intriguing work." He smiled slyly, "and I'd be glad to make a point of briefing you personally. . .as soon as it's published."

Reed smiled. "Of course. I didn't mean to pry. Let's see how Gerhard is doing."

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

Chapter 17:

Gerhard ran up the stone steps as Ben tossed a football to him.

“Great catch! You could play for the Jets!” Ben Laughed.

“That’s a bit of an insult, don’t you think, after the way they played today.” Johnny smirked.

Gerhard ran through the door. “Henry, Henry it was great! You should have seen.”

“Is that so, I guess the Jets won then?” Dr. Richter met Gerhard in the Foyer and caught him in a rough hug.

“No, they lost 31 to 7, but Ben took me down on the field before the game, and I met the players and I ate three hot dogs and some popcorn and an ice-cream bar. . .”

“Sounds fun.”

Johnny leaned over and whispered to Ben as they entered the foyer: “Careful big guy, it looks like most of the things in here cost more than you and me put together.”

“That ain’t saying much.”

“All right then, most of the things in here cost more than a couple of people with real jobs and life insurance and stuff.”

Ben walked carefully into the immaculately maintained turn of the century townhouse. He was used to watching where and how he stepped, but it was often a futile effort. Living spaces just weren’t designed for someone of his size, weight and lack of tactile sensitivity.

“We’re going to be serving dinner soon, Gerhard. Why don’t you go wash up.” Dr. Richter smiled as the boy ran up the steps then turned to his guests. “Would you like to stay for dinner? We’re having roast beef.”

“No thanks, we wouldn’t want to impose.” Ben answered.

“Oh no, It wouldn’t be any imposition.”

“You’ve never seen Ben eat.” Johnny Quipped.

Henry Richter looked the big man up and down and realized Johnny’s comment might have some basis in reality. “I really can’t tell you how much I appreciate your taking Gerhard to the Game. After all he’s been through, I just want him to have a normal life. No, actually I want him to have a better than normal life. I want him to attend the best schools, study the classics, be constantly surrounded by beauty.” He began to gesture around the room at the antiques and art that he had so painstakingly collected and displayed, but he held himself when he realized he might appear snobbish.

He paused for a few brief moments. “I just hope he’ll never have to see. . . the ugliness of the world.”

Johnny put his hand on Henry’s shoulder. “I think you’ll make a great father. How’s the adoption process?”

Henry smiled, “Good, very good. The case-worker doesn’t see any problems.”

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

Chapter 18:

“Reed! Get in here quick!” Johnny shouted without taking his eyes off the television.

Reed poked his head in the door as Sue and Ben came through another door.

“What’s up, matchstick?” Ben asked.

“The news station is covering an announcement by Dr. Doom. The talking head has been saying that Doom claims it will have ‘worldwide implications’.”

The camera focused on an ornately carved wooden podium. Latvarian flags were carefully hung and arranged behind the podium.

There was silence as doom entered the room and stepped up to the microphone. He paused before speaking to allow the desired level of anticipation.

"It is with the heaviest of hearts that I address you today, for what I am about to announce may well be the most difficult thing any person has ever done in the history of humanity."

Again he paused for effect.

“My scientists have detected an asteroid of massive proportions headed for the earth.”

He paused again before continuing with clear emotion in his voice.

“This asteroid is approximately three hundred miles across at it’s widest point. If a collision occurs, and my calculations indicate a collision is eminent within 278 days, life as we know it, if it doesn’t end, will be drastically altered. As scientists have speculated for decades, such a collision would cause clouds of dust, water vapor etc. to cover the earth. This would reduce global temperatures and starve plants of the sunlight they require for photosynthesis. As the plants die, the other links in the food chain on which we depend will follow.”

He took a longer pause and secretly reveled in the shocked silence that engulfed him.

“The resources of Latveria are, unfortunately, limited. I have a plan that I am confident will save the earth from destruction, but I need your help. My plan - to launch a device that will deflect the asteroid from its course - will require a huge amount of effort and resources. I will need engineers, computer programmers, qualified machinists, materials, fuels etc. This project is of a scale and limited time frame that far exceeds anything ever attempted in human history.

“To put it quite simply, we will not survive unless I have the co-operation of nearly every man, woman and child on the planet. Even if this cooperation is nothing more than moral support for the project.

“Modesty makes it hard for me to declare what most of you know to be true, and that is that my technical genius and managerial skill make me the only person able to organize this effort. I offer my services to you today.

“I will take charge of this project, but as I’ve mentioned, I will need your help. We don’t have time for the normal posturing, and political bickering. I need to have complete control and authority over the project. I’m asking the world today to allow me to save it. I will need unquestioned access to resources.

“My suggestion is that countries arrange to have this authority granted to me by their respective governing agencies so I will have access to the resources I require. This needs to be done quickly and absolutely. As I’ve stated, we don’t have time to argue. We are in a difficult situation since all countries will require the assistance of this global unity, but some may choose not to join. It would be unfair to the cooperating countries to donate all the effort for the benefit of uncooperative countries. My suggestion would be that cooperating countries demand that all countries offer resources. Any that don’t will have to answer to the world community.

“This ends my prepared statement. I have a great deal of work to do. I will be speaking individually with leaders of countries most prepared to offer assistance. We are all in this together. Stand with me and you have my word, I won’t let you down. Those who know me know that my word is irrevocable.

“Thank you.”

Doom quickly exited the room as the reporters erupted into activity.

Sue, Johnny and Ben all turned to look at Reed who stood transfixed by the television.

He stood silently for over two minutes then turned and headed to his lab without saying a word.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

Chapter 19:

As Reed sat down after his presentation he allowed himself to look around the assembled group. He had been so focused, that he hadn’t really noticed who else was in the small war-room other than the President. As he scanned the faces, he recognized the Vice President, the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Secretary of State, the Director of NASA and several other people who he couldn’t immediately identify but were certainly important.

The President tapped his pen in an annoying rhythm. “You present a strong circumstantial case that Doom could actually be responsible for this asteroid, Dr. Richards. What do we do about it?”

“I believe that’s your job, Sir.”

“I don’t need anyone telling me what my job is.” He snapped angrily. The stress had been enormous over the past several days.

The President paused, regained his composure and began speaking to all those present . “China, Russia, France and Germany have already spoken in support of Doom. The rest of the world is quickly falling in line. Soon we’ll be standing alone. If we stand alone, and accuse their Savior of being Satan, we could find ourselves involved in military conflict at the very time we need to be devoting all possible resources toward stopping this damn thing.

“I certainly don’t want to turn over control of our resources to Doom, but our options are very limited.” The President paused and contemplated as the room waited silently.

“Dr. Richards, assuming I can somehow tactfully inform the rest of the world that we’re not going to go along, do we have a chance of stopping this thing on our own?”

Reed exhaled loudly. “I believe we may, sir.”

“Now let me remind you,” The President said. “We’ve looked at the data, and Doom’s projections are valid. The scale, scope cost and other demands of the project are enormous. The country would have to devote nearly every resource toward the accomplishment of this goal, and we’re still not sure it will work.”

Reed responded: “I would like to act quickly, get a ship up within one month that would strike soon and efficiently.”

The President responded with an annoyed tone. “That’s impossible, we couldn’t get a ship of that size and complexity assembled and launched on that tight a time-frame. Doom’s plan, and our experts agree that his calculations are valid, requires 260 days and immense quantities of resources to construct such a vehicle.”

“You’re foolishly falling into the thought-trap Doom has been creating.” Reed paused as the President glared, not happy with Reed’s implication of his foolishness. Reed decided it wasn’t worth worrying about a bruised ego of a man who fancied himself the most powerful in the world and pressed on. “The reason Doom’s ship is so big is that he’s waiting too long to launch, not the other way around. Imagine a bowling ball heading toward a set of pins. If you wait until its a foot away from the pins, it’s going to be very difficult to knock it off course, but a slight nudge at the foul line can easily knock it into the gutter.

As you may be aware, I have discovered a region of space that I’ve named “The Negative Zone” that is composed of anti-matter. I have devised a containment device that would allow us to suspend and contain the antimatter for combination with matter for a powerful drive. This drive would allow us to reach the meteor in approximately one week's travel time. At that point a relatively small force, which could again be achieved with another matter/antimatter annihilation, would knock the meteor off course.”

The room remained silent for several moments before the President spoke: “Can you guarantee this will work?”

“Nothing in science is definite, there are just different levels of probability. . .”

The president interrupted: “Dr. Doom has promised he will save the world. Now I’m asking you. Dr. Richards, can you save the world.”

Reed shifted uncomfortably in his chair and looked around the room. He suddenly felt as if he were the only adult in a roomful of children who were counting on him. “With God’s help, I’ll save the world.”

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

. . . and . . . that's all I wrote. I do have the rest of the story plotted out, but Fox is going to have to pay me if they want the rest.

 

[the gael]

That's a very good question. While I can somehow understand the word grounded, gritty doesn't make any kind of sense considering the FF, so I would avoid it like the plague. (grounded means probably "relatable" in the dumb heads of Trank and Kinberg. Gritty, on the other hand, is frightening... Realistic FF ?)

For me, the most important part is to create a real dysfonctional family, and that mean having people of different age and not only teenagers.

And that means having Reed and Ben in their early forties, Sue being thirty something and Johnny being in his late 10's - early 20's

What is interesting is that some have a dual role in the family. Ben is supposed some kind of "uncle", but is indeed a "older brother" to Johnny.

Sue is Johnny's Sister, but she is some kind of mother figure for the group.

Johnny is the "teen" of the group. In appearance, he is a superficial, brash and over confidence type of guy. He is the character that every young people will identify themself. but, behind the apparent confidence, he is hiding a more vulnerable, and less confident than it seems character. He is just a guy who struggle to find his way in life.

Reed is probably a more "old fashioned" father figure, in the sense that he is a more distant, "my life is my work" type of leader. Sue, on the other hand, is a very "modern" kind of woman, and is the "mediator" in the group. It may lead to some oral "fights" between them at time.

Reed and Ben have a deep friendship for a long / long time. They may not be war veterans (or they may), but they have lived a lot of very dangerous adventures together that sealed the confidence between them.

Then come the most important mistake that Fox made and are about to make again this time : linking the Doom origin to the origin of the Fantastic Four powers and having him superpowered (because it's cool, I presume)

separate the two origins (maybe by beginning the movie by Doom's accident that scared him) For once, in his stupidity, Trank has one thing right : there is someone with a disability, and it's important for the story. But it's not the FF, it's Doom ! He hasn't got any power, but he has been disfigured. His most dangerous power is his brain and his megalomaniac ego !

And that leed to two interesting things. Doom believes that he is above everyone, but is supposed to be an anti Reed. But what make Reed and Doom so different ? Reed is different because he has a "family" to ground him. The Fantastic Four are what preserve him from becoming Doom.

Doom believes that he understand the problems of the society / world more than anyone else. He isn't completely evil, and has probably some good intentions, but being alone and having recieved a traditional european aristocratic education lead him into having a big ego, and feeling himself superior to anyone. And his accident drive him near of insanity, making him the dangerous dictator he is supposed to be.

And ths lead into the second part : Doom is an anti Reed kind of character, but he is also an anti Ben character : Both are disfigured. Of course, one has superpowers and the other not (But Doom can compense by having his armour / invention, and the latverian forces), and both are friends with Reed at the beginning, but one is a man who is deeply good under his horrible face, and the other is a true monster. Ben will probably blame Reed at the beginning, but he will stay true to his friend, while the other will blame Reed and try to destroy him at all cost.

After his accident, he has disappeared, only to have conquered the power of his homeland : Latveria. He ruled the nation with a hand of iron, but he has also made the place one the most advanced country in the world, suppressing poverty, having a high tech Doomstadt...

I can see Doom having a role in the FF origin. I can see a spy trying to sabotage Reed's expedition (whenever it's a portal to the negative zone or a space mission) Maybe the spy is responsible for them gaining powers, or maybe he is taken before. But, in the end, it is discovered that he works for a small european nation that Reed doesn't know : the Latveria.

And, after the sabotage failed and Reed not only isn't crippled like him but gained superpowers, Doom is furious and ready to kill the team by himself, not because they are worth, but because his henchmen failed and, because he is Doom, he is the only one he can trust and who can do anything.

As for the rest, well, screw realism, and give us fantastic, mysterious and dangerous world. FF has always been more about science fiction and exploration than superheroism.

 

[Zarex]

My choices would include:

1) Soft Reboot - There's no need to redo the origin. A flashback or two (Ben's nightmare?) can tell the audience what they need to know.

2) Wait for Doom - Get Doom off of the damn ship and have him manipulating the action in the first film and revealing himself in time for the sequel.

3) Meet the Kids - Want youth appeal? Bring in teenage Franklin and tween Valeria.

4) Begin mid battle - Start the film with the team battling a massive Mole Man minion in Midtown Manhattan (say that three times fast).

5) These guys are tough - Have an experienced, veteran foursome show the type of teamwork gained through years of experience.

6) Annihilus & the Negative Zone - The team gets funding to explore the Zone and almost loses their lives to the ruler of that realm. They find out that their benefactor was an old friend from Reed and Ben's past.

 

[Kelly]

That is excellent Willie, I love it....

I definitely like the Annihilus, Negative Zone idea...

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

I hope that somehow, somewhere, sometime we get Annihilus, but I have this strange feeling the property is going to get passed around, rebooted, put to rest so many times that we'll probably get some more Doom variations, maybe some more Galactus and Surfer, maybe some Mole-Man, but I don't know if we'll ever get a solid enough base to get Annihilus.

I'd like to see a lot of these elements that have already been mentioned explored. I also think Agatha Harkness could be really cool if done right, but I have this bad feeling we'll never get anything fleshed out enough to cover all these cool ideas.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

That's a very good question. While I can somehow understand the word grounded, gritty doesn't make any kind of sense considering the FF, so I would avoid it like the plague. (grounded means probably "relatable" in the dumb heads of Trank and Kinberg. Gritty, on the other hand, is frightening... Realistic FF ?)

For me, the most important part is to create a real dysfonctional family, and that mean having people of different age and not only teenagers.

And that means having Reed and Ben in their early forties, Sue being thirty something and Johnny being in his late 10's - early 20's

What is interesting is that some have a dual role in the family. Ben is supposed some kind of "uncle", but is indeed a "older brother" to Johnny.

Sue is Johnny's Sister, but she is some kind of mother figure for the group.

Johnny is the "teen" of the group. In appearance, he is a superficial, brash and over confidence type of guy. He is the character that every young people will identify themself. but, behind the apparent confidence, he is hiding a more vulnerable, and less confident than it seems character. He is just a guy who struggle to find his way in life.

Reed is probably a more "old fashioned" father figure, in the sense that he is a more distant, "my life is my work" type of leader. Sue, on the other hand, is a very "modern" kind of woman, and is the "mediator" in the group. It may lead to some oral "fights" between them at time.

Reed and Ben have a deep friendship for a long / long time. They may not be war veterans (or they may), but they have lived a lot of very dangerous adventures together that sealed the confidence between them.

Then come the most important mistake that Fox made and are about to make again this time : linking the Doom origin to the origin of the Fantastic Four powers and having him superpowered (because it's cool, I presume)

separate the two origins (maybe by beginning the movie by Doom's accident that scared him) For once, in his stupidity, Trank has one thing right : there is someone with a disability, and it's important for the story. But it's not the FF, it's Doom ! He hasn't got any power, but he has been disfigured. His most dangerous power is his brain and his megalomaniac ego !

And that leed to two interesting things. Doom believes that he is above everyone, but is supposed to be an anti Reed. But what make Reed and Doom so different ? Reed is different because he has a "family" to ground him. The Fantastic Four are what preserve him from becoming Doom.

Doom believes that he understand the problems of the society / world more than anyone else. He isn't completely evil, and has probably some good intentions, but being alone and having recieved a traditional european aristocratic education lead him into having a big ego, and feeling himself superior to anyone. And his accident drive him near of insanity, making him the dangerous dictator he is supposed to be.

And ths lead into the second part : Doom is an anti Reed kind of character, but he is also an anti Ben character : Both are disfigured. Of course, one has superpowers and the other not (But Doom can compense by having his armour / invention, and the latverian forces), and both are friends with Reed at the beginning, but one is a man who is deeply good under his horrible face, and the other is a true monster. Ben will probably blame Reed at the beginning, but he will stay true to his friend, while the other will blame Reed and try to destroy him at all cost.

After his accident, he has disappeared, only to have conquered the power of his homeland : Latveria. He ruled the nation with a hand of iron, but he has also made the place one the most advanced country in the world, suppressing poverty, having a high tech Doomstadt...

I can see Doom having a role in the FF origin. I can see a spy trying to sabotage Reed's expedition (whenever it's a portal to the negative zone or a space mission) Maybe the spy is responsible for them gaining powers, or maybe he is taken before. But, in the end, it is discovered that he works for a small european nation that Reed doesn't know : the Latveria.

And, after the sabotage failed and Reed not only isn't crippled like him but gained superpowers, Doom is furious and ready to kill the team by himself, not because they are worth, but because his henchmen failed and, because he is Doom, he is the only one he can trust and who can do anything.

As for the rest, well, screw realism, and give us fantastic, mysterious and dangerous world. FF has always been more about science fiction and exploration than superheroism.

I think the idea of Doom and Reed as opposite sides of the same coin should definitely be explored at some point.