Before the Fantastic Four: Ben Grimm and Logan
Encyclopedia
Before the Fantastic Four: Ben Grimm and Logan was the first of three mini-series
from Marvel Comics
(the other two being Before the Fantastic Four: Reed Richards
and Before the Fantastic Four: The Storms) showing adventures the core members of the Fantastic Four
had in the days before they received their powers. This particular miniseries depicted a team-up between Logan
(before he became Wolverine) and Ben Grimm (before he became The Thing
). It ran for three issues in 2000
.
While Wolverine does possess his mutant powers in the series (but not his claws or adamantium skeleton), Ben Grimm is as yet unpowered, and as a result the story takes place mostly in the genre of Cold War
military adventure. The plot revolves around a mission of aerial surveillance
of the Soviet Union
assigned by Nick Fury
to operative Logan
and jet pilot Grimm.
In addition to Nick Fury
, Tony Stark
, Carol Danvers and Natasha Romanoff also make guest appearances.
, Logan
is buzzed by a low-flying jet, and he loses control of the car. Upon arriving at the base, Wolverine attacks the cocky pilot, who turns out to be Ben Grimm
, and MPs throw them both in the brig
for fighting. Once incarcerated Wolverine realizes he already knows Grimm from having flown with him from Ottawa
to Washington, D.C.
Nick Fury
retrieves them both from the brig and assigns them what he describes as a "suicide mission": Grimm is to pilot a Northrop YB-49 Flying Wing
into Vladivostok
to surveil ultra-low frequency transmitters recently built there. He is also to deliver Logan and Carol Danvers for an additional "top secret" assignment. Tony Stark (who has not yet become Iron Man
) briefs the men on the technical aspects of the mission.
The intrusion into Soviet airspace
is discovered by Natasha Romanoff and the plane is fired upon, and severely damaged, by Soviet jet fighters. Grimm lands the plane near one of the transmitters. Logan salvages two machine guns from the plane before Carol Danvers arms a self-destruct device to blow it up with explosives. Logan and Grimm provide cover fire
for Danvers to escape, but are themselves captured by the Soviets, and placed on a prison train bound for Lubyanka
. Romanoff disables the self-destruct device and claims the Flying Wing for the USSR.
En route, Logan overhears talk that a rare metal valuable to the Soviets is being transported in a strongbox on the same train. Coincidentally enough, Logan's "top secret" orders were to steal this very metal. He and Grimm stage an escape and retrieve the strongbox, which they drag to the roof of the train, where they are rescued by Carol Danvers piloting a stolen Yakovlev
observation plane. In a near-collision with the Flying Wing (now piloted by the Soviets), Danvers performs an evasive maneuver that causes Logan to fall and land on the Flying Wing itself. Logan is able to gain entry to the plane and disable its pilots, but realizes he is unable to pilot it. Ben Grimm then makes the jump from plane to plane to assist Logan. Danvers' stolen Yakovlev is damaged in a dogfight
with Soviet fighters and she too jumps to the Flying Wing. Ben Grimm pilots the plane back to the United States.
At the very end of the series, Logan tells Grimm that their mission is not yet complete, which might suggest that writer Larry Hama
intended for further miniseries featuring the two characters.
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
from Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
(the other two being Before the Fantastic Four: Reed Richards
Before the Fantastic Four: Reed Richards
Before the Fantastic Four: Reed Richards was the second of three mini-series from Marvel Comics showing adventures the core members of the Fantastic Four had in the days before they received their powers...
and Before the Fantastic Four: The Storms) showing adventures the core members of the Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
had in the days before they received their powers. This particular miniseries depicted a team-up between Logan
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
(before he became Wolverine) and Ben Grimm (before he became The Thing
Thing (comics)
The Thing is a fictional character, a founding member of the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in The Fantastic Four #1...
). It ran for three issues in 2000
2000 in comics
-February:*Strange Adventures vol. 2, #4, final issue cover-dated February - January :* January 5: Goseki Kojima, co-creator of Lone Wolf and Cub, dies at age 71.* January 6: Mad magazine fixture Don Martin dies at age 68....
.
While Wolverine does possess his mutant powers in the series (but not his claws or adamantium skeleton), Ben Grimm is as yet unpowered, and as a result the story takes place mostly in the genre of Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
military adventure. The plot revolves around a mission of aerial surveillance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
assigned by Nick Fury
Nick Fury
Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury is a fictional World War II army hero and present-day super-spy in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, Fury first appeared in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1 , a World War II combat series that portrayed the...
to operative Logan
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
and jet pilot Grimm.
In addition to Nick Fury
Nick Fury
Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury is a fictional World War II army hero and present-day super-spy in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, Fury first appeared in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1 , a World War II combat series that portrayed the...
, Tony Stark
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
, Carol Danvers and Natasha Romanoff also make guest appearances.
Plot
While driving to Nellis Air Force BaseNellis Air Force Base
Nellis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. It is under the jurisdiction of Air Combat Command .-Overview:...
, Logan
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
is buzzed by a low-flying jet, and he loses control of the car. Upon arriving at the base, Wolverine attacks the cocky pilot, who turns out to be Ben Grimm
Thing (comics)
The Thing is a fictional character, a founding member of the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in The Fantastic Four #1...
, and MPs throw them both in the brig
Military prison
A military prison is a prison operated by the military. Military prisons are used variously to house prisoners of war, enemy combatants, those whose freedom is deemed a national security risk by the military or national authorities, and members of the military found guilty of a serious crime...
for fighting. Once incarcerated Wolverine realizes he already knows Grimm from having flown with him from Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Nick Fury
Nick Fury
Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury is a fictional World War II army hero and present-day super-spy in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, Fury first appeared in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1 , a World War II combat series that portrayed the...
retrieves them both from the brig and assigns them what he describes as a "suicide mission": Grimm is to pilot a Northrop YB-49 Flying Wing
Flying wing
A flying wing is a tailless fixed-wing aircraft which has no definite fuselage, with most of the crew, payload and equipment being housed inside the main wing structure....
into Vladivostok
Vladivostok
The city is located in the southern extremity of Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula, which is about 30 km long and approximately 12 km wide.The highest point is Mount Kholodilnik, the height of which is 257 m...
to surveil ultra-low frequency transmitters recently built there. He is also to deliver Logan and Carol Danvers for an additional "top secret" assignment. Tony Stark (who has not yet become Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
) briefs the men on the technical aspects of the mission.
The intrusion into Soviet airspace
Airspace
Airspace means the portion of the atmosphere controlled by a country above its territory, including its territorial waters or, more generally, any specific three-dimensional portion of the atmosphere....
is discovered by Natasha Romanoff and the plane is fired upon, and severely damaged, by Soviet jet fighters. Grimm lands the plane near one of the transmitters. Logan salvages two machine guns from the plane before Carol Danvers arms a self-destruct device to blow it up with explosives. Logan and Grimm provide cover fire
Suppressive fire
In military science, suppressive fire is a fire that degrades the performance of a target below the level needed to fulfill its mission. Suppression is usually only effective for the duration of the fire. Suppressive fire is not always a direct form of fire towards targets; it can be an effective...
for Danvers to escape, but are themselves captured by the Soviets, and placed on a prison train bound for Lubyanka
Lubyanka (KGB)
The Lubyanka is the popular name for the headquarters of the KGB and affiliated prison on Lubyanka Square in Moscow. It is a large building with a facade of yellow brick, designed by Alexander V...
. Romanoff disables the self-destruct device and claims the Flying Wing for the USSR.
En route, Logan overhears talk that a rare metal valuable to the Soviets is being transported in a strongbox on the same train. Coincidentally enough, Logan's "top secret" orders were to steal this very metal. He and Grimm stage an escape and retrieve the strongbox, which they drag to the roof of the train, where they are rescued by Carol Danvers piloting a stolen Yakovlev
Yakovlev
The Yak Aircraft Corporation is a Russian aircraft designer and manufacturer...
observation plane. In a near-collision with the Flying Wing (now piloted by the Soviets), Danvers performs an evasive maneuver that causes Logan to fall and land on the Flying Wing itself. Logan is able to gain entry to the plane and disable its pilots, but realizes he is unable to pilot it. Ben Grimm then makes the jump from plane to plane to assist Logan. Danvers' stolen Yakovlev is damaged in a dogfight
Dogfight
A dogfight, or dog fight, is a form of aerial combat between fighter aircraft; in particular, combat of maneuver at short range, where each side is aware of the other's presence. Dogfighting first appeared during World War I, shortly after the invention of the airplane...
with Soviet fighters and she too jumps to the Flying Wing. Ben Grimm pilots the plane back to the United States.
At the very end of the series, Logan tells Grimm that their mission is not yet complete, which might suggest that writer Larry Hama
Larry Hama
Larry Hama is an American comic book writer, artist, actor and musician who has worked in the fields of entertainment and publishing since the 1960s....
intended for further miniseries featuring the two characters.