Fantastic Four: The End
Encyclopedia
Fantastic Four: The End is a six-issue comic book
limited series
published by Marvel Comics
, depicting a possible future for the members of the superhero
team the Fantastic Four
as part of their The End
series. Written and pencilled by Alan Davis
and inked by Mark Farmer
, its premiere issue was cover-dated January 2007.
, resulting in the deaths of Franklin Richards
and Valeria Richards
, the children of Reed Richards
(Mr. Fantastic) and his wife Susan Richards
(the Invisible Woman). Reed's experiments, specifically a system known as the "Methuselah
Treatment", help to rid the world of disease, and with the Avengers
, the Fantastic Four secure the solar system. Richards lives and works in an asteroid orbiting Earth, while his wife is on an archaeological expedition underwater. Susan's brother Johnny Storm
(the Human Torch) is a strike-force leader for the Avengers, while Ben Grimm
(the Thing) lives with his wife Alicia Masters
and their three children on Mars
.
Reed undergoes therapy sessions from She-Hulk
on his asteroid base of operations. He is trying to perfect his technology for point-A-to-B wormhole
transportation, working with Wyatt Wingfoot
and Thundra
. The Super Skrull, posing as She-Hulk, penetrates Reed's defenses and in the midst of his attack transports himself and Reed into the Negative Zone
where they encounter Annihilus
.
Johnny is working with the Avengers in outer space patrolling the galaxy using P.E.G.s (Personal Environment Generators) and telepathy nodes to guard the quarantine
zone set in place by Reed. Lately there have been some very mysterious fights with clones of villains who convert to a liquid state upon defeat and float away, later found out to be created by Diablo
and the Mad Thinker
. Ben and the Inhumans
join Johnny and the Avengers right before they run across a Kree
Sentry
and notice an illegal transmission being sent out of the quarantine
zone.
Ben is married to Alicia Masters who has had her sight restored and works as a specialist in the field of terraforming
. Ben can revert back to human at will. They are seen as royalty in their home on Mars with the Inhumans, and have three children, all of whom exhibit superpowers: Jacob has super speed; Daniel exhibits a power similar to Susan's that he uses in very specific styles, i.e. the form of a suit of armour with mace-shaped fists and stilts allowing for the appearance of flight, containers or tubes for pushing liquids through; Yancy has the power of a "sonic scream". Ben is worried about being separated from his family, especially after the loss of Franklin and Valeria.
Sue is on an underwater expedition and stumbles into Namor who aids her in her analysis until she runs across Kree
writing in an abandoned temple. An attack by Attuma
is short-lived when it is apparent Sue's powers have matured in intensity, with undocumented abilities such as modulation to separate molecules (specifically shown to allow for breathing underwater) and even reducing gravity allowing for more "true" flight-like capabilities than just an illusion using invisible platforms. After abruptly leaving Namor, Sue attempts a dangerous descent into a volcanic conduit. Sue's ship is incapacitated and she is apprehended by the Mole Man
who mentions his plan to find the "Orb of Gnomon". She escapes by jumping onto a lake of molten lava, encased in a force field, thanking the Mole Man for inadvertently pointing her in the right direction in her own search for the orb. During her submersion she experiences a flashback to a message Valeria projected into the air (written in the Kree
language) right before her death.
Sue retrieves the Orb and transports back to Stephen Strange
's residence. Using arcane spells, Sue, Strange and Strange's daughter Clea teleport to the FF asteroid, where a battle has broken out between Earth's heroes and Kree and Shi'ar forces. Using the Orb, Strange and Clea pull Franklin and Valeria into the present, along with Doom. Doom then proceeds in attacking the Fantastic Four, constantly claiming he is superior. Realizing he cannot win, Doom escapes into the collapsing Negative Zone portal, which subsequently self-destructs. The Kree and Shi'ar forces evacuate after the appearance of Galactus
within the Solar System. The Fantastic Four then reunite with the Richards children as the other heroes reach their location. Valeria reveals that she knew these events were going to happen and that she told Franklin about them and that eventually there will be sixteen members of the team, including Ben's children and the seven children that Johnny and Crystal will have.
The final page of the comic shows that Doom survived the collapsing Negative Zone gateway and that he killed Annihilus, making himself the ruler of the Negative Zone.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
limited series
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....
published by 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...
, depicting a possible future for the members of the superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
team 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...
as part of their The End
The End (comics)
The End is a line of comic books published by Marvel Comics. They follow possible endings for various Marvel characters, as they are set in the future...
series. Written and pencilled by Alan Davis
Alan Davis
Alan Davis is an English writer and artist of comic books, known for his work on titles such as Captain Britain, The Uncanny X-Men, ClanDestine, Excalibur, JLA: The Nail and JLA: Another Nail.-UK work:...
and inked by Mark Farmer
Mark Farmer
Mark Farmer is a British comic book artist. He is best known as an inker, often working with Alan Davis.-Biography:Farmer got his start in the UK comics industry before becoming part of the British Invasion, the wave of UK creators that were an integral part of the DC Comics "new look" of the...
, its premiere issue was cover-dated January 2007.
Plot
The members of the Fantastic Four are estranged after a battle with a "more machine than man" version of Doctor DoomDoctor Doom
Victor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...
, resulting in the deaths of Franklin Richards
Franklin Richards
Franklin Richards is a fictional comic book character appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, usually as a supporting character in Fantastic Four.Franklin is an Omega-Level mutant with vast psionic and reality-manipulating powers...
and Valeria Richards
Valeria Richards
Valeria Meghan Richards is a fictional character of Marvel Comics, the daughter of Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman , husband and wife and two original members of the superhero team the Fantastic Four. She is the younger sister of Franklin Richards...
, the children of Reed Richards
Mister Fantastic
Mr. Fantastic is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the Fantastic Four. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 ....
(Mr. Fantastic) and his wife Susan Richards
Invisible Woman
Susan "Sue" Storm Richards is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superheroine created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 in November 1961, and was the first female superhero created by Marvel in the Silver Age of Comics...
(the Invisible Woman). Reed's experiments, specifically a system known as the "Methuselah
Methuselah
Methuselah is the oldest person whose age is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. Extra-biblical tradition maintains that he died on the 11th of Cheshvan of the year 1656 , at the age of 969, seven days before the beginning of the Great Flood...
Treatment", help to rid the world of disease, and with the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
, the Fantastic Four secure the solar system. Richards lives and works in an asteroid orbiting Earth, while his wife is on an archaeological expedition underwater. Susan's brother Johnny Storm
Human Torch
The Human Torch is a fictional character and superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, he is a member of the superhero team the Fantastic Four, debuting in The Fantastic Four #1...
(the Human Torch) is a strike-force leader for the Avengers, while 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...
(the Thing) lives with his wife Alicia Masters
Alicia Masters
Alicia Reiss Masters is a supporting character to the Marvel Comics superheroes the Fantastic Four and Silver Surfer. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, she first appeared in The Fantastic Four #8 ....
and their three children on Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
.
Reed undergoes therapy sessions from She-Hulk
She-Hulk
She-Hulk is a Marvel Comics superheroine. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she first appeared in Savage She-Hulk #1 ....
on his asteroid base of operations. He is trying to perfect his technology for point-A-to-B wormhole
Wormhole
In physics, a wormhole is a hypothetical topological feature of spacetime that would be, fundamentally, a "shortcut" through spacetime. For a simple visual explanation of a wormhole, consider spacetime visualized as a two-dimensional surface. If this surface is folded along a third dimension, it...
transportation, working with Wyatt Wingfoot
Wyatt Wingfoot
Wyatt Wingfoot is a fictional, comic-book supporting character in the Marvel Comics universe, who first appeared in Fantastic Four #50 . While having no superpowers, he has spent much time in the company of the Fantastic Four due to his friendship with Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, and his...
and Thundra
Thundra
Thundra is a Marvel Comics superheroine who is often aligned with the Fantastic Four. She is a powerful, red haired, amazon-like warrior, or Femizon, from a matriarchal, technologically advanced future timeline where men have been subjugated by women...
. The Super Skrull, posing as She-Hulk, penetrates Reed's defenses and in the midst of his attack transports himself and Reed into the Negative Zone
Negative Zone
The Negative Zone is a fictional setting, an antimatter universe depicted in publications from Marvel Comics, most frequently in Fantastic Four and Captain Marvel. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, it first appeared in Fantastic Four #51 .-Fictional description:The Negative Zone in the Marvel...
where they encounter Annihilus
Annihilus
Annihilus is a fictional character in Marvel Comics' Marvel Universe. In 2009, Annihilus was ranked as IGN's 94th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.-Publication history:...
.
Johnny is working with the Avengers in outer space patrolling the galaxy using P.E.G.s (Personal Environment Generators) and telepathy nodes to guard the quarantine
Quarantine
Quarantine is compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease. The word comes from the Italian quarantena, meaning forty-day period....
zone set in place by Reed. Lately there have been some very mysterious fights with clones of villains who convert to a liquid state upon defeat and float away, later found out to be created by Diablo
Diablo (comics)
Diablo is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe who is an enemy of the Fantastic Four. He is depicted as an evil alchemist. He was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Fantastic Four vol...
and the Mad Thinker
Mad Thinker
The Mad Thinker is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . He is a genius specializing in evil robotics and usually comes up with very elaborate infallible devious plans that unfold like clockwork....
. Ben and the Inhumans
Inhumans
The Inhumans are a fictional race of superhumans, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. This race appears in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics and exists in that company's shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe....
join Johnny and the Avengers right before they run across a Kree
Kree
The Kree, also known as the Ruul, are a scientifically and technologically advanced militaristic alien race in the fictional Marvel Universe. They are native to the planet Hala in the Large Magellanic Cloud...
Sentry
Sentry (Kree)
Sentry-459 is a fictional character that appears in the . It is one of series of giant humanoid robots built by the alien race the Kree. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four vol. 1, #64 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
and notice an illegal transmission being sent out of the quarantine
Quarantine
Quarantine is compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease. The word comes from the Italian quarantena, meaning forty-day period....
zone.
Ben is married to Alicia Masters who has had her sight restored and works as a specialist in the field of terraforming
Terraforming
Terraforming of a planet, moon, or other body is the hypothetical process of deliberately modifying its atmosphere, temperature, surface topography or ecology to be similar to those of Earth, in order to make it habitable by terrestrial organisms.The term is sometimes used more generally as a...
. Ben can revert back to human at will. They are seen as royalty in their home on Mars with the Inhumans, and have three children, all of whom exhibit superpowers: Jacob has super speed; Daniel exhibits a power similar to Susan's that he uses in very specific styles, i.e. the form of a suit of armour with mace-shaped fists and stilts allowing for the appearance of flight, containers or tubes for pushing liquids through; Yancy has the power of a "sonic scream". Ben is worried about being separated from his family, especially after the loss of Franklin and Valeria.
Sue is on an underwater expedition and stumbles into Namor who aids her in her analysis until she runs across Kree
Kree
The Kree, also known as the Ruul, are a scientifically and technologically advanced militaristic alien race in the fictional Marvel Universe. They are native to the planet Hala in the Large Magellanic Cloud...
writing in an abandoned temple. An attack by Attuma
Attuma
Attuma is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. He is an Atlantean nomadic warlord who is the nemesis of Namor the Sub-Mariner, and is the father of the superhero Andromeda. He believes he is the prophesied conqueror of the Atlantean Empire...
is short-lived when it is apparent Sue's powers have matured in intensity, with undocumented abilities such as modulation to separate molecules (specifically shown to allow for breathing underwater) and even reducing gravity allowing for more "true" flight-like capabilities than just an illusion using invisible platforms. After abruptly leaving Namor, Sue attempts a dangerous descent into a volcanic conduit. Sue's ship is incapacitated and she is apprehended by the Mole Man
Mole Man
The Mole Man is a comic book supervillain that exists in Marvel Comics' main shared universe. He first appeared in Fantastic Four #1, and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...
who mentions his plan to find the "Orb of Gnomon". She escapes by jumping onto a lake of molten lava, encased in a force field, thanking the Mole Man for inadvertently pointing her in the right direction in her own search for the orb. During her submersion she experiences a flashback to a message Valeria projected into the air (written in the Kree
Kree
The Kree, also known as the Ruul, are a scientifically and technologically advanced militaristic alien race in the fictional Marvel Universe. They are native to the planet Hala in the Large Magellanic Cloud...
language) right before her death.
Sue retrieves the Orb and transports back to Stephen Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
's residence. Using arcane spells, Sue, Strange and Strange's daughter Clea teleport to the FF asteroid, where a battle has broken out between Earth's heroes and Kree and Shi'ar forces. Using the Orb, Strange and Clea pull Franklin and Valeria into the present, along with Doom. Doom then proceeds in attacking the Fantastic Four, constantly claiming he is superior. Realizing he cannot win, Doom escapes into the collapsing Negative Zone portal, which subsequently self-destructs. The Kree and Shi'ar forces evacuate after the appearance of Galactus
Galactus
Galactus is a fictional character appearing in comic books and other publications published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist and co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character debuted in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue story later known as "The Galactus...
within the Solar System. The Fantastic Four then reunite with the Richards children as the other heroes reach their location. Valeria reveals that she knew these events were going to happen and that she told Franklin about them and that eventually there will be sixteen members of the team, including Ben's children and the seven children that Johnny and Crystal will have.
The final page of the comic shows that Doom survived the collapsing Negative Zone gateway and that he killed Annihilus, making himself the ruler of the Negative Zone.