Issue - 551

Title - The Beginning of the End

Writer - Dwayne Mc Duffie

Art - Paul Pelletier

 

Summary:

Seventy-five years in the future, Reed Richards receives a distress call from Platform 42 that Dr. Doom has escaped. Back in the present, the team returns from an adventure to find the alarms blaring in the Baxter Building. Reed detects a temporal intrusion. Soon the team meet elder looking versions of Namor and Black Panther. The two are accompanied by Doom. Namor explains that Doom has come from the future to save the world from Reed. As proof, Doom shows them a room which Reed has kept hidden from then for years. The room is filled with calculations which led to the "100 ideas" which Reed came up with to avert Armageddon. Doom points out that he was hiding the truth behind idea #101. Reed tries to explain saying that 101 is simply his plan to fix everything: poverty, hunger, etc...in a word, utopia. Doom continues to explain that though his ideas did make the world a better place, his behavior became increasingly erratic. The turning point was when Sue left him for Namor. At this Reed decides he has heard enough. He pulls a gun and shoots Namor.

 

 

Notes:

Issue - 552

Title - The Middle of the End

Writer - Dwayne Mc Duffie

Art - Paul Pelletier

 

Summary:

After shooting Namor, Reed promptly shoots Black Panther as well. Upon closer examination the team find that they were in fact androids, a fact that Reed discovered very quickly. Despite this revelation Doom maintains that what he says is true, idea 101 must not happen. Doom argues that he does not hate Reed because they are opposites, but because they are the same. At this Ben becomes enraged and attacks Doom. Soon they are battling in the streets and are joined by the others. Suddenly another, older looking, Fantastic Four appear.

 

Notes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Issue - 553

Title - The End

Writer - Dwayne McDuffie

Art - Paul Pelletier

 

Summary:

With the arrival of the future FF, Doom claims that they have come to kill him. The Future FF have their doubts, but they don't believe Doom's story. Doom however requests asylum from their future counterparts. The present Reed agrees to honor the request until he can determine that Doom will not be harmed in the future. The future Reed agrees until the future Ben mentions that they need to wrap things up before Doom seals the time line. Suddenly the future team tries to take Doom forcefully. As the two battle, Reed catches his future self measuring the time variance. Finally he realizes that the future team is there to make sure that this timeline continues to be theirs. Sue finally confronts Doom and asks him what the future is really like, he admits it is paradise. Doom admits he traveled back in time to make sure that it was he who became savior of the world, not Reed. Reed comes up with a solution that would make everyone happy. With future Reed's help, they find a reality where all of the super-heroes are dead, a world that Doom can save.

 

 

Comments:

Although I think the story is one issue too long, I liked it. McDuffie proves once more that he 'gets' Doom. Doom totally wants to save the world, his way of course. McDuffie also deserves serious credit for having to tackle writing the FF first, when it was being used as a Black Panther monthly tie-in and second, having to deal with the fallout of Civil War. The mega event of the year did terrible things to Reed's credibility, and I think McDuffie does an admirable job of building the character back up without just trashing on what's come before. He does what not enough writers do these days, build on previous stories. There's a mention of Rapprochement Day here. Some might say he's just referring to his own story. Yeah he is, but he's also building on something previously written. He also happens to mention Unthinkable and ties it directly to the FF Special and to the events happening in the issue. Sue chastising Reed for giving Doom the benefit of the doubt was one of my favorite moments. Overall this is a solid read. Bottom Line: *** out of 5

 

Notes:

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