Back to GatefoldIssue #70 by Jason Bruss & Tobias Christopher
August 2016 |
“Hot Time in Hawaii”
Sharon Ventura was flatlining on the operating table, having just been brought in minutes earlier. She had been suffering from breast cancer, and even though she had been trying to fight it, even the She-Thing wasn't strong enough to defeat it. As she lay there with the doctors gathered around to try to save her life, the heart rate monitor continued to put out it's loud, continuous flatlining sound.
"Alright, we need to call it," the doctor said after several minutes. "Time of death: 12:59 p.m."
# # # # # # # # # #
Latveria
Vincent Von Doom stormed into his quarters and pulled off his shirt, looking at himself in the mirror. His chest was red and bruised from where Malice had blasted him across the room. The physical wound would heal, but the mental scar would remain with him for a very long time. The anger continued to grow inside him as he stormed back toward Malice's private quarters with several Doombots behind him.
Malice by then had used her powers to bring a dark green robe to wrap around her body, while admiring herself in the body length mirror. Without even turning around, she knew Vincent had returned.
"You should really put a shirt on, child, you'll catch your death of cold," Malice told him.
"You owe me for restoring you, and this is how you repay me?" Vincent asked angrily. "Doombots, restrain her!"
Malice just laughed, and with the flick of her hand, made quick work of the Doombots until they were just pieces scattered around the room. "Anything else you want to throw at me, boy?"
"I brought you back, you will obey me!" Vincent shouted as Malice flicked her wrist and pinned him to the wall. "You can't do this!"
"Oh, I can, and I shall do much worse if you raise your voice to me again," Malice told him.
Doom entered the room, clapping his hands as he saw what remained of his Doombots. He looked at Vincent, lowering his head in shame at the boy.
"You disappoint me, Vincent," Doom told him. "You are not as ready as I believed you were."
"Father, I-"
"SILENCE!" Doom shouted. "One more word and I shall have your tongue removed. Two more words, and I shall have another very vital organ removed," Doom looked at Malice, smiling under his mask. "Welcome back, my love. Something is not right with you."
"No, dear Victor," Malice told him. "Your love has ceased to exist within this body. Only Malice remains. But fear not, great one, I do not come with ill intent, but with the promise that together, you and I shall conquer all."
"Perhaps," Doom told her. "If you love and obey me faithfully, as a wife should."
"I shall," Malice promised. "My heart and soul belong to you, my husband."
"Good," Doom said. "Now, release the boy. We shall come up with a proper punishment for him together."
Malice released her grip on Vincent, who ran out of the room as fast as he could.
"Now, where is Sophie?"
# # # # # # # # # #
"Freakin’ Doombots!" Franklin shouted, having created a sword from a metal pizza tray. He sliced at a Doombot, cutting its head off. "I hate these things!"
"Not too fond of them myself, buddy!" Josh said as he flapped his wings as hard as he could to blow two of the Doombots out of the window. "Why are they here?"
"Hell if I know!" Franklin said as he grabbed another pizza tray and concentrated, turning it into a Captain America style shield to defend himself from the blows of the Doombots. "Usually they go after my family, not me!"
Sophie was sitting back, enjoying watching Franklin work up a sweat as she grabbed a slice of pizza. As Franklin and Josh were down to the last Doombot, she got ready to order more. Before she could press the button, Vincent grabbed her arm.
"Go home, I'm having fun," Sophie told him.
"Father is asking for you," Vincent told her. "Besides, I need your help as well."
"I am this close to having Franklin in my grasp," Sophie said.
"He's beaten your army, but if you come with me, I'll help you catch him with a foolproof plan," Vincent told her. Sophie just sighed as followed him out the door as they teleported back to Latveria.
# # # # # # # # # #
Hawaii
Sue was massaging Reed's back on the beach as they were watching the sun getting ready to set.
"What are we going to do about your father?" Sue asked as she rubbed his shoulders. "I don't want him around the kids. He's dangerous."
"He came back to stop something from happening, I do believe he's trying to help," Reed told her. "But we need to keep him close until we know what his game is exactly. It'll all work out, you'll see. Just relax for now, that's what this trip is for."
Further up the beach, Johnny and Lyja were laying on a blanket, making out, which is when a beach ball hit Johnny in the head.
"Sorry, mister," an adorable little girl said as she grabbed the beach ball and ran back to her parents. Lyja just sighed as she looked at Johnny.
"Wouldn't it be nice to have one of those?" Lyja asked as she saw the girl's parents fawning over her.
"Lyja, I love you, and I want to give you everything you've ever wanted, but... I'm not ready for fatherhood," he said as he stroked her cheek. "I'm probably the last guy on Earth who should have kids. Well, maybe second to last. How the hell did Trump manage to reproduce, anyway?"
The sound of police cars and sirens from the street caused Johnny to sit up, just in time to see a tidal wave made of sand coming up the beach, covering everyone and everything in its wake.
"Reed! Sue! Move!" Johnny shouted as he scooped Lyja up and flamed on everything but his arms as he flew her to safety, causing his swim trunks to incinerate in the process. The sand tidal wave stopped and swirled around, turning into the form of the Spider-Man foe, the Sandman!
The Sandman immediately saw the Human Torch, who had put Lyja down and grew even more angry. "The Fantastic Four? Here in Hawaii? You're not stopping me; not this time!"
Reed tossed Lyja and Sue rings containing their Fantastic Four uniforms, but as Reed tossed Johnny his ring, the Sandman blasted the Human Torch with a massive sand fist, knocking him in to the ground under a massive pile of sand.
"You think you can take me?" Sandman asked. "Come on!"
# # # # # # # # # #
New York
Sharon's body had been wheeled into the morgue by a male technician, who placed her onto a table and just stood over her, watching her still body just lay there.
"Wakey, wakey," the man said as Sharon opened her eyes and gasped as she bolted upright on the table. The man who had brought her in no longer looked like a hospital orderly, but now looked like his original form of the Wizard, who just smiled at her.
"I should be dead," Sharon said, her body shaking.
"Oh, yes, you should, but I wasn't ready for you to die, my sweet," the Wizard told her. "That's why I'm going to heal you, Sharon. On the trip down here, I injected with a new little invention of mine. Nano-medical devices in your bloodstream, which will heal your cancer within a few weeks’ time. There's just one little side effect..."
"Why would you help me?" Sharon said as she started feeling sick.
"Because I'm reforming the Frightful Four, and you are sorely needed," the Wizard told her as Sharon's body began transforming into the She-Thing. She looked down at her hands the Wizard just sighed. "That's the side effect I warned you about. You see, the tradeoff is that devices have to alter your DNA, and only the She-Thing form is strong enough to withstand such a transformation. Long story short, Sharon Ventura did die on that operating table. The She-Thing is all that remains now. But you'll be cancer free and able to live a long life. Do we have a deal?"
# # # # # # # # # #
At the Baxter Building, Yoshi had brought in some tea as Nathaniel just smiled at her. "You make excellent tea, Yoshi. I've never tasted anything like it."
Yoshi was about to respond when Franklin walked in with Josh, both battered with torn clothes.
"Franklin, what happened?" Yoshi asked. "Did you get into a fight?"
"No, we were just playing in traffic like usual," Franklin said, rolling his eyes as he headed to his room to change shirts.
"He hates me," Yoshi said as Nathaniel put a hand on her shoulder.
"He's sixteen, he's at that age where he's going to rebel against authority," the man told her. "He'll get past it and forgive you."
In the next room, Ben held Alicia close to him as she explained what ha d happened with her step-father.
"He's going to hurt people, I know it," Alicia told him. "We're all in danger."
"He ain't hurtin' no one, baby," Ben promised her. "The Fantastic Four will see to that. Besides, I'll never let anyone touch you. You're the most important person in the world, and I'll wreck whoever tries to harm you.
In the other room, Yoshi and Nathaniel were sitting on the couch, drinking their tea.
"I know you didn't come back just because you thought the family was in trouble, you came back because you wanted to be close to them," Yoshi said. "You missed them."
"Maybe you're right," Nathaniel told her. "I guess I'm still getting caught up in my own lies. But I really do want to keep my children and grandchildren safe. I just wish Reed would listen to me."
"Then stop playing mind games with them," Yoshi advised. "Be the father that Reed needs, and the grandfather that Franklin and Valeria need."
Nathaniel looked at the calendar on the wall and sighed. "The future is upon us, Yoshi. If something isn't done soon, someone very close is going to die."
# # # # # # # # # #
Hawaii
The Sandman had both Sue and Johnny buried under each hand as he looked at Reed.
"You think you can stop me?" Sandman asked. "No one can stop the Sandman!"
"No one, perhaps," Reed told him as he pushed the buttons on a device he held in his hand. "But nature itself will be your downfall."
The Fantasticar flew overhead, before diving into the ocean and under the water, spinning around until a whirlpool was created, sending a tidal wave of water at the Sandman, drowning him so that he couldn't keep his form. He started melting away as Reed helped Sue up, while Lyja helped Johnny.
"Are you okay?" Lyja asked.
"I'm cold," Johnny said as she shook the sand out of his hair, which is when he realized that he had neither a costume, or a pair of swim trunks on. He quickly covered himself with his hands as Lyja laughed.
"I think it's time we headed home," Reed told Sue. "I think Johnny's exposed himself enough for one adventure."
# # # # # # # # # #
Latveria
"You are now officially my Queen," Doom said as he held Malice's hand as they stood over a grave marker for the Invisible Queen. "Latveria is now ours to rule together for as long as we both shall live."
Vincent was watching them, growing angrier by the second. He returned to the castle, where Sophie was sitting on his bed.
"This isn't right, I am the rightful heir to Latveria, not that interloper," Vincent said as he ran a hand through his hair. "I should be next in line for the throne, I should be the one ruling. Something must be done to restore the proper order!"
"Do not do anything to upset our father," Sophie told him. "Do not incur his wrath, brother. Be content that at least there is still a chance that someday you may rule over Latveria. In the meantime, I must find a way to make Franklin mine, and mine alone. He will be my servant, my lover... my pet."
"Okay, that's just a little creepy," Vincent told her.
# # # # # # # # # #
Elsewhere, a dark figure was watching the events in Latveria unfold through a magic mirror. Things were starting to fall apart, and the figure was getting visibly upset as his metal clad hands threw a metal chalice across the room.
TO BE CONTINUED...
"Alright, we need to call it," the doctor said after several minutes. "Time of death: 12:59 p.m."
# # # # # # # # # #
Latveria
Vincent Von Doom stormed into his quarters and pulled off his shirt, looking at himself in the mirror. His chest was red and bruised from where Malice had blasted him across the room. The physical wound would heal, but the mental scar would remain with him for a very long time. The anger continued to grow inside him as he stormed back toward Malice's private quarters with several Doombots behind him.
Malice by then had used her powers to bring a dark green robe to wrap around her body, while admiring herself in the body length mirror. Without even turning around, she knew Vincent had returned.
"You should really put a shirt on, child, you'll catch your death of cold," Malice told him.
"You owe me for restoring you, and this is how you repay me?" Vincent asked angrily. "Doombots, restrain her!"
Malice just laughed, and with the flick of her hand, made quick work of the Doombots until they were just pieces scattered around the room. "Anything else you want to throw at me, boy?"
"I brought you back, you will obey me!" Vincent shouted as Malice flicked her wrist and pinned him to the wall. "You can't do this!"
"Oh, I can, and I shall do much worse if you raise your voice to me again," Malice told him.
Doom entered the room, clapping his hands as he saw what remained of his Doombots. He looked at Vincent, lowering his head in shame at the boy.
"You disappoint me, Vincent," Doom told him. "You are not as ready as I believed you were."
"Father, I-"
"SILENCE!" Doom shouted. "One more word and I shall have your tongue removed. Two more words, and I shall have another very vital organ removed," Doom looked at Malice, smiling under his mask. "Welcome back, my love. Something is not right with you."
"No, dear Victor," Malice told him. "Your love has ceased to exist within this body. Only Malice remains. But fear not, great one, I do not come with ill intent, but with the promise that together, you and I shall conquer all."
"Perhaps," Doom told her. "If you love and obey me faithfully, as a wife should."
"I shall," Malice promised. "My heart and soul belong to you, my husband."
"Good," Doom said. "Now, release the boy. We shall come up with a proper punishment for him together."
Malice released her grip on Vincent, who ran out of the room as fast as he could.
"Now, where is Sophie?"
# # # # # # # # # #
"Freakin’ Doombots!" Franklin shouted, having created a sword from a metal pizza tray. He sliced at a Doombot, cutting its head off. "I hate these things!"
"Not too fond of them myself, buddy!" Josh said as he flapped his wings as hard as he could to blow two of the Doombots out of the window. "Why are they here?"
"Hell if I know!" Franklin said as he grabbed another pizza tray and concentrated, turning it into a Captain America style shield to defend himself from the blows of the Doombots. "Usually they go after my family, not me!"
Sophie was sitting back, enjoying watching Franklin work up a sweat as she grabbed a slice of pizza. As Franklin and Josh were down to the last Doombot, she got ready to order more. Before she could press the button, Vincent grabbed her arm.
"Go home, I'm having fun," Sophie told him.
"Father is asking for you," Vincent told her. "Besides, I need your help as well."
"I am this close to having Franklin in my grasp," Sophie said.
"He's beaten your army, but if you come with me, I'll help you catch him with a foolproof plan," Vincent told her. Sophie just sighed as followed him out the door as they teleported back to Latveria.
# # # # # # # # # #
Hawaii
Sue was massaging Reed's back on the beach as they were watching the sun getting ready to set.
"What are we going to do about your father?" Sue asked as she rubbed his shoulders. "I don't want him around the kids. He's dangerous."
"He came back to stop something from happening, I do believe he's trying to help," Reed told her. "But we need to keep him close until we know what his game is exactly. It'll all work out, you'll see. Just relax for now, that's what this trip is for."
Further up the beach, Johnny and Lyja were laying on a blanket, making out, which is when a beach ball hit Johnny in the head.
"Sorry, mister," an adorable little girl said as she grabbed the beach ball and ran back to her parents. Lyja just sighed as she looked at Johnny.
"Wouldn't it be nice to have one of those?" Lyja asked as she saw the girl's parents fawning over her.
"Lyja, I love you, and I want to give you everything you've ever wanted, but... I'm not ready for fatherhood," he said as he stroked her cheek. "I'm probably the last guy on Earth who should have kids. Well, maybe second to last. How the hell did Trump manage to reproduce, anyway?"
The sound of police cars and sirens from the street caused Johnny to sit up, just in time to see a tidal wave made of sand coming up the beach, covering everyone and everything in its wake.
"Reed! Sue! Move!" Johnny shouted as he scooped Lyja up and flamed on everything but his arms as he flew her to safety, causing his swim trunks to incinerate in the process. The sand tidal wave stopped and swirled around, turning into the form of the Spider-Man foe, the Sandman!
The Sandman immediately saw the Human Torch, who had put Lyja down and grew even more angry. "The Fantastic Four? Here in Hawaii? You're not stopping me; not this time!"
Reed tossed Lyja and Sue rings containing their Fantastic Four uniforms, but as Reed tossed Johnny his ring, the Sandman blasted the Human Torch with a massive sand fist, knocking him in to the ground under a massive pile of sand.
"You think you can take me?" Sandman asked. "Come on!"
# # # # # # # # # #
New York
Sharon's body had been wheeled into the morgue by a male technician, who placed her onto a table and just stood over her, watching her still body just lay there.
"Wakey, wakey," the man said as Sharon opened her eyes and gasped as she bolted upright on the table. The man who had brought her in no longer looked like a hospital orderly, but now looked like his original form of the Wizard, who just smiled at her.
"I should be dead," Sharon said, her body shaking.
"Oh, yes, you should, but I wasn't ready for you to die, my sweet," the Wizard told her. "That's why I'm going to heal you, Sharon. On the trip down here, I injected with a new little invention of mine. Nano-medical devices in your bloodstream, which will heal your cancer within a few weeks’ time. There's just one little side effect..."
"Why would you help me?" Sharon said as she started feeling sick.
"Because I'm reforming the Frightful Four, and you are sorely needed," the Wizard told her as Sharon's body began transforming into the She-Thing. She looked down at her hands the Wizard just sighed. "That's the side effect I warned you about. You see, the tradeoff is that devices have to alter your DNA, and only the She-Thing form is strong enough to withstand such a transformation. Long story short, Sharon Ventura did die on that operating table. The She-Thing is all that remains now. But you'll be cancer free and able to live a long life. Do we have a deal?"
# # # # # # # # # #
At the Baxter Building, Yoshi had brought in some tea as Nathaniel just smiled at her. "You make excellent tea, Yoshi. I've never tasted anything like it."
Yoshi was about to respond when Franklin walked in with Josh, both battered with torn clothes.
"Franklin, what happened?" Yoshi asked. "Did you get into a fight?"
"No, we were just playing in traffic like usual," Franklin said, rolling his eyes as he headed to his room to change shirts.
"He hates me," Yoshi said as Nathaniel put a hand on her shoulder.
"He's sixteen, he's at that age where he's going to rebel against authority," the man told her. "He'll get past it and forgive you."
In the next room, Ben held Alicia close to him as she explained what ha d happened with her step-father.
"He's going to hurt people, I know it," Alicia told him. "We're all in danger."
"He ain't hurtin' no one, baby," Ben promised her. "The Fantastic Four will see to that. Besides, I'll never let anyone touch you. You're the most important person in the world, and I'll wreck whoever tries to harm you.
In the other room, Yoshi and Nathaniel were sitting on the couch, drinking their tea.
"I know you didn't come back just because you thought the family was in trouble, you came back because you wanted to be close to them," Yoshi said. "You missed them."
"Maybe you're right," Nathaniel told her. "I guess I'm still getting caught up in my own lies. But I really do want to keep my children and grandchildren safe. I just wish Reed would listen to me."
"Then stop playing mind games with them," Yoshi advised. "Be the father that Reed needs, and the grandfather that Franklin and Valeria need."
Nathaniel looked at the calendar on the wall and sighed. "The future is upon us, Yoshi. If something isn't done soon, someone very close is going to die."
# # # # # # # # # #
Hawaii
The Sandman had both Sue and Johnny buried under each hand as he looked at Reed.
"You think you can stop me?" Sandman asked. "No one can stop the Sandman!"
"No one, perhaps," Reed told him as he pushed the buttons on a device he held in his hand. "But nature itself will be your downfall."
The Fantasticar flew overhead, before diving into the ocean and under the water, spinning around until a whirlpool was created, sending a tidal wave of water at the Sandman, drowning him so that he couldn't keep his form. He started melting away as Reed helped Sue up, while Lyja helped Johnny.
"Are you okay?" Lyja asked.
"I'm cold," Johnny said as she shook the sand out of his hair, which is when he realized that he had neither a costume, or a pair of swim trunks on. He quickly covered himself with his hands as Lyja laughed.
"I think it's time we headed home," Reed told Sue. "I think Johnny's exposed himself enough for one adventure."
# # # # # # # # # #
Latveria
"You are now officially my Queen," Doom said as he held Malice's hand as they stood over a grave marker for the Invisible Queen. "Latveria is now ours to rule together for as long as we both shall live."
Vincent was watching them, growing angrier by the second. He returned to the castle, where Sophie was sitting on his bed.
"This isn't right, I am the rightful heir to Latveria, not that interloper," Vincent said as he ran a hand through his hair. "I should be next in line for the throne, I should be the one ruling. Something must be done to restore the proper order!"
"Do not do anything to upset our father," Sophie told him. "Do not incur his wrath, brother. Be content that at least there is still a chance that someday you may rule over Latveria. In the meantime, I must find a way to make Franklin mine, and mine alone. He will be my servant, my lover... my pet."
"Okay, that's just a little creepy," Vincent told her.
# # # # # # # # # #
Elsewhere, a dark figure was watching the events in Latveria unfold through a magic mirror. Things were starting to fall apart, and the figure was getting visibly upset as his metal clad hands threw a metal chalice across the room.
TO BE CONTINUED...