...The Sound of War

At the Baxter Building, Mister Fantastic learns that the Invisible Woman went off to Old Atlantis, one of the sites targeted by the Interdimensional Council of Reeds. Reed hooks up the conch to a device that will allow them to see the Peak remotely. Unfortunately, they discover that Old Atlantis has been destroyed.

Fifteen minutes earlier, the city was under attack from the combined forces of the Mala, Chordai, and the Mole Man's legions. Seeing what appears to be her husband working with the Mole Man she goes to confront him while Spider-Man and Alex Power try to keep the invaders away from the city. However, when she gets close enough, the Invisible Woman discovers that this man is not her husband. When this Reed confirms the truth he blasts her out of the sky. Spider-Man rushes to Sue's side and tells Alex to use his powers to keep the invaders away. Alex uses his gravitational powers to raise a wall of ice up between him and the main invasion forces, but this distracts him long enough for another to come up on his flank. He's attacked by one of the Mala, who manages to break his arm in its pincer.

While Spider-Man comes to Alex's aid, the Mole Man follows Reed's orders and blows up Old Atlantis so they can access the thermal vent below. The members of the Future Foundation survive the explosion thanks to Sue's force fields. After gathering the survivors of Old Atlantis, Sue decides to leave them in the care of Namor before heading home and getting some answers from her husband. Meanwhile, the Thing is paying a visit to Alicia Masters at her apartment. He has come because he can't get his thoughts straight about Johnny's death. Alicia gets him to stop beating himself up over Johnny's death and tries to convince him of two things: He has to move on because Johnny's dead, and she really loves him. Back at the Baxter Building, Mister Fantastic sets Alex's arm in a cast and begins checking his wife for permanent damage. She is not happy to discover that he has been hiding things from her again.

At that moment at the Future City, the Reeds are examining the Ascension Engine and have determined a way to repair it so that the evolved Moloids can continue to breed. The offer to fix it in exchange for the dwellers to stop recruiting the Mole Man's Moloids into the city. Suddenly a shadow fills the entire city and the Reeds witness a massive floating city appear overhead. At first, they think it is the Universal Inhumans who are living on the Moon, however, they discover that it is actually Black Bolt and the Inhuman Royal Family who have just returned from the stars.

Recurring Characters

Future Foundation (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Thing, Spider-Man, Nathaniel Richards, Doctor Doom, Valeria Richards, Dragon Man, Wu, Vil, Korr, Mik, Turg, Tong, Leech, Bently-23, Alex Power), Alicia Masters, High Evolutionary, Diablo, Mad Thinker, Doctor Forson, Robert Jea, Wizard, Interdimensional Council of Reeds (Reed Richards of Earth’s 12498 and 428), Mole Man, Inhumans (Black Bolt, Medusa, Gorgon, Triton, Karnak, Maximus, Lockjaw)

Continuity Notes

• Sue mentions how she thought the alternate Reed was either the Brute and the Dark Raider, two other alternate versions of Reed that were equally as evil. Sue first encountered them in Fantastic Four #177 and Fantastic Four #387 respectively.