Fantastic Four: Doomsday Parts 26 & 27

Twenty-Six
You Can Read the Previous Chapter HERE!

Anna sipped her tea and listened as Johnny spoke. It was difficult to listen to the handsome young American, for her heart was leaping with joy at the news he revealed.

“We don’t know what happened to Doom. He just vanished within the mist. But he’s gone, and I guess that means your people are now free.”

Erich stood by the window, watching his fellow Latverians pass by outside, passing the word of Doom’s disappearance one to the other. He could sense a reluctant happiness out there. The people were happy Doom would no longer rule them, but they were also unsure what would happen to them next. With Doom they had more food than they ever had before. He supplied them with medical facilities that were far in advance of any other nation. He had made their life simpler than had the Barons who had ruled them for centuries. And now that they were free, they wondered if they really wanted their freedom.

“The people are confused,” Erich said sadly. “Latverians have not known freedom for so many years they have forgotten what the word means. Perhaps they fear they will now have to struggle to get what Doom gave them, but they will have earned their benefits; they will not have traded away their lives for a serving of vegetables. I have confidence we will succeed.”

Ben lumbered into Anna’s small home, slapping his hands in satisfaction. “I just polished off a couple o’ Doom’s robots. Now they ain’t nothin’ more’n a scrap heap o’ junk. I just wish they coulda been Doomsie himself. Stretcho, ya think he’ll ever come back?”

“I wish I knew, Ben. We only heard his part of the conversation. From everything I could garner, he had opened the door that separates life and death and then had the door slam shut behind him. Frankly, I don’t know what that means. I’m not sure if he’s alive, or what.”

Ben grinned. “Hey, so ya ain’t the big-brained genius I always thought ya wuz. That makes a gargoyle like me feel better. C’mon, why don’t we split now? I wanna get back ta the Big Apple an’ take Alicia out fer a big juicy steak.”

“I agree with Ben, Reed.” Sue walked toward the door. “I don’t like leaving Franklin for days at a time. It isn’t healthy for a child to grow up without his parents.

“Johnny, you coming?”

“I’ll be with you in a minute, Sis. Let me just say good-bye, please.” He waited until the others left. “Anna, I hope you can understand what we did and why we did it. I wanted to help your people, but I couldn’t—not the way you wanted me to.”

Anna put her hand to Johnny’s lips. “I can understand, John Storm, and now I can even agree with you. You see, now it is up to my people to make Latveria into the land we have always wished for. If we can be a strong people, we will survive. If not . . .” She allowed the thought to fade.

“But you have helped us so very much, John Storm. We will never forget you. I will never forget you. You have given us hope. What more could we have ever asked for?”

Without a word, Anna pressed forward and her lips touched Johnny’s. He drew his arms about her, held her firm in his grasp. Then they moved apart and Johnny smiled, then turned to join his friends. “Good-bye, Anna,” he said simply. “I will never forget you, either.”

Reed, Sue, and Ben were already in the limousine ready to take them to the airport and home when Johnny opened the door and stepped from Anna’s small home.

He knocked on the door and waited. There was no answer, but he could hear the shower running upstairs and knew she would be home. He sat on the stoop and thought about the past several days, thought about Anna, thought about Frankie Raye and wondered if she would be interested in going out with him again, but no longer on her terms. He would not disguise who he was, he would not pretend his super-hero side did not exist any more than he could pretend his powers did not exist. He was who he was, and there was nothing he could or wanted to do about it. He wanted Frankie Raye, he was still in love with her, yet if she was unable to accept him without special conditions, then he would have to say good-bye, and he would be alone and not at all happy, but he would not have compromised himself. He would not have thrown away who he was to pretend he was something else.

The door opened. Frankie peered through the narrow opening and smiled at Johnny. She undid the chain and opened the door fully. “I thought I heard the bell ringing. Johnny Storm, am I ever glad it’s you.”

“Huh? I thought you never wanted to see me again.”

Frankie Raye nodded. “You’re right, I thought so, too. But I’ve gone mad these past few days. I’ve called you every hour. I went to the Baxter Building but I couldn’t get inside. Johnny, oh, Johnny, I’m just so happy you came back. You didn’t know what I was thinking, how I was punishing myself for everything.

“You have to understand something about me, Johnny. I get very afraid sometimes. I’ve been alone for too many years, and when you walked into my life I thought I’d never have to be alone again. But then, well, when I learned who you were, what you were, I knew that someday you might go out and never return, and I’d be alone, and I just wasn’t able to cope with that.

“It wasn’t your problem, Johnny. It’s mine. And I don’t know if I can change, but, oh, God, Johnny, I want to try. I don’t want to lose you, and I don’t want to change you into something I don’t want. If you’re willing, if you’ll have me after everything I’ve said, will you come back?”

Johnny paused and said nothing. He just stared into her beautiful eyes for a long while. Then finally he grinned.

“How about a burger and some fries, kid? It’s not fancy, but it’s me all the way.”

“That sounds good to me, Johnny Storm. Sounds just great to me.”

Twenty-Seven

Boris sat in the darkness of the castle for a very long time, rocking in the old chair his master had given him many years before. Muffled through the windows he could hear the singing in the streets, the shouting of happy people. It had been so long since he had heard his people laugh.

He thought of his master and remembered him when he was young. He was always such a bright child, yet even then his destiny could be read in his dark, brooding eyes. His end would come by his own hand. That had been the prophecy, he remembered. His great pride would ever be his downfall.

Boris forced himself to stand. Then he rested a moment on his staff before moving on. He heard the rocking chair slowly creak to a halt, and he thought he heard his name being called, but when he turned he knew the sound he had heard was only the howling wind.

At the doorway he paused to catch his breath. He smiled, remembering his master standing young and proud in his Latverian lab months before fate first brought him to America. His mother’s diary was open on a table before him, his bright brown hair rolling in the gentle breeze.

“Nothing shall ever stop Victor Von Doom,” he stated then.

“With my diary and my resolve, all secrets will be revealed.

Not even death itself will be a mystery to me.

Indeed, faithful Boris, I swear to you now, the dark region of the shadows will never claim my soul. When the time comes, when the other world seeks me out, then I shall face my greatest challenge. Then I shall prove that Dr. Doom has even conquered Death itself.”

Boris turned from the room and hobbled down the long stone corridor tapping his cane before him. The wind rushed through the winding hall and Boris slowly walked to the window and drew the shutters closed. He paused and wondered what he would do now, where he would go, how he would live. This castle had been his home for so many years, it would feel strange not to live here still.

All his friends had died many years before; now he was alone, old and crippled.

He left the chamber and entered his small room. From the closet he withdrew a bag. It was small and torn, but there wasn’t much he wanted to take with him. He stuffed one shirt in the bag, folded in a pair of pants, and zippered the bag shut.

Wistfully, he smiled as he left the room, walking down the long corridors to the main entrance. Upon the walls were paintings of Doom: standing proud, hands on his hips, riding horses, greeting his subjects.

So tragic, so very tragic.

He paused again in the main chamber and stared at Doom’s empty throne. There will never be another like him again, he thought. Such strength, and such arrogance. Such brilliance, and so little compassion.

Doom could have been a great man, but now he would go down in history as a villain, one of the infamous in the same league as Khan, or Hitler.

Boris heard the wind howl his name again, but the shutters were closed tight, and no curtain rippled. He thought he could see Doom sitting in his chair, his heavy iron hands outstretched, beseeching him to come closer.

Boris shook his head. I am an old man, too old. Much too old. I should find a place to stay tonight, then lie down.

Then he heard his name called again, softly, like a shadow’s whisper.

And this time he knew he had not heard the wind.

The End???

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Fantastic Four: Doomsday Part 24

Twenty-Four
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Doom arced forward and Reed saw a stream of smoke appear from under his long green cape. Blast! He has a jet pack. I should have realized he’d be prepared for this. He’s been waiting for this moment, waiting to do whatever it is he’s planned.

Reed watched as Doom alighted on a floating asteroid. Then he removed his cape and spread his arms upward toward the center of the Negative Zone. Tiny suction devices lined Doom’s armor; intricate circuitry crisscrossed his chest beneath his tunic. Good Lord, he’s absorbing the negative energy—that’s a “power drainer” he’s wearing.

The iron Monarch laughed. “You understand what I’m doing, Richards?” he shouted at the tumbling figure rushing past him. “Do you understand? I needed to tap this dimension’s power. I’ve reconstructed my armor for this very moment. Even as we speak, even as you rush headlong to your death, negative power is being absorbed into my power condensers. I feel my strength increase, my very body changing, growing.”

“It isn’t gonna grow for long, Doc.” The Human Torch unfurled half a dozen fireballs at Doom as he fought the tremendous suction grabbing him. He would get Doom, stop the iron madman, then find a way back into the Baxter Building.

But Doom was ready. His fingers were spread apart and the air pulsed around him. The fireballs skidded off the energy shield Doom created. “You are a moron, child. This negative energy has given me powers you cannot even dream of. There is nothing I cannot do. Observe, you dolt—observe!”

He held his hands high, then asteroids suddenly altered course and circled Doom. He began to grow; he was more than one hundred feet tall when he paused and stared into his iron palm. Light danced across his fingers, changing shape, forming duplicates of the Fantastic Four. “With my new cosmic powers I can recreate life . . .” suddenly the figures burst into flame, then withered, ash slipping through his fingers—“. . . and I can destroy that life just as simply.”

Doom glanced at Ben, falling toward the destructive core. A glow surrounded the orange monster, then faded, leaving not the powerful Thing in its place, but the slimmer, human, Benjamin Grimm. “You despise your monstrous body, Grimm. It makes you little more than a mindless beast. It keeps you from the woman you love. ‘How could a monster marry a human?’ you cry to yourself each night. With little more than a thought, I can make you human once more. I can make your miserable life happy. You could return to your loved one not as a lumbering monstrosity, but as a human . . . as a man.”

Ben Grimm gasped. It had been years since he was human, since he had become the Thing. And Doom was right—it was only his monstrous orange hide that kept him from proposing to the blind Alicia Masters . . . kept the two of them from finding happiness. But now—now he was human again. Now he—his flesh faded; it turned pink, then orange. His skin hardened, became thick, brickish. He was no longer Ben Grimm. He was the Thing again, and he was mad as hell.

“Why’d ya do that, ya slimy little filth? Why’d ya make me this monster again? If I gotta die, lemme die like a man!”

Doom’s voice was like a madman’s: shrill, oblivious to his surroundings. “I want you to suffer, monster. I want you all to suffer. I want you to feel pain, to know failure, to realize you will soon die and there is absolutely nothing you can do to—” Doom paused; his eyes grew narrow. “NO! The Negative energy is changing me . . . taking over my mind. It would have driven me mad, but now I have mastered it. You four will simply go to your destruction, while I leave this dimension, and wield this energy as I had long planned.”

Reed saw Doom rise from the asteroid and fly back toward the Baxter Building portal. He breathed a sigh of relief. Doom would shut the door behind him. When the Negative Zone exploded, at least the Earth would be safe.

He wished he had time to explore this dimension to unravel its mysteries, to probe its special properties. On his scanner he had seen worlds populated by strange alien creatures. There was so much he could learn, so many cosmic secrets to unlock yet there was no time. Soon they would all be dead. Soon this dimension would be destroyed. It was such an utter waste.

Johnny’s voice pulled Reed from his thoughts. “I think I can fight the force, Reed. If I can just get some push, that’s all I need.”

“Lemme toss the matchstick, Stretch. I used ta be a great pitcher back in my little-league days.”

“What can I do, darling?” Sue asked. She desperately wanted to be next to Reed. If she was to die, she wanted to die alongside the man she loved.

“There may be a way, Johnny. It’s risky, but it’s the only chance we’ve got. Ben, I’m going to stretch between two of these asteroids. You pull me back like a slingshot. Johnny, I’ll stretch into a pouch shape, then you douse your flame, and fit inside the pocket I form. Sue, use your force field to surround Johnny. It might not eliminate the gravity pull on him, but it will reduce the pressure. It may make it possible for him to get close enough to the Baxter Building portal to flame on and make it all the way back. Once there we can communicate by radio. Got that?”

All three nodded as Reed stretched into position. It was more than three hundred feet between the hurtling asteroids, a greater distance than Reed had ever stretched before. He wasn’t sure he could make it, yet he said nothing. He had to try, even if it tore him apart. At least one would be safe. And once safe, Johnny could rescue the others.

He stretched, farther and farther. At last his hands gripped the far asteroid. He was in place, but he could feel his back aching. His arms were weak. He didn’t know if he could hold on for long. Pain cut through him, but he wouldn’t give in. “All right, Johnny, fly in, then flame off. I don’t want you burning me."

Johnny increased the flame behind him, rocketing him toward Reed’s outstretched body. He counted the seconds. Five . . . four . . . three . . . two . . . He doused his flame and a moment later Reed caught him. “All right, Ben, get behind me, and pull me back as far as you can. Sue, cover Johnny with your force shield”

Ben pulled Reed backward, bracing his legs on the asteroid. He didn’t see Reed wince with pain, didn’t see his friend lose consciousness. He continued to pull back, wondering how long it would be before Reed cried out. But the leader of the Fantastic Four said nothing. “Awright, ya ready, kid?” Ben waited for an answer.

Johnny shouted back toward the Thing. “Yeah. See if you can get a hole in one, Ben. I don’t think we have the time for another try.”

Ben released his grip, and Reed snapped forward. Johnny shot out, curving his body slightly to correct his path. The door was rushing toward him. He felt himself slowing down; the initial momentum was wearing off. He kept his eyes forward, but shouted out as loudly as he was able. “All right, Sis, lower your shield—NOW!”

Instantly, he flamed on and fired all his energy behind him. Once again he shot forward like a rocket. The door was directly ahead of him now. Doom had closed it: he would have to melt a hole through—it was the only way, his only hope.

He paused, concentrated, then lifted his arms before him. Wait a second, he thought. If I blast open the door, I won’t be able to shut it again. There’s gotta be another way.

The lock—I’ll burn through the lock. I can always reseal it after they’re safe. The lock melted and the door swung open again. Johnny flew on through and welded the door shut behind him. Just hold it tight . . . tight enough for now, yet loose enough to blast it open to let the others through. We’ll permanently reseal it when everyone’s safe.

Johnny flicked the radio control on his belt. “I’m safe, Reed.” He waited for an answer, but for a moment there wasn’t any. Then Sue’s voice came over the receiver. “Reed’s unconscious, Johnny. The strain must have been too much for him. But thank goodness you’re safe.”

Then Ben’s voice crackled over the radio. “Kid, ya gotta find us some kinda rope or somethin’ ta grab onta. Send it through that doohickey Reed set up ta explore the Neg Zone without openin’ the door.”

Johnny smiled. “Good idea, big man. Hold on tight, will ya? I’ll be right back.”

He ran through the lab door to the stairwell. “FLAME ON!” he shouted. There wasn’t time for the elevator. He had to fly up to the next level, then get inside the storage room and find some heavy cables.

A moment later he was back before the Negative Zone computers. “I’m here, Ben. Is everyone all right?”

“Sure, sure. We always get off on hurtlin’ ta our deaths. C’mon, punk. Move yer butt.”

Johnny’s hand reached for the computer, and his fingers danced over the controls. He had seen Reed work these dials a dozen times. He knew them by heart.

Using the controls, he could create a small opening to the Negative Zone, connected to the computer by an equally narrow airlock. Johnny could then feed the cable through the computer and it would emerge somewhere in the Zone. Using the scalar grid on the computer terminal, he could arrange it to appear by the entrance back into the Baxter Building.

At the same time Johnny knew the cable would be drawn to the Negative Zone core just as Reed, Ben, and Sue were. But it, being lighter, would soon overtake them. They, in turn, could grab the cable, and Johnny, using a hoist, could draw them back home.

If it worked, of course, and Johnny wasn’t sure it would. They never had to use pinpoint accuracy in the Zone before, and without such accuracy, his teammates would surely die.

Johnny shut his eyes and activated the airlock. On the viewscreen he could see the cable unfurl, one end still in the Baxter Building, the other unwinding into the Negative Zone.

“The creep did it, Susie! He did it!” Ben was shouting with joy as the cable floated toward them. Reed was still unconscious in Ben’s arms. Why didn’t he say he was hurtin’? ’Cause he didn’t want us ta make ’im stop. He knew if we suspected he was in pain, we’d never’ve let ’im go through with it. Reed may be a big-talkin’ scientist who seems kinda cold now an’ then, but the guy has a heart that just never stops.

“Ben!” Sue’s voice was filled with horror. Then Ben saw the reason why. The cable was veering off, away from them. They wouldn’t be able to catch it.

Ben shot a glance at Reed. If he were conscious, there would be no trouble. He could stretch to the cable, bring it to them, but he was barely breathing.

Then Ben saw Sue move. Her temple was glowing. Although he was unable to see her send out an invisible coil of force, he knew what she was doing. He watched the cable suddenly twist toward them, as if grabbed by an invisible hook. “Susie, yer a dream gal. Ya did it.” He remembered the early days of the Fantastic Four. Sue had often wondered if she contributed her share to the team. Her powers of invisibility seemed useless. But since those early days she had learned to harness her force field, and now she was probably the most powerful member of them all.

“C’mon, Sis, grab the cable.” Johnny was shouting into the radio as he watched the drama unfold. He saw her stretch out a hand and bring the cable to her. Ben Grimm leaped off his asteroid and grabbed the cable in one hand, still holding Reed with the other.

“All right, hold tight. I’m using a winch. You should be safe in a few minutes.”

Johnny watched as they floated closer to him. He could see the stress on their faces. The terrible forces within the Negative Zone still lashed out against them. It took all their strength to grasp the cable and not let go.

They were coming closer. Johnny strapped himself to a steel post, then tied steel cord around it, the other end ready to lasso Ben and Sue as the Neg-Zone door opened. They were by the outside portal now.

Once more he blasted open the door. It flew open, and an overwhelming force cut through the room. Johnny felt himself being drawn into the Zone, but he was held tight to the post. Unknown energy contorted his face as he shouted. “Grab the cords . . . tie them around you, then pull yourself in! When you’re safe I’ll shut the door, again. Just hurry! HURRY!”

Sue faltered, and her fingers slipped from the cable, but Ben caught her with his free hand while gripping the cable with his legs. “C’mon, Susie, ya ain’t gonna go fallin’ back inta that mess after all o’ this.”

Sue shouted to be heard over the roar of energy whipping past her. “I can’t hold on, Ben! I haven’t got the strength! Save yourself and Reed! Forget about me!”

Ben shook his head violently. “No way, lady. I save us all, or I don’t save any of us. Got that? Ya want yer hubby breathin’ again, ya gotta try ’n’ pull yerself in, too.”

Through the portal Ben could see Johnny. He was helpless, tied to that post. If anyone had to make a move, it was up to Ben, but both his hands were tied. “Awright, lissen ta me, Susie. I’m holdin’ onta ya real tight. See if ya can slip that cord around yerself and Stretcho. If ya can, I can toss ya back inside. Then I’ll follow. Got that?”

Sue nodded, saying nothing. She could barely think. Her hands reached out and grabbed the cords. She pulled one around her; the other she tied to Reed. “All right, Ben. I’ve done it. Now what?”

Ben said nothing as he threw back his massive shoulders, then pitched Sue forward as if she were little more than a baseball. Reed followed a moment behind. Good, Ben thought. At least they’re safe. Now ta get me outta this revoltin’ development.

Arm over arm, he pulled himself along the cable. It vanished into a small hole, but the hole was alongside the gateway back to safety. If Ben could pull himself close enough, he could grab the door and drag himself through.

He felt the raw energy lash into him, sting him, whip him. He was in incredible pain, but he kept moving forward.

Suddenly the door was in front of him. His right hand grabbed the edge and he leaned forward. His left picked a handhold, and he slowly pulled himself through. “Hot head, shut the blasted door behind me, or I’ll go sailin’ right back out.”

Johnny shouted back, trying to keep his balance in the fury of the Negative Zone wind. “Pull yourself all the way through, Ben! You’re still sticking out! C’mon! Get through, you big buffoon! Hurry!”

Ben was through. Johnny freed himself from the post and he was forced toward the Zone door. If he didn’t time this perfectly, he would go back through, never to be found. Neither Ben, Sue, nor Reed had the strength to search for him. He had to make his move now.

He reached the door and slammed it shut. The door fought to stay open, but Johnny welded it in place. Suddenly the pressure stopped and Johnny fell to the ground, his chest heaving in pain, his lungs desperate for air.

He allowed himself to rest for a moment. Then he completed the welding job. The door to the Negative Zone was sealed, and Johnny thanked God for that.

He didn’t want to go through hell ever again.

Continued...Tomorrow at Atomic Kommie Comics

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Fantastic Four: Doomsday Part 22

Twenty-Two
You Can Read the Previous Chapter HERE!

As they watched the Fantastic Four running down their main avenue, Doom’s robot sentries on their tail, firing their dreaded laser rifles, the frightened Latverians ran into their homes, bolted their locks, and prayed that this battle, like the ones before it, would pass them by. They had often been caught between Doom’s troops and runaways. Over the years they came to realize no harm would befall them if they simply minded their own business, locked themselves away, and came out again when the church bells chimed, indicating all was once more clear.

A miniature missile exploded on the road before the Fantastic Four. “We ain’t gonna make it, Stretch. Let’s stand still an’ fight ’em. Runnin’ won’t get us anythin’ but killed!” Ben Grimm shouted; his voice rang like cannon fire.

Johnny Storm circled and fired at the onrushing army. A wall of fire sprang up before them, but the robots braved their way through. “I think Doom prepared these guys for us, Reed. They’re fireproof.”

Reed leaped at a tree, his hands grabbing its trunk. He saw another oak across the narrow street. “Ben!” he shouted. “Grab my legs! Tie them around that other tree!”

“Huh? What’re ya doin’ now, big-brain? Gonna pretend yer a clothesline an’ hope they’ll pass us by?”

A volley of missiles was fired at them. Reed relaxed his body as he stretched into a wide sheet. The missiles hit him, three in the chest, two in the stomach. Sue shut her eyes in horror. Ben’s fingers, firm on a tree stump, closed tight. The stump shattered under his grip.

The missiles stretched Reed’s body backward. He seemed to elongate almost to the end of the block. Concentrating, Reed snapped his body forward like a rubber band, shooting the missiles back at Doom’s robots. Four were instantly destroyed. The shattered fragments lodged in two others. All six were useless.

“C’mon, let’s go!” Reed shouted, his long legs leading the four of them. He stretched upward toward Johnny, saw three divisions of robot sentries approaching from varying directions. There were just too many of them. They’d never make it out of Latveria alive.

“Come, this way, hurry. You haven’t any time.” It was a girl’s voice that called out to them.

Reed shrank back to normal height. “Who are you?”

The girl shouted at him angrily. “There isn’t time for introductions. If you want to live, follow me. Hurry.”

Reed turned to the others. “There’s no other choice. Let’s go.”

They ran down a side street and ducked through a low door. Johnny landed behind them and followed. A dark tunnel appeared before them, but the girl held a small candle which she had picked up at the door. “Follow me. Be quiet,” she whispered softly.

It took several minutes, but they soon found themselves in a small wine cellar. Large casks sat on heavy wooden shelves. There was barely enough space to breathe in. But Johnny saw the girl who had led them to safety, and he gulped. “Anna? You?”

The dark-haired Latverian glared at Johnny. “Perhaps now you know what I meant when I said Doom was evil. You refused to help free Latveria, but I will still help you.”

The others looked on in confusion. Johnny grinned sheepishly. Introductions and explanations were definitely in order. “I met Anna while you three were getting yourselves captured. She and I sort of had an argument.” He shrugged his shoulders noncommittally.

Then Anna spoke. Her words were bitter, yet without hatred. “I wanted, I pleaded, with him to help us overthrow the despot who rules us. He refused.”

Reed understood. “Johnny was right, Anna. As much as we would like to see Doom done away with, we can’t enter any country we wish to just to overthrow its leaders. That would be an abuse of our powers, and, worse, that would force us to become the decision-makers between who is right and wrong, who should live and who should die. If Doom hasn’t that right, we can’t claim it, either.”

Reed saw the girl was beginning to complain. He continued, not letting her speak. “What would happen if we, on our own, decided the government of America was unjust, or England, or the Soviet Union? We know, we can feel for those who live in oppressed nations, but we dare not use our powers to destroy their leaders. You have to fight for yourself. That’s the only answer.”

The girl was angry; the words sputtered from her lips. “That is the coward’s decision. Doom is evil. He subjugates his people. We have no freedoms. We want to be free, and to be free we need your help. Cowards. Liars. That’s what you people are.”

From the distance they heard an old man’s voice call out. “Anna, come up here quickly. His sentries are at the door. I want you by my side.”

With a sneer on her lips, Anna mounted the steps and vanished. “Yes, Grandfather. Hold on. I will be there.”

“Awright, Reed, whadda we do now? That gal thinks we’re lower’n scum. She ain’t gonna raise a hand ta save us, and we’re trapped down here.”

They eyed the large casks of wine. Reed studied them carefully.

“I have an idea,” is all he said.

“Have you seen the Americans?” The robot pushed its way into the small house; its scanners analyzed the room’s interior. No excessive heat patterns. “Speak!” Its voice was cold and mechanical, deliberately designed to instill fear.

“No. I haven’t seen anyone,” the girl said. Her eyes grew narrow, her hateful expression lost on the steel sentry.

“You lie. Perspiration rate has increased. Heartbeat has increased. You have lied. Where are the strangers? Take us to them or face immediate elimination.”

The old man hobbled toward the robot sentries, his cane tapping on the wood-planked floor. “My granddaughter said she saw them earlier, when they came. Yesterday. She is not lying. Check me if you think so. I have not seen them.”

“You tell the truth, yet you lie. There is something amiss. Is this your only cluster of rooms?”

There was no point in lying. The robot sensors would discover a lie. “No. We have a basement, a wine cellar. I make the wine myself, from the grapes I grow in my garden. I have permission.”

The robots pushed passed the old man, knocking him back. Anna caught her grandfather and helped him to his seat as the robots descended the stairwell to the cellar.

Light beams glowed from their eyes, turning the dark basement into daytime. There were only large casks, nothing else.

Suddenly their arms lifted, and their laser rifles slid into place. With a wide arc they circled the room, blasting each cask. Wine spurted out from half the casks, yet the deadly rays slashed through all. Anna cried out in horror. She understood what had happened, but it was too late. There was nothing she could do.

The robots paused. Their leader turned toward the girl. “We did not detect the presence of outsiders, but our computer tapes indicated you have not yet made this year’s payment for your wine-merchant license. You have been operating illegally. Tomorrow you will appear in Municipal Court number three and pay your fine. In the meantime, all illegalities have been removed.”

The girl was silent, struck numb, as the robots left without another word. Wine flowed everywhere; it formed puddles around her feet. Then she heard one cask shudder and open. Johnny Storm slipped safely outside. Her eyes grew wide with astonishment.

The other casks opened. Reed Richards, Sue Richards, and the orange-skinned monster called the Thing eased their way to safety. “Yer plan worked perfect, Stretch. How’d ya know?”

Reed eased a pain in his back as he answered his friend’s question. “We passed through Doom’s robot control room during the tour, remember? I knew the frequency he operated on. I was sure a minor adjustment in our belt radio would block out our heartbeats. Fortunately, I was right.”

Anna couldn’t hold her shock in any longer. “They shot you. How did you live? I saw them use their terrible rays. I saw it.”

“Each of us,” Reed began, “has special powers. You must know that by now. Sue’s force field protected her.” Reed nodded toward Johnny. “The Human Torch’s flame helped to deflect the light beams. I was able to stretch out of the way, anticipating their moves, which wasn’t as difficult as you might suppose.” They stared at him, confused. Reed grinned. “There was a small hole in the cask. I saw where they were aiming and shifted my body to the opposite side.”

“As fer me, there ain’t no laser built that can put the ol’ kibbosh on yer’s truly.” The Thing grinned a wide, toothless grin that seemed distinctly out of place. Behind them they heard Johnny begin to giggle, then laugh, then convulse. “What’s so funny, hot-head?”

It took more than a minute for Johnny to control himself, to clear the tears from his eyes. “You know why you survived, Benjamin, my orange buddy? You know why? The blamed robot missed you, that’s why. But if you want to see what the laser hit, take a peek behind you.”

Ben turned his massive head, and if it were possible for his orange-hued body to turn red, it would have. He backed into the corner, behind a cask still emptying its wine. The others saw his consternation. Then Sue noticed the reason and she broke into fits of laughter.

Ben was fit to be tied. “Awright! Awright! So what’s so funny, lady? Ya never seen a orange butt before? Sheesh! Hey, wot’re ya all starin’ at me fer? Ain’t ya got no courtesy? C’mon, get movin’. Get movin’!”

Laughing, Reed turned to Anna. “You wouldn’t have any material we could alter for Ben, would you? I think my friend here is a bit embarrassed.”

Ben squarked. “This is another one I owe Doom fer. Burnin’ off my britches! That’s a new low, even fer him!”

It took fifteen minutes before the laughter stopped.

Continued...Tomorrow at Atomic Kommie Comics

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Fantastic Four: Doomsday Part 21

Twenty-One
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There were five guards waiting for them at the end of the corridor. Their guns were drawn, ready to fire. Ben shot a glance at Reed. “Want me ta take care of them, Stretch?” He cocked his fist in gleeful anticipation.

Reed shook his head. “I want them stopped, not crippled. Sue—?”

Sue nodded and stepped into action. Five separate energy bubbles appeared around the astonished guards. They tried to fire their guns, but the bullets wouldn’t emerge from their chambers; Sue had clogged them with separate energy bursts.

Reed approached them with confidence. “Where is Doom?” They didn’t know.

“I don’t believe ’em, high-pockets. Gimme a chance ta work ’em over a bit.”

“No, Ben. They’re telling the truth. Doom wouldn’t bother telling any lackeys his plans. C’mon. I want to get to his central complex.”

They rushed through the corridors, Johnny flying behind them. “Reed, what makes you think Doom isn’t here? You seem to think he’s left.”

“Our escapes wouldn’t have been possible if Doom was monitoring us, Johnny. In every case he could have made some adjustment, held us back, possibly have succeeded in destroying us. I think he’s left, but I don’t know where he’s heading, unless—” His eyes grew wide with realization.

“Blast it! Of course! Why didn’t I realize it? This was all a setup to capture us—to take us away from New York. Whatever Doom is after, it’s back in the States. And unless I miss my bet, it has to do with our headquarters. Doom wants something inside the Baxter Building, and to get it, he had to get us out of the way.”

They entered Doom’s main control room, and Reed saw Boris sitting in a wooden chair next to Doom’s throne. The old man looked weak, and not at all surprised to see his master’s enemies standing there, still alive.

“I am pleased you lived. Death can be so horrible,” he said, his voice soft.

Ben plodded toward him. “I didn’t see ya tryin’ ta stop Doomsie, little man. Ya just stand right next ta him an’ do everythin’ that blasted walkin’ can-opener tells ya ta do.”

Boris let his fingertips run across his face. He was old, perhaps too old. He should have died many years ago, but his curse was continued life. “Doom is my master. I must honor him. I cannot disobey him. But you cannot understand that. You do not know me, our people, our ways. I may not approve of his actions, but long ago I swore to his father that I would remain at his son’s side until I died. I have kept that promise for many, many years. I intend to fulfill that promise until I am relieved.”

Reed interrupted. “Where has Doom gone to? America? The Baxter Building? Please, you’ve got to tell us. Many lives depend on your answer.”

Boris shut his eyes and welcomed the darkness. “He has gone to claim his destiny. He has lived his entire life for this day. At this moment, his jet is nearing your homeland. Soon he will enter your headquarters. It seems, sir, that you and my master have been competing with each other for years. Both of you are brilliant men, equally brilliant, I would say. For each discovery you have made, my master has made an equally ingenious discovery. But you have succeeded in one area that has always eluded my master, from before the days of the explosion. Time after time he has met failure trying to uncover what you already had learned. At last, he felt, he could wait no more.”

Johnny felt the anger overcome him. He grabbed the old man by the collar. “So he tries to kill us and take what he wants. What kind of madman do you serve? How can you accept him? Don’t you have any gumption, man? How can you just sit there and serve that maniacal killer?”

“Leave him alone, Johnny. We’ve got what we came for. Let’s go.” Reed put his hand on the youngster’s shoulder and urged him away. “We’ve got a long trip back to America.”

They ran from the castle into a band of robot sentries. Laser pistols were drawn and aimed at them. Johnny took to the air, flaming on as the Human Torch. With his arms outstretched, he unleashed a volley of fireballs at his targets.

Ben Grimm leaped at one robot and squeezed its base until the mechanoid shuddered and blew apart. A second robot fired at him; the blast grazed his shoulder. Ben fell forward, tumbling behind a massive rock.

With a herculean effort, he hefted the twelve-ton boulder and hurled it at the steel assassin who had shot him. He grabbed another robot and tossed it more than half a mile away into a small stream.

Reed Richards felt the laser blast skim by him, missing by a fraction of an inch. He was still weak, but these robots were not about to stop him. Not now. He stretched thin and wide and oozed beneath several robots. As the sentries adjusted their rifles, he came up around them, enveloped them. His fingers stretched toward their controls, broke open the control box, and ripped the main fuses from their housings. The robots fell dead to the ground, useless piles of metal junk.

Sue Richards faded from view and ran toward a rocky area. Three robots pursued her, their radar picking up her electronic heat pattern. Laser blasts flashed on all sides of her as she ran for shelter. They homed in on her with deadly accuracy. Instantly, she became visible again, with a force shield formed before her. Laser blasts splayed off it, then vanished.

With a massive display of power, she threw the force field toward the sentries. Like a battering ram, it knocked them off their pins, sent them scattering.

She sensed another robot approaching her from the rear. A second robot was at her side. She dived between them, they fired, but she rolled out of the way. Then she smiled briefly.

Sue paused, allowed the robots to adjust their aim. Without moving, she turned the robot behind her invisible. She had to time this correctly. If she was a fraction of a second off, she would be caught in their crossfire.

As one, they fired their lasers as she dived from sight behind a wide oak tree. She heard the invisible robot scream as its companion blasted it apart. A moment later she saw its scattered fragments littering the ground.

Reed stretched toward her, grabbed her hand, and tossed her to Ben. Johnny Storm flew in low. “I got this one, Reed,” he said, firing his concentrated heat blast at the sentry. The robot halted instantly, shimmered, then flowed to the ground as molten steel.

Johnny flew high again, then stared at the area around them. “Some more sentries headed this way, Reed.” Johnny pointed north. “Let’s intercept the buggers.”

Reed shouted in protest. “No. We can’t take the risk. Let’s run the other way. Besides, we have to reach the airport. It’s our only way out of here.”

Johnny flew above them, scouting the area as they ran. Suddenly, he arced low and flew toward them. “Several dozen sentries are closing in on all sides, Reed. These look bigger than the ones we just fought.”

“Any way out, Johnny?”

“Yeah. They’ve left an opening, but it takes us through the village. If they catch us there, innocent people could be caught in the fighting.”

Reed grimaced. “I’m certain that was their strategy, Johnny. They’re leading us on like cattle.”

“Big deal. We can stay here an’ clobber ’em.” Ben Grimm was ready. “Or mebbe yer too chicken ta face ’em again.”

Ben, Johnny, and Sue waited for Reed’s reply. “We can’t let them fight us here. There are too many of them, and I can’t be sure we can take them on. Our only hope is to make it through the village and head directly for the airport. It may be dangerous, but it’s the only choice left to us. You with me?”

Sue grabbed Reed’s arm. “Of course, Reed.” She stared at Ben. “Ben? Are you coming?”

Ben nodded reluctantly. “Well, I ain’t got anythin’ better ta do. Awright, so we paint the town red. Big deal. Hoo-hah! Let’s go, awready!”

“Then, let’s move,” Reed said, trying to be hopeful, but failing miserably. “We make it through town, and the next stop is home.”

To Be Continued...Monday 

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Fantastic Four: Doomsday Part 19

Nineteen
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Reed Richards was running for his life. He heard the sulfuric acid roaring along behind him. The corridor came to an end. What do I do now? he asked himself. I’ve got to remember the pattern. He had seen the intricate maze for only a moment before the ceiling forced him downward, but a moment was all he needed. His photographic memory would do the rest.

If he had time to think, which he hadn’t. And if he could see the maze, which he couldn’t.

He stretched his hands out, as far as they could go. One hand took the right tunnel, the other the left. The left met resistance fifty feet up. He ran toward the right.

The acid gushed toward him, filling up the left-hand chamber and flowing through the right. If he had taken the wrong turn, he would be dead at this moment.

He kept the fear from gnawing at him. Just concentrate. Think before you take any step. Sort out all the confusion and just plunge on.

The tunnel continued, but there was another tunnel branching off to the left. He stretched his hands out again. The left tunnel branched into two more tunnels. There was no way to know if they continued on or met dead ends. The right tunnel circled a bit, then veered sharply to the left. Reed couldn’t stretch his hand any farther. And he was unable to remember the twisted route. Whatever he did, it had to be by instinct.

Two tunnels to the left, one straight ahead. How would Doom construct the maze? He heard the acid gushing toward him, slapping against the corridor walls. The right tunnel circled around. All three tunnels were longer than Reed could stretch. He made a decision.

He headed toward the corridor on the right. With all his speed he ran, his hands feeling the path before him. Doom would round one tunnel to make it seem it was coming back on itself. But Reed, in his anxiety, was able to stretch farther than Doom had expected. He had felt the tunnel veer sharply toward the door at the far end of the maze. This had to be the correct way. If he were wrong, he wouldn’t suffer long.

His pulse rate increased; he felt his heart pounding. Reed Richards was not a young man any longer. Perhaps Johnny could keep running at top speed, but Reed would soon slow down, and the acid would soon engulf him.

Reed thought of his son Franklin, born just five years before. He might never seen him again.

Once more the tunnel branched off into two. The right corridor was blocked fifty feet up. He had to take the left. Reed ran, puffing, his heart tripping. Pain cut through his lungs. He found it hard to breathe. But he continued. Step after step after step.

Then he remembered. He turned back and ran toward the right-hand cutoff. He could see the maze clearly in his mind. Halfway down the corridor he felt a small opening on the left. He had seen it when he had stretched over the maze. The tunnel opening was two feet off the ground, and a hole only one foot wide. He hadn’t felt it when he checked this tunnel because his hand stretched toward the end, down the center. It didn’t snake along the sides.

Like a snake, he slithered though the hole and found another corridor. He paused for a moment. It would take a few minutes for the acid to fill the tunnel he had just run through. A few minutes before it would reach the hole and seep on through.

He desperately needed those few minutes to calm his heart, to slow down his hurried breathing. At last he heard the wave of acid crash down the tunnel behind him. He had to begin running again.

Three more tunnels appeared before him. One, he knew would lead to the exit door. The other two would bring him closer to death. The corridors were too long to stretch forth his arms. Once more a decision had to be made. Which corridor? Which?

No way to decide. He anchored his legs at the wall and stretched down the left corridor as swiftly as he could. It circled to the right, then the left. It cut back on itself. Reed snapped his elongated body back to the starting point.

The wave of acid crashed down the corridor. He didn’t have time to try testing the next tunnel. He had to make his decision. He ran down the center tunnel. He veered first to the right, then the left.

Then, for the first time, his face contorted in horror.

Before him was a blank wall. He had made the wrong decision.

Sue Richards felt her force shield fading. It could last only a few moments longer. The laser beams flashed by her, picked up speed, richocheted off walls. They glanced off her force bubble, arced up toward the ceiling, bounced back and skidded off the table.

“The table?” Sue was astonished. “How in the world did I miss the obvious?”

She ran toward the table and ducked under it. She allowed her force shield to fade, and slipped a smaller one over the candle. She could maintain control over that force bubble with ease.

A laser ray hit the wall and flashed toward her. She fell back and pulled the table on its side. The ray hit it and glanced off. Doom had made the table impervious to lasers. Sue could use it as a shield.

She backed herself into a corner. Can’t let a ray hit me from behind.

In the center of the room she saw the candle on the floor, still burning within the bubble of energy. “Got to snuff that damned thing out. Don’t want to waste any energy.”

The force bubble contracted. It slipped under the wick and cut it. The flame sputtered for a moment, then died out. Sue breathed easier. “Now what do I do?” she asked, uncertain.

For a few minutes she rested, the overturned table reflecting dozens of laser blasts. “Could try to blast my way out of here with a massive force bolt at the door, but if it’s not strong enough, I’ll be trapped. I couldn’t budge the door when I tried earlier, but then—” She remembered. The candle had made her drowsy. It’s possible that she was unable to use her full power.

But she was still weak. It still seemed so hopeless.

She saw Franklin playing in the field outside their country home. He was such a bright boy, so eager, so filled with joy. She wanted to be with him now, she wanted to hug him, to smother him with a mother’s kisses.

Agatha Harkness came into view. The tall, thin, gray-haired old woman with the craggy features and harsh eyes was actually a warm, loving housekeeper. She saw Franklin running toward the cliffs. How many times had Sue warned him away from there? He ran; then he tripped and he fell.

Below him, Sue could see a long mountainside and a river flowing past its base; rocks lined the river. Franklin’s body would be dashed on those rocks. He’d die.

Then she saw Agatha standing by the cliff. She waved her hands above her head, and twin bolts appeared which flared out and formed a circle of light around Franklin’s falling body. The boy hovered for a moment in the lights; then he rose in the air, and the light brought him to safety. He came to rest in Agatha’s scrawny arms.

Sue winced. She should’ve been there. She should have stayed with her child. It was her duty. Why did she abandon Franklin to run around the world? How could she show him the love he needed? She should be at her son’s side.

But how could she be? She had been given these powers. They made her different. Long ago, when the four of them learned how the cosmic rays had affected them, they had sworn to use their powers to benefit mankind. To not use them would be to waste them.

They had been given abilities that made them more than human, but to use them properly meant they had to make certain sacrifices others were never called upon to make.

More than human and less than human. That’s what they were, and that knowledge bothered Sue. She wanted to be with her son, but she was unable to abandon her duty.

Yet, Franklin was happy. He was astonishingly intelligent, ready to help, willing to do anything. He read voraciously; his imagination was limitless. Perhaps Sue hadn’t failed him. When they were together, they had a more intense relationship than any other family. They could pack more into those hours and days than other families could accomplish in weeks.

Was it the time one spent, or the quality? Sue didn’t know, but she understood that the question demanded answers. When they returned home. If they returned home.

She felt her powers increasing again. She was almost at full capacity. Just a few minutes more . . . all she had to do was hold on tight. A few minutes . . . that’s all.

The time dragged on inexorably. Sue’s forehead was slick with sweat. She bit her lip waiting. She wondered what had happened to Reed and the others. Was Johnny all right? Did Doom get Ben?

Not knowing hurt her more than she could realize. The Fantastic Four was a family unit. They lived together. They battled together. If one of them died, what would happen to the others?

She fought to control her breathing, to calm herself down. Behind the table she would be safe.

Now she was ready. Sue steadied herself, pressed her back firmly to the wall to brace herself. She would have to use every ounce of willpower she could possibly muster. She would have to use her energy powers as she never had before. She counted backwards from ten . . . nine . . . eight . . . seven . . . Sue felt her veins tighten, her body grow tense. Six . . . Her head pounded. Five . . . four . . . three . . . What would happen if she failed? she wondered. Would there be time for a second chance? No way. One try. Blow out the door. Run. Find the others. Two . . . She prayed. She had never been religious, but she prayed now. ONE!

She fell back against the wall, her eyes wide, unfocused. An almost invisible ball of pure energy grew from her temple. It moved slowly at first in the direction of the door. It grew larger, it picked up speed, larger, faster, larger, larger, larger . . . faster, faster—

IMPACT!

A moment of silence, then the door shuddered and creaked and groaned, then blew apart into so many atoms. The wall now held a gaping hole.

Sue was momentarily dazed. It took several seconds for her eyes to focus, to realize where she was, what she had just done. She felt the blood drain from her. She was weak, yet she forced herself to stand, lifting the table above her, and she ran.

Toward the gaping hole she ran as if her life depended on it.

She ran because her life did depend on it.

She dived through the hole and sat in the long corridor, and was terribly, terribly weak. And then she allowed herself to cry.

“Awright, ya two-bit tin yahoos. Ya may not have known it before, but right now it’s CLOBBERIN’ TIME!” Ben leaped toward the horse and rider. He didn’t seem to care as his body shuddered with electricity. He was The Thing. He could fight the pain.

“C’mon, baby, let’s see what ya can do.” He was taunting the knight, knowing it was only a machine, incapable of reacting to Ben’s sarcasm, but it made the burly ex-football player feel just a bit better.

He tossed the robot knight from the horse, then threw it at the other robots slowly marching toward him. “Lemme see, strike or spare?” Two knights blew apart under the impact. There were still eight more. “Not bad. Not good, but not bad.”

He leaped over one knight, his monstrous body incredibly agile. He glanced upward and grinned. “All right, ya bozos, this is where we separate the monsters from the robots. Ya ready, tin-heads?”

The second horse and rider lunged at him. The lance struck Ben’s shoulder, and he collapsed in pain. “Blazes, ya think ya’d give some sorta rallyin’ cry before ya struck. Ain’tcha got no manners?”

Can the jokes, gruesome. This ain’t no game. They’re after me. They got the power ta cut me inta little orange ribbons. Play it safe.

The Thing forced himself to stand. The horse was rearing. It would charge again. To his side, on the wall, he saw a fancy tapestry. Doom had said it was worth more than thirty thousand dollars. Tough!

The horse charged, and Ben ripped the tapestry from the wall. “Ya look cold, tinny. Mebbe ya better cover yerself with a blanket.” He heaved the tapestry over the two, and the horse thrashed blindly. The knight ripped at the tapestry; he tried to pull it away from his sensors. But Ben was already atop him, pummeling him with his massive orange fists.

“Ya ain’t gettin’ outta this, creepo. There ain’t nothin’ the ever-lovin’ blue-eyed Thing can’t clobber if he’s got a mind ta.”

Ben saw the other knights approaching him. He’d have to leap from the horse, get to cover. But first—

He swung his right hand back behind him. His blue eyes glowed brightly in the dim-lit arena. His wide, brutish mouth was turned in a sneer.

Then, in a wide, powerful arc, his hand flashed forward. His fist rammed into the robot knight. There was a loud mechanical explosion, and Ben fell off the horse as the rider found himself blown into useless rubbish.

“Yer not doin’ too bad, blue-eyes. Keep this up an’ somebody’ll probably pin a medal on ya, providin’ they can find a place ta do the pinnin’.”

Like a human dreadnaught, Ben smashed his way through the robots. Their lances smashed against his brickish skin, but he submerged the pain. Ain’t good for a monster ta cry. Ain’t no good fer my rep.

He felt his back explode with fire. Two knights were behind him, their lances still embedded in his rocky hide. God, can’t take the pain; it’s rippin’ me apart. Tearin’ me up. Gotta fight it. Gotta fight it.

Gotta pull the blasted lance outta me. Can’t cry . . . there, got it. But it’s burnin’ up my hand. Burnin’ me up real bad. Gotta hold on . . . gotta keep strugglin’. Keep on fightin’. Can’t fall. Sue an’ Reed an’ even the kid may be in trouble. Gotta help ’em. They’ll need me. Gotta help.

He staggered forward, the electrified lances still in his hand. His vision was blurred, his legs weak. He could barely think, yet there was only one thing he could do.

He fell back to the wall and saw the remaining knights marching toward him, their lances firm in their armored hands. He tilted his head upward and he said, “It ain’t gonna be easy, but I don’t do anythin’ the easy way, do I?”

With incredible power, he heaved the burning lance. It cut through the chain high overhead. The chandelier swayed for a moment, uncertain whether to fall or not. Then it made up its mind and plunged downward atop the marching knights.

Electricity sputtered wildly; sparks flew everywhere. There was a single corruscating squeal, and then silence.

Ben fell back, breathed heavily, and just stared. “Brush my buns. It worked. I don’t believe it, but it worked.”

With powerful hands, he ripped the heavy steel door from its hinges and tossed it aside. Now ta find the others.

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Fifteen
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The Americans waited for the buses that would take them to the airport. The room was buzzing with excitement. Their trip had been everything Doom had promised and even more. They would have stories to tell their children and their grandchildren. Latveria may be a small country, but it was virtually a paradise.

Dean Collins felt humbled by everything he saw. Doom had used his genius to help his people. His castle was a veritable museum, a treasure-house of art. Perhaps, he wondered, had he been wrong about Doom all along? The man had been conceited once, but he was much younger then. Perhaps he had outgrown his earlier attitudes. After all, his deeds seemed to prove he had.

He glanced around, then saw Doom standing in the doorway. “Where are Reed Richards and the others?” he asked, worried.

Doom nodded. “My friends have decided to stay here a while longer. Dr. Richards wished to work in my laboratory. He decided to work with me on some personal projects.”

Collins was suspicious. That didn’t sound like Reed, not the Reed Richards he knew. “I’d like to say good-bye to him, if you don’t mind.” Something was wrong, Collins felt.

Doom bowed. “Dr. Richards asked not to be disturbed; however, I am sure he will not mind if you speak to him.” His hand pressed a button beneath a television screen. “This should buzz in the laboratory.”

The TV screen flicked on. Reed Richards’s face appeared. He smiled. “What is it?”

Doom gestured toward Collins. “Move closer to the screen. Otherwise, the camera cannot pick you up.” Collins moved in and felt relieved. Reed seemed to be all right.

“I wanted to say good-bye, Reed. Doom said you were lagging behind?”

Reed smiled. “His laboratory fascinates me, Dean Collins. He has several devices here that I’ve never seen before. I can’t leave yet, not until he shows me how they’re used. Ben, Sue, and Johnny are staying here with me. By the way, how’d you and Mrs. Collins enjoy the tour?”

Collins returned Reed’s smile. “We loved it. I’d stay behind myself if I could. But duty calls. Tomorrow I’ve got to be back on the golf green. Ah, retirement.”

“Enjoy your trip, Dean Collins. I’ve got to go. Good-bye.” The television screen flickered for a moment, then went gray.

Dean Collins turned to the others and said, “All right, what are we waiting for?” He put his arm around his wife and led her toward the first of the buses.

He hummed. He had misjudged Doom. A tiger can change its stripes.

Doom wrung his heavy iron-bound hands in satisfaction. The contemptible fool had bought it all.

In another room of the castle, technicians removed the Reed Richards rubber face mask from the faceless robot programmed to mimic Reed’s voice and mannerisms. It had functioned as perfectly as designed. But then, Dr. Doom had built the robot, and Doom never failed.

Sixteen

“Are you leaving now, sire?” Boris asked. The old man was seated in a chair next to Doom’s throne. Doom activated four viewscreens mounted to the wall of his private chambers. On the first he saw Johnny Storm, still unconscious, in a specially designed room which would prevent the youngster from using his accursed flame. When Storm revived, he would have a surprise in store for him.

The second screen revealed Sue Richards crouched in a corner of the catacomb, the lasers cutting a destructive path in every direction. Her energy powers would soon fade, and she would either be cut down by the death rays, or by the fumes from the poisonous candle.

Reed Richards’s plight was more amusing. He rushed blindly through the darkened maze, a torrent of acid about to engulf him at any moment. It would not be long before Doom’s longtime foe was little more than a burned-up cinder.

The final screen revealed Ben Grimm battling one of Doom’s robot knights. The monstrous Thing grabbed an electrified lance and tossed it aside, his hands burning with pain. The mounted knights chased him across the long courtyard. He wouldn’t escape. He couldn’t. Even if Grimm defeated his robots, as unlikely as that might seem, there were dozens more. Each one he destroyed would be instantly replaced. They would never tire, but already Grimm’s massive hands rose slower than they had before. His punches were less effective than they had previously been.

Doom flicked off the screens. His foes would be dead very soon. No need to linger. “Yes, I will be leaving, Boris,” he answered finally. “Is my private jet prepared for my trip to America?”

His old servant nodded slowly. “It is, sire. All is in readiness.”

Doom rose and left the room, and Boris hobbled after him. Doom was surely after something terrible, Boris thought. His actions these past several days had been carefully planned for months. But what was it Doom wanted? Not even his faithful servant Boris knew the answer. Doom wouldn’t reveal his plan, only that he was going to America, and that what he wanted was somewhere in the Baxter Building—the headquarters of the Fantastic Four.

And that is why he spent millions in luring the fabled foursome to his country under the guise of a tour for his old classmates. That is why he spent millions more preparing very special traps designed to capture and destroy his old foes.

But what Doom’s final objective was, only Doom knew.

Boris glanced at the calendar on the wall. Doom had said he wanted success on Walpurgis night—his birthday. That was tomorrow night.

Whatever it was Doom had planned would occur tomorrow, May 1.

Boris shuddered in horror. He intimately knew the details of Doom’s origin. He was able to guess at Doom’s secret. If it was what Boris suspected, even the heavens would roar in horror.

Doom turned toward his old friend. “You will look after the castle for me, Boris? Only you can I trust.”

Boris bowed reverently. “I will look after everything, sire. To serve you is my only desire.”

Doom left and Boris waited until the dull thud of metal boots striking stone steps finally faded. Then, when he could no longer hear anything save the crickets, he closed his eyes and fervently prayed.

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