Fantastic Four #97
Monster from the Lost Lagoon!
While on vacation in Florida, Reed takes the opportunity to search for the so-called Lost Lagoon. During their investigation, Reed, Ben, and Johnny spot a strange humanoid fish-man swimming in the water, but, when they try to get a closer look, it manages to get away. Johnny quickly breaks away from the group in order to brood over the disappearance of his girlfriend Crystal. Landing on the beach, the Torch is swarmed by fans, and, when some women ask him out, he turns them down. He catches up with Sue and his nephew Franklin on the beach and is later joined by Reed and Ben. Unknown to them, their happy reunion is being observed by the strange humanoid they briefly witnessed earlier.
The creature returns to his undersea cavern and begins to worry that he will soon be discovered before he can finish his work. Taking the last of his serum, the fish-creature transforms into human form and swims to the surface. Arriving at a nearby oceanarium, he is mistaken for one of the employees and is asked to put on a performance with the dolphins. As the mysterious being does so, he is observed by Reed, Ben, and Johnny. Impressed by his skills in the water, Reed then asks the strange man to lead them on a mission to find the Lost Lagoon.
The man agrees, and, when they get close to their destination, he suddenly smashes through the bulkhead of their submarine, flooding it with water. Reed, Ben, and Johnny follow after the creature in the water and are lucky when it leads them to an air-filled cavern. There, they find that their "guide" has reverted back to his natural form. A fight briefly breaks out, but Reed calls it to a stop when he notices that the creature poses no threat to them at all. They soon discover that it was trying to repair its ship so the creature, its mate, and their unborn children can return to the stars. Allowing the creature to depart, the trio watch from the surface as the alien ship blasts out of the water and into the sky.
Recurring Characters
Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Girl, Human Torch, Thing), The Monster of the Lost Lagoon (Mawfus), The Creature’s mate (Bisq), Unborn children (Bruuk, Koln, and Xak)
Continuity Notes
The race of aliens seen in this story is later identified as the Quon in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #8. The creature was named Mowfus in Marvel Encyclopedia: Fantastic Four. His mate is identified as Bisq in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #9 and their unborn children are named in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Update #4.
The Torch is upset about Crystal, a member of the Inhuman royal family that he has been dating since Fantastic Four #64. She was forced to return to Attilan in Fantastic Four #95, she is next seen in Fantastic Four #99.
