Fantastic Four #337
Into the Time Stream!
The Fantastic Four are awoken from their sleep by the sound of an alarm coming from Reed's lab. They rush there to see Reed working desperately over a massive machine. After taking some readings he orders Sue to place an invisible force field against a part of the room. When she does, the walls suddenly year open revealing an endless void on the other side. Before Reed can answer their questions, he activates shielding walls to cover open the hole and has Sue drop her force field. Then inspecting the area near the wall, he finds metal fragments that confirm his suspicions. As Reed begins trying to analyze the data, Johnny manages to get an explanation from him: that tear in the wall was a glimpse of the future, their future. Reed goes on to explain that he is following up on something he started to investigate during he and Sue's brief stint with the Avengers. He tells them about a previous Avengers mission that brought them to a Time Bubble that exists some 20 years in the future that is virtually impenetrable. Reed explains that its is speculated that a renegade Celestial is responsible for the Bubble and is using it to hide a weapon of incalculable power. The Avengers attempted to piece the bubble in order to stop the Council of Cross-Time Kangs from obtaining it.
Reed explains his latest experiment, the Radical Dodecahedron a device that will allow him to pierce through time and space. He goes on to tell his teammates that the bomb that was unleashed was an attempt to destroy his invention. Reed demonstrates why by taking Ben's cigar and placing it on a device. When he transports it a few seconds into the future it blinks out of time momentarily. However when Reed tries to send it some 100 years in the future, nothing happens. He finishes his demonstration by explaining that the Time Bubble prevents anything from travelling forward in time beyond its creation point. Reed then tells his team that they are going to try and find a way to destroy the Time Bubble and save their future.
While Sue calls the Power family to see if they can babysit Franklin, Reed tries to take a nap. His dreams are haunted by a blue skinned woman who tries to seduce him, but he resists due to the love he has for his wife. Meanwhile, Ben and Sharon are paying a visit to the construction site where Avengers Mansion is being rebuilt. There they meet with Captain America and Thor to discuss the Fantastic Four's mission to try and pierce the Time Bubble. Hearing about their mission, Thor agrees to accompany them due to his past experience with the Time Bubble. While back at the Four Freedoms Plaza, Johnny is training and exhausts himself. His wife Alicia suggests that Johnny should take a nap. When he does, his dreams are also invaded by the strange blue skinned woman. In this dream the woman is terrorized by a monster which Johnny destroys with his flame powers. The woman thanks Johnny with a kiss that he resists at first, then allows to have happen.
After Sue drops Franklin off at the Power home, the Fantastic Four are also visited by Iron Man who has flown in from the west coast to assist them on their mission. Reed shows his friends his invention that he hopes will help them pierce the Time Bubble: his Time-Sled, dubbed the Rosebud II. As they prepare to depart, Iron Man brings up possible interference from Kang, but Reed is certain that their foe is unable to locate the Time Bubble. Before they leave, Alicia tries to kiss Johnny goodbye, but he suddenly sees her as a the blue woman from his dream and freaks out momentarily. With everything in order, the Fantastic Four and their two allies board the Time-Sled. When the device is activated they begin travelling through the time stream. Soon they are visited by an infinite number of versions of themselves traversing time to reach the same location. As they speed ahead of the others, Johnny is suddenly haunted by visions of the mystery woman from his dream. Moments later they begin to approach the barrier of the Time Bubble. Reed and Iron Man complete their last calculations just seconds before they slam into the barrier....
Recurring Characters
Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, Ben Grimm, Ms. Marvel), Franklin Richards, “Alicia Masters”, Iron Man, Thor, Kang-Nebula, Margaret Power, Alex Power, Jack Power, Captain America
Continuity Notes
Reed mentions that he and Sue had a brief stint with the Avengers. This occurred in Avengers #299-303.
Reed mentions the Avengers dealings with the Time Bubble. Which occurred in Avengers #296-297.
Reed mentions that the Radical Dodecahedron was based off his Radical Cube, which Reed first invented to travel into the Negative Zone in Fantastic Four #51.
The woman in the blue skin is "Kang-Nebula" who was last seen in Avengers #297 where she and Dr. Druid got caught in the Time Bubble. She is not who she seems to be...:
In Avengers #291 when she joined the Council of Cross-Time Kangs she claimed to be the space pirate known as Nebula.
In reality she is actually Kang's lover Ravonna who was put in a death like coma in Avengers #24. She was later revived by the Grandmaster, as seen in Avengers Annual #21, after Kang gave up the power to save her life to instead try to destroy the Avengers (as seen in Avengers #71). When the Grandmaster revealed the truth, Ravonna decided to get revenge against her lover, developing the Nebula cover to infiltrate the Cross-Time Kangs and get her revenge.
Ben and Sharon arrive at the site of the former Avengers Mansion. Avengers Mansion was destroyed during an attack by the Masters of Evil in Avengers #274-277. The group relocated to Hydrobase in Avengers #285 until it was sunk during the Acts of Vengeance conspiracy in Avengers #311. They began rebuilding Avengers Mansion in Avengers #314 and construction is finally completed later in Avengers #329.
The woman here who claims to be Alicia Masters is actually a Skrull spy named Lyja, as revealed in Fantastic Four #358 she replaced the original Alicia in order to spy on the Fantastic Four, this happened around Fantastic Four #265.
The Time Bubble, according to Marvel Encyclopedia: Fantastic Four, is designated in the future of Earth-8810. In this story Reed states that the Time Bubble exists between the years 2005 and 2020. Per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616 this should be considered a topical reference. As the Sliding Timescale moves forward, then the dates that the Time Bubble exists should change and should be generalized in the context of this story. The Time Bubble exists 15 years in the future relative to this story .
Likewise when the display on Rosebud II lists the Fantastic Four passing through the years 1996 and 1999, these should be considered topical references relative to the date of publication.
