Fantastic Four (Vol 3) #24
Last Farewell
Puppy warns the Fantastic Four of an approaching storm, rushing outside they are struck by a massive tidal wave. To their surprise the New York area suddenly suffers a reality warp changing from a futuristic utopia to a dystopia to a prehistoric world, to one of Asian culture, before changing back to normal. Just as things snap back to normal, their mail person Billie Lumpkin arrives with a new parcel of mail. Looking at all the fan letters they receive the Fantastic Four quickly notices that some of this mail is from the various realities they briefly got a glimpse of. They also learn that they are the only ones who experienced the reality warp. This prompts Reed to go into his lab while the others discuss what to do next. When Valeria begins consoling Franklin, Johnny pipes up about his distrust over her due to her claims that she is the daughter of Doctor Doom in her own reality. Sue tells Johnny to back down as Valeria has done more than enough to prove her loyalty to the team. Just then Mister Fantastic returns to his team to go over all the data on the chaos storm they experience in case the others can spot something that he might have missed. When Franklin expresses his concern for their safety, Reed assures Franklin that they will weather the storm no matter what.
While everyone is getting to work, Franklin goes around to see what everyone is up to. He finds Johnny and Caledonia in a massive tesseract room where they can store large numbers of refugees in case of an emergency. While in another room the Thing is having a conference call with the Avengers and Tony Stark in order to establish a database exchange. The Thing is then contacted telepathically by Professor X who has come to advise the Thing that he has disbanded the X-Men and the will be unable to help. Franklin then goes down to the door of his fathers lab to try and get Reed's attention because he is afraid. He is joined by Valeria who tells him that it is okay to be scared because she is scared as well. Suddenly Reed opens his lab door and invites Valeria and Franklin in to show him what he has been working on. He explains how Professor X of the X-Men once used a massive telepathic probe, utilizing every good mind on Earth, to force back an invasion by the Z'Nox. Reed plans on using similar plan to create an invisible barrier around the Earth that will force the chaos wave to by pass the Earth. However, when he runs a simulation he is horrified when it causes the Earth's sun to go nova and every planet up to Mars is vaporized in the process. However, Reed is determined to find a solution to this problem for the sake of his family. While Valeria and Franklin play soccer with some neighborhood children, Sue goes over Reed's latest test models and learns that it is a failure. Deciding that she needs to do something drastic to save her family, Sue cracks open a crystal summoning someone to her side who is willing to help.
Meanwhile, Johnny becomes too pent up and decides to go out and do something about the current situation. Going into the city he foils some bank robbers while also defeating the villain Hydro-Man as well as stopping Razorback. At that same moment, the Thing is taking one last stroll on Yancy Street. There the Yancy Street Gang attempts to drop water balloons on him but they are popped by Bounty who has followed him here. It is here that Bounty finally convinces Ben that her infatuation with him is genuine and the two share a kiss. Watching from the shadows, the Yancy Street Gang have their water guns locked and loaded and are seeking revenge. Back at Pier Four, Sue is packing a bag for Franklin. She pauses for a moment when Valiera stops in and the pair have a moment of bonding. The Fantastic Four are soon called back home for what could be their last meal together with family and friends. By the time the dinner is done, Franklin is so tuckered out that he is asleep when his parents bring him to bed. After learning Reed has done everything he could to prepare for the chaos wave and the fact that he doesn't know when it is going to hit, Sue quiets him so they can have at least one more romantic interlude before facing a danger that could very well wipe them from existence.
That night the Fantastic Four's sleep is awoken by the sound of Reed's alarm warning them that the chaos wave is now approaching the Earth. Frantically they get Franklin, Puppy and Caledonia into the escape ship that Reed has prepared for them. They try to put Valeria in it as well but she closes the hatch before they can get her in. The ship is then suddenly shunted off into another dimension. As Reed scolds Valeria for not going into the ship, but his protests soon become moot as a massive tsunami wave rises high above Pier Four as the chaos wave is just about to hit....
Recurring Characters
Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, Thing), Marvel Girl, Franklin Richards, Caledonia, Bounty, Billie Lumpkin, Alyssa Moy, Puppy, Hydro-Man, Razorback, Professor X, Captain America, Scarlet Witch, Tony Stark
Continuity Notes
The members of the Fantastic Four appear in other stories that take place chronologically between pages 13 and 14 of this story:
Mister Fantastic's appearance in the flashback from Hulk #11 happens here.
The Human Torch was seen in New Warriors (vol. 2) #3-4 & 6.
The Thing appeared in Hulk #9 and the second story in Wolverine Annual 1999.
When Professor X informs the Thing that he has disbanded the X-Men this is a reference to X-Men (vol. 2) #92. However, as later revealed later in Uncanny X-Men #375, this was all a ploy to expose Skrull impostors operating within the X-Men.
Reed's reference to the Z'Nox invasion was carried out by the X-Men in X-Men #65. Reed learned about this when he confronted Xavier and the X-Men about their planet-wide mental probe in X-Men: The Hidden Years #8.
Valeria mentions that she was trained by soccer player Mia Hamm. This should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616. Since this story, Hamm retired from women's soccer in 2004.
The plot thread involving Ben and Bounty's romance is dropped after this issue.
Sending Franklin away on a ship is a homage to the origin of Superman who, as a child, was sent away from his homeworld in a ship much like this. It's also interesting to note that Puppy has an "S" shaped dog tag much in the same way that Superman's dog Krypto the Super-Dog does.
After this story, Puppy is never seen or mentioned again. The plot thread about his mysterious origins was dropped.
Not specified in this issue, but it is later explained in Fantastic 4th Voyage of Sinbad #1 that Franklin was sent to Otherworld to be protected by Roma.
The cause of the Chaos Wave is the transfer of Counter-Earth passing from Franklin's pocket universe to the Earth-616 dimension as seen in Heroes Reborn: Doom #1.
