Fantastic Four #515
Dysfunctional: Part Two
The Frightful Four have used the Wizard's daughter Cole to infiltrate the Fantastic Four's Baxter Building headquarters. Having second thoughts about betraying the Human Torch's trust, Cole tells the Wizard to stay away from her. Suddenly she causes the floor to tear up and escapes. This confirms the Wizard's suspicions that she has powers. The Wizard sends the Trapster to recover the girl and bring her back while the rest of them deal with the Fantastic Four. The three members of the Frightful Four then attack the Fantastic Four. The Wizard also deploys a number of remote cameras so he can record his battle for his fans. While the Invisible Woman deals with Hydro-Man, the Human Torch finds himself powerless against Salamandra who can control fire. The Trapster joins the battle and is scolded by the Wizard, who tells him to get back looking for his daughter.
The Fantastic Four continue to struggle against their foes and are incapacitated one-by-one while the Wizard and Salamandra squabble over their abusive relationship. Trapped in the Trapsters paste, the Human Torch is freed by Cole thanks to her powers. While she is distracted she is shot from behind by the Trapster. The Wizard is furious that he would harm his daughter. Needing four members on his team, the Wizard decides that the Trapster is disposable and that Cole will take his place and seemingly incinerates him. The Wizard then decides to pull back with Cole and orders the rest of the Frightful Four to retreat, planning to defeat their foes at a later date. The Wizard then broadcasts the Fantastic Four's defeat and gloats over his victory before teleporting himself and his minions away.
Back at their hideout, the Wizard begins to run tests to confirm Cole's powers. When they ask he killed the Trapster. The Wizard sneers at this, as he is not a cold-blooded murderer, and explains that he trapped his failed minion into an infinite time loop. Salamandra returns as she refuses to leave her daughter under the Wizard's care. This leads to an argument where they reveal that the Wizard artificially inseminated Salamandra and forced her to carry the baby to term strictly to spawn a child with super-powers. He then abandoned Salamandra and the child after it was born. Cole is horrified by this as she thinks her powers are a curse, the Wizard, however, refers to her as his greatest experiment. She lashes back with her powers but has to depart to displace the mass she absorbed to use her powers.
Back at the Baxter Building the Fantastic Four are repairing the damages done to their headquarters. They discuss how the Wizard is obsessed with outsmarting the Fantastic Four for fame and recognition and Reed believes that if the Wizard ever gets a Frightful Four team together that could work they are in trouble. Johnny is worried about Cole but the others are convinced that she was only using Johnny. When none of the others want to help, Johnny takes off to look for her on his own. Stopping at a rooftop to think it over, Cole finds him thereafter he mentioned it as a spot he goes to think while they were on their date. Cole explains that she went along with her father’s plan until she actually met him and realized he is a nice guy. The pair are about to kiss when they are interrupted by the rest of the Fantastic Four. Reed tells Cole that he can cure her of power abilities but the Wizard's files could save him plenty of time. The Fantastic Four then begin planning an attack on the Wizard's hideout.
Recurring Characters
Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, Thing), Cole Wittman, Frightful Four (Wizard, Trapster, Salamandra, Hydro-Man)
Continuity Notes
The Wizard has been seeking fame over the Fantastic Four since he first clashed with the Human Torch back in Strange Tales #102.
The Trapster is referred to as "Paste Pot Pete", this was his original name when he first became a super-villain in Strange Tales #103 until he changed it in Fantastic Four #38. He hasn't lived down his old name.
The Fantastic Four discuss all the different incarnations of the Frightful Four who have existed over the years. At the time of this story the Frightful Four had the following line ups:
The original team which consisting of the Wizard, Trapster, Medusa, and the Sandman which first formed in Fantastic Four #36. Most line-ups included the three men and later had a string of replacement fourth members:
the Beetle was seen in a flashback in Amazing Spider-Man #657;
Blastaar in Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Comics Magazine #10;
Thundra in Fantastic Four #130. She was replaced with the Brute in Fantastic Four #177.
Electro also briefly joined the team in Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #40;
Llyra was also a temporary minion in Amazing Spider-Man #214;
The Wizard then tried out Deadpool, Taskmaster, and Constrictor in Deadpool #35;
He then replaced them with Hydro-Man, Titania and Klaw in Fantastic Four #326;
The Wizard and Trapster later teamed up with the Dreadknight and Man-Bull in Amazing Spider-Man: Chaos in Calgary #4;
The Wizard later worked with Klaw, the Red Ghost, and She-Thing in Fantastic Four Unlimited #5;
Another group that included the Trapster, Ms. Marvel, and a Punisher cyborg in Fantastic Four Vol 3 #29;
and a reunion with Constrictor, Taskmaster and Vanessa Carlysle in Deadpool #45.
