Fantastic Four #644

Back in Blue: Part 4

Back in uniform, Mister Fantastic tells his teammates in the Fantastic Four and the Invaders that the time for talk is over. The entire planet is under siege from the mutated forces of the Quiet Man -- people taken and perverted from Franklin's pocket dimension -- as well as that dimension's twisted versions of the Avengers. With the root of the illness being in Franklin's imagination they have enlisted the aid of Rick Sheridan -- or more importantly, Sleepwalker, the dream entity that shares Rick's body. After medically sedating Rick, the Sleepwalker materializes and agrees to assist the Fantastic Four in their mission. Valeria has completed a portal that will open into Franklin's imaginary realm. No sooner is it open do more of the monsters emerge but Johnny, Wyatt, and Sleepwalker deal with them. Soon, Sleepwalker leads Sue, Franklin, the original Human Torch, and Sub-Mariner into Franklin's dreamscape while all the others stand guard at the portal. With that complete, Reed leaves the Future Foundation under Johnny and Wyatt's care while he and Valeria go out to help with the battle raging across the planet.

Outside, the Thing, Doc Green, and others fight against the Quiet Man's team of Avengers. Although they are not as strong as the real thing, they are formidable foes none-the-less. As Captain America downs the Franklin created Hawkeye, he is then challenged by the Steve Rogers of that world. Things get even more chaotic as the evil Scarlet Witch enters the fray. Although ordered to stay on the sidelines, the children of the Future Foundation decide that they need to do something. Looking to Bentley for leadership, he tells them that in order to defeat a villain they need to think like one. Suddenly, the heroes are joined in battle by the Wizard and his new Frightful Four which consists of the Sandman, She-Thing, and Thundra.

Elsewhere in the city, Mister Fantastic and Valeria have tracked the Quiet Man to the Empire State Building. After telling her father that she forgives him, Reed goes to face his foe. However, the man who posed as John Eden is prepared for him and unleashes a swarm of HERBIE robots to attack. Meanwhile, beyond spacetime, Sleepwalker leads his allies into the heart of Franklin's pocket universe. Once they reach the duplicate of Earth found there they are horrified by the twisted nightmare it has become. At the center of this chaotic world is the Fantastic Four's longest foe, and Quiet Man's ally in all of this: the Psycho-Man!

Recurring Characters

Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, Thing), Future Foundation (Franklin Richards, Valeria Richards, Alex Power, Dragon Man, Bentley-23, Onome, Wu, Vil, Mik, Turg, Leech, Artie Maddicks), Wyatt Wingfoot, Invaders (Captain America, Human Torch, Sub-Mariner, Redwing), Rick Sheridan, Sleepwalker, Counter-Earth Avengers (Iron Man, Thor, Wonder Man, Captain America, Hawkeye, Hellcat, Swordsman, Hulk, Scarlet Witch), Quiet Man, Psycho-Man, Mighty Avengers (Blue Marvel, Luke Cage, Spider-Man), Doc Green, Ant-Man, Miss Thing, Frightful Four (Wizard, She-Thing, Sandman, Thundra), Captain Britain