Fantastic Four Unlimited #12
An Age Undreamed Of
This story is continued from Fantastic Four #407....
Trapped on Earth's distant past, the Fantastic Four and their allies learn that they have a means of escaping: Kirstoff Vernard had installed a "time-arrang" device in his armor that will allow them to return to Hyperstorm's era and defeat him. After some struggles to get the device, Sue pulls the others of Kristoff. She tells them that now that they have finally found Reed, they will return to the present. Kristoff tries to activate the device but it shorts out quickly. Reed offers to repair the device, which Kristoff considers an honor. As Reed begins to work the rest of the Fantastic Four ask how he ended up trapped in this era.
Reed tells them how months earlier when they were trying to rescue Latveria from the creature known as Hunger, and he and Doctor Doom were seemingly killed, they were instead kidnapped by Hyperstorm who pulled them forward into the future. There Reed Richards pleaded to Hyperstorm to either save Doom's life or let him die with dignity. Hyperstorm instead decided to torture Doom. Putting him in stasis, Hyperstorm then pulled up Doom's past memories of his father's death, his lost of Valeria, as well as his constant attempts to free his mother's soul from the realm of Mephisto. However despite these torments Doom continues to struggle. This also weakens the force-field that keeps Mister Fantastic in check who then tried to attack Hyperstorm directly. However Hyperstorm was easily able to defeat Richards and as punishment decided to send him back into the distant past where Reed's scientific knowledge would be virtually useless. There he was attacked by a group calling themselves the Wizards of the Wastes but was easily able to defeat them. Realizing what era he was stuck in, Reed took what he needed to survive and retired to a cave where he lived as a hermit so he would not alter history, and als try to find a way to escape this era. Whenever the primitives of this era attempted to snoop in his business, Reed disguised himself as a horned creature to make them think he was a monster.
With Reed story done, they also complete the work needed on the Time-Arrang. However before they can activate it they are suddenly attacked by an army of monsters. While the others fight on, Sue realizes that her husband is not jumping in, the first signs that his time here may have affected his mind. After the monsters are fought off the heroes are confronted by their creator, the wizard known as Artabazus. When the Thing tires to charge at him, Artabazus changes him back into Ben Grimm and sends him flying into the air, then subdues Lyja in order to prevent her from flying off to save him. Azabazus then easily defeats the others and takes them prisoner, making the Time-Arrang his trophy. Meanwhile, in the distant future, Hyperstorm watches on his monitors as Doctor Doom (possessing the body of Zarrko the Tomorrow Man) and Nathaniel Richards make their way through his fortress. He is impressed by Doom's ability to escape his prison and decides to stand by and wait for the appropriate time to destroy his enemy. While in the present day at Four Freedoms Plaza, Scott Lang worries over the fate of his teammates. He is assured by his daughter Cassie to have faith that the Fantastic Four will make it back safe and sound.
Back in the distant past, as Artabazus prepares the others for a sacrifice, Ben Grimm continues to soar into the air when suddenly he reverts back into the Thing allowing him survive the fall. When he wakes up Ben is shocked to see that he is bound up by the band of warriors the Fantastic Four encountered when they first arrived in this era. Ben manages to break free and after easily demonstrating how these barbarians cannot harm him, they stand down and pledge their allegiance to him. The Thing then decides to use this to his advantage in order to save his captured friends. When the rest of the Fantastic Four, Lyja and Namor are about to be executed later, the Thing and the barbarians attack, freeing his friends. During the ensuing battle, Artabazus attempts to use the Time-Arrang while fighting Mister Fantastic. This causes the pair to begin fighting across the time stream. Reed eventually recovers the device, leaving the sorcerer trapped in the colonial era of the United States where he burned at the stake for being a witch. He returns back to the ancient past to see that his comrades have defeated the rest of their attackers. Reed is glad to finally be back with his family again and remarks how things will be as they were before. Sue reluctantly agrees with him, not able to tell him how much that has changed since he has been missing. With the current battle over, Reed then suggests that they take their fight back to Hyperstorm.
.... This story is continued in Fantastic Four #408.
Recurring Characters
Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, Thing), Lyja, Ant-Man, Sub-Mariner, Kristoff Vernard, Cassie Lang, Nathaniel Richards, Artabazus, Hyperstorm, Zarrko the Tomorrow Man, Doctor Doom
Continuity Notes
This story takes place between the events of Fantastic Four #406-407. Where after months of believing that Mister Fantastic had died (as it appeared in Fantastic Four #381, he was actually a prisoner of Hyperstorm and dumped into the distant past.
The Thing's face is scarred here because he was slashed by Wolverine back in Fantastic Four #374, his face is eventually healed in Fantastic Four #409.
In this story the characters refer to the "present" as being the year 1995. This should be considered a topical reference relative to the date of publication, per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616.
Hyperstorm digs up a number of painful memories on Doom they are:
The death of Doctor Doom's father first depicted in Fantastic Four Annual #2
The experiment that scarred Doom's face, as first seen in Fantastic Four #5. Both of these events have been expanded upon in Fantastic Four #278, and Books of Doom #1-5.
The scene where Valeria leaves Doom is from Marvel Super-Heroes #20 during Doom's ill fated alliance with Diablo.
It has been revealed that Doom has sought to free his mother's soul from Mephisto since Astonishing Tales #8. The depiction here is from Marvel Graphic Novel #49 when he and Doctor Strange tried to free her.
Doctor Doom used the Ovoids mind-swapping technique he learned in Fantastic Four #10 in order to swap bodies with Zarrko as seen in Fantastic Four #407.
