Fantastic Four: The World's Greatest Comics Magazine #7

Touched By the Hand of Havoc!

Crystal is teleported into the Fantastic Four's Baxter Building headquarters by Lockjaw. She begins searching for her boyfriend but finds no trace of the Human Torch. Hearing a noise coming from Reed's lab, she goes to investigate and finds that Doctor Doom is going through Reed's inventions. When she tries to attack him, he easily fends her off with the power of the Cosmic Cube. He then gloats over how he killed the Fantastic Four on the Moon.

However, Doom's boasts prove premature, as the Fantastic Four and the Black Panther have survived the destruction of their ship thanks to Sue's invisible force field. But this is only delaying the inevitable as they will surely die when the air within the field is used up. Hoping to signal for help, Reed has Sue open a tiny hole in her force field allowing him to fire the Fantasti-Flare over the Earth hoping it can be seen by the SHIELD helicarrier.

Meanwhile, Doctor Doom teleports back to his castle in Upstate New York, there Doom learns that his minions have secured the Ultimate Machine per his instructions. He then orders one of his lackeys to bring the Horn of Proteus. Unwilling to risk himself any harm, Doom orders his minion to blow it himself. When it doesn't destroy the lackey, Doom is satisfied that the world will soon be his.

Soon the massive whale known as Giganto rises out of the ocean, the first of many sea creatures called by the sound of the trumpet. Swimming in the oceans is the Sub-Mariner who notices that the horn is being used to summon the creatures of the deep and decides to investigate to see who is responsible.

Back in Earth orbit, the situation is becoming grim for the FF and Black Panther as their air begins to run out. However, they are soon rescued when the Inhumans arrive in a ship. There Johnny is reunited with Crystal who explains that she went to her family to mount a rescue mission when Doctor Doom gloated over their defeat on the moon. While the FF head for the SHIELD helicarrier, Nick Fury and his agents pour over reports of Atlantean beasts heading for the coast of the United States. The Surfer is about to go out and battle the creatures when Dum Dum enters the room and tells them that the Fantastic Four are en route.

While back at Doom's castle, Doom kills one of his own men for comparing him to petty tyrants of years past. Suddenly, the Sub-Mariner comes crashing through the wall to avenge the use of the Horn of Proteus. Regardless of the surprise attack, Namor proves no match for Doom and the power of the Cosmic Cube.

Back at the SHIELD helicarrier, the Fantastic Four are filled in on what has been happening on Earth while they were away and Reed begins to formulate a plan. With news that the Avengers are fighting the creatures, Reed decides to take advantage of the fact that Doom thinks his team is dead by sending the Silver Surfer to help. He then sends Johnny and Crystal with the Inhumans for another part of his plan, while he, Sue, Ben and the Black Panther return to the Baxter Building. When Reed and the others arrive home they are in for another surprise as they find the Watcher waiting for them when they arrive.

Recurring Characters

Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Girl, Human Torch, Thing), Black Panther, Inhumans (Black Bolt, Medusa, Karnak, Gorgon, Triton, Lockjaw), SHIELD (Nick Fury, Dum Dum Dugan, Clay Quartermain), Silver Surfer, Doctor Doom, Sub-Mariner, Watcher, Giganto

Continuity Notes

• This is not the original Giganto, that beast was slain at the end of Fantastic Four #4. Giganto was not the only of its kind, as multiple other similar creatures have since been seen. Fantastic Four Vol 5 #3 shows an entire thriving race. It has been explained that the Gigantos were created by the Deviants as seen in Marvel Universe #7.

• Dum Dum Dugan's appearance here is a complicated one. As revealed in Original Sins #5 Dugan was seemingly killed in action back in 1966 and it was suggested that he was replaced by a complex LMD that thought it was Dugan. However as revealed in New Avengers Vol 4 #17, Dugan's body was kept alive and his mind was transmitted into LMDs.