Marvel Knights: 4 #23
Impossible Things Happen Every Day: Part 1
Writer Roberto Aquirre-Sacasa is in a meeting with Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada and editor Warren Simons who informs him that the Fantastic Four have greenlit him as a writer for the officially licensed Fantastic Four comic book. Roberto, a huge fan of the Invisible Woman, is shocked at this opportunity of a lifetime. However, when he asks if he can meet the team, Quesada and Simons caution him against him doing so.
However, despite this dire warning, Roberto decides to pay a visit to the Baxter Building anyway. After calling his roommate to tell him the news, Roberto tries to arrange a meeting with the Fantastic Four through their robotic receptionist Roberta. However, Roberta doesn't have an official meeting on schedule. Before the writer can talk himself into meeting the team Roberta begins to call security due to the sudden arrival of an army of Impossible Men who have begun to run amok in the Baxter Building. While the Fantastic Four are dealing with this crisis, the Impossible Men manage to escape from the building and in the middle of the chaos, Roberto manages to sneak into Reed's lab. He overhears the team as they check on the safety of Reed and Sue's children and assess the situation. The Fantastic Four note that this group of Impossible Men -- possibly cloned children of the original -- are much more meanspirited than the annoying - yet friendly - Impossible Man of old. They come to the conclusion that they must contain the rogue Impossible Men and find the original Impossible Man to try and figure out what's going on.
It's at this time that Roberto makes his presence known to the Fantastic Four. While they are unimpressed with the sudden intrusion after explanations are made the Fantastic Four allow Roberto to tag along with them. However, instead of being paired with the Invisible Woman, Roberto finds himself paired with the Human Torch who is less than enthused to have to babysit the writer.
Their search for the Impossible Men takes them to the Empire State Building where the group has merged into a massive replica of King Kong. Eventually, Reed figures out a way to break the Impossible Men apart, but they manage to escape in the process. The team then regroups to pool their knowledge on past encounters with the Impossible Man. They begin trying to puzzle out who the Impossible Man would relate best with when suddenly Sue gets a distress call from HERBIE at the Baxter Building. The robot tells them that Franklin and Valeria have been kidnapped by the Impossible Man and Woman. Before the Fantastic Four can begin to search for the missing children they are suddenly confronted by four Impossible Men who have assumed the forms of the Fantastic Four.
Recurring Characters
Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, Thing), Franklin Richards, Valeria Richards, HERBIE, Roberto Aquirre-Sacasa, Joe Quesada, Warren Simmons, Impossible Man, Impossible Woman, Impossible Kids, Roberta
Continuity Notes
Marvel creators, such as Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Joe Quesada are exempt from the typical rules of the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616 that typically states that real-life individuals appearing in stories are usually topical references. However, in the case of Marvel creators, their appearances are factual, as all creators exist in the Earth-616 universe in the relative prime of their lives.
Marvel Comics has been adapting the Fantastic Four's adventures as comic books since Fantastic Four #10.
Reed mentions that it was Ben who named the Impossible Man. This is true, per Fantastic Four #11. The Thing called the alien an "impossible man" and the name has stuck since then.
It's mentioned how the Impossible Man created his wife and children through asexual reproduction. These events were depicted in Marvel Two-In-One #60 and 86 respectively.
