Issue 34
In My Father's Image
Part One
Written By Barry Reese

"The Fantastic Force has been disbanded." 

The words hung in the air for a moment before they fully sunk into Sue's brain. The young man on the viewscreen before her wasn't truly her son, as he had journeyed to this reality from another, but he certainly reminded her of her own Franklin, particularly in the sullen way his lower lip protruded when he was unhappy. This Franklin was in his twenties and had lived through much disappointment and heartbreak, but it was obvious that he was still the same little boy inside. "But... why?" she asked, once she'd found her voice again. "SHIELD seemed so pleased after the whole Watcher situation was resolved*...."

(*See issues 26-30 for the full story)

"They were... but priorities have changed, at least according to Director Carter. I think it's more a case of them having gotten what they wanted out of me and now they're tossing me aside."

"That doesn't seem likely," she chided. "What about the other members?"

"Jessica's still recovering from her injuries, but Hector's taken the Iron Lantern armor so that SHIELD can study it. Hawk-Owl's returned to Chicago already." Psi-Lord's face screwed up in concentration. "But maybe you're right... they did say something about reassigning Speed Demon and Starbrand. They've been sent to California."

"And you?"

"Hector says I'm welcome to stay on and that SHIELD could find another position for me... but I'm not interested. Not now, at least."

"What are they going to do with Baxter Station?"

"Oh... that's the other reason I was calling." This time, Psi-Lord's face parted in a smile and Sue saw the hint of laughter in his eyes. "I managed to convince Director Carter that you guys were owed something for all that you did. As of right now, Baxter Station belongs to the Fantastic Four. So if you guys need new digs... I think I've found you a home."

Deep within the bowels of Four Freedoms Plaza lay a room whose very existence was a closely guarded secret. Equipped with state-of-the-art holographic projections systems, this hidden lair allowed Reed to take part in scientific conferences and high-level meetings with individuals from around the world and, in some cases, throughout the universe. The reason for the secrecy was that the technology had the potential for much misuse, with espionage being paramount among them. 

On this day, however, the room was being put to good use, for an assemblage of holographic representations sat around a circular table, while Reed stood before them. The six men and women who had been brought together were some of the most brilliant -- and powerful -- leaders in existence..

Charles Xavier, leader of the Mutant rights movement and the founder of the X-Men. Prof. X sat with hands folded on the table before him, looking serene but tired. Reed was aware of the recent War Stark crisis* and knew the tremendous cost it had placed upon the X-Men. That made the Fantastic Four's leader all the more pleased to see Xavier in attendance. 

(*See early issues of AV2K's X-Men series)

Seated to Xavier's left was Doctor Stephen Strange, Earth's Sorcerer Supreme and current member of the Avengers' East Coast branch. Strange looked concerned, with his fingers steepled together, but he also looked supremely confident, as if his magic powers could cope with any emergency.

Tony Stark's handsome face showed the strains of a man whose conscience had been severely shaken. With the recent Stark Invasion still playing heavily upon him, Stark looked like someone who considered this a tremendous expenditure of his valuable time. Reed hoped that he would be able to sway Stark to his side, however, for he would be essential to the success of this grouping.

The final two members of the shadow cabinet looked a bit surprised to have been included at all, but Reed knew that they, too, would have their roles to play... even if he was not certain what roles they would be.

Dane Whitman, the Black Knight, sat in full armored regalia. He cut an impressive figure, Reed had to admit. Dane's presence amongst this group had come in a moment of strange inspiration, but from the few words he had spoken since arriving, Reed gathered that Whitman was now affiliated with a revived grouping of the Defenders*... and that mystical forces may have led to Reed's unusual decision to contact the Knight.

(*See issues of the Gary Dreslinski run of Defenders)

Jennifer Kale, leader of a shadowy group of mystical heroes known as the Seekers, sat between Whitman and Strange. She was beautiful, intelligent and powerful... but also the youngest of those contacted by Reed. She obviously felt out of place, particularly when the mystic element of the group seemed so well represented by Strange.

"I hate to rush things along," Stark was saying, "but some of us have affairs that have to be taken care of."

Reed tried to smile, but the effort appeared forced. "Of course. I've brought you all here today to offer you membership in a secret organization, a shadow cabinet of sorts. Not one with plans to manipulate anyone or anything, but one that could foster the sharing of information and allow us to plan for certain events without alarming the general populace of heroes."

"Vague," Dane commented. "What events are you talking about?"

"I assume this is in reference to the Stark Invasion... and possibly other events, such as the actions of the Watchers and the rise of the War Stark," Xavier murmured.

Reed nodded. "Exactly. Most of our groups share information resources already, but at times, the information isn't provided until long after the threat has passed. This Illuminati of sorts would allow us immediate access to one another... and allow us to pass along details that we might not want everyone to know."

"That's twice you've said something like that," Strange said. "I sense that there's more to this than you've let on."

"While on the moon, I discovered an artifact that had been in the possession of Uatu before his death." Reed leaned over the table, activating a holographic recording he'd made of the device. It hovered in the air before the group, spinning slowly. "The Armageddon Clock, counting down to August of 2009. I believe that Uatu might have led us to it as a way of warning us. Not long after gaining it, Uatu's replacement arrived to reclaim it. But he did pass on a warning of his own: that four major threats would reach us before the day of Armageddon. The first of these, he said, would bear a familiar face but still be unknown to us. I believe that the Fantastic Four encountered this being on the Skrull homeworld: a figure calling himself the Obsidian Surfer. The Surfer stole twelve children from the Skrulls and my contacts on Xandar and other worlds have confirmed that the Surfer and whomever he serves have been to other empires and done the same."

"You don't have any clue as to the nature of this... Armageddon?" Stark asked.

"None, save for what I've told you."

"I wonder if it could be Fannin," Jennifer Kale whispered. Looking around at the others, she said "The Seekers have been tracking a powerful demon named Roland Fannin. He's trying to bring about the end of the world."

"A possibility," Strange confirmed. "Though we have no way of truly knowing at this point... and it's purely conjecture on Reed's part that the Obsidian Surfer plays into all this at all. Correct?"

"Correct," Reed conceded.

"Can't we try to get more information from the Watchers?" the Black Knight asked.

"They made it quite clear that they had nothing more to say on the matter," Reed replied. "Nevertheless, I believe the ultimate threat to be very real... and I think you can see why I would want to keep the information on a need-to-know basis."

"If this got out, it could certainly spark a panic," Xavier agreed. "How often would you want this... Illuminati... to meet?"

"Standard meetings on a quarterly basis, but any one of us could call the others together in an emergency. Coordinating the various groups represented here -- the FF, the Avengers, the Seekers, the X-Men and the Defenders -- could have benefits far beyond dealing with the Armageddon threat."

"I agree," Stark said, bringing a genuine smile to Reed's lips. Tony Stark -- when properly motivated -- could instill tremendous loyalty in others.

"Then it's done," Reed agreed. "The Illuminati is born."

"So it doesn't bother you that I'm an alien?" Lyja asked, taking another bite of her ice cream. She looked anything but unusual as she sat in the park with Johnny's son Brandon, having shifted her appearance to look like a brown-haired young earth woman with bright green eyes. She had her hair pulled back into a ponytail since Johnny had always liked that. Her former husband was approaching them with a newspaper tucked under one arm.

Brandon shrugged, enraptured by his own Rocky Road. "Nah. My mom told me all about this kinda thing before she brought me to see my dad. And I've already seen all kinds of stuff! It's cool."

"Good for you." Lyja lowered her voice, so that Johnny couldn't hear. "I wish I could have met your mom. She sounds really nice."

"She was." Brandon looked sad for a moment but brightened when Johnny sat down on the grass beside them. Central Park was alive with people today, as the sun shone down brightly and the temperature hovered around a comfortable 85 degrees. "Did you get your paper?"

"Sure did, kiddo." Johnny passed the comics section of the Daily Bugle to his son, while he spread the front page out for Lyja to see. "Wladyslav Shinski's kid is going to be on the NOW television show tonight."

"Who's that?" Lyja asked, finding the name familiar but unable to place it. The FF had so many friends and foes that it was impossible for her to keep track of them all.

"Crucible."

"Oh!" Lyja felt a flush come to her cheeks. She'd served in the most recent incarnation of the Frightful Four with Crucible, the Wizard and the Super-Skrull. The cancer that had been eating away at her brain had caused her to turn against the FF and especially Johnny and even after being cured by the Obsidian Surfer, she still found it difficult to sort out her memories of that time. "I didn't know he had a son."

"Neither did I. According to the article he was an illegitimate child, born to an American woman named Gladys Delaney. Apparently she was an assistant for Shinski back in his pre-Enclave days."

"Why's he going on tv?"

"Apparently, he's followed in his dad's footsteps. Gavin Delaney's a geneticist, with a specialty in human evolution. He's been helping the authorities in curing the most difficult of the Glastonbury Evos*. Tonight, he's supposed to make some major announcement and talk about what it was like to be the son of a supervillain."

(*See the "Evolution" storyline that ran in issues 20-22)

"Sounds innocent enough... but you look like you don't trust it one bit."

"Call it a hunch, call it years of experience... but I'm telling you, nothing good's going to come of this." Johnny flashed the handsome smile that had won her heart years ago. The flutter in Lyja's chest was a sure sign that it still had the same effect on her today. "Want to go with me and see what he has to say?"

Lyja hesitated for a moment, casting a glance over at Brandon. The youngster was devouring the latest comic strips and laughing to himself, ignoring the fact that the last of his ice cream was steadily melting away. "You've really forgiven me? For all the terrible things I did?"

"Of course I have, babe! It was my fault you were sick in the first place, so if anybody should take the blame, it's me. I'm just glad that my powers come from my FF uniform now and not from anything that can harm anyone. Especially folks I care about," he added, making sure she caught the implication. "I don't want to play the field anymore, Lyja. I'm ready to settle down... and seeing how happy Ben and Sharon are, it makes me think that maybe you and I should have never separated."

Lyja couldn't hide her happiness as she leaned forward to kiss him quickly. "Then I'll follow you anywhere you want to go, Johnny. Always."

"What do you mean the Force has been disbanded?!" Valeria felt like she'd been slapped in the face with the unexpected news, leaving her feeling both embarrassed and angry.

Her mother tried to hide the smile that threatened to reveal itself. Valeria had asked for both of her parents to hear her out as she told them her 'big news.' The announcement had been that she'd decided to go out and join the Fantastic Force team, splitting her time between Four Freedoms and the Baxter Station moon base. "Just what we said, honey." Sue put her arm around Reed's waist, trying to keep him from having his attention diverted back to his experiments. He'd been analyzing the readings he'd taken from their encounter with the Obsidian Surfer, though she sensed that he'd had a bit more going on earlier than he was letting on. She could sense when he was trying to be deceptive and it perturbed her... but she'd learned to give her husband time to reveal himself on his own. "I know that you were hoping to get out on your own some, but I'd hoped you'd gotten most of that out of your system during your time with Alyssa and the others."

"I'm certain you can adventure with them again if you'd like," Reed pointed out.

Valeria sighed, wishing she'd known about this before she'd given her speech about wanting to branch out. She hadn't told her parents about the decision she and Kylun had reached about their friendship, putting it on hold for now, but she really didn't want to go into it, either. "Yeah, I guess so. I was kind of looking forward to hanging out on the moon, though."

"You might still get that chance," Sue replied. "Psi-Lord gave us ownership over Baxter Station. Your father thinks it might be best for us to relocate there."

"We'd no longer pose a threat to our neighbors," Reed confirmed.

"That would be the bomb," Valeria said. "Let's do it!"

Mr. Fantastic laughed. "We'll see. Now, about your need to stretch your wings... as I said, there's always Alyssa. Or perhaps Psi-Lord would like to try his Fantastic Force idea again, without SHIELD backing this time. "Or..." Reed began, hesitating.

"Yeah?"

"Well, I spoke with one of the Avengers earlier today. Doctor Strange, in fact. He told me of some changes going on in their West Coast branch*. Perhaps you'd like me to put in a good word for you....?"

(*See Avengers West Coast # 26 & 27)

"Wow! Would you really do that? Recommend me for the Avengers?"

Sue felt just as floored as Valeria seemed to be. The Avengers routinely took part in adventures featuring the likes of Kang, Ultron and the Grim Reaper... but then again, so did the FF. Perhaps Reed wasn't being as foolish as she first thought.

"Of course. I can give them a call right now if you like."

"Daddy, you're the best!" the teenager exclaimed, giving her father a hearty hug. "California, here I come!"

"What's all the noise about?" Ben Grimm asked, sauntering into the room wearing an oversized robe and smelling of soap. "I wuz soakin' in the tub when I thought the Molecule Man wuz breakin' into the joint!"

"I'm gonna join the Avengers, Uncle Ben!" Valeria put her hands on her hips and looked so spunky that Ben had to chuckle at the sight.

"Oh yeah? Good fer you. Which coast?"

"West."

"Hey, the Whackos! My old gang."

"Don't get your hopes up yet, Valeria," Reed pointed out. "I haven't even called them yet."

"Maybe you should do that, Reed," Sue prompted. "Come on, Valeria. We're going to need to revamp your costume to take out the '4' elements and replace them with the Avengers' 'A.'"

As the ladies hurried out to make the necessary changes to Valeria's wardrobe, the Thing cleared his throat. "Hey, Stretcho... I been meanin' to ask ya somethin'."

"Of course, old friend. What is it?"

"I wuz wonderin'... you wanna be my best man?"

Reed blinked in surprise, feeling a fountain of emotion spring up within him. "Ben... I'd be deeply honored."

Ben grunted. "Good. 'Cause Quasar told me he couldn't make it, so it wuz down to you and Bill Foster!"

Reed laughed aloud, even more so when Ben joined in.

The television studio was only half full, which didn't surprise Johnny very much. NOW might have begun as a gaudy entertainment-news show, but in the last year or so it had increasingly turned to 'hard' news, thus losing most of its audience even as the awards started to pour in. 

Gavin Delaney sat in an oversized chair, a cup of coffee in his hands. He was disarmingly handsome, with dark hair and eyes. He wore a turtleneck sweater and khaki slacks, making him look less like the son of a supervillain and more like a university professor. Johnny had to admit that so far, the interview had been remarkably uneventful, focusing mainly on Delaney's work with the Evo victims and his educational background. Still, Johnny couldn't help but feel something was coming. Lyja, still wearing her brown-haired disguise, was obviously becoming a bit bored, however.

"So," the pretty female interviewer said, "You mentioned earlier that you had an announcement to make. One that concerns your father, known to most in the world as the notorious Crucible. The man who is, in fact, responsible for the tragedy at Glastonbury."

Gavin nodded, as if what he had to say was of tremendous importance. "Wladyslav Shinski was a difficult man to get to know. I sought him out when I was seventeen, eager to learn about this man who was so, as you said, notorious. I found him in Bavaria, hiding out from the Avengers."

"Really? I thought you and your father weren't very close...."

"I wouldn't say that we were. He refused to accept my claims at first, even going so far as to genetically test me. But once he'd confirmed that I was his flesh and blood, he made me heir to all his secrets. Of course, in the end, he sent me away, claiming that I was a failure. He was that way, always seeing others as beneath him. Even those, like me, who are more than his equal."

Johnny leaned forward, his eyes widening. "I was right. I can't believe it," he whispered. "I must be developing something like Spidey's danger sense."

"You don't anything yet," Lyja cautioned. "We can't cause a scene until he actually does something."

Onstage, Gavin was continuing. "He taught me how to alter the human genome and accomplish great things. In fact, some of the knowledge I've been using to help the Evos comes from his own teachings."

"Astounding," the interviewer said, looking uncertain as to where this was going.

"Quite so. In fact, this recent experience has taught me that I've now surpassed my father in terms of knowledge and skill. No longer do I have to live in his shadow, always comparing myself to the great Wladyslav Shinski." Gavin's handsome face parted in a grin, one that held no warmth at all. He stared into the camera, his eyes narrowing. "I have taken the next step in terms of evolution. I have discovered the way to intermingle flesh and steel, to turn the arts of nanotechnology inwards, to rebuild the human soul." He held up a hand, suddenly twisting it into a fist. One of the cameras suddenly flew forwards, grinding and tearing as Gavin ordered it into a new snake. It became a tendril of steel, wire and glass, wrapping about the terrified interviewer. "As of today, Gavin Delaney is no more! As of today, I am Mechanix!"

"The heck you are, buster!" the Torch exclaimed. He was standing in the aisle now, tossing aside his clothing so that his FF uniform could show through. "You've gotta deal with the Human Torch!"

Mechanix stared at him for a moment, his smile never wavering. "Interesting. Your powers are technology based these days? I can sense their workings." He rose from his seat, his flesh growing sunken and thin. Wires and tubing pulsed beneath his skin. "Look upon my works, humanity... and know that your new lord and master has arrived!"

Johnny Storm cried out as the circuitry in his costume suddenly convulsed upon him, twisting so tightly that his ribs cracked and blood spurted from his parted lips.

Lyja rushed forward, shifting into her Skrull form, but she found it hard to make it to her lover, for the crowd was now screaming and bolting for the exits.

The man known as Mechanix rose into the air, hovering off the floor for several seconds. Before the transmission was silenced, he said "Do you still think of me as a failure now, father?"

TO BE CONTINUED

Next Issue: Crucible's son takes center stage as "In My Father's Image" continues! What terrifying plan does he have for the citizens of New York and what happens when Crucible learns that his son has 'surpassed' him?

AUTHOR'S NOTES

Surprised to see the Fantastic Force disbanded so soon after they were introduced? Well, the truth is that I've gotten the chance to take over the Avengers West Coast series from Gary Halpin (who did a great job! go read his issues!) and I know I have my limits when it comes to team books. So, the proposed Force series is no more... but Speed Demon, Starbrand and Marvel Girl will be joining the AWC in issue 27 of that series! Thus, some of my Force ideas will live on, in a different form. Expect a really bizarre AWC lineup and plenty of excitement -- and with me helming both books, how long do you think it'll be before the FF and AWC titles cross over? Not long, I'll tell you.

Mechanix is a new villain, though his ties to Crucible give him plenty of interesting backstory. I had originally planned to bring back the Frightful Four as presented in issues 20-22, mostly intact. But the series has progressed in different directions than I'd expected, so when the Frightful Four returns, the lineup will obviously be very different, what with Super-Skrull now running the Skrull Empire, Lyja no longer a villain and so forth. I do plan to bring the group back, in some form or another.

Two letters, both from Joe Connell, this month. They deal with parts 4 & 5 of "Baxter Station."

Well, you certainly don't make things easy for us readers, do you?  I had to go back and re-read the first three parts, then re-re-re-read part four to make sure I caught everything.  And I was still caught off-guard by this latest twist you've thrown in.

'Iron Lantern'?  I'll count my blessings that Ramirez didn't get Super Soldier's shield or 'Prince and Castle' didn't show up.

Wasn't resurrecting one of the only two 'New Universe' title that had a half-way decent premise behind it ("Justice" being the second) enough?  You've actually got me (shudder) interested in the characters now!  Even Hawk-Owl.

<sigh>

There'd better be a great resolution to all this.  Not sure how much more of this my poor heart can take!

Here's letter # 2:

Well, quite the epic that was.  A tad confusing a points, mainly trying to keep up with who was on which side and which team.  The inclusion of The Bane and Ablion, plus the return of Aron made for interesting reading, although it seemed all a bit out of left field.

This new Fantastic Force...it has definite promise.  A nice balance of personalities, powers, and motivations here; a displaced and empowered Franklin, a presumably double-agent-acting Jessica Drew, a reformed Speed Demon, and a vigalante-wannbe who was essentially blackmailed into the team.

Add to this a previously-mediocre SHIELD agent empowered by something that by rights shouldn't exist.

Are they worth a new series?  I think so, provided you can balance all those personalities properly and give them storylines that keep 'em hoping.  Doubtless Franklin is suffering serious survivor's guilt (hiding it well though) while Jess has to balance her pseudo-double-agent role between SHIELD, HYDRA, and FForce.  Ramirez now has power enough to take on Thor and Iron Man together, but how well can he handle it?  Hawk-Owl is carrying around a lot of emotional scars, but what are they?  And is Speed Demon
really reformed, or is he just trying to game the system?

Quite a lot to balance there.  Hope you're up to the challenge!<g>

That all said, my single biggest gripe is with Reed's pronouncement at the end.  Couldn't the tension have been stretched out a bit longer?  The next question is how was he able to divine this device's purpose so quickly?

I'm trusting you actually have a plan for all this.

So, what's next?

Sorry that you didn't care for the speed with which the Armageddon Clock was unveiled. I can only assure you that there's a long road ahead before that plot line is finished -- and that it will spread through many, many titles before it's done. As you can see from this issue, no Fantastic Force lies in the future (at least for now).

Keep in touch,

Barry