Ultimate Fantastic Four (story arcs)

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Synopses of Ultimate Fantastic Four storylines and graphic novels. The first three story lines have been republished as graphic novels, and the fourth and fifth storylines have been completed in magazine form.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

1 The Fantastic (#1-6)
2 Doom (#7-12)
3 N-Zone (#13-18)
4 Think Tank (#19-20)
5 Ultimate Fantastic Four Annual #1: Enter the Inhumans
6 Crossover with Marvel Zombies(#21-23)
7 Tomb of Namor (#24-26)
8 President Thor (#27-29)
9 Frightful (#30-32)
10 Ultimate Fantastic Four Annual # 2
11 God War (#33-38)
12 Devils (#39-41)
13 The Silver Surfer (#42-46)
14 See also
15 References
16 External links

[edit] The Fantastic (#1-6)

Published between: February 2004 - July 2004
Creators: written by Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Millar pencils by Adam Kubert
Plot outline: Reed is recruited into the Baxter Building, meeting Susan Storm, her brother Johnny Storm, and Victor Van Damme. An accident with a teleportation machine using the N-Zone, gives the four incredible powers. They use their powers to battle Dr. Molekevic and his synthetic life forms.
First appearances: Reed Richards, Susan Storm, Human Torch, The Thing
Notes: Putting H.E.R.B.I.E. into the Ultimate Fantastic Four continuity immediately was a chief concern of author Brian Michael Bendis.^[1]

[edit] Doom (#7-12)

Published between: August 2004 - January 2005
Creators: writer Warren Ellis, artist Stuart Immonen
Plot outline: Victor Van Damme is now coated in a metallic substance resembling medieval armor. He has been hiding in Copenhagen, controlling a small micronation with mind control. The FF travel to Denmark in the Fantasti-Car and free his subjects. And as Victor defiantly proclaims his superiority, Reed strikes him in the face, leaving a scar that will never heal.
First appearances: Ultimate Dr. Doom
Notes: In issue #9, Doom, Part 3, artist Stuart Immonen's depiction of the Human Torch's increasing power was influenced by the energy ball that consumes Neo-Tokyo in the Japanese manga Akira.^[2]

[edit] N-Zone (#13-18)

Published between: January 2005 - June 2005
Creators: writer Warren Ellis, artist Adam Kubert
Plot outline:Issues #13-18 show the Ultimate Fantastic Four's first encounter with the bizarre and sadistic alien Nihil. Reed outfits a space shuttle, and the FF use it to travel to the N-Zone, parallel universe experiencing heat death, an entropic state that signals the eventual end of that universe. Nihil follows them back to earth, and dies battling the FF and trying to take over the dimension.
First appearance: Nihil
Notes:

[edit] Think Tank (#19-20)

Published between: July 2005 - August 2005
Creators: writer Mike Carey, artist Jae Lee
Plot outline:In issues #19-20 the Fantastic Four are attacked and kidnapped by Rhona Burchill, who failed the Baxter Building test the day before Reed arrived. Ben, Sue and Johnny are taken down, but Reed revives them. After a brief battle Rhona escapes using a sort of holographic duplication defense. Not knowing which is the true Rhona, the team has no choice other than to let her go. Later, Reed receives a strange contact from somebody that looks strangely like him.
First appearance: Rhona Burchill (based on the Mad Thinker)
Notes:

[edit] Ultimate Fantastic Four Annual #1: Enter the Inhumans

Published: October 2005
Creators: writer Mark Millar, artist Jae Lee
Plot outline:In the first Ultimate Fantastic Four Annual the Four run into the rogue Inhuman Crystal. Johnny sees her and instantly falls in love, similar to the Johnny and Crystal in the 616 continuity. She has run away from Attilan because she doesn't want to marry Maximus, brother of Black Bolt. The FF help her avoid the marriage, and she rewards Johnny with a kiss before the Inhumans depart.
Notes:

[edit] Crossover with Marvel Zombies(#21-23)

Main article: Marvel Zombies

Published between: September 2005 - November 2005
Creators: writer Mark Millar, artist Greg Land
Plot outline:In issues #21-23 Reed receives contact from an older version of himself from an alternate dimension. After crossing over, Reed discovers he's been duped and that the entire world is infested with blood-thirsty zombies, looking for their next meal. This storyline was promoted as a crossover with the mainstream Marvel Universe (Earth-616), which turned out to be false. It led into the Marvel Zombies limited series, which started in December 2005.
Notes:

[edit] Tomb of Namor (#24-26)

Published between: December 2005 - February 2006
Creators: writer Mark Millar, artist Greg Land
Plot outline: The Zombie FF now locked in a containment unit, Reed, Sue and Ben explore Atlantis in a bathyscaphe. In a new twist on a Lee and Kirby classic Namor surfaces, and the FF subdue him, Reed noting that Namor's strength "is completely off the scale."^[3] Namor makes various threats, in a misguided romantic overture to Sue. He leaves after threatening NY with a sea-giant; receiving a kiss from Sue as payment for not flooding the city.
First appearances: Namor
Notes:

[edit] President Thor (#27-29)

Published between: April 2006 - June 2006
Creators:writer Mark Millar, artist Greg Land
Plot outline:In issues #27-29 the Fantastic Four travel back in time and attempt to erase the accident which gave them their powers, inadvertently changing the history so that Thor is the President of the United States and almost everyone on Earth has superpowers, thanks to the Skrulls. Ben is the only normal powered human left, and he uses his non-powers to correct the timeline.
Notes:

[edit] Frightful (#30-32)

Published between: July 2006 - October 2006
Creators: writer Mark Millar, artist Greg Land
Plot outline:In issues #30-32 Johnny has one week to live, and only Doctor Doom can help him. Meanwhile, the Frightful Four escape. Ben spends time with Alicia, who he met in issue #29. Doom has sickened Johnny, and he cures him in exchange for switching bodies with Reed.
Notes:

[edit] Ultimate Fantastic Four Annual # 2

Published: October 2006
Creators: writer Mike Carey, artists Stuart Immonen and Frazer Irving
Plot outline:General Thunderbolt Ross is touring the relocated Think Tank in Pinhead Buttes, Oregon when it suddenly begins to sink beneath the ground, as the Fantastic Four arrive above and Reed reaches the conclusion that the Mole Man is responsible. Meanwhile, Molekevic is explaining his plans to the Think Tank and goes into a lengthy recollection of his childhood in Yugoslavia, his work with the Soviet military, his studies in western Europe, and his fondness for wearing women's clothing.
Notes:

[edit] God War (#33-38)

Published between: October 2006 - February 2007
Artists: writing Mike Carey art Pasqual Ferry
Plot outline: The Eternals show up and attack the FF while looking for "the seed." The seed informs the Eternals that they will need the FF's help to defeat Gallowglass, and the groups team up to do so. They are all transported to an alternate dimension, and interact with Thanos the Destroyer and Ronan the Accuser.
First appearances: Gallowglass, Ultimate Eternals, Thanos, Ronan the Accuser
Notes: God War is a modern version of the 616 Fantastic Four's first encounter with the Kree. ^[4] It starts a larger arc that will continue in the next two arcs of length 3-4 issues and 3 issues.^[4]According to Mike Carey, Gallowglass's powers are on the same level as Thor's.^[5]

[edit] Devils (#39-41)

Published between: February 2007 - April 2007
Artists: writing Mike Carey art Mark Brooks
Plot outline: Diablo, a sorcerer from the past, looks to the future for the 'elementals' he needs, which turn out to be the Fantastic Four. To challenge them, he kidnaps Dr. Storm, Ben's mother, Johnny's girlfriend, and Reed's sister. After Diablo appears in the future, the Four must accept his challenge to save their loved ones.

[edit] The Silver Surfer (#42-46)

Published between: May 2007-
Artists: writing Mike Carey art Pasqual Ferry
Plot outline: Reed Richards’ attempts to create a Cosmic Cube have caused him to pierce the barriers of a hundred universes. And falling through the opening into our unsuspecting reality is the keeper of the Power Cosmic, Ultimate Silver Surfer.