Post by jordan on Jan 8, 2013 19:55:19 GMT -5
Fantastic Four
Issue #2
By Jordan Miller
*
We Are Doom…
*
The only ray of light came from the crack in the door; otherwise, the room was as dark as the King’s heart. The king, Doctor Victor von Doom, tyrant of Latveria, ruler of the world, the ultimate perfectionist. He sits on his throne, still, listening to the words of his underling. Since the accident, he hasn’t left his chambers. He rules his country remotely through the use of his Doom-bots. The speech ends and he hears two of them lumbering towards the throne room. No one other than the Doom-bots and Victor himself are allowed within the walls of the castle.
People on the street, for several years, made rumors of the great king that ruled them prior to…the accident. It was about six years ago when Latveria had entered war with Afghanistan, making it an ally with America. Victor wished to build a weapon powerful enough to end the war in one fell stroke. Something went wrong on the test day though, and the weapon exploded. It was some sort of gauntlet. When it went up in flames, the legends state that it scorched Victor’s whole body as well. He wasn’t seen for years.
Many believed him dead. Latveria pulled out of the war. Victor was never seen. Until one early June day, he walked onto his balcony with a metal face and a green robe, He spoke to his people, he spoke inspirational words. The war is on he said, and humanity shall pay.
But in truth, that was a creation of his own: the Doom-bot. A machine made to look like him wearing a metal mask and his signature green cloak. Due to his facial scars, Victor never left his castle; instead he simply used his androids that resembled him to carry out his whim. No one ever suspected.
Now the cheering is just an incessant roar in his ears, the clunk of his men’s feet upon the hard rock floor just adding to the waves of pain coming to Doom’s ears. “Nothing, it’s just…dismantle us? Why in the world would the great and mighty Victor von Doom dismantle his only friends?” He hears the words come from one of his Doom-bots. He sits silently, waiting. They brush through the doors leading to the darkened throne room.
“Sir,” the Doom-bot designate 20864 begins in his squeaky voice. “We have—“ He’s cut off when he sees his master’s long, spindly index finger pointing to him.
“You.” Victor von Doom says in his voice; a voice that sounds of the mixture between power and weakness. A strange sound. A sound to instill pure terror. With his extended index finger, he motions for 20864 to come stand at the foot of the throne. 20864 lumbers towards the throne, thinking nothing of his King’s strange, sudden antics. He bows.
“Yes, my liege?”
“You. You are imperfect. Your voice…” He pauses as if to think over what he is saying to his subject. 20864 looks up towards his leader.
“Sir, what do y—“
“Stop. Stop talking.” They all wait in stunned silence. “Did I make you? Did I…create you?”
“Yes, sir.” Doom drops from his throne, cleanly onto his feet, catching his balance with his right arm. He stands up straight, looking down on his subject.
“You are a failure.” Doom grabs the metal face-plate of his creation and tears it off with brute strength, tossing it to the wall behind him. “You are my failure!” He shouts as he pummels the bot with his bare hands. When he is finished he climbs back into his thrown. “I will not tolerate this imperfection in my kingdom. Call in the ambassador, I wish to speak with him now.” The Doom-bot, designate 1405, stands in shock, staring at the fallen body of his friend.
*
The flash of the cameras burn into Ben Reilly’s retinas as he launches himself from hallway to hallway, attempting to reach Valeria’s room without being unmasked by a psychotic reporter. “Mister Scarlet, over here!” “Scarlet Spider, a word please!” “What is your connection to the Fantastic Four Mister Spider?” “Have you ever met Spider-Man, Scarlet Spider?” Ben just couldn’t take it anymore. In a flurry over anger, he swings his arms in a wide circle and webs himself to the roof of the hallway and crawls across away from the reporters. They all stand wide-eyed, staring at each other in dismay.
Ben finally arrives in Valeria’s room after rushing across the wall away from many prying reporters. “Whew, never thought it’d be so hard sneaking into a girl’s room. I wonder how sneaking out will be.” Dropping from the ceiling, he pounds on Valeria’s door three times, the secret signal the New Four had created.
“Who is it?” Ben hears Valeria call it in her smooth, angelic voice. It takes him a moment to answer because he is overwhelmed by the melody of her voice.
“It’s…it’s Ben!” He says, shouting the last part as if he were surprised that it was him. The door slides open without a sound and she tugs him into the room before any of the press come barreling down the hallway. Ben slips as he’s pushed in, falling flat on his face in the middle of the rather spacious room. He collects himself and bolts up, coming face-to-face with the man known as Jim Hammond, the first Human Torch.
“I told you that there is a back entrance to this room!” Jim begins shouting and the Scarlet Spider. Ben’s eyes open wide in terror. “You just drew hundreds of reporters down this hallway! I am trying to keep this new team under wraps until the press conference in six hours! You dumb ass!” Jim finishes his ranting looking as though he were about to smack Ben upside the head.
“Now, now Jim, he’s new. He isn’t really used to the covert stuff like his friend, An—Black Spider.” Johnny Storm attempts to calm down his best friend, save the Thing, so that they can get on with the first official meeting of the New Fantastic Four.
“Whatever, I don’t like the vibes the newbie’s giving off.” Jim turns his back on Ben to address the other three: Johnny Storm, Valeria Richards and Franklin Richards. “You guys know the deal. We all get up on center stage and we tell them that the world is becoming increasingly more dangerous, and the Fantastic Four is back in action. Then we go dancing.” Dancing?
“Um, we go what?” Ben asks, causing Jim to whip around and point a nasty, beefy finger and Ben.
“We go dancing! You sure you up to that, Red?” Ben fights hard not to pee himself.
“Um,” Ben swallows hard. “Yes, sir, I am, sir.”
“Damn well better be. Because after tonight…after tonight’s when the shit-storm starts. After tonight, your life will never be the same. You sure you can handle it, Red?” This time Ben stands up straight, mocking military soldiers by standing at attention and saluting.
“Positive, sir.” To himself, Ben secretly wants to back out.
*
“Why have you brought me…this?” Victor von Doom motions at the large television Doom-bot designate 2012 pulled into the throne room just moments ago.
“Sir, I just thought that this press conference…I figured you’d like to see it. The Fantastic Four are the ones that caused the…” 2012 stopped himself there, not wanting to offend his King. Especially not after hearing the stories of 20864.
“Caused what, you babbling baboon?! Cause my pain?! Cause my embarrassment?! I need not watch this, you imperfect replica! I will have them at my ball tonight! I will meet them there!” The nefarious King roars at his Doom-bot designate 2012.
“Imperfect, sir?” Silence.
“Imperfect…” Doom repeats, contemplating the phrase itself. “That is just what you are. You cannot exist. You do not deserve to exist. You are worthless. No…you are worse than worthless. You are a failure. My failure.” And another one bites the dust.
*
Jim Hammond stands at the large podium on the platform for the press conference, his new team standing just paces behind him. “Hello, Earth!” Jim says, waving his right hand in the air, greeting the press and everyone else. “I announced this press conference earlier this week because I have something I hope you are all excited about.” The tension builds. “I would like to introduce to you the newest incarnation of the Fantastic Four!” Jim moves out of the way, showing the world the New Four, as they would later be deemed by the press. Johnny Storm steps up first.
“Hello, America, Russia, England, Spain, Latveria, France, China, North Korea…” Johnny goes on for the next minute or like this, acknowledging every single nation that sent press to the conference tonight. This draws laughs from the crowd. “Now that we’ve finished that,” Johnny himself allows a laugh to break through. “I would like to introduce myself. Many of you already know me, but for those of you that don’t, I’m the Human Torch, Johnny Storm. I will be replacing what I like to consider my father as the team leader of the New Fantastic Four.
“With the world in the state it is currently in, we need heroes. We have plenty already, but none with the strange combination of youth and experience that we can offer. But enough of my voice, any questions before I allow the rest of my team to give their thoughts on the team?” Bad move. The floor erupts with questions in any and every language. Johnny answers them so smoothly, as if he’d met with the reporters individually and told them what to ask and how he’d answer. “Alright, alright, time to let my favorite female in the world stand up to the plate, Valeria Richards!” Clapping near shatters the window as he walks off stage and the incredibly curvy Valeria Richards walks up to talk.
“Hi there,” she starts with a smile and Ben can tell that everyone immediately loves her. “I would just like to express how happy I am to be a part of the Fantastic Four. Since I was just a girl I always wanted to join my parents in the field, helping the world. But instead I learned how to put my skills to work here on the Foundation, helping mankind at every chance I get. In a world like this, the only thing I really have to offer is my smarts. Ha ha. But enough about my smarts, any questions for me?” She flashes a big, exciting grin. Ben pushes the urge back to run up and kiss her. Irresistible.
“Geoff Honors, Daily Monument. Miss Valeria, are you currently romantically linked with anyone?” He flashes a big smile and gives a little wink. The audience gives a huge laugh at this. Valeria’s eyes momentarily flick towards Ben Reilly, but only he notices; the Press is ignorant. What was that? Does she have feelings for Ben? She flashes an even wider smile and gives a nervous laugh.
“No, Mr. Honors, right now I’m single.” She gives him a wink. “But you have to buy me a drink first.” Her questioning continues like this for about another half hour or so before she finally steps away from the podium, calling up the Scarlet Spider.
Nerves crash through Ben as he steps slowly up to the podium. His body bubbles with anticipation, his eyes widen in horror as he fully takes on the immensity of the crowd. How can he do this? He puts his fist to his mouth and clears his throat. The crowd goes silent. “Uh, hello?” Crickets. “My name is B—Scarlet Spider, and I’m happy to be a member of the Fantastic Four. Thank you.” Ben attempts stepping away from the podium quick enough to avoid questioning, but fails.
“Mister Scarlet, are you in any way associated with the Spider-Man in New York City? Or how about the mysterious Black Spider? Are you two romantically connected?” Ben just turns and shakes his head, too nauseated to speak. “Well, Mister Scarlet?” The crowd once again falls silent awaiting his response.
“Um—“
“That’s enough!” Jim Hammond bolts out on stage and casually pushes Ben offstage. “Scarlet Spider is our newest member and his alleged relationships with New York vigilantes are completely irrelevant. Now, I would like to introduce Franklin Richards, Reed and Sue’s oldest child.” Franklin lumbers on stage and just looks around. Ben can’t believe he completely chocked. Valeria won’t meet his eyes.
*
“The world is bleak, and full of hellish things. I’ve no reason to leave my perfect chambers for that…imperfect world.” Victor von Doom says to his Doom-bots standing guard to his large, grand doors. Candles are lit, setting a melodramatic mood to the chambers. Victor, adorned in his symbolic green shroud, stares through his metal mask at his bots. “What reason have I to take my body to the hazards of imperfection?”
“Sir, your reason is to take back control of your nation.” Doom-bot 1717 says in a matter-of-fact voice; a voice Doom himself never would carry, not anymore.
“I control my kingdom fine fm afar! From within these chambers, nothing escapes my eyes!” Doom shouts at 1717, dropping from his thrown. “From the day I overthrew the monstrosity of my mother’s killer, I have controlled this kingdom with an iron grasp!” 1717 backs away slowly, scared to share the same fate as others have.
“Sir, may I exit the chambers?”
“You will exit my chambers and relieve 32421 of his post at the ball. If you truly wish for me to return exit these chambers myself, you will tell me when the Four appear.” 1717 races towards the doors.
“Thank you sir, I won’t forget this.” 1717 begins to pry open the huge doors.
“Stop. Gratitude…it is a weakness. Come.” Doom motions 1717 towards him. He gulps. “Likewise for fear…”
*
Next time on Fantastic Four:
Issue #2
By Jordan Miller
*
We Are Doom…
*
The only ray of light came from the crack in the door; otherwise, the room was as dark as the King’s heart. The king, Doctor Victor von Doom, tyrant of Latveria, ruler of the world, the ultimate perfectionist. He sits on his throne, still, listening to the words of his underling. Since the accident, he hasn’t left his chambers. He rules his country remotely through the use of his Doom-bots. The speech ends and he hears two of them lumbering towards the throne room. No one other than the Doom-bots and Victor himself are allowed within the walls of the castle.
People on the street, for several years, made rumors of the great king that ruled them prior to…the accident. It was about six years ago when Latveria had entered war with Afghanistan, making it an ally with America. Victor wished to build a weapon powerful enough to end the war in one fell stroke. Something went wrong on the test day though, and the weapon exploded. It was some sort of gauntlet. When it went up in flames, the legends state that it scorched Victor’s whole body as well. He wasn’t seen for years.
Many believed him dead. Latveria pulled out of the war. Victor was never seen. Until one early June day, he walked onto his balcony with a metal face and a green robe, He spoke to his people, he spoke inspirational words. The war is on he said, and humanity shall pay.
But in truth, that was a creation of his own: the Doom-bot. A machine made to look like him wearing a metal mask and his signature green cloak. Due to his facial scars, Victor never left his castle; instead he simply used his androids that resembled him to carry out his whim. No one ever suspected.
Now the cheering is just an incessant roar in his ears, the clunk of his men’s feet upon the hard rock floor just adding to the waves of pain coming to Doom’s ears. “Nothing, it’s just…dismantle us? Why in the world would the great and mighty Victor von Doom dismantle his only friends?” He hears the words come from one of his Doom-bots. He sits silently, waiting. They brush through the doors leading to the darkened throne room.
“Sir,” the Doom-bot designate 20864 begins in his squeaky voice. “We have—“ He’s cut off when he sees his master’s long, spindly index finger pointing to him.
“You.” Victor von Doom says in his voice; a voice that sounds of the mixture between power and weakness. A strange sound. A sound to instill pure terror. With his extended index finger, he motions for 20864 to come stand at the foot of the throne. 20864 lumbers towards the throne, thinking nothing of his King’s strange, sudden antics. He bows.
“Yes, my liege?”
“You. You are imperfect. Your voice…” He pauses as if to think over what he is saying to his subject. 20864 looks up towards his leader.
“Sir, what do y—“
“Stop. Stop talking.” They all wait in stunned silence. “Did I make you? Did I…create you?”
“Yes, sir.” Doom drops from his throne, cleanly onto his feet, catching his balance with his right arm. He stands up straight, looking down on his subject.
“You are a failure.” Doom grabs the metal face-plate of his creation and tears it off with brute strength, tossing it to the wall behind him. “You are my failure!” He shouts as he pummels the bot with his bare hands. When he is finished he climbs back into his thrown. “I will not tolerate this imperfection in my kingdom. Call in the ambassador, I wish to speak with him now.” The Doom-bot, designate 1405, stands in shock, staring at the fallen body of his friend.
*
The flash of the cameras burn into Ben Reilly’s retinas as he launches himself from hallway to hallway, attempting to reach Valeria’s room without being unmasked by a psychotic reporter. “Mister Scarlet, over here!” “Scarlet Spider, a word please!” “What is your connection to the Fantastic Four Mister Spider?” “Have you ever met Spider-Man, Scarlet Spider?” Ben just couldn’t take it anymore. In a flurry over anger, he swings his arms in a wide circle and webs himself to the roof of the hallway and crawls across away from the reporters. They all stand wide-eyed, staring at each other in dismay.
Ben finally arrives in Valeria’s room after rushing across the wall away from many prying reporters. “Whew, never thought it’d be so hard sneaking into a girl’s room. I wonder how sneaking out will be.” Dropping from the ceiling, he pounds on Valeria’s door three times, the secret signal the New Four had created.
“Who is it?” Ben hears Valeria call it in her smooth, angelic voice. It takes him a moment to answer because he is overwhelmed by the melody of her voice.
“It’s…it’s Ben!” He says, shouting the last part as if he were surprised that it was him. The door slides open without a sound and she tugs him into the room before any of the press come barreling down the hallway. Ben slips as he’s pushed in, falling flat on his face in the middle of the rather spacious room. He collects himself and bolts up, coming face-to-face with the man known as Jim Hammond, the first Human Torch.
“I told you that there is a back entrance to this room!” Jim begins shouting and the Scarlet Spider. Ben’s eyes open wide in terror. “You just drew hundreds of reporters down this hallway! I am trying to keep this new team under wraps until the press conference in six hours! You dumb ass!” Jim finishes his ranting looking as though he were about to smack Ben upside the head.
“Now, now Jim, he’s new. He isn’t really used to the covert stuff like his friend, An—Black Spider.” Johnny Storm attempts to calm down his best friend, save the Thing, so that they can get on with the first official meeting of the New Fantastic Four.
“Whatever, I don’t like the vibes the newbie’s giving off.” Jim turns his back on Ben to address the other three: Johnny Storm, Valeria Richards and Franklin Richards. “You guys know the deal. We all get up on center stage and we tell them that the world is becoming increasingly more dangerous, and the Fantastic Four is back in action. Then we go dancing.” Dancing?
“Um, we go what?” Ben asks, causing Jim to whip around and point a nasty, beefy finger and Ben.
“We go dancing! You sure you up to that, Red?” Ben fights hard not to pee himself.
“Um,” Ben swallows hard. “Yes, sir, I am, sir.”
“Damn well better be. Because after tonight…after tonight’s when the shit-storm starts. After tonight, your life will never be the same. You sure you can handle it, Red?” This time Ben stands up straight, mocking military soldiers by standing at attention and saluting.
“Positive, sir.” To himself, Ben secretly wants to back out.
*
“Why have you brought me…this?” Victor von Doom motions at the large television Doom-bot designate 2012 pulled into the throne room just moments ago.
“Sir, I just thought that this press conference…I figured you’d like to see it. The Fantastic Four are the ones that caused the…” 2012 stopped himself there, not wanting to offend his King. Especially not after hearing the stories of 20864.
“Caused what, you babbling baboon?! Cause my pain?! Cause my embarrassment?! I need not watch this, you imperfect replica! I will have them at my ball tonight! I will meet them there!” The nefarious King roars at his Doom-bot designate 2012.
“Imperfect, sir?” Silence.
“Imperfect…” Doom repeats, contemplating the phrase itself. “That is just what you are. You cannot exist. You do not deserve to exist. You are worthless. No…you are worse than worthless. You are a failure. My failure.” And another one bites the dust.
*
Jim Hammond stands at the large podium on the platform for the press conference, his new team standing just paces behind him. “Hello, Earth!” Jim says, waving his right hand in the air, greeting the press and everyone else. “I announced this press conference earlier this week because I have something I hope you are all excited about.” The tension builds. “I would like to introduce to you the newest incarnation of the Fantastic Four!” Jim moves out of the way, showing the world the New Four, as they would later be deemed by the press. Johnny Storm steps up first.
“Hello, America, Russia, England, Spain, Latveria, France, China, North Korea…” Johnny goes on for the next minute or like this, acknowledging every single nation that sent press to the conference tonight. This draws laughs from the crowd. “Now that we’ve finished that,” Johnny himself allows a laugh to break through. “I would like to introduce myself. Many of you already know me, but for those of you that don’t, I’m the Human Torch, Johnny Storm. I will be replacing what I like to consider my father as the team leader of the New Fantastic Four.
“With the world in the state it is currently in, we need heroes. We have plenty already, but none with the strange combination of youth and experience that we can offer. But enough of my voice, any questions before I allow the rest of my team to give their thoughts on the team?” Bad move. The floor erupts with questions in any and every language. Johnny answers them so smoothly, as if he’d met with the reporters individually and told them what to ask and how he’d answer. “Alright, alright, time to let my favorite female in the world stand up to the plate, Valeria Richards!” Clapping near shatters the window as he walks off stage and the incredibly curvy Valeria Richards walks up to talk.
“Hi there,” she starts with a smile and Ben can tell that everyone immediately loves her. “I would just like to express how happy I am to be a part of the Fantastic Four. Since I was just a girl I always wanted to join my parents in the field, helping the world. But instead I learned how to put my skills to work here on the Foundation, helping mankind at every chance I get. In a world like this, the only thing I really have to offer is my smarts. Ha ha. But enough about my smarts, any questions for me?” She flashes a big, exciting grin. Ben pushes the urge back to run up and kiss her. Irresistible.
“Geoff Honors, Daily Monument. Miss Valeria, are you currently romantically linked with anyone?” He flashes a big smile and gives a little wink. The audience gives a huge laugh at this. Valeria’s eyes momentarily flick towards Ben Reilly, but only he notices; the Press is ignorant. What was that? Does she have feelings for Ben? She flashes an even wider smile and gives a nervous laugh.
“No, Mr. Honors, right now I’m single.” She gives him a wink. “But you have to buy me a drink first.” Her questioning continues like this for about another half hour or so before she finally steps away from the podium, calling up the Scarlet Spider.
Nerves crash through Ben as he steps slowly up to the podium. His body bubbles with anticipation, his eyes widen in horror as he fully takes on the immensity of the crowd. How can he do this? He puts his fist to his mouth and clears his throat. The crowd goes silent. “Uh, hello?” Crickets. “My name is B—Scarlet Spider, and I’m happy to be a member of the Fantastic Four. Thank you.” Ben attempts stepping away from the podium quick enough to avoid questioning, but fails.
“Mister Scarlet, are you in any way associated with the Spider-Man in New York City? Or how about the mysterious Black Spider? Are you two romantically connected?” Ben just turns and shakes his head, too nauseated to speak. “Well, Mister Scarlet?” The crowd once again falls silent awaiting his response.
“Um—“
“That’s enough!” Jim Hammond bolts out on stage and casually pushes Ben offstage. “Scarlet Spider is our newest member and his alleged relationships with New York vigilantes are completely irrelevant. Now, I would like to introduce Franklin Richards, Reed and Sue’s oldest child.” Franklin lumbers on stage and just looks around. Ben can’t believe he completely chocked. Valeria won’t meet his eyes.
*
“The world is bleak, and full of hellish things. I’ve no reason to leave my perfect chambers for that…imperfect world.” Victor von Doom says to his Doom-bots standing guard to his large, grand doors. Candles are lit, setting a melodramatic mood to the chambers. Victor, adorned in his symbolic green shroud, stares through his metal mask at his bots. “What reason have I to take my body to the hazards of imperfection?”
“Sir, your reason is to take back control of your nation.” Doom-bot 1717 says in a matter-of-fact voice; a voice Doom himself never would carry, not anymore.
“I control my kingdom fine fm afar! From within these chambers, nothing escapes my eyes!” Doom shouts at 1717, dropping from his thrown. “From the day I overthrew the monstrosity of my mother’s killer, I have controlled this kingdom with an iron grasp!” 1717 backs away slowly, scared to share the same fate as others have.
“Sir, may I exit the chambers?”
“You will exit my chambers and relieve 32421 of his post at the ball. If you truly wish for me to return exit these chambers myself, you will tell me when the Four appear.” 1717 races towards the doors.
“Thank you sir, I won’t forget this.” 1717 begins to pry open the huge doors.
“Stop. Gratitude…it is a weakness. Come.” Doom motions 1717 towards him. He gulps. “Likewise for fear…”
*
Next time on Fantastic Four:
Who is the weakest link? What is Doctor Doom up too? And what will Ben’s next move on Valeria be? This and more in Fantastic Four #3, The Dance of Doom…