Ultimate Fantastic Four: Frightful, Part 3
Issue: #32
Writer: Mark Millar
Pencils: Greg Land
Inker: Matt Ryan
Colors: Justin Ponsor

In Latveria, we see the transfer of Victor’s mind into Reed’s body and vice versa. Victor returns to New York as Reed, and he, Sue, and Ben land outside the Baxter Building, where SHIELD forces, including the Ultimates, are waiting. Professor Storm tells “Reed” that the zombies are perhaps an hour away from finishing their dimensional portal, but “Reed” replies that Johnny is still his top priority. In answer to everyone’s surprise, “Reed” says that Johnny’s powers are necessary to his plan for stopping the zombies, and proceeds into the building.

The zombie Fantastic Four are finishing their portal, and musing about how much fun their zombie companions will have with a new Earth to plunder. Meanwhile, “Reed” has finished his preparations for removing the parasite from Johnny’s body. The exorcism’s energies are felt by the zombies, who continue working. Outside the Baxter Building, Nicholas Fury complains to Professor Storm about Reed’s priorities. Inside, the exorcism is a success.

The parasite immediately takes off in search of the strongest member of the assembled “hosts”. It breaks through windows and shoots out into the street toward Thor, who ducks as it flies past him – and into the body of Dr. Doom, who is standing on the street behind the Ultimates. Then he leads the charge into the Baxter Building to deal with the zombies.

“Dr. Doom” defeats first the zombie Torch, then The Thing. He causes zombie Sue’s body to accelerate its decomposition, and finally takes on zombie Reed, summoning maggots to destroy the decaying flesh. “Dr. Doom” prepares to take the zombies and the parasite through the portal, revealing that he isn’t really Victor after all. Seeing that “Dr. Doom” is about to get the glory for saving the world from the zombies and the parasite, Victor again switches bodies with Reed in order to be remembered as the hero who saved the world. We last see him confronting the contingency of New York City zombies after stepping through the portal.

Finally, the Fantastic Four comment that Sue and Johnny’s mother, Dr. Storm, was really responsible for the entire episode. She planned it so that Victor would be out of the way, leaving her free to continue work with the Atlantian records and in charge of his considerable fortune. In the final panels, we see that the Fantastic Four and Alicia Masters are actually sitting on a slide under a microscope; Reed has developed a way to safely shrink people and objects, and the plans are already being bid upon by two Japanese corporations.

Submitted By: Seldes Katne