Reed Richards arrives at Halo City. Or at least what’s left of it. After seeing the mass-destructions, Reed notices a little girl almost getting drowned. Luckily, Mr. Fantastic acts quickly and saves the young one. The girl wants her mother and Reed promises to find her.
Reed puts his plane at full speed and flies over the almost fully destroyed city and wishes that he could evacuate everyone of Halo City. But it seems that they have to be relocated in the Savage Land! Reed is confident that the plan will work, but hopes to himself that Sue, Johnny and Ben are all right… wherever they are!
Meanwhile in Atlantis, the influenced Johnny and Sue attack Whisper, who desperately tries to protect the unconscious Ben at the same time. Sharkan helps his new minions, but Whisper isn’t impressed by him. She attacks Attuma at full force and thereby reclaims her rightful place at the Atlantean throne! After all, it is hers by birthright and Sharkan only took it from her.
Whisper remembers how Attuma could succeed in his plan. With the diplomatic efforts of General Dagim, Atlantean and Lemurian were to sit as brother and sister side by side for the first time in centuries. If not for Whisper’s ability to ignite fire beneath the waves, it might have lasted longer than a few brief weeks.
Attuma feared that this “sorcery,” coupled with Whisper’s gender, would contradict his most sacred prophecy, so Sharkan “disposed” of Whisper, claiming a Lemurian faction against the peace process to be the culprit, thus discrediting the eyes of all Atlanteans and insuring the security of his Martian rule.
But Whisper wants to know, as Sharkan watched Dagim spirit her away, did he honestly believe that he successfully averted disaster? Whisper wants to know what made Sharkan think that would deal with her. Whisper wants Sharkan to tell her who made him.
The Thing wakes up but feels a little shaken. Whisper says that’s because of the neurotoxins, which have made him susceptible to Attuma’s commands. Johnny throws an energy shuriken at Whisper, but it just barely misses her. Johnny keeps fighting, but in himself tries to get himself free from the drugs.
Attuma smiles evilly and thinks that this proves that he is far more intelligent than Reed Richards. Attuma sends Sue and Johnny out again and orders them not to fail him. Whisper mocks Attuma how low he has fallen, that he doesn’t even dare to do his own dirty work.
While Whisper bravely keeps on fighting, the Thing tries to get a grip on himself and to get up. Whisper tries to bring Johnny back to normal, but it’s no use. She notices several Atlantean citizens standing by, and proudly introduces herself to them. The Atlanteans notice that Whisper has the powers of the Foretold One, but can she really be the One?
Ben gets up and knocks Johnny out. Attuma gets angry and wants to kill Ben for this. Suddenly, he is attacked by an invisible barrier. Sue’s responsible, and the toxins that were put into her by Attuma’s scientist have worn off. Nobody is under his influence anymore. Sue suggests Attuma that he gives up.
Johnny gets up and attacks Attuma from behind, using his flames. Ben strikes as well and punches Attuma a few times, but Whisper tells the boys to stop, because Attuma’s reign doesn’t need to end in violence. She wants to spare him. To himself, Attuma tells Whisper to enjoy the victory, confident that it will only be a short one. He will be back!
Shortly after, the team hurries back to Four Freedoms Plaza in their ship. Sue tries to contact Reed several times, but to no response. Ben gets a message on the board computer, and it’s from Reed. He takes goodbye from his family, in case something has gone wrong, and informs that he is currently on route to the Savage Land. Then the message ends.
Sue fears the worst, but Johnny is certain that Reed’s still alive…at least he hopes. Ben too but, to himself, he is still angry at Reed for putting them on the space ship which turned him into the monster he is now. And Ben wants to say that to Reed personally. Sue thinks that someone is trying to tear the Fantastic Four up again. Ben promises that, as long as he’s alive, he will never allow that!
Full speed ahead, the Fantastic Four are heading to… the Savage Land!
Meanwhile, while on his way to the Savage Land, Reed scouts the lovely weather and thinks that he will have a nice day nonetheless. But he spoke too soon, as a Manglev ship rises from the ocean! The Atlanteans get out of the boat and identifies Reed’s ship as an enemy. Reed prepares to battle and hopes that he wins, or else it will mean the end of the entire human race!
Reed opens fire, but more warships rise and Reed fears that it’s the end for him. Inside the main warship, General Dagim smiles at his victory and orders his men to fire, this time to kill. But the troops can’t, since their equipment has been jammed! Dagim panics, especially when the ship itself gets under attack! Dagim orders his troops to identify the enemy responsible, and various ships are approaching, but of Latverian origin!
Doom warns the Atlanteans to prepare for death, because he won’t let them destroy Latveria. After all, should Latveria die, there would be no reason for Doom to live! Doom contacts Richards, who is surprised to be fighting alongside his old enemy. Perhaps, Reed thinks, after all these years, there might be something good inside his former friend.
Meanwhile, Sue and the others are also attacked by Atlantean warships. But they need to identify themselves first. Sue thinks she knows a way out. She speaks in an Atlantean dialect and says that their ocular device has been bollixed. The Atlantean General is pleased to hear such an ancient dialect of their language and decides to let the team go. Sue is pleased that she has at least picked up something from her time with Namor!
After destroying the final enemy ships, Doom goes aboard Reed’s ship. Reed wants to make amends for past mistakes and start their friendship again, but Doom isn’t interested. But he does warn Reed not to go to the Savage Land, since it’s gotten worse since the last time he saw it. But Reeds wants to go there to bring the Halo City survivors there. Doom takes goodbye then, and promises that they will never see each other again.
Reed’s ship gets blasted! The damage isn’t much, but it might be soon. The board computer goes on and gives Reed a message from Attuma, who wants to kill Reed. But Johnny and Ben arrive just in time and send Attuma swimming- literally! General Dagim gets word from Whisper to retreat and come home. They do and, once back home, Whisper tells Dagim that they’ve got a lot to discuss. But first the attack on the humans must be reverted. Dagim doesn’t like it, but he does as the Majestrix order and all Atlantean warships return to where they came from.
Reed and Sue run to each other and kiss. Reed meets up with Ben and tells his old friend that it feels like old times again. Ben agrees that it’s been way too long. Ben asks Reed if he thinks the Savage Land will be big enough to handle civilization.
Actually, Reed doesn’t. He agrees that the Savage Land is vast, but believes that its resources are too limited to support them for a long time period. That’s why he is leaving Earth for Alchemax’s Ares colony… on Mars! Reed knows that the odds of making it back are slim, but he has to try.
Ben won’t allow it. Reed has just been reunited with his beautiful wife, and now he’s flying into space?! Ben wants that Reed allow someone else to play hero for a change. Ben offers to go, since he has no family and all to worry about. Reed gets upset hearing that and tells Ben that they are his family now. Reed admits that there are many mistakes he regrets making and there are too many things that Reed can do for Ben now. The future is an open book. Ben hugs Reed and knows where he is going. Ben doesn’t blame Reed for making him the man he is today. In fact, Ben owes Reed for it.
A few sleepless nights later, the team is ready to go. The spaceship is ready and Ben and the X-Nation kids are ready for take-off. They are just waiting for Father Jennifer to stop arguing with Spider-Man about letting her go along. At the back of the ship, Jennifer argues with Miguel and shuts the door in front of his face. December is thrilled to go, but Metalsmith isn’t so sure. Sue asks Ben if he’s ready to go. This trip reminds Ben of a certain first space trip he and the team took a long while back. Reed smiles and was just thinking the same thing.
Reed activates the spaceship and in a matter of seconds it’s already in outer space! But a warning signal goes off. Reed knows that something has gone wrong. The orbiting satellite isn’t registering the ship anymore! Reed tries to invert the bandwidth at the same time as he narrows it down. Reed finds the ship, but… it’s shattered into pieces! And Ben, Jenny and X-Nation are nowhere to be seen…
