PREPARE TO BECOME FICTIONAL!: Fantastic Four Dark Reign + #570-574 Annotations

[Dark Reign: Fantastic Four]

"The Bridge, Part I - Building Bridges" [3/4/09]

I could have sworn Alicia Masters was blind? Did they restore her sight?
What happened when HAMMER cut the power? Did it cause the machine to go wild and send the other three across reality/multiverse?
But it's just an observation device! Why did they get teleported? Most likely because of the power outage? That's probably the spillover Reed was talking about.
Where did it shoot out Ben Sue and Johnny? Seems like the Savage Land, but who are the others there besides the dinosaurs and the Celestials?

"The Bridge, Part II - Civil Discourse"

So the recap blurb says that the Bridge is a reality bending super-computer, and that HAMMER's interference sends the three back to prehistoric Marvel.
All of the peaceful realities that avoid the 'Civil War' stem from Reed taking individual action.
As much as medieval revamps of characters tend to uninterest me, "Milady, tis the clobbering hour" was absolutely perfect.
Why are there two Bens in the final warp at the end?

"The Bridge, Part III - Illuminate"

So every reality the three warps through, they pick up an analogue: Medieval Ben, Swashbuckler Johnny, Gunslinger Sue.
Reed discovers that every reality where the Illuminati is formed results in zero chance for an optimal world peace, instead either subjecting humanity to the will of another power or dooming them to annihilation.
Franklin and Valeria hold down the fort as Normy boy and Venom pull up for an eviction!
Is Beyonder a multiversal being? I thought he was bigger (given the revelations we get in New Avengers/Secret Wars).

"The Bridge, Part IV - There Is Always A Way"

Awesome! I love essay-comics!
Great speech by the Sup[Reed]-Intelligence, pretty tragic overall.
Main Reed has a wonderful IM where he comes to the conclusion that he must put the responsibility of the world/reality's problems on his back and attempt to solve everything.
Norman vs the kids was hilarious as well.

"The Bridge, Part V - The World I Created" [7/22/09]

Fantastic!
Council of Reeds hinting and unforeseen implications of Reed lying to Sue about rebuilding the Bridge.
Osborn stuff was still great. Would have loved to see the Iron Patriot armor!
Franklin reality-warping powers hinting?

Fantastic Four #570 - "Unsolvable" [8/26/09]

What is the true cost of a man's mistakes?
Reed's daddy, Nathanial Richards gives some great advice! You can fail, but you must try!
They give the Wizard a smack down, he predicts some crazy stuff coming up on the horizon.
What happened to the small clone child of the Wizard?
When Wizard mentions the world tearing apart and humanity being judged, is he referencing the Millar stuff or is he hinting at the Incursions!?!?!
Reed built an interdimensional panic room...
Johnny and Ben are going to Nu-World!
Paranoia brings Reed to the Bridge, and we meet the Council!
Fascinating concept! And Infinity Gauntlets!! Holy crap!
We see so many multiversal reeds, but Armor-Reed, Suit-Reed, Beard-Reed, and Alpha-Reed are the ones with dialogue.

Fantastic Four #571 - "Initiation"

Crazy convo between Reed and Sue. I'm honestly on Sue's side, but I understand Reed's POV. There is a higher purpose, and sometimes that gets in the way of grounded reality.
Universe-8901 = "The Farm"
Interesting that the Infinity Gauntlet only works in the universe that it's from.
The Hole = a room that keeps all of the lobotomized Dooms.
So Beard-Reed has spliced DNA with Doom!
Daddy-Richards advice: there is nothing you can't do!
Three trials of virtue, vice, and impossibility!
Well fuck. Mad Celestials from Armor-Reed's universe forced him to reveal the location of the Council! Apparently they want to take over the multiverse?

Fantastic Four #572 - "Burning Bridges"

The cost of solving everything, is everything!
Suit-Reed and Beard-Reed are dead!
A Reed who is a portal to the multiverse!
Sue's convo with Reed was fantastic, and much more tolerant and mature than most individuals would react. She really does understand her husband.
YESSSSSSS. KINO STORY!
Armor-Reed is a bum who reveals the secret of the council: they all dipped on their families to solve everything.
It's crazy how much Rick and Morty aped off of this.
Where did Nathaniel Richards disappear off to?
The "A Better Man" is one of the best sequences so far!
So Franky and Val catch a lift on the fantasti-car to crash Ben and Johnny's vacation to Nu-World!

Fantastic Four #573 - "Adventures on Nu-World!"

Wow Wow wtf?
Who is this mysterious man; Is it Ted Castle = yep.
How did Alyssa end up as a brain in a robo-spider body?
How did things get to this = apparently it's been 8 years because of the space time distortion from the black hole.
How did the sun collapse?
How is Nu-World undergoing abnormal evolutionary acceleration; What is the cause; = the black hole created by the sun's collapse; it's event horizon is the cause.
Why does Alex Ultron have his own territory?
What is the treaty/pact?
How was the portal damaged?
What caused the revolution and war?
Natalie X controls the population with telepathy.
Ted and Alyssa are based in the center of the earth, a place called The Wheel.
Lightwave and psionics are based in the capital of Nu-World, called the Fortress.
Who has kept them alive = Ted!
So Banner Jr is kept in prison, but he claims it's only as long as he wants...
Alex Ultron and Lightwave are now enemies and leaving Nu-World.
Psionics merc's Alyssa, Banner merc's Psionics, Ted stays behind to pilot the ship.
Will we see them again? = #578 + #579!

Fantastic Four #574 - "Days of Future Franklin" [12/23/09]

The future must be avoided at all costs!
Happy birthday Franklin!
Power Pack (of whom I know literally nothing about).
Katie: light/fire powers.
Jack: blue fire or water powers.
Alex (19): super-intelligence.
Leech: Bro gets a key!
Artie: Uses the new helmet to project his thoughts and communicate.
The clone! They're calling him Bentley, but he refers to himself as Thirty-Two.
The Dragon-Man was from an old issue of FF by Kirby but I can't recall who he was built by = Diablo!
Who is random dude who warps into the Baxter building? = Future Franklin
What does he do to Franklin + What does he say? = check the last bullet.
Why must the future be avoided?
What is the War of Four Cities? = Four Cities are the Forever City of the High Evolutionary, New Atlantis in Lake Vostok, Universal Inhuman City-Ship, and the prison 42 in the negative zone.
The Dead must not be forgotten...
The Future Man must return to save the past...
All Hope Lies In Doom...
We get a bunch of little kid drawings: the Four Cities must correspond to the elements, earth water fire and air. Namor is depicted, so Atlantis must be water.
We see a bunch of drawings of the multiversal reeds.
So Future-Val sent Future Franklin to send her this message as a kid!
Rest, and remember what you are = So Future-Frank restores present-Franklin's reality warping powers, and he makes a baby universe!