Posted - January 7, 2018

Previous: Fantastic Four 238 The Lady is for Burning


Fantastic Four No. 239
Wendy's Friends



Fantastic Four No. 239

Aunt Petunia, who's troubles cropped up two issues back, has arrived at the Baxter Building encountering not only a member of the Fantastic Four but Reed's propensity to automate and robotize everything.


aunt petunia, johnny storm and a robot

Well, I was wrong from last issue. Ben isn't upset at Reed's failure to restore him to being human. Reed on the other hand is NOT taking things in stride.


distraught reed

It can't be the scientist in him. Science thrives on failure, it's a trial-and-error kind of thing. This is Reed, the best friend of one Ben Grimm.

A note about the Thing: as he evolved from the original lumpy form to his latest angular brick form he has also grown stronger. Now that he has reverted back to the original form it is expected that he's weaker as well. That is not the case.


the strength of the thing

Ah, the meeting I've been waiting for:


aunt petunia

I love Reed's comment about Aunt Petunia.


fantastic four family talking

A short backgrounder and the nature of the visit.


aunt petunia talking

Here it is, the first outing of the Fantastic Five.


fantastic five

When they finally get to the town of Benson it feels like a ghost town.


the town of benson

Now the meeting between Ben and his blood relation, Jake Grimm.


jake grimm

Hmmm, check this out.


reed richards, doctor

Reed isn't a doctor but he's capable enough to double-check a doctor and the doctors are allowing it. You know how science is these days right? Specialized. Each scientist being recognized as having expertise and authority in his or her field. There is no more proof of Reed's massive genius than the fact that he can go across scientific boundaries and be respected by the specialist of each of those fields.

Somebody named Ruth Efford drops in and suddenly we have direction.


ruth efford talking

Once again, Reed going through scientific boundaries with ease.


reed the geologist

A brief break to look into Attilan, in the Himalayas, and the troubles of the Inhumans in general, and of Quicksilver and Crystal in particular.


quicksilver and crystal

Uh-oh, somebody's going to to find things literally too hot to handle.


frankie stops an abusive father

How frustrating.


frankie is frustrated

Why are these people in the Benson Hotel? Doesn't Ruth have a field office? One of my pet peeves is using a bed as a desk (although admittedly, it seems to be just me that's bothered by it).


using a hotel as an office

I love Byrne's wordplay here 'a dry thunderstorm stalks across the desert on legs of lightning'.


storm on the desert

For Wendy, a fateful - and correct - decision.


wendy runs away

Wendy is surrounded by strange forces and something happens to Ben.


ben is attacked

It turns out it is happening to the rest of the FF too.


the ff is attacked

The next day finds the town devastated and people leaving.


people leaving town

This is definitely an FF fail. I wish I could blame the dark forces entirely but in an effort to douse a fire the Thing totaled the water tower. Effectively destroying the town's water supply. And you know what they say: better no electricity than no water.

This is what happened.


reed talking reed talking

As the story concludes we find out that Wendy has always been in contact with the forces that have run rampant through the town.


wendy and her friends

So Ben you went to your Aunt Petunia's town and it imploded. What the heck?

Next: Fantastic Four 240 Exodus