Fantastic Four (1961 series) #47

Most of the Inhumans, including Crystal the girl Johnny Storm fancies, have been teleported away by their dog Lockjaw. The Fantastic Four are in the mobile base of the Seeker who had captured the Inhuman Triton and taken the android Dragon Man from the FF's HQ. But DM has escaped into New York City and the amphibious Triton is dying from lack of water. Human Torch wants the find Crystal but Mr Fantastic thinks they should save the city from the android and Invisible Girl is worried about Triton. Reed Richards sends HT and Thing after the Dragon while he and his wife stay to save the Inhuman. Reed is a bit snappy when he tells Sue to enclose their patient with her force field so he can fill it full of water from a fire hose. Triton revives but the Seeker, who was just standing around not helping, reminds them that he's still his prisoner and must return to the Inhumans' home, the Great Refuge, by order of Maximus The Magnificent.

But we look in on Ben Grimm's girlfriend, the blind sculptress Alicia, whose feeling lonely without her love. But she hears him and Johnny outside her window battling the flying Dragon Man, and Thing realises where they are and is desperate to keep the fight from her studio. However DM doesn't know or care about that and Ben winds up being propelled through her window. He tells Alicia to run away and save herself but she refuses because her life would be meaningless without him. The android breaks in through the roof and Thing has to declare Clobberin' Time to send it with 1 mighty punch back up into the sky where Torch attacks it with ultraviolet rays. He knows DM's artificial skin can't be harmed by his flame but he hopes an extreme case of sunburn might work instead. And it does and the android falls to the ground unconscious.

Seeker's armed guards bring a fresh mobile water tank and Triton is transferred into it. But the FF couple see him still trying to escape and they protest. However Seeker points out that they have no right to interfere in the laws of another people so they reluctantly leave his base. But Reed slaps a tracer on it before the whole structure takes off on rocket jets. Sue Richards thinks it's over but MrF says he needs to make sure the Inhumans aren't a threat.

We now see that Lockjaw has brought Black Bolt and his 'family' to the Great Refuge. Gorgon is glad to be there, along with Medusa who Maximus had sent him to bring home. Crystal is smitten with human Johnny and wants to go back to him. Karnak worries about the wrath of Maximus. Black Bolt as usual says nothing, but Medusa thinks he will protect them. Gorgon reminds her that Maximus wears the crown, but Karnak reminds *him* that it should be Bolt.

Maximus has detected their arrival and is glad to see that Gorgon has brought Medusa but is definitely not pleased to see Black Bolt, the silent one, back from exile. So he orders his new weapon hidden from them, with which he intends to conquer humanity. And he also orders the savage Alpha Primitives to be unleashed on them, even though Bolt is his own brother.

A horde of the Primitives descend on BB and gang. Medusa wants to oppose them as a group but Karnak says their leader would never let *her* be endangered. They know that she is betrothed to Maximus but everyone knows that she and BB are in love with each other. So Black Bolt uses the underarm 'wings' of his costume to glide into his 'power attack' which takes out the leading wave of foes. But more follow to be met by a mighty clap of his hands. Medusa can't be held back any more and she throws others around with her living hair. Karnak detects the Primitives' weakest spots for his karate chops. Gorgon daren't uses his foot stamps to create shock waves that would harm friends as well as foes. And we still don't really know what Crystal can do.

But then Maximus turns up and orders the Alpha Primitives away, claiming not to know how they escaped. Now that his Atmo-Gun is safely hidden he can greet his family. He reminds Black Bolt that he only wears the crown because BB was unable to rule after the 'accident' that rendered him speechless. Medusa scoffs but the king declares that they will soon be married. Gorgon claims not have known that was why Maximus wanted her back. Medusa says that royal commands must be obeyed. But then Black Bolt steps forward and takes the crown from his brother's head and places it on his own. Max daren't challenge him to combat and so acquiesces. And everybody acclaims the restored king.

In the meantime the FF have chartered their own jet liner to follow the tracker to the Himalayas. Reed tells Johnny that he's handed Dragon Man over to the 'authorities' who are sending him to a desert island sanctuary for study. Ben goes introspective again about his relationship with Alicia. Johnny moons over Crystal. And Sue changes her hairstyle hoping to get her husband to remember she's not just '1 of the boys'. They see a costumed man gliding through the air and follow him down through a bank of clouds to a city hidden in a valley below. Reed hands over to expert pilot Ben to handle the landing.

When they get out they find that the climate is quite hot, especially for the Himalayas, and Reed deduces that the Inhumans have mastered climate control. Then they realise that Sue is missing. But she's only turned invisible so that when she reappears Reed night notice her new hairdo. But Reed is more concerned about reaching the Great Refuge without being detected. They landed higher up and they now find themselves on a narrow natural rock bridge high above the city. Human Torch flies ahead while Thing holds on to Mr Fantastic as he extends his body to  transport Invisible Girl down to the ground. But then the rock bridge breaks under the weight.

For reasons of suspense we pop back to the Inhumans. Crystal accuses Maximus of wanting to replace Black Bolt permanently. Gorgon demands to know what he's done with Triton. Max bluffs that he thought he was with them, but Medusa hair-brandishes a flaming torch at him telling us that the villain always hated the amphibian. And Max suddenly 'remembers' and flicks a switch to show them their friend via video screen. He claims to wish no harm to any Inhuman but he admits to intending that they should conquer the human race as is their obvious destiny. Medusa says it'll never happen now Black Bolt has the crown.

Then they see the Torch flying around outside. And we see the other 3 falling to land in a forcefield cushion provided by IG. They've landed conveniently near the other chars and Crystal rushes into the arms of (non-flaming) Johnny until Medusa's hair pulls her back and Black Bolt stops Johnny from following. Karnak and Thing face off while Reed shelters Sue and demands to speak man-to-man with BB. Medusa says he *doesn't* speak but she will be his voice. She translates an imperious gesture as meaning that they can leave if they promise to keep the Great Refuge secret, but Gorgon doesn't trust *any* humans. Reed counters that humans are bound to discover them eventually, but they need not be enemies.

Meanwhile Maximus has slipped away to join the Seeker and Triton and he orders the Atmo-Gun to be readied. Then he pushes the button that fires it, saying it will emit vibrations in the atmosphere that will only affect humans and not Inhumans. (But he doesn't actually say what the vibrations will do.)

To be continued.