Synopsis
Last issue Thing and Human Torch used the Multisect to get to a parallel universe hoping to find the long-missing Richards family. They took along scientist Rachna Koul whose radiation detector pointed them to this Earth's Baxter Building. Then she left them to investigate a weaker radiation source.
But it turned out they just met what was left of this Earth's Fantastic Four - Mr Fantastic. Beast explains that Reed Richards failed to stop Galactus when he 1st showed up, and this Earth's Ben Grimm died in that encounter. And it was up to Dr Doom to save the day by taking over Galactus' mind and body. Doom/Galactus then left Earth as the new Devourer of Worlds promising never to eat the Earth. But now he's eaten the rest of the universe and he's still hungry.
Reed has since then immersed himself in his scientific work. He's currently working on a project with his robot assistant HERBIE. Angry Thing bursts in and accuses Reed of giving up. He's got to find a way to stop Doomlactus.
A voice agrees with him - it's Sue Richards who's now head of SHIELD. (And last issue She-Hulk and Wolverine were SHIELD agents.) After an exchange of greetings Ben asks about their Johnny Storm. And there's an awkward silence.
Meanwhile our Johnny contacts Rachna to see if she'd found any sign of his Reed and Sue on her end. But she claimed her reading was false - she'll recalibrate her multisensor for the next try. We see her leaving a hospital room where the patient is on life support (and seems to me to have no legs).
Reed, Sue and Ben join Johnny and Beast. Sue and Johnny have a more emotional 'sibling' 'reunion'. Then Sue gets a call to say the invasion has started. Outside the Heralds of Doom have arrived - Silver Surfer figures on their flying surfboards with cloaks and Doom-armour faces. And opposing them are a horde of familiar heroes with SHIELD symbols on their costumes.
Ben, Jonny and Sue join the fight, but Reed sits it out. The defenders' spirits are raised by the thought that the Fantastic Four are back in action. Torch wonders if they should waste their dwindling powers (see previous issues) on this doomed universe when they might need them to find *their* Reed and Sue. Thing points out that their Reed and Sue would never forgive them if they didn't do all they could to help.
Mr Fantastic runs to warn them how dangerous the Heralds are, but 1 of them grabs him and takes high into the air. Human Torch follows and blasts the Herald, but Reed falls off the surfboard. And then Johnny's flame dies and he starts falling too. Mr Fantastic catches up to him and grabs him and forms a parachute shape to get them down safely.
The action seems to snap Reed out of the doldrums. He's now gung-ho to stop Doom. And another voice agrees. This time it's *our* Victor Von Doom in his Iron Man armour. (Last issue Johnny *thought* he saw someone following them on their journey between timelines.) Wolverine automatically attacks but a spell stops him. Doom unmasks and suggests he and Reed do the 1 thing they've never tried - teaming up. Thing reluctantly says Doom *has* been playing the hero recently.
Reed says he *may* have a solution with Victor here. SHIELD-boss Sue cedes him authority. He asks her to be ready to launch all the firepower she can muster. Ben and Johnny admit that their powers are waning. Rachna repeats her idea that our FF's powers were linked by their origin and the separation across parallel universes is affecting them. Speculating about this almost makes Reed lose sight of the big problem. But he sends our duo on a recruiting mission ...
... to a lonely midwest farm where ex-Silver Surfer Norrin Radd is living with Emma Frost, who appears in her diamond form with a rifle to see them off. (Apparently Norrin and their Johnny did something heroic, presumably back when Galactus called.) Emma is suspicious but she switches to human form so she can read Ben and Johnny's minds - and learns the truth. Silver Surfer is needed again.
And in the sky over New York Galactus appears.