Just
two months after the Richards-Storm wedding, various Marvels are under fire.
Phil Sheldon and Ben Urich cover the announcement that the Avengers have been
cleared of criminal charges, stories of Tony Stark under investigation, the
Black Widow on trial for murder. Phil takes his family to the zoo and suddenly
there is minor flooding and Doris has to persuade Phil not to follow this up
but to stay with the family while the Avengers battle Attuma. Phil begins to
have second thoughts about his book, wondering if they have misjudged the
Marvels or are just now seeing them for what they really are…
…and
then the sky is filled with fire, followed by rocks—and then the Silver Surfer
arrives. Heralding the coming of…Galactus. The Fantastic Four take him on—and
lose. As the story unfolds, Phil walks home to be with his family for what may
be the end of the world. And suddenly, it’s over. The Fantastic Four are heroes
who have saved the Earth. But then come the accusations that the whole thing
was a hoax and the FF are vilified again. Phil stops by the Daily Bugle
just as Peter Parker is delivering phots that make Spider-Man look like a
criminal to J. Jonah Jameson; Phil is disgusted. And when he hears some people
criticizing the X-Men, he loses it, berating them for their lack of gratitude
to the Marvels….