Synopsis / Summary / Plot
His human body worn out after his recent adventures, the Beyonder is sleeping on a pavement when he's awoken by a cop. As usual he doesn't understand what's going on, but when the cop wants to know where he came from he opens a hole into his dimension (empty now that he is here in ours), which blows the man's mind.
His next encounter is with a hooker named Toots who claims to be holding up the wall she's leaning against. He's still tired so he accepts her offer of accompanying him to a hotel room. When she asks for cash 1st he creates a gold bar. She doesn't believe it's genuine and tells him to get lost. Worried about the wall he creates buttresses for it.
Then he teleports into the seedy hotel. The guy on the desk gives him a room without payment, figuring to rob the rich-looking mark while he sleeps. Beyonder locates the room by the number on the key, but then walks through the door - and falls asleep on the floor.
Later he wakes to see Toots has brought some friends. She told her pimp Chulo, who told his boss Vinnie Corbo, and they're here with bodyguard Smurfette and book-keeper Millie Shuriff. Vinnie is very interested in the gold, and wants to know the man's story.
Beyonder summarises for him (and us) the events of Secret Wars I and SWII#1-2. Last issue ended with him learning about money. Misunderstanding the claim that cash represented gold he turned the building that housed the Power Man & Iron Fist offices into gold, which collapsed under its own weight.
Beyonder doesn't actually have a name, not even Beyonder. (Since he was the only thing in his universe why would he need 1?) When asked who he is he usually replies "I am from beyond". But Vinnie decides to call him Frank. Frank is still tired, so they leave him with Toots for company. She teaches him that beds are better than floors and pavements for sleeping on. Meanwhile Vinnie makes sure no-one else will disturb his find.
Later Frank wakes hungry. Vinnie and a suitably-dressed Toots take him to a fancy restaurant. There he discovers that his earlier painful experiences with food was because he ate the containers as well as the contents. When they show him how to tell the difference he finds he really likes food and goes on a binge.
Later still Vinnie introduces Frank to the attentions of women. Toots has taken a protective shine to him, and gets jealous.
Next day Vinnie gets his boy to swap his rather classic suit for what he considers a more modern look (in the 80's).
And the day after that he puts him to work 'dissuading' Vinnie's rivals. And curing his 'girls' of any illnesses they may have picked up in their work by a laying on of hands. And of course making a modest amount of gold (Vinnie doesn't want to flood the market like that gold building threatens to do in Web Of Spider-Man #6 and Amazing SM #268).
That evening Frank also cures Vinnie Jr of dyslexia and restores Mrs Corbo's figure to that of her youth.
Next day Vinnie takes Frank shopping. He buys loads of consumer gadgets and a motorbike. Then they go to the horse racing. But when Frank makes Vinnie's horse win the mobster is upset. His business is a business and whatever Frank can do to help there is good business. But gambling is his hobby, and he wants to win or lose through his own skill. So Vinnie takes him to an illegal casino for fun.
Days later Frank has a penthouse suite, his own female entourage and a new dark curly hairstyle to replace his blonde look copied from Captain America. He goes on his round in his chauffeured limo with a selection of his gadgets, eating junk food while food-processing vegetables and styrofoam. He collects Vinnie's cut from various enterprises while sometimes giving a helping hand. He stops to say hello to Chulo and Toots, oblivious to the fact that she loves him.
At the end of the day he visits Vinnie's lavish house. The boss treats him more like a son, and tells him he's too good to be his underling. He should strike out and carve out his own much bigger criminal empire.
Days later Frank owns several mansions and boats and the good life has bloated him. He flies by helicopter to 1 of his yachts to host a party attended only by females who swear they love his fat body. But he can tell they are insincere, and transforms back to Steve Rogers' fitness.
He steers the boat to New York harbour and invades the office of the Kingpin, who tries to set his men on him, including the Rose. But Frank has them under his control, and now makes Wilson Fisk agree to work for him and pass on 90% of his take.
Next day he gets the President and the top level of the US government and military to swear allegiance to him. Then he extends his will to everyone in the world (except for 1 person). Then all animals, all bacteria and viruses, and then all molecules, atoms and particles. The whole world bows to his will.
The 1 exception is Owen Reece - Molecule Man. In his Denver apartment he suddenly senses that all the molecules in the room except his own are being controlled by an outside force. Owen realises that it must be the work of Beyonder. (They met in SWI and he was the 1st person contacted by Beyonder in SWII#1.) He quickly frees his girlfriend Marsha Rosenberg (Volcana) from control. But then they just keep on watching television.
Meanwhile Beyonder visits many superheroes (including Cap, Iron Man, She-Hulk and Thor) and world leaders accepting personal obeisance from them all. His interest in gadgets makes him visit a female cyborg called Circuit Breaker who is out for revenge on all robots because 1 of them caused her to be like this.
Later he's enjoying the company of women in yet another mansion. But his success seems empty. He goes to see Vinnie, who is now also under his control, to ask why he still feels the desire for more after gaining everything. But Vinnie has no answer. He seeks out Toots who is now a waitress, and realises he has turned everyone into the robots Circuit Breaker hates. He returns her free will, and she thanks Frank for turning her life around (before taking it over). His friendship had made her think better of herself and aim for a better life.
Beyonder lets go of everyone and everything else, and wipes the memory of his rule from their minds.
Later he turns up at Avengers Mansion. Toots' gratitude affected him deeply and now he wants to join the Avengers to earn the plaudits of mankind. Jarvis tells him they are away in the Skrull galaxy so Beyonder zaps there to help them.
Hours later he returns having messed it up. So he conceives another approach based on what Vinnie said about success (in gambling) being hollow without effort. And for this he will need a lawyer - Matt Murdock.