Fantastic Four (1961 series) #21

In his astronomical observatory atop the Baxter Building Reed Richards has noticed that something is affecting Earth's tides. But he and Johnny and Sue Storm are distracted by a seeming earthquake within the building which they discover is Thing using his extremely large and strong new punching bag. Ben Grimm is angered by an outbreak of bad news worldwide mostly caused by someone calling himself the Hate-Monger.

Going out in street clothes they discover the hooded HM holding a rally in New York surrounded by men dressed like Nazi Stormtroopers. He preaches hatred against foreigners and anyone who doesn't agree with him. The Fantastic Four see the crowd turning on those who seem different. Thing charges forward and demolishes the stand that the troopers are standing on. But before he can get to the main man HM pulls out a H-Ray gun and fires it at Ben and his teammates. Immediately the Four start fighting each other and shouting hatred at each other until they decide to each go their own way.

Reed returns to the Baxter Building where he finds that the doormen have been unsuccessfully trying to restrain a man who's demanding to see him. Richards recognises him as Nick Fury (they met during WWII in Sgt Fury & His Howling Commandos #3). Inside the FF's HQ Nick, now Col Fury of the CIA, tells Reed about a problem in the South American Republic Of San Gusto. The US has been supporting the democratic government but now a serious revolution has begun against it. Richards immediately suits up to take the FF's Pogo Plane there and invites Fury to come with him, saying that he doesn't need the rest of the team. Nick declines, sensing that the Hate-Monger has already corrupted him.

Ben is visiting his blind girlfriend Alicia who's sculpting a new statue of him when he sees the Pogo Plane out of the window and is incensed that Richards is using *their* craft without consulting them. He runs out and Alicia is confused by the hate in his voice. Johnny Storm is similarly angered and flies to the Baxter Building. His sister Sue turns invisible in a dress fitting and runs out (paying for the dress on the way of course). When they get to their HQ they discover Fury there who introduces himself and explains about San Gusto and tells them that Reed didn't *want* them there. This of course makes them join him in their own ICBM which blasts off for South America and parachutes them down in a landing capsule.

In NY the Hate-Monger has seen them leave and guesses where they're going. He gets a confirmatory message about the capsule landing, so he and his men go underground to a 'sub-surface missile' which blasts a way deep in the Earth to get to San Gusto. When they get there they have to wait an hour for coolant to make the surrounding ground safe enough to walk on. Then they head for their command post from which he controls the revolution.

Meanwhile Mr Fantastic is waging a 1-man guerilla war against the rebels. He blows up an ammunition dump, removes missiles hanging from a passing jet and turns himself into a blue road to frighten troops when 'it' comes alive beneath them (and he disposes of their dropped weapons in a river). Then he sees a whirling machine sending out rays. He extends his fingers into the ground to trace where its control wires come from and finds a passage down into the ground. But as he explores it he's gassed with a nerve gas which leaves him semi-paralysed. He's brought before HM who explains how he's bouncing hate rays off the Moon to reach anywhere on Earth. (Reed realises that's what was affecting tides on page 1.) HM also says of course that he's unaffected because he has an antidote.

At this point Nick Fury bursts in with a submachinegun and the Howling Commandos' war cry 'Wah-Hoo'. The stormtroopers surrender and Fury orders their leader to give Richards the antidote to the hate ray *and* the nerve gas. Reed is immediately cured and thanks his saviour. But this gives HM time to trigger a bulletproof glass partition between the duo and their enemies who exit through a door to accelerate their worldwide hate programme. MrF grabs some more anti-hate pills and sets off to cure the rest of the FF while Fury tracks down the Hate-Monger.

When he heard that MrF was fighting for the government Human Torch had automatically joined the rebels. Reed attracts Johnny's attention and dares him to fight man to man. But when HT douses his flame MrF entangles him in his elastic arms and pops a pill down his throat. After another lightning cure they see Thing charging at them. Ben sees Reed 'attacking' Johnny and gapes in surprise when Torch attacks *him*, allowing more pill-popping. Only Sue is left and Reed guesses Invisible Girl will be watching them from nearby. He blankets the area with his stretchy body and sure enough covers an angry body. Sue asks the other 2 to help but they all force-feed her the last pill.

Meanwhile Nick Fury has found Hate-Monger and his giant hate-ray generator. His sub-gun runs out of ammo so he charges into the troops using it as a battering ram. The FF join him. HM prepares to fire his Hate-Ray gun at Torch but IG sneaks up and deflects his aim. It hits some of his troops instead and they shoot him dead. The troops surrender and Reed unmasks the Hate-Monger as Adolf Hitler! The world believes he died at the end of the war. Reed wonders if it really *is* him or 1 of the doubles he's rumoured to have had. Fury says it doesn't really matter now they've stopped his hate ray plan.