Synopsis
Invisible Woman, Mr Fantastic and Silver Surfer have travelled through a black hole to a dimension where magic rules to retrieve the 6 Soul Gems in order to save the life of Galactus. The Gems were in the possession of 2 Elders Of The Universe (Astronomer and Trader) who had fallen into the black hole. But Sue Richards was taken over by her evil persona Malice who made a deal with Trader - Silver Surfer for the Gems.
It's dangerous to touch the Gems because 1 of them can steal your soul. But Sue/Malice holds them with her forcefield and has returned alone to the Galactus-built spaceship she got here in. She intends to leave with the Gems for her own purposes and leave Big G to die.
Silver Surfer is trapped in the Trader's bodycase. He can stand on his Cosmic Surfboard but not connect to it and so can't fly away on it. The Elder reminds him that he can't escape from the case unless the Trader dies, and the Elders can't die. The Trader can let him use the board but only to take him and the Astrologer back through the black hole.
Reed Richards now reveals that he recovered from last issue's fight and he's been watching to see what the EOTU would do. He now explains his deductions. The Elders claimed that they sought out the 6 Gems because they needed them to escape from this dimension. But if that were true they would never have traded them away. In fact only the Surfer can get them out. Trader admits he tricked Malice. But Surfer worries that the Elders will leave Reed and Sue behind when he takes them out. However Reed claims that their plan has a flaw in that the EOTU *can* die in this dimension, so Surfer can free himself by killing Trader. The Elder reminds them that Death refuses to allow the EOTU into her domain, but Richards points out that their Death doesn't rule here. And he claims that's why they are so desperate to leave.
Astronomer now speaks up and tells his co-Elder to give it up. Richards has seen through their scheme. But Reed proposes another deal. If they free Norrin Radd he promises to free *them*. But Surfer complicates things by saying that he will never take the Elders back because they tried to kill Galactus and destroy the current reality. Reed ignores him and adds another condition, they must 1st be allowed to rescue his wife from Malice. Trader is doubtful but Astronomer accepts. Trader frees Surfer and he and Reed exit on the board. But when they're gone the 2 Elders seem to think everything's going their way.
Surfer's still worried about freeing the Elders again to destroy reality, and sees even sacrificing Sue as preferable to that. Reed is confidant based on past experience that they can defeat the Elders. So logic, not emotion, led him to this as the only way to save his wife. Norrin says he's noticed that Reed is even more rational than usual. Reed agrees and opines that this magic realm is affecting him and Sue in opposite ways. Surfer digresses into religions in the universe. He's noticed many that base their beliefs on the opposing forces known as Lord Chaos and Master Order, and maybe something like that is at play here. In 'our' reality the main dichotomy is Eternity/Death (according to Steve Englehart in #6) and they coexist peacefully with Galactus to stir the mix (SE again in Nova's tale in Annual #2). But Order & Chaos are more dynamic opponents, and they have the In-Betweener to maintain balance and continue their conflict (all 3 created by Jim Starlin in his 1st Adam Warlock/Thanos era). Reed claims this justifies his plan to get Sue and the Soul Gems (and the Elders) back to reality to save Big G.
They spot Sue's spaceship approaching the black hole. Surfer speeds up to catch her but she shoots at them with the weapons Galactus built in to it. He doesn't manage to dodge all the blasts, but then he devises a new stratagem. He makes himself brighter than a nova which temporarily blinds their opponent, allowing them to crash through the hull of the ship. SS is temporarily out of power which leaves Mr Fantastic to face Malice alone. She uses the Gems to fire blasts at him but he's able to predict her aim and his pliable body twists out of the way until he sends an elongated arm to punch her on the jaw. She replies by firing randomly so he can't predict and dodge. But then recovered Surfer blasts her and they begin a battle of energies. Reed tries to sneak an arm from behind through the circling Gems to KO her with a nerve pinch on the neck. But just then another spaceship containing Human Torch, Thing, She-Thing and Dr Doom appears briefly outside. Surprised Reed allows 1 of the Gems to touch his arm.
Unfortunately it's the soul-stealing Soul Gem once worn by Adam Warlock. It immediately affixes itself to Reed's brow and takes him over. The 2 now-evil ex-Fantastic Four members now face each other. But instead 'Reed' turns to try and steal the soul of Norrin Radd. But Norrin has fought against the master soul-stealer Mephisto (in issues of his 1st series beginning with #3, and the 1982 SS 1-shot) so he knows how to resist. Malice notices they're drifting into the black hole and she believes that only the combined 6 Gems can get them safely through, but 'Reed' won't let her stop the journey. He and SS continue their face-off. But 'Reed' breaks off 1st and leaps to take Sue's soul.
But then his voice changes to neither that of Reed or the Soul Gem. Someone emerges from the now-inert body of Reed and reveals himself to be the In-Betweener who claims to have been manipulating events to this outcome. He used the powers of Lord Chaos and Master Order to change the personae of Sue and Reed. He says that Chaos and Order tried to destroy him but now he's back.
Characters:
Plus: Astronomer, Elders Of The Universe, In-Betweener, Trader.