Ultimate Fantastic Four #51 - Marvel

Well, things don't look to good for anyone involved in this story. Not for the Fantastic Four. Not for New York City. And, by the end of the story, it also doesn't look very good for our planet, Earth. When Reed and Co. went to Russia to save Sue, Seed 19, the Halcyon freedom fighters, went to the Baxter Building and tried to get the cube that Reed had made. But when they tried to access it, they set off it's defensive shields, and ended up encasing New York City in a giant cube. This is the state that they found things in when they returned from their trip. I'm not sure why they were so distrustful of the Halcyon army. I mean they worked with them before. But when they tried to explain to Reed the enormity of what he had done, and that Thanos had possessed a similar weapon in the past . . . Reed just wouldn't listen. He refused to give up the cube. So the Armada picked up the cube, with New York City in it, and flew in to outer-space. Since the strength of the cube was directly reflective of Reed's state of mind and determination, they figured that if they threw enough at it, Reed's will would weaken, he'd lose control of the cube, and they would recover it. Well . . before they could even implement the plan, Thanos has sent 2 skywhales after it also. Upon contact they disintegrated, but transported the whole cube to Acheron, where Thanos and his army were waiting for them. Thanos didn't really want to fight them, he just wanted to show them what incredible odds they were up against. This was also planned to diminish Reed's will. In the end, it came down to Reed versus Thanos. Reed's brilliant mind had indeed constructed the device, but Thanos, who planted the idea in his head, was there every step of the way. Plus, he's had experience wielding this weapon before. So Reed really doesn't seem to stand a chance. On the final page, Thanos stands over Reed's fallen body, holding the cube. "All world's will be remade in my image. But yours . . . yours will be first." Like I said, things don't bode well for anyone. It's a great story by Mike Carey and Tyler Kirkman. It really isn't going at all like I expected it to. But that's ok. I love the Ultimate Universe and it's creativity, and this book has lived up to that expectation with every issue. Fantastic is the right word for this book.