01x01 - The Origin of the Fantastic Four

[bunniefuu]

Eat napalm, fish breath.

It burns underwater.

Incoming. Yow!

Looks like Namor got himself

a date for the party.

That means it's clobberin' time!

Fantastic. And I mean that in

the most respectful sense of the word.

But I think what telethon viewers

really want to know

is how you got your fantastic powers.

The whole story is here

in our book, d*ck.

We wrote it just for your telethon

to raise scholarship money for

State University, Reed's alma mater.

The intrinsic value

of a college education

Hey! Education's a good cause.

So you out there, get on the phones

and start buying books

before I get steamed.

That's a real smooth pitch, Ben.

Hey, don't get cute with me,

you walking hotfoot.

Hey, guys.

The origin of your powers, please.

I wanna see some bread first.

Will you cool it, Ben?

Hmm. Oh, okay.

But I'd better hear a whole mess

of ringy-dingies.

Well, d*ck, our story begins

several years back in my lab

when an amazing phenomena

came streaking into our galaxy.

Are you kidding? I seen wilder

stuff at Captain Louie's Video Arcade.

It appears to be moving

faster than the speed of light.

But that's impossible. Isn't it, Sis?

I must evaluate it at closer range.

But, Reed, sweetheart, wait.

Whatever this streaking phenomenon is

it may pose a threat to the Earth.

You're my husband.

I can't let you go alone.

Me either, Brain-O,

'cause you're no pilot.

And I still don't like it.

Your new doohickey

hasn't even been road-tested.

Besides which, you got no shieldin'

for cosmic ray protection.

Recent data indicate no negative effects

from exposure to cosmic rays.

However, actinic solar rays

do have cumulative injurious effects

Okay, all right, all right.

But just promise not to explain

everything when we're up there.

- All systems on-line.

- Brace for blastoff.

our flight path will intersect with

the phenomenon's trajectory Now.

We didn't know it then

but the phenomenon had disrupted

an unknown energy field

and that occurrence mysteriously altered

normally harmless cosmic rays

Cosmic rays? Yeah.

I, I tried to warn him,

but, oh, would he listen to me?

- Oh, no.

- Ben, we're on televisión.

I know. It still steams my clams.

I mean, the world's greatest scientist.

He didn't know beans

about them cosmic

Thing. Er, Mr. Grimm, please.

I'd really like to get back

to your story.

Yeah, whatever you say, d*ck.

What happened next was

incredibly frightening and amazing.

Reed, Johnny's on fire.

I can't let go.

But it it doesn't hurt.

I'm coming, Johnny.

- Oh.

- Sue, darling!

You've got to get out

from under before it collapses.

I, I can't.

You've got to try, darling.

If I could just reach Your hand.

I can't reach that far.

When I lift it,

you both run for it, okay?

All right. Ready

Set

By all rights,

we should've been finished

but then miraculously,

the autopilot kicked in.

We all survived.

Oh, darling.

- Johnny, Ben.

- Yeah, we made it.

But it was just dumb luck,

if you ask me.

Whatever it was, we're here.

We're all alive.

But we would soon find out

that things would never be the same.

We'll be right back after this important

and extremely commercial message.

Welcome back, friends,

this is Gary Owens

and we just passed

the $1.5 million plateau.

Truly a fantastic tribute

to the Fantastic Four.

Oh, yeah, Mr. Hands-Over-Your-Ears?

It ain't good enough.

On the contrary, I think it's great.

"I think it's great. "

Great, schmate.

D'you know what education costs

these days?

Hey, you folks out there.

You better get back on them phones

and start kicking in some real dough

- Or we're walkin'.

- We will do no such thing.

While the Fantastic Four

have a little heart-to-heart chat

here's the worid's greatest

dog act: Fritz and Cootie.

A dog act? All right, pick it up, Reed.

You were saying how we survived

the crash.

While we failed to unlock the secret

of the streaking phenomenon

at least we were all still there

to talk about it.

And then

Just as I was saying.

But we still don't know if there'll be

aftereffects from the flight.

I I feel so strange.

Huh? What? Hey, you're not

gonna throw up, are you?

- Sue!

- Sis!

She She's fading away.

What is it? What's wrong?

Oh. Reed?

- Reed.

- Sue, speak to us.

What happened to me?

The streaking phenomenon must have

destabilized the cosmic rays

and altered your atomic structure,

making you invis

Uh.

- Invisible.

- Oh, sweetheart.

No. How long will I be this way?

I There's no way of knowing.

But what if she never

gets visible again?

No. Hey, look, everybody,

she's coming back.

I did it myself.

Just by thinking about it.

Oh, thank heavens you're all right.

All right? Huh. How do you know

she won't turn invisible again?

How do you know that something

even more rotten

ain't gonna happen to the rest of us?

I don't. No one does.

Scientific exploration is dangerous.

Stop trying to talk

your way out of this.

You were too big-headed

to try and listen when I warned you.

Now it's time you learned a lesson.

He's turned into a thing.

Batter up!

No, Ben, stop and think.

You've got to think about it.

Think, Ben!

Okay

I think you need clobberin'.

What's with this stretcho jazz?

What's goin' on?

What's happened to us all?

Those cosmic rays

turned you into monsters.

It's makin' me crazy. I mean

No wonder I've been feeling warm

and funny. I'm changed too.

Whoa! Wh I can fly!

Whoa!

Oh. Oh, man, that was fantastic.

You can say that again,

Mr. Blowtorch.

You better chill out.

Together, we have more power than

four beings have ever possessed.

Oh, stand back, folks,

here it comes.

I suppose you're gonna give us

some sheep-dip

about using our powers

"for the good of mankind. " Right?

- Right?

- Right, Ben. Absolutely right.

I'm gonna call myself

The Human Torch.

And I'll be with you

as The Invisible Woman.

Oh, and maybe you should

call yourself Mr. Fantastic.

Well, er, rather presumptuous

but it does have a ring to it.

Mr. Fantastic, it is.

One of us is missing. Ben?

Er, I'm in, but I

I ain't Ben no more.

Look Like Sue said

now I'm just a muscle-bound Thing.

But things

weren't easy for us, d*ck.

Wait till I get my violin

before I start sobbing.

When we started, not many

New York apartment buildings

were eager to have us as tenants.

Then it's the four of you,

Professor Richards.

You, your wife,

your brother-in-law, John M. Storm

Ah, that's just "Johnny. "

And Benjamin J. Grimm.

What is your relation

to the others, may I ask?

Er, none of your business, I may answer.

Yes, of course.

Now, then, about your experiments,

professor.

They won't be dangerous,

noisy or smelly, will they?

Hey. I'm dangerous, noisy and smelly.

You don't like it?

What am I supposed to do?

Sleep in the park?

Hey, for the rent you're charging us

you shouldn't care

if we're breeding hogs in here.

- You're rude. Very rude.

- Oh, yeah? You're a dingbat!

The rent is high, Ben,

but you must admit

that we're rather, er, unusual tenants.

Now, we have some shopping to do

and, er,

What are you doing?

I'm making

a grilled cheese sandwich.

We do our cooking in the kitchen.

Darling, did I hear you say "shopping"?

And so we went out

little dreaming we were heading into

our very first strange adventure

as the Fantastic Four.

- Vos vas dos, Harold?

- You got me, Maurice.

Guys, look.

Somebody has to save him.

The police can't get close enough.

Witnesses report the young man

seems to be in some sort of trance

no one knows the identity

Identity indeed. He's nothing.

A mere nobody I observed

on the subway one day.

But now I have crafted his likeness

in my special neuro-kinetic clay

he's mine to control.

Can't

reach.

It's just Too far.

It can't be!

Someone whose power

is greater than mine.

This may burn,

but it's better than going splat.

Stop! Only I control the destiny

of my living puppets.

The flames.

Father! I heard you cry out in pain.

- How did you burn yourself?

- No, don't call me "Father. "

How many times must I remind you?

I'm your stepfather.

You're no child of mine.

I want to help you if you've been hurt.

You're blocking my view, Alicia.

You may be blind,

but I can see perfectly.

What are you doing?

Detour, buddy. I got a friend

coming in for a landing.

No one must steal my power!

My glory!

Almost 3 million and climbing.

Let's hear it.

Okay, d*ck. We're doing better.

But now I'm gonna put us over the top.

All right, ya gonzos!

I'm gonna give the first hundred

of you coach potatoes

that pledge a thousand bucks or more

my personal body building

lessons absolutely free.

One, two

five, six.

No bully's gonna kick sand in your face

when yours truly gets done.

Put biceps on your triceps

in only ten quick steps.

k*ll camera two.

Camera four on Reed.

Now, Reed, you were telling us

about the Puppet Master.

We had no idea what a cunning and

desperate adversary he'd prove to be.

His grasp of strange science

was as startling as it was dangerous.

Careful.

Mustn't overfill the matrix.

Yes.

Whoever, and whatever, you are

you shall be the first to serve me.

And through you

I shall conquer and control

your powerful friends.

There.

Now no force on earth can prevent you

from coming to me.

Your new master.

Come, my puppet.

Come.

Uh. Come on, let me in, Reed.

I wanna see what you're workin' on.

Come to me.

- Now.

- Uh?

I said I'm not really ready

to show this particular

experiment to visitors, Ben.

Hey, who's a visitor?

I'm one of the Fantastic Four, ain't I?

Come.

Well, there's no need to be offended.

I'd better keep an eye on him.

If he saw you and Johnny trailing him,

he'd be furious.

Be careful, Sue. Uh, Sue, darling?

She's gone, Reed.

At least I think she is.

It's kinda tough to tell,

when your sister's invisible.

How many times have I told you?

Don't play with fire in the house.

Well, excuse me.

He's heading into a house on Sullivan

Street and I don't wanna lose him.

I'll be in touch.

I've been expecting you.

Come to me.

What is it, Stepfather?

Do we have guests?

Only one guest, Alicia.

Do make him comfortable.

Good afternoon, I'm Alicia Masters.

And your name is?

That's not important.

What a strong, gentle man you are.

With a strange sadness

I can feel in my heart.

Oh, hello.

Your other guest has arrived,

Stepfather.

You're imagining things, girl.

No, I'm not. I can sense her presence.

Yes, her.

I feel sure it's a woman.

You're indoors too much, Alicia.

Your mind is playing tricks.

I long ago learned

to trust your instincts.

If we do have an uninvited guest

this sleep gas will deal with her.

There is someone after all.

Good work, Alicia.

I don't understand.

Why are you using sleep gas

to greet someone?

I must try to stay awake now.

Let me think Call Reed.

J- Johnny

That woman was on televisión

with our other guest earlier today.

What a delightful development.

I could not have planned it better.

You're scaring me, Stepfather.

- What's happening?

- Stop your prattling, girl.

I'm trying to think.

Yes. The resemblance is uncanny.

It shall be no problem

for the Puppet Master.

Come, I have work for you.

There, my child.

You will at last pay your debt to me

for caring for you

when your mother ran away

from me in fear and loathing.

Too terrified to even return for you.

Excellent. Only two things more.

Your eyes, girl.

Open your eyes.

The contact lenses are perfect.

Now, put on her clothes, Alicia.

Quickly!

My stepdaughter's presence at your side

will convince the flaming torch

and the man who stretches

that their friends have returned.

When they let you in

destroy them.

I'm ready, Stepfather

but I don't understand

the purpose of this masquerade.

It's a friendly joke, child.

You said you could sense

my guest's goodness.

Would he ever engage in wrongdoing?

No, of course not.

Then go.

Now My great work begins.

Once my obedient puppet has

destroyed his powerful friends

I will activate my criminal army

and quickly terrorize

and dominate the city.

I shall be master!

Master! Anyone I wish!

tomorrow's telecast

for the rest of the story

of the origin of the Fantastic Four.

To be continued.

And keep them calls coming in. Or else.