THE FANTASTIC FOUR: The Mighty Among Us
Fantastic Four and related characters are property of Marvel Comics. This is set in the same universe as "Spider-Man: Partners in Crime."
Chapter 1: The Punchline of Some Cosmic Joke
"Oy! What's the big idea, Sue?"
"Ben, there's a reason we're up in this tin can. And it isn't so you can sit around all day trying to pick up the BBC from orbit!"
"Doc Richards, your girlfriend's bugging me again!"
Reed Richards drifted into the compartment.
"Sue, leave Ben alone."
"Reed, I don't see what the point is. They have unmanned probes for this, and-"
Suddenly, AC/DC began to blast out of the satellite's intercom.
"Sue-"
"I know. Get that slacker brother of mine off the comm."
Susan Storm then drifted out of the compartment, leaving Reed alone with Ben Grimm.
"Anything interesting, Ben?"
"Bupkis after you filter out the expected cosmic background radiation."
As if on cue, one of the instruments at Ben's work station began to pick up.
"Ah, there's something now. It's releasing low-level radiation."
"Elaborate."
"It's like high-frequency gamma rays."
Just then, the instrument's display began to display rapidly increasing spikes.
"Reed, tell me that something isn't going on…"
The instrument burned out. On one of the screens, the two watched as a massive tear opened up apropos of nothing, all the while emanating a sickly green glow.
"Oh-"
As suddenly as the tear opened, it slammed shut, bathing the satellite in eldritch radiation and sending meteoroids heading to Earth. Unfortunately for all on board, the radiation fried the satellite's computers, triggering its retrorockets.
"Mayday! Mayday! This is the SSV Jethro Tull of the Future Foundation! We are making an unscheduled deorbit!" Richards yelled into the radio as the satellite went down.
Just then, the radio shut down.
"Ben, impact site?"
"Doomstadt, Latveria."
A meteor hit the hull.
"Actually, somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea."
"All hands, brace for impact!" Reed barked into the intercom.
Susan Storm sighed as she strapped herself into a chair alongside her brother.
"Sue, I just want you to know-"
"Johnny, save your breath."
Two hours later, the Tull crashed into the Mediterranean, right along the coast of Sicily.
"Everyone a-okay?" Ben asked.
Sue looked around her compartment and saw her brother convulsing.
"No. Johnny isn't."
The satellite heaved slightly before washing up on a beach.
"Let's get you out of here, Jonathan." Sue muttered as she climbed out of the satellite.