Benjamin Grimm, better known to the world as The Thing, walked into the home and HQ of the Fantastic Four late on a Thursday evening. He was noticeable upset and muttering to himself as he walked right through Reed Richard's lab. "Stupid Circus of Crime, waste haffa my night on them."
"Are you alright Ben?" asked Reed.
"Oh ya Stretcho, I'm just fine."
"Oh you seem a little upset. I though you and Johnny were going to the movies tonight."
"We did, but afterwards we stumbled into the Ringmaster and his Circus of Crime breaking inta the bank. They split up right after I knocked out the Ringmaster. I went after Princess Python and that Clown idiot and Johnny went after the rest of em."
"Why is this upsetting you so much Ben?"
"I lost another hat chasing these fools. It's expensive getting a hat custom fitted for this melon I got."
"I see," Reed laughed, "didn't Johnny come back with you?"
"Weren't you listening big brain? Me and Johnny split up, he should be back soon. I'm takin a shower and goin to bed."
"Could you use the bathroom downstairs? I think I may have discovered a new sub-species of civilized bacteria in your bathtub."
"Very funny."
Reed said to himself, "I wasn't joking."
Early on Friday morning Susan Storm Richards awoke to an empty bed. She put on her robe and headed down to the kitchen, there was no one there. There was nobody in the common room either. She headed for the one room where she knew there would be somebody, Reed's lab. "Reed, have you seen Johnny or Ben?"
"Ben's gone to bed honey, and Johnny Hasn't come back home yet."
"What?" Sue asked, somewhat concerned now for the well being of her little brother.
"He and Ben had a little run in with the Circus of Crime and Johnny isn't home yet. He can take care of himself and I'm sure he will be back before morning."
"Reed, it's ten thirty am. Come on we have to go and find him." She pressed on her communicator. "Ben wake up we have to go and find Johnny."
The three of them searched as much of New York City as three super humans could in one day. Reed took a fantasicar and searched from the skies. Sue looked around in all of Johnny's favorite hangouts across the city. And Ben checked in with the police. It turns out that Johnny had brought in the rest of the Circus of Crime before he disappeared.
As it turned out the police only had one member of the Circus in their cells. The other three that Johnny had fought were in the hospital in critical condition. "That aint like Johnny, I'd better go and talk to the creep you got down in lock up"
Ben was led by an officer down to the holding cells where he encountered the criminal, Live Wire, in a cell. He was sitting in the corner with his arms wrapped around his legs. He didn't look up when Ben and the officer entered his cell.
"Hey," said the officer. "This man has come to ask you a few questions"
There was no reaction from Live Wire.
"I'll handle this officer," Said Ben as he stepped forward. "Listen up Preston, last night you tangled with the Human Torch and today he is missing. I want some answers and you are the only guy left on yer crew that can still talk." Ben picked the prisoner up, "and I can fix that for ya."
"Th-The Human Torch?" Asked Live Wire.
"What do you know?" Asked Ben.
"Oh he's gone. That guy beat us all to hell and then took the Torch with with him."
Ben was now quite upset, "What guy? Who took Johnny?"
"Oh I don't know, but he beat us all."
Ben threw Live Wire against the wall and walked out of the cell. He pressed on his communicator, "Reed, Suzie…I got some bad news. Meet me back at the Baxter Building"
"I'll be right there Ben." Came Reed's reply.
"Is Johnny alright?" asked Susan shortly after.
"I don't know Sue." Ben let go of the communicator. "I don't know"
Reed was just a few minutes flight away from the Baxter Building when he saw Ben down on the street climbing into a cab. He dove downward with the fantasticar while saying into his communicator, "Hold on Ben, I'll pick you up."
"Thanks." A somber Ben said as he climbed into the fantasticar.
"What did you find out about Johnny?"
"Somebody took him."
"What?"
"Somebody beat him and the Circus of Crime um bad, and took Johnny with him when he left."
"Susan isn't going to like this very much"
Ben interrupted, "I don't like it much either Stretcho."
"I know Ben, We have to find him as soon as we possibly can." He pushed on his communicator, "Susan?" There was no response. "Susan? Where are you?" Again there was no response. Reed began pressing buttons on the console of the fantasticar. "Computer, locate the signal from Susan's communicator device."
"Where is she Reed?"
"I-I'm not sure Ben. The computer had no trace on her signal at all. Not on any planet in out solar system anyway."
"Could it be the same guy?"
"Ben, it could just be a malfunction, I don't want to think about it right now. I just want to find my wife. We'll head back to my lab and get a few things and then we are heading right back out and finding my family."
They docked back in the Baxter Building and before they had even landed Reed's torso was almost out of the room. He called back, "Ben I am going to get some tracking devices that can narrow in on Sue and Johnny's Biological telemetry and give us an accurate global position for the both of them. Meet me back here in ten minutes."
"Well, might as well grab myself a samich while I'm waiting." Ben though out loud. He was half way through building his signature triple decker cheddar, ham, swiss, meat and cheese sandwich when he heard an explosion coming from Reed's lab.
On the way to the lab Ben heard another series of crashes that silenced before he rounded the corner. As he approached the doorway he saw a long blue tube stretched down the hall. A lot of people would have had no clue what this was but Ben recognized it the second he saw it. It was Reed's arm. "IT'S CLOBBERIN' TIME" Ben shouted as he ran into the lab.
"You!" Ben was as shocked by what he saw as he was furious. He stopped dead in his tracks as he looked at his fallen friend being held up by their worst enemy, Doctor Doom.
The evil monarch spoke "No." Before he and Reed Richards teleported away.
Ben immediately turned and ran back to the loading dock, not caring about what damage his feet may cause to the floors below him. "Alla these trackin devices and I ain't got the brains to use them. After this I'm telling Reed to make me a trackin device for Dummies." Ben leapt into one of the faster fantasicars that Reed had designed for them. This one was primarily for inter-dimensional or space travel. Ben figured it would get him to his destination sooner.
Less than thirty minutes later Ben was shot down over Latveria, crashing just outside of the city, Hassenstadt, and only a short hike to Castle Doom. Ben ran the whole way and never slowed down simply tossing things out of his way or just running right through them.
Two Doombots attempted to stop Ben once he reached the Castle doors. Ben grabbed them each by one leg and slammed them repeatedly into the doors of the building until they were smashed into many pieces, of course by this time the door had fallen as well.
He entered the castle and headed straight for the throne room, more Doombots got in his way, but they only succeeded in slowing him down. Slightly. Ben tore his rampage through the castle until bursting through the doors of Doom's private throne room. "DOOM!" He yelled.
But Doctor Doom was lying on the floor. He had clearly been beaten by a foe he had never met before and he was clearly taken by surprise. As much as Ben hated to admit it, Victor Von Doom was not someone who was beaten easily. Behind Doom a figure stood silent in the shadows.
Silent until, "Benjamin Grimm."
"Where are my friends?" Ben had no intention of wasting any time with pleasantries.
"They are safe with me."
"I'm not leaving here without them!"
"But Ben," the stranger remained calm. "Isn't there something that you would like rather have?"
"There's nothing you can give me that I would want more than my family" Ben was enraged, "IT'S CLOBBERIN TIME!"
Ben rushed towards the shadowy stranger but was halted by a single word. "Humanity."
Ben stopped and looked at the man. "Y-You can give me than back?"
"I can"
"And the others? Will they be safe?"
"You have my word Benjamin."
Ben fell to his knees before the stranger and hung his head low, "Fine."