"You killed him!" yelped Sue Richards.

Vernard said nothing, only looked down smugly on his master's body.

Down the hall, the main doors strained at the seams and burst open. Shattered Doombots were tossed aside as Ben Grimm strode inside at the head of a huge army. Flanking him were Alyce, Jacob, Danny, Jeremy, and Yancy. A girl in a leotard swung overhead and skittered down the wall on all fours.

"Where's Doom?" roared the Thing.

"He's not moving," said one of the Skrulls.

The Human Torch inched forward and waved a hand back and forth in front of Doom's face. "I think . . . I'm pretty sure he's dead."

"Dead?" The Thing's shoulders slumped. "But . . . I REALLY wanted to whack him a few times . . ."

Jeremy patted him comfortingly on the shoulder with a rocky orange hand. "Aw, it's okay, Dad. There are other people to beat up."

"He said there was a bomb," Val said in her shrill voice.

Sue grimaced. "There isn't enough time to get everyone out safely!"

"You need not worry," Vernard said calmly. "I defused it. I now wish to speak to Reed Richards."

"Here I am," said Reed. He kept a wary eye on the Doombot cannon, which Vernard was still carrying.

"You are the son of Nathaniel Richards? The ONLY son?"

"Why, yes." Reed sounded puzzled.

"Did he ever have any other children?"

"Well—he did remarry," Reed said. "I have a half-sister, as a matter of fact."

"No brothers? Not one?"

"No. Why do you ask?"

Vernard stepped forward, seeming taller every second. He let his green cloak flutter out around him, revealing that he wore a Fantastic Four uniform – an old, faded, light-blue one – beneath it.

"I just thought . . ." he said musingly, "I simply assumed that Nathaniel Richards would have informed SOMEONE of my existence."

"Uh," said Reed.

"Excuse me?" said Sue.

"Time to go," said Val, handing Baby David to his mother. Then, hopping down off the throne, the blond girl vanished.

"Yes," said Vernard. "Nathaniel Richards, the great time traveler, visited Latveria, years ago. He fathered a child – and then he left that child alone, orphaned."

"I don't think I like where this is going," one of the X-Men mumbled, behind her sleeve.

"I am that child," thundered Vernard, throwing out his scrawny chest, "and I have come to claim my BIRTHRIGHT!"

"All right," Sue said politely. "That's nice."

"How exactly do you plan to claim your birthright?" Franklin asked, more warily. He had his arms wrapped firmly around the slowly calming Rachel, and sleepy little David. He glanced down at Doom's motionless body.

"Nathaniel Richards' firstborn," Vernard said, "Reed Richards—you had everything I ever wanted. I will be taking it back now."

"Well, now, let's talk about this," Reed said, stepping forward.

"We have talked about it!" snapped Vernard. He pointed the nozzle of the cannon directly at Reed's nose. "And now, I will require something from you. Specifically, the battery from the communicator which you attach to your costume."

There was a brief pause.

"No, I don't think so," Reed said firmly.

Vernard's lips stretched into a thin line.

Suddenly something yanked his arm up in the air, pulling on the cannon. He let go and the cannon shot away from him. Val reappeared right in front of him, staggering under its sudden weight.

Vernard reached out and spun her around, directly into his arms. The cannon was squeezed between them. She fumbled in vain for the trigger.

"Hello, niece," he whispered. A long, twisted knife appeared in his hand, out of nowhere. "Now, tell your father exactly why I need that battery."