Doctor Doom's perspective:

Victor Von Doom sat on his throne in the small but technologically superb nation of Latveria. The Master (as the Latverian people called him) was upset, as he usually was.

Failure was the reason. While Doom had nearly unparalleled success as both a leader and as a scientist, he had long since run into a brick wall. Ever since his college days, he had been obsessed with proving his intellectual superiority to fellow student Reed Richards. The man now also known as Mister Fantastic had seen a flaw in a project Doom had been working on. Had he not been too proud to admit to the flaw and correct it, the explosion that horribly scarred his entire face, would never have happened. But despite the tin suit Doom had hidden his face beneath ever since, the scarring of it was insignificant next to the scarring of his ego.

And so, when Reed and the rest of the Fantastic Four foiled Doom's first attempt to conquer the world, he became hell-bent on destroying them, especially Reed. The only problem was that Doom had so far failed to do this. Even more evidence of Reed's superiority that Doom refused to admit to.

"Master," said Count Clefan Rohanis, Doom's second in command of Latveria. "The lab workers have finished."

"Have the rats test it on an unemployed whelp somewhere," said Doctor Doom. He always prepared as much as possible.

"Y-you mean to sacrifice someone for a scientific experiment?" asked Rohanis.

"Mr. Rohanis," Doom reminded his sidekick calmly, "The Count before you once questioned my orders. Doom did not believe you to be so foolish."

"Of course not," said a nervous Rohanis. "Although I don't understand your obsession with Reed Richards. He's not threatening your rule and besides, he's already outsmarted you before so..." His lips suddenly froze.

"Are you saying he is better than Doom?" demanded Doom, his temper barely under wraps.

Rohanis said nothing, but a maid cleaning the throne room laughed, "You shouldn't have pushed the Richards button."

Sure enough, Doom took aim at Rohanis' head with the laser blaster in his right middle finger, and blew a literal hole in his head.

Doom needed a new count so he looked at the maid. While a maid was not inherently qualified to be Count, this one was extremely competent. It was not as though this particular position required one to do anything besides relay orders to others. "Would you like a promotion?"

"Absolutely, Master," the maid bowed.

It's a start.

Spider-Man's perspective:

Upon finishing work and suiting up, Spider-Man decided that he should call home. MJ had been pregnant for some time, after all.

"Hello, Peter," MJ answered.

"Hey, MJ," said Spidey. "Anything we need for the baby?"

"No," said MJ. "But I'm 36 weeks pregnant, so it won't be long now. I'd call home everyday after work from now on."

"Will do," said Spider-Man.

After the call was over, Spider-Man noticed a burglar making off with a diamond necklace he had swiped from a lady. Spider-Man web-swung and dropped in front of him.

"I don't know why you're going to jail for girl's stuff," wise-cracked Spidey.

The thief punched at Spider-Man, but he caught the fist and twisted it near the breaking point.

"Uncle," screamed the thief. Spider-Man webbed him up and returned the diamond necklace to its owner.

Spider-Man web swung away. Unfortunately, he knew that this would somehow be spun by Daily Bugle and Jonah Jameson. He could spin anything.

"Citizens of New York City," called an Eastern European voice from the sky. Spider-Man perched on a nearby wall and looked in the voice's direction. In the sky he saw a hologram of the hooded, masked head of Doctor Doom.

The hologram continued. "I am Victor Von Doom. I have taken over City Hall. I challenge the Fantastic Four to take it back. No ransom, no demands. All I ask is that my accursed foes face me in battle. Win, lose or draw, I will vacate the premises. For now. In the meantime, let us see how courageous my dear 'friend' Reed Richards and his comrades are!"

Spider-Man knew what he was going to be doing. He was not going to let the Fantastic Four take on Doom alone. Not after they had helped The Web-Slinger rid himself of the Venom symbiote a year before.

Reed Richards' perspective:

"Will metalhead ever learn?" scoffed The Thing/Ben Grimm at the Four Freedoms Plaza, headquarters of the Fantastic Four.

"At this point, probably not," smirked The Human Torch/Johnny Storm.

"I wouldn't be so cocky," cautioned The Invisible Woman/Sue Storm Richards. "It's never easy with him."

"Agreed," nodded Mister Fantastic/Reed Richards. "Doom is always well-prepared." He heard someone knocking on the window. It was Spider-Man. Reed extended his arm towards the window to let Spider-Man in.

"Hello, again," Sue welcomed him.

"What brings ya here this time?" asked Ben.

"Probably the same guy who's gotten you in your corny suits," joked Spidey.

"Look who's talking, trick-or-treater," smiled Johnny.

"But he's right," said Reed. "Doom is in our hair again. There's room for one more in the Fantasticar. Let's go!"

It was a flying car made for four, but Spider-Man would cling to the side. As Reed flew them towards City Hall, he saw Doom, using the jetpack in the back of his belt, flying towards the Fantasticar.

"It's clobbering time," declared Ben.

"I don't get it," said a clearly puzzled Spider-Man. "He can't beat any of us, let alone all of us, with just the stuff in his armor."

"What's the problem?" asked Johnny.

"I think he means that this is too easy," said Reed. "I agree."

As the Fantasticar got closer to Doctor Doom, he drew from his back a laser rifle that had been concealed by his cape, and fired.

Sue had apparently put up her force field because Reed felt only a harmless impact when the laser hit. Reed sighed with relief.

But then their surroundings changed. Reed was all of a sudden dodging trees before he said, "Sue, make sure nobody falls out," before he lifted the Fantasticar out of the newly materialized forest. Sue's force field kept anyone from falling out of the car.

"Where the hell are we?" asked Ben.

"I don't think we're in New York anymore," Johnny paid an homage to The Wizard of Oz.

"Actually, I think we are," guessed Spider-Man. "Back in school I was shown a speculative graphic of what that place looked like before the city was built."

"You mean Doom sent us back in time?" asked Ben.

"So there's Indians?" asked Johnny.

"I hope so," said Sue. "I'd like to meet members of the old tribes. And call them Native Americans, little brother."

"I think you're out of luck, honey," said Reed. "Even they don't exist in this country yet."

"How can that be?" asked Spidey.

Reed stretched his right hand to make doubly sure everyone saw what he was about to point to: an apatosaurus eating branches off a tree just outside the forest.

"Uh-oh," muttered Ben.

Reed nodded. They were in the Stone Age.

MJ's perspective:

Another evening in which Peter was late to get home. No doubt after Doctor Doom, arch-nemesis of the Fantastic Four, who was in the news again. This happened every so often. One would have thought that MJ would have been used to it by now. Another night of wondering if Peter was dead or alive.

She heard knocking on the door. She answered it to see May Parker, Peter's aunt.

"How's the pregnancy?" asked May.

"A-kicking," smiled MJ. She was glad to have the company. "Welcome, Mrs. Parker."

As they walked towards and sat in the living room sofa, May said, "Please call me May. You earned that when you married my nephew. How is my nephew?"

"Overwhelmed by his future fatherhood," smirked MJ.

"Beats up on armed criminals and superhumans," laughed May, "But this is what scares him? Men. I tried my best with him."

"Back up a bit," demanded a surprised MJ. "How do you know about..."

"I'm his Aunt," said May. "And his parents died so early in his life that when you get down to it, he tended to think of me and dear, late Ben as Mom and Dad. Did you really think I don't know him?"

"How long have you known?" asked MJ.

"Since several months after Spider-Man showed up," said May. "I had always disliked him, but recognizing Peter as him changed my mind. To answer your next question, MJ, there were things like his size being identical to Peter's that I noticed, things that only someone as close to him as I would notice."

"Well, he's out there on a big mission again," said MJ.

"I know," said May. "That's why I bring it up. I'd always procrastinated, but now that you're pregnant, now would be the time to make him stop. After all, my husband died in a dangerous situation."

"Stopping shit like that from happening is why he does what he does," explained MJ. "And I'm just not as laid-back as you, May. I could probably stop him. But I won't."

May paused a moment. "I suppose he's survived a lot, but I'm pretty sure his powers don't include immortality."

MJ grinned. "Don't worry. I'll know when it's time to retire him."

Spider-Man's perspective:

"We're not stuck just yet," said Reed.

Spider-Man sighed with relief. He really had not wanted to miss the birth of his child.

"Lemme guess," said Ben. "You got work to do."

"The Fantasticar records everything that happens to it," explained Reed. "I think I have a reasonably good idea of how the laser beam that sent us back to before the Stone Age works. Maybe I can recreate its effects and send us back to the twenty-first century." He got to work.

Spider-Man found himself pacing. "What's wrong?" asked Sue.

"I..." Spider-Man did not want to say that he was going to be a father.

"You can tell us, Spidey," said Johnny. "We've saved the world together and helped rid you of a freaky costume. Doesn't that make us pals?"

He had a point. "Here's the deal," said Spider-Man. "I'm gonna be a father."

"Congratulations," smiled Sue.

"Not necessarily," said Spider-Man.

"You kiddin' me?" asked Ben. "You ain't got nothin' to worry about while Reed's on the case. Smartest man in the world. He'll get you home before the kid is born."

Despite his work, Reed managed to vow, "You can bet on that, Spider-Man!"

"Then your real work begins," Sue winked at Spider-Man.

"I believe you," Spider-Man nodded. After all, Reed and Sue had a boy and girl at the Four Freedoms Plaza.

It was then that they heard a roar. It was a tyrannosaurus charging at them.

"Better hurry, Stretcho," urged Ben.

"Working as fast as I can," said Reed. "Don't hurt it."

"Chaos theory and we can't upset the timeline?" guessed Spider-Man.

"Uh-huh," said Reed.

"This sucks," complained Johnny.

As the tyrannosaurus drew near, Reed finally said, "Got it! Get in." His friends and family did so. Reed hit the gas of the Fantasticar, sending it through time again. They stopped at an American Revolution-looking New York City.

"Uh-oh," realized Spider-Man.

"Who are you?" asked the leader of some nearby colonial soldiers with muskets. "If this is a British trick..."

Sue turned on her force field so when the soldiers started firing, the bullets deflected off it.

"I can't hold it up forever," Sue warned the others.

"I've got it," said Spider-Man. "Change to your flame form, Johnny."

"What good will that do when I can't fry 'em?" whispered Johnny.

"It'll work," Reed seconded Spidey's plan. "People of this era are too ignorant and superstitious to think rationally about something like this."

"If you say so," said an uncertain Johnny. "Flame on!" He body was set on fire, and the soldiers retreated. "Hey, that actually worked."

"Did you miscalculate when you brought us here, Reed?" asked Spider-Man.

"I'm afraid so," said Reed. "If at first you..." He checked the Fantasticar's battery. "Never mind. That trip through time took a lot out of the battery. I think we've got just one more jump. I have to get this right."

So Reed began working again. Soon enough, an even bigger group of soldiers came with muskets.

"Reed?" asked Ben.

"I have to be sure about this," said Reed.

Sue deflected another wave of bullets, this time obviously a much bigger wave. "Hurry, darling. I'm getting tired."

"That's it," said Reed. "This'll get us home... or to a new home." He hit the gas again.

The Fantasticar materialized in the parking lot of City Hall of New York City. Spider-Man looked up to see Doctor Doom in the air, again kept from falling by his jetpack. They were back in the present day.

"There he is," Spidey pointed up at Doom.

"So he is," said Reed as Doom descended down to them.

"Let me guess," said Doom with only a hint of disappointment. "Richards found a way to mimic the energy used by my Time Rifle. But a genius like myself can tell that this slightly different-sounding engine means that your battery is low. This time you don't come back!" He aimed the Time Rifle at Reed.

"You might send him back in time," said Spider-Man, "But he's won."

"I do not understand," said Doom.

"One of your main motivations is outsmarting him," Spidey reminded Doom. "You blast him with that, you won't have proven anything."

"Whatever you say, Wall-Crawler," said Doom dispassionately.

In a last ditch effort, Spider-Man taunted, "You'll always be second-best."

Doom screamed in horror at that, and Reed extended his arms to take the Time Rifle away. As Doom flew away, Johnny shouted "Flame on!" as he ignited himself and used flame blasts to set Doom's belt on fire. This left him with no choice but to rip off the belt and fall to the Earth.

"This time it really is clobberin' time," shouted Ben as he charged Doom and punched his head off.

"Ben, no," shouted Sue.

"I didn't hit 'im that hard," said Ben defensively.

"Don't worry," said Reed. "I can see that this is a robot."

"All this time he was a robot?" asked Johnny.

"I don't think the real Doom ever left home," reasoned The Web-Slinger.

"Be that as it may," Reed smiled at Spider-Man, "Thanks. If you hadn't known how to distract him..."

"What are friends for?" asked Spidey. He held out his right hand. Fantastic Four members took turns shaking it.

"One thing," said Sue thoughtfully, "Does this mean every time we thought we saw him, it was a robot?"

"Chicken," mocked Johnny.

"Yeah," agreed Ben. "Too big a coward to get his hands dirty."

Spider-Man would have agreed if not for the fact that in his fear of becoming a father, he had not been the bravest himself.

Peter Parker's perspective:

Peter returned home out of costume to see his Aunt May and MJ talking.

"What brings you here, Aunt May?"

"Just came to talk," said May.

"She's known who you are for a long time," said MJ.

"We can talk tomorrow at lunch," said Aunt May, hugging Peter. "For now, I'll leave you with your wife. So long, dear nephew!"

"So how's the baby?" asked Peter.

"Won't be long now," said MJ.

"Looking forward to him or her," said Peter bravely. He certainly was not about to become like the brilliant but cowardly Doctor Doom.