The Plan Fantastic

I can see the headlines now: Spider-Man, superhero extraordinaire, savior of New York and occasionally the world, died today. He didn't die saving anyone from villains or natural disasters, or sacrificing his life, no, Spidey dies because he forgot to pack an extra web cartridge this morning! Actually, I sort of figured I'd die like this, but I'm not going to take it lying down, or falling down, as the case may be. As the ground gets closer and closer, I look for a stray flagpole, a clothesline, the Vulture, anything I can grab on to, but this time I'm not seeing any convenient escapes. I brace myself I get close enough the street to see the potholes, maybe if I land just right I can...Nah.

"I got you." Suddenly, a giant 'Four' appears under me, as Mr. Fantastic stretches into a trampoline, catching me for a second and then sending me back into the air. The Fantasi-Car streams above me as I go upwards, and the Thing's hand shoots out to catch me before I can pass them.

"Uh..." The Thing holds me upside by the leg, bringing me up to his face. "You know Thing..." I say, as I stare into his blue eyes. "I've always respected you as a colleague, I don't think our relationship is ready for this step. The Thing shrugs and lets me go. I scamper into the Fantasi-Car to see Sue fidgeting with some sort of device, while Johnny looks over his shoulder.

"Spidey, how's it hanging?" Johnny says, raising his hand for a high-five. I go for it, but my Spider-sense warns me about the human matchstick's trick to late.

"Hey!" I yelp, as Johnny's hand lights up on the touch, singing my hand.

"The flaming high-five." Johnny says. "Got ya."

"Funny. Real funny. You see me laughing, right?" Reed stretches his way back on to the car, helping Sue lift the machine she was working on up. "Nice to see you guys and everything, but in case you haven't been watching the news or looking outside your window or hearing the people screaming in the streets, we've got a situation."

"That's what I told stretch here." The Thing says, cracking his knuckles and shaking the Fantasi-Car. "Nah, he's got some freaky fancy gizmo to blast the damn thing. Me, I say we just go down there and bash spikey's face in, and then take out the Hulk for kicks."

"I told you, Ben." Reed says, closing the hatch on the machine. "The monster's physiology makes fighting it a losing proposition. We need something a little more innovative..." He holds the machine up, looking over his creation. "Like this."

"I still don't like wimpin' around." Ben says, folding his arms and looking back to the bridge, as another shockwave resounds into the air.

"Nice..." I say, looking it over myself. It likes a computer with two handles on each side and a funnel coming out of the front. "What is it?" I wish I hadn't asked.

"Well, using by reversing the polarity of the ions in any given piece of solid matter..." Thirty minutes later (Well, not thirty minutes. It was probably two. But it felt like thirty. ) Reed is done explaining. "I call it 'The Omega Effect.'

"I call it stupid." The Thing grumbles, folding his arms.

"Neat..." I say, reaching for the box. Reed pulls it back before I can touch it, though. "Careful, Spidey. This weapon is extremely dangerous. One blast from this could conceivably wipe anything out of existence. It's a one-way trip, too."

"Yikes."

"'Yikes' is right." Sue says. "You can be sure as soon as we take Doomsday out, Johnny's going to melt this down."

"Hold on a sec." I say, scratching my head. "Who's Doomsday?"

"The monster." Reed says, shrugging. "We had to call it something."

"If that's the best you can come up with...So what are you guys waiting for? Why not just zap 'Doomsday' so we can all go to what's left of our homes?"

Reed shook his head. "It's not that simple." I should have known there was a catch to it. "The Omega Effect takes an enormous amount of energy to activate, and it has a low range. You need have to get close and then charge it up to fire."

I see where he's going with this. "I notice you say 'You' as if you're referring to 'me'."

"Well...Yes. Johnny can't hold it for obvious reasons, and I doubt Ben could get close to the Hulk or Doomsday without them trying to take a swing at him."

"I'd like to see the bums try!" The Thing says, balling his fist. Personally, I think he's biting off a little more than he can chew, but that's all up to him.

Below us, the fight goes back into the city, as the Hulk goes flying back into the city, dust shooting into the sky. The monster...I mean, Doomsday's aura is so extreme now that the entire area around him is covered in a garish red light, even miles away I can see him like a beacon, jumping into the cloud of smoke to resume fighting the Hulk.

"This fight can't go on much longer." Reed says, stretching his head over the fight scene for a closer look, and then pulling back. "The Hulk can't win against that thing; only make it stronger. The Omega Effect is the only way." He hands me the device. "We'll give you cover. Just press this button here to charge it up, and once it's done press it again to fire. Remember: One shot." Yeah Spidey, if you miss, Doomsday will most likely go on an unstoppable murdering rampage, that's all. No pressure!

"I'm ready if you guys are ready."

"Finally." The Thing says, leaping off the Fantasi-Car and onto the battlefield. "Clobberin' Time!"

I tuck the machine under one arm and prepare to jump off myself. "Hey matchstick," I say, turning to Torchy before I leap. "Just in case this our last run, you got any last words? Maybe two?"

"You know it." He says with a smile, as the flames start to come over his body. "FLAME ON!"