MARVEL 2000 PRESENTS...

"Genesis" Pt. II
'My Enemy, My Savior'
by Jason C. Bruss

#49
Vol. 1

PREVIOUSLY IN FANTASTIC FOUR:
Prometheus is revealed to be the renegade leader of the race of Vioxx. He cuts off Pittsburgh from the rest of the world and begins to tear the city apart in order to extract the rare Iron Ore that lies beneath the city. Prometheus takes Reed Richards and Victor Von Doom captive in order to fulfill the destiny that they will cure a disease that is threatening the Vioxx race. Now Victor and Reed must put years of hatred aside in order to work together to save a dying race and save themselves.

Above Pittsburgh, PA

As Pittsburgh crumbles below, killing hundreds… citizens scramble to evacuate. However, in the vessel hovering above the city, Prometheus, Shadow Queen, and Ari appear in the main throne room of the vessel.

"What is this place?" Shadow Queen asks.

"My dear, Welcome to the Hover City of the Vioxx." Prometheus informs.

"What is the Vioxx?" Shadow Queen questions.

Ari steps forward.

"The Vioxx is an humanoid race of about 450,000 from the Planet of Vioxxary. The planet is much like Earth, but highly advanced with a technology that is almost a century or two ahead of your own. Prometheus and I are both from Vioxxary." Ari informs Shadow Queen.

Shadow Queen is shocked by the information she was just informed of.

"Why are you here?"

"Allow me to answer, Ari."

Prometheus smirks as he raises an arm causing two large containment fields to rise. As if he was waiting to capture two individuals.

"Our race is dying of an unknown disease… it's been told through generations that two earthlings can find the cure. It wasn't until I encountered the Fantastic Four that I learned whom one of the two is." Prometheus states.

"Reed Richards, no doubt. That's why Ari was so willing to help me develop a clone of him." Shadow Queen states.

"Indeed, My Queen. But we also discovered a certain amount of Iron Ore that lies underneath the city of Pittsburgh, an ore we need to re-energize our home world." Ari states.

"Whom is the other?" Shadow Queen asks.

Prometheus snickers.

A bright energy flashes within the one containment field, Shadow Queen is shocked as the room fills with her very own Shadow Warriors. As the flash dims and her eye sight returns, she is surprised to see whom has been taken captive by Prometheus.

"Victor!" Shadow Queen amazed.

"Where am I? Who dares take captive Dr. Victor Von Doom?" Dr. Doom declares.

Prometheus steps forward and smirks to Doom as he turns to Shadow Queen.

"You see, Shadow Queen… all this time your Shadow Warriors were actually Vioxx Warriors. Ari was assigned to use you to draw out the Fantastic Four. An assignment that he successfully completed."

"The Fantastic Four are not fools, you simpleton. They won't just walk into your trap." Doom states, knowing from experience.

"Oh, they will…" Prometheus magically opens up a gateway portal that shows a cell in the lower decks holding Alicia Masters-Grimm, Alison Cory, the Richards' babysitter Yoshi, and the two Richards' children Franklin and Victoria.

Doom is shocked to see that he is not the only one held captive, so are the two Richards' children.

"You see, Dr. Doom… I have taken care of the bait."

Prometheus swirls his hand, causing the gateway to change to show the city that is shaking and crumbling below.

"This so-called Pittsburgh… it will not withstand the Vioxx. The entire planet isn't even aware what's currently taken place."

Shadow Queen walks over to the containment field where Doom is held.

"Victor, we must find a way to stop him." Shadow Queen whispers.

Doom's eyes shut as he lowers his head, not replying to the Shadow Queen. He's thinking… but it's not exactly about stopping Prometheus and the Vioxx.

Fours Tower
Pittsburgh, PA

"Reed, the kids are gone." Sue says.

Reed sits typing away at his main console. He runs scans and diagnostics on the huge vessel above the city and the energy border surrounding the city.

"It's not from Earth, that's for sure."

"Aliens?" Ben asks.

"I hate to say it, Ben… but 'duh'" Johnny jests.

"Stop it Johnny." Sue orders.

"What?" Johnny asks.

"Grow up."

"I am!"

Ben taps Johnny lightly, suggesting that it's not a great time to joke with Sue.

"I've located the kids on the ship, but I've also located someone else." Reed says looking over his results.

"Who Reed?" Ben asks.

"Victor."

Sue, Johnny, and Ben are all astonished.

"So ole Doom is work-in' with aliens now, eh?" Ben asks.

Reed squints again at the monitor.

"I don't believe so Ben. From the results, it looks as if he's being somewhat held captive."

Sue flops down onto the couch in Reed's lab. She thinks about her two children. Franklin and Victoria.

"Don't worry about them sis, We'll get them back." Johnny says comforting his sister about his niece and nephew.

"We need to get onboard that vessel." Ben states.

Reed nods. He walks over to a wall and places his hand. The wall begins to transform into a large control center. The building violently rocks again.

"It's time we step up a notch." Reed says as a main control panel appears in the middle of the control center.

"What is this Reed?" Johnny asks as he walks Sue into the control center area.

"It's just a little something I've been working on. This allows our very own Fours Tower to transform into a rocket."

"Reed! You can't rocket us into that vessel… what about our kids?"

"I'm not planning to crash into it, Sue. I'm planning to use the tower as a way to destroy the energy field surrounding the city. In a way it'll---"

Reed disappears in a blinding flash. Sue exchanges looks with Ben and Johnny.

"He's gone!" Sue states the obvious.

"Don't worry, Suzie… we'll get to the bottom of this." Ben says.


Vioxx Vessel
Above Pittsburgh, PA

"Welcome Reed Richards," Prometheus states as he sees Reed appear in the containment field next to the Fantastic Four's arch-nemesis Victor Von Doom.

"What's going on? Why did you bring me here?" Reed quickly asks, before looking to his side to see he's not the only one being held captive.

"I'm glad you could join me, Richards." Doom smirks.

"Victor?"

"A few of his guards stormed my base and captured me. I put up a diligent fight but his technology is more advanced than anything I've ever seen."

Shadow Queen steps over to Prometheus and Ari.

"Prometheus, You have them… what now?"

Prometheus chuckles.

"The excavation for the ore underneath the city has begun."

Reed slams his fist against the containment field.

"No! You are destroying the city! There are innocent lives at stake. Do you not understand what you are doing!" Reed declares.

"I know exactly what I'm doing, Earthling! My race is dying… we need the ore in order to re-energize our home world." Prometheus argues.

Reed watches the portal of Prometheus' to see that the city is evacuating, but many of them are being buried alive by collapsing buildings and debris.

"You have us both, Prometheus… what do you want us to do?" Doom asks.

Prometheus walks towards Reed and Doom's containment cells.

"Our race has long believed that you two together can save us from the disease that is plaguing us. Together, you can save our race."

"I don't understand," Reed states.

"You don't have too, Reed. We must work together in order to save Prometheus' Vioxx race. Apparently we are destined to be able to come up with the cure to save them." Doom says.

"Very Good, Victor Von Doom. Ari, escort Doom and Richards to the lab. They must quickly get to work. Soon, we will have all of the ore required and will be able to return to the home world. Once there, we will introduce Doom and Richards' cure into our society and survive. And I will rule the new age of the Vioxx." Prometheus states as he escorts Shadow Queen out of the room.

As Prometheus and Shadow Queen exit, Ari walks up to the Containment Cells of Richards and Doom. He stands before them with his head down.

"I apologize… Prometheus' actions are not that which the people of the Vioxx wish for. He's a dictator. I am sorry for what has happened to your city." Ari says to Reed and Doom.

"We can help you. We will help you." Reed tells Ari while looking to Doom.

"Yes, We will help you." Doom reassures.

Ari smiles.

"We'll get to work on the cure for your race… but I need for you to assure me that my friends and family are safe." Reed informs.

Ari releases the containment fields around Reed and Doom. Doom quickly wraps his arm violently around Ari.

"No Victor… we will keep our word."

"Speak for yourself, Richards… I will use this alien technology and rule the planet earth with an iron fist. I will do that which the world leaders never could."

Reed elastics himself around Doom's arms, releasing Ari from Doom's hold.

"Let go, Richards…"

"Listen Victor… We are going to come up with cure to save their race."

Doom's armor shocks Reed, causing Reed to release him. Doom shoves Reed and Ari to the floor.

"You come up with the cure, Richards… I will take care of Prometheus." Doom says running out of the room.

Ari lowers his head as Reed helps him up from the floor.

"This is not good." Ari says.

"Everything will be fine."

Reed looks to the floor and sees that in the struggle with Doom, Doom dropped a vial.

"Nothing will be fine, Mr. Richards…" Ari says.

"You have to have faith, my friend."

Reed smiles.

Fours Tower
Pittsburgh, PA

"All Systems Go," Sue says.

The Fantasticar fires up. Ben sits in the steering column and steers the vehicle out of the Tower and into the sky between the crumbling city and that of the Vioxx vessel.

"The Fantastic Four are on the job," Johnny remarks.

"Let's just hope stretch is alright, because I've got a bad feeling about what is going on." Ben declares.

NEXT ISSUE: This is it! Fantastic Four #50. The issue that'll change the Fantastic Four's status quo for a long long time to come. Pittsburgh is in ruins. The Vioxx race is led by a madman. Mr. Fantastic and Dr. Doom must put aside years hatred of years in order to save a race and themselves. Ben, Johnny, and Sue race against the clock to save Franklin, Victoria and the others from pending doom.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

-Reed Richards' has been recovering from a stroke for a few months after the battle with Doom. He has mostly recovered other than a lack of strength in his 'left' leg.

-The 4 are all joint owners of Club 4 in downtown Pittsburgh, Reed and Sue being the major share holders. The 4 (along with Franklin and Victoria Richards, Yoshi and Alicia Masters-Grimm) reside in Fours Tower, a newly built 21st Century tower in downtown Pittsburgh.

Reed Richards

Susan

Richards

Johnny Storm

Benjamin

Grimm

Franklin Richards

Victoria Richards

Alicia Masters Grimm

Alison Cory