Ben Grimm tore open the wide envelope with the thick, brickish stumps that passed for his fingers. His bright blue eyes sparkled for a moment as he read the printed announcement. “Brush my teeth an’ call me Smiley! I don’t believe this.”
Lifting his massive body from the heavy iron chair especially constructed for him, he stomped out of the recreation room and headed for the private high-speed elevator which would take him to the thirty-seventh-floor lab where Reed Richards was undoubtedly hard at work on some new invention.
Ben grunted. Reed always had his long nose into something, and he was sure today would prove no different.
The elevator door shuddered as it reached the thirty-seventh floor, and the chrome-steel door slid noiselessly open. Ben stepped from the elevator and glanced at the lab door at the far end of the long blue corridor. His heavy footfalls echoed with every plodding step.
“I ain’t been back there in years,” he muttered to himself. “It’ll be a blamed gas!” He was standing before the laboratory door now as he passed his hand over the electric-eye beam which would automatically activate and slide it open.
He entered, craning his neck in an attempt to find Reed Richards. “Hey, Stretcho, lay yer peepers on this. Ya ain’t gonna believe it.” Suddenly he heard Reed shouting at him. Something was wrong. Reed was in trouble.
“Ben! Get over here fast! We’ve got a rip in the Negative Zone couplings! It could blow at any moment!”
Instantly, Ben whirled, stabbing his massive hand at the emergency signal on the wall behind him. Sue and Johnny had to be alerted. Their powers would be needed if—Ben leaped toward the far end of the lab when he heard the soft hissing whistle. He saw his friend struggle to brace a heavy steel plate over the Negative Zone door. Ben’s lumbering body moved with surprising speed for a man almost as wide as he was tall. In a moment he was at Reed’s side, his legs, which were thick as tree stumps, spread wide and firm for support. Ben pressed his powerful shoulders against the door as Reed stretched a long arm toward the opposite wall.
“You’ve got to hold it, Ben. We can’t let it explode.” Reed’s voice was filled with dread; the last time the Negative Zone door had opened, Reed had almost lost his life in the hideous dimension that existed on the other side.
“Then do somethin’, high-pockets.” Ben’s wide mouth was distorted with pain. “It ain’t holdin’. I can’t keep ’er still. It’s shakin’ like a belly dancer’s navel.” But Reed had already stretched back to his friend’s side, his long fingers gripping the handle of an acetylene torch. Then, from behind them both, came a youthful voice. “Forget that, Reed. I’m here.”
The master scientist turned to see Johnny Storm standing in the doorway, poised for action. Reed’s wife, Sue, stood behind her younger brother.
“Reed! What happened?” she cried out, then ran to her husband’s side. Sue then saw Ben straining at the Negative Zone door and quickly understood. “Johnny, you’ve got to do something fast!”
But Reed shook his head violently. “Get back, all of you. That terrible vortex could draw us all to our dooms. Get out, seal off this floor.”
Johnny Storm gave a hurried smile. “No way, brother-in-law. Your acetylene flame isn’t any match for the Human Torch. FLAME ON!” As he shouted, his flesh shimmered, then exploded with flame which spread instantly over his entire body. He pushed passed Reed and grabbed the heavy steel plate Ben was pressing to the door. “This is gonna get hot, blue-eyes. Think you can stand it?”
Ben grunted his answer. “Ain’t nothin’ you can dish out that I can’t take, ya hot-headed little twirp. G’wan, use yer blasted flame an’ don’t worry none about the ever-lovin’ Thing.”
Johnny grinned for a moment, then increased the intensity of his flame as he slowly began to melt the doorway back in place. He and Ben had been arguing back and forth ever since the Fantastic Four had been formed, but they both loved each other as if they were brothers.
Sue Richards gripped her husband’s arm; her eyes mirrored the fear she felt growing in her stomach. Ever since they had become the Fantastic Four she knew they constantly risked death. But she had always envisioned their deaths resulting from some great battle to save humanity from an awesome foe. She had never given thought to their dying because of mere steel couplings that should have been replaced months ago which would tear down the barrier between their dimension and the terrible darkness of the Negative Zone. This would be a wasted end . . . a horribly wasted death.
Though she was frightened her voice was quiet and firm. “Reed, can Johnny do it in time? Is there a chance?”
Reed shook his head. “I don’t know, Sue. If Ben can keep the steel plate from slipping, and Johnny can weld it to the door quickly enough, we stand a good chance of making it.”
It took less than a moment for all of Reed’s hopes to be shattered. The steel crumpled like cardboard in Ben’s hands, and the lab room was suddenly bathed in a sickly, unearthly, blinding green light.
Glass test tubes and slides flew across the room toward the yawning hole beyond the portal. Reed shouted over the awful roar. “Grab something—anything! If you value your lives, you’ll hold onto a steel support beam!”
Papers and books tumbled helter-skelter through the portal and then vanished into the greenness beyond. A massive chair jerked forward and crashed into Johnny Storm, who stood closest to the open portal, fighting to maintain a handhold on a bolted lab table. “Reed!” He screamed. “I’m losing my grip!”
Sue reached forward, her temple throbbed with pulsing energy. Invisible tongs stabbed from her mind and grabbed for her brother. “Hold on, Johnny. I’ve set up a force field to catch you.”
The energy tongs snaked around Johnny’s waist and held him firm, but Sue wobbled under the terrible pressure the Negative Zone was exerting.
“I’m not going to be able to hold you for long. Can’t fight the vortex and keep you steady. Johnny, please try to grab something before it’s too late.”
Reed flattened himself against a wall, his pliable body stretched wafer-thin by the awesome pressure which held him in place. But he could still think, and instantly he formed a plan. “Ben, grab onto Sue and anchor yourself. Johnny, Sue’s going to let down her force shield. Try to grab for safety any way you can.” His eyes darted toward his three friends as they struggled to hear him. “Sue, when Ben has grabbed you, form the strongest force field you can to seal off the Negative Zone door. Hold it in place as long as you’re able. You understand that?”
Ben Grimm nodded. “I ain’t gonna let Susie go. Don’tcha worry, Stretcho.”
At once he lunged for the young blonde-haired woman and grabbed her with his powerful four-fingered hand. His other hand darted toward the wall and his fingers dug through the reinforced steel to create a handhold. “Awright, Suzie, it’s up ta you.”
Her head throbbed with incredible pain as the vortex power increased with every passing moment. Raw, seething energy lashed out to draw her through the portal, to be lost forever in the Negative Zone that lay beyond.
A million needles pricked her flesh and distorted her usually perfect features. Her stomach heaved in agony as she struggled to banish the pain from her mind. She had to think clearly, precisely; otherwise, she would be unable to use her powers.
Form an energy wall, she commanded herself. Form a damned energy blockade and cover the Negative Zone. It’s our only chance. You’ve got to be able to do it.
Once more her temple throbbed and an invisible force was unleashed. It spread over the doorway, layer upon layer, each reinforcing the previous one. Slowly, she felt the pressure ease off, and then she saw a frantic Johnny Storm collapse corpse-like to the floor. Her eyes grew wide with horror. “Johnny! God, no—Johnny!”
Reed’s angry voice shook her from her horror. “Forget him, Sue. Keep focused on the energy door. That’s your only mission. Keep up the force field. Don’t allow the Negative Zone to smash through your energy barrier.”
But her brother lay unconscious, perhaps dying, on the floor before her eyes. How could Reed subject her to this stress? Blood seeped from her lips where she had bitten herself during the confusion.
Reed stretched his elongated body toward the acetylene torch, then glanced up at Ben, who was staring in shock at Johnny’s unconscious body. “Ben, I need you now. I’ve got to weld the door shut. It’s only temporary, but Sue can’t keep her shield in place much longer. You with me?”
Ben was uncertain what to do next, but Reed’s voice was strong, firm. “Yeah, yeah, I’m with ya.” He saw Sue staring at her brother’s body, praying for some sign of life, and all the while concentrating to maintain her force field.
Reed curled around the torn and shattered lab and pointed toward a small closet door beneath the lab table. “In there, Ben—you’ll find a reinforced steel support plate. We’ll use it to replace the shattered door. Hurry! Sue’s weakening.”
“Got it, Mister. What now?” Ben saw Sue’s legs wobble for a moment, then tense. Poor kid, she’s dyin’ inside ta be next ta Johnny now, but she knows Reed’s right. We gotta pertect the Zone door. That comes first.
“All right, Ben. Hold it over the opening. I’ll use the torch; then Sue can release her shield. The door should hold until I can construct a permanent replacement.” Fifteen agonizingly long minutes passed before Reed Richards could look up from the door. “All right, Sue,” he said softly, “release your shield, but stay ready. If our support isn’t strong enough, we’ll know it in a moment.”
The replacement held firm, and Reed let out a long, deep breath, then rushed to Johnny’s side. Sue was already over her brother, her small, delicate fingers on his muscular chest.
“How is he, Sue? He’s alive. He’s got to be alive.” Reed’s voice was intense, filled with deep concern.
Saying nothing, Sue nodded. Then: “I—I think he’s just stunned. I don’t feel any broken bones, and his pulse is almost normal.” She reached out for Reed’s hand and held it firm for support. Then she stood and Reed brought her to him. Her head buried itself in Reed’s chest.
“It’s all right, honey. You can cry if you want to. I think we all need the release. It’s been one helluva morning.”
With a sharp pain, Johnny Storm opened his eyes to see a blinding light shining at him.
Instinctively, he shut his eyes again. “Hey, what’s going on here? Shut off that blasted light, will ya?”
Slowly, he opened his eyes a second time and he saw Reed hunched over him, the light in his hand now pointed away from the blond-haired Johnny Storm. “Reed? Wh-what happened? Where am I?” He knew the answer even before Reed could reply. He was in his private room on the thirty-fourth floor of the Baxter Building.
“You’ll be fine now, son. Just take it easy for the day.” Reed smiled as he stood up.
Ben Grimm plodded over to his side. “Bah, I shoulda known the pipsqueak would pull through. He’s like a stubborn jackass. An’ here I hadda waste five bucks buyin’ ’im a book ta read while he wuz gettin’ better. What a waste o’ hard-earned bread.” Johnny grinned. “Consider it money well spent, Ben. Now you can curl up with it and have someone read it to you.”
Ben lunged forward, his powerful arm reached out, and he grabbed Johnny’s shirt. “I hope yer smilin’ when ya say that, match-head. ’Cause if ya ain’t, I’m liable ta ferget that yer weak an’ sickly. Know what I mean?” Johnny faked an anguished pout. “Oh, you can see I’m just terrified for my life. The big, orange, walking and talking brick wall is threatening me. Oh, woe is me.” Sue glanced at Reed. “I guess everything’s back to normal. Those two are fighting again.” Reed nodded. “They aren’t happy unless they can tear each other down. I’ll never understand them.”
Then Ben looked up and removed a wide envelope from the blue swimtrunks that he wore. “I almost fergot; this came fer us, Stretcho. I think ya’ll get a kick outta it.”
Reed read over the printed invitation and a slight smile crossed his lips. “You are cordially invited to attend your gala class reunion at Empire State University.
“Lord, I haven’t been back there in years. Sue, we haven’t anything scheduled, have we?” Sue shook her head no.
“Class reunion . . . so much has happened since those days that it almost seems like an eternity and not just a few years.”
Ben nodded. “Ya better believe it, Stretcho. Since those days, ya became a big-brained scientist and conned us inta takin’ yer cockamamie rocket fer a ride inta outer space.” Ben’s thoughts drifted to that day, many years back. “I told ya yer shieldin’ wuzn’t gonna be strong enough ta keep out the cosmic rays, but ya wouldn’t lissen. Now look at what those cosmic rays did ta us.
“It turned Susie into a blasted Invisible Girl whenever she wants ta pull a disappearin’ act; it made the kid here a Human Torch, an’ ya can stretch like ya was a walkin’, talkin’ rubber band. As fer me . . .”
Ben paused; his deep, rumbling voice became lower, softer. “It turned me inta this orange monster. Sheesh, I tell ya, Mister, at least ya three look human. I look like the underside of a brick wall.”
Ben was taller than Reed, towering almost six and a half feet. His flesh had become coarse, hard, orange, brick-like blocks. He had no hair on his massive, craggy head. No hair and no ears. His brick brow was ridged and jutted over his round blue eyes. His mouth was a long obscene slit across his grotesque face.
He had a huge barreled chest which was also crag-like. His impossibly broad shoulders had massive stanchion-like arms growing from them. His hands were huge and three-fingered with a thick stubby thumb. His legs were thick columns with a four-toed foot at each end. For all intents and purposes, Ben Grimm had become a monstrous hulking Thing, and Thing was what he caustically called himself.
But Reed Richards wasn’t thinking of the cosmic accident which had created The Fantastic Four. He thought of school, and of one student in particular.
He thought of Victor Von Doom, and without thinking, he shuddered. 
