Chapter 86: The Birth of the Fantastic Four

Susan was deeply worried about Doom—Victor was her fiancé, after all. While he'd shown some questionable tendencies, he'd still been a gentleman before his downfall at Reed's hands.

"Where do you think he could be?" Susan asked Reed, her ex-boyfriend, unable to shake her concern.

Reed, looking remorseful, replied, "I'm sorry, Susan. This… all of this might be my fault."

"No, Reed. It's not your fault. We're all taking risks in uncharted territory. Doom was just… unlucky."

Their conversation was cut short by a call from the hospital. "Reed! Ben's gone! A huge monster made of rock burst out of his room!"

Reed's heart sank. "Are you sure? Maybe he went home?"

"No, Reed—a stone-like giant rampaged out of his room!"

Out on the streets, Ben Grimm, now transformed into the Thing, was desperately trying to cover his rocky, monstrous appearance with whatever clothes he could find, but his hulking form couldn't be hidden. His bizarre transformation drew the attention of passersby, who immediately called the police.

NYPD officers rushed to the scene, dumbfounded at the sight of the Thing. Unsure how to handle this "monster," they raised their weapons, warning him to surrender.

Ben caught sight of his fiancée, but her horrified reaction sent him into a desperate chase to explain himself. Misinterpreting his actions as aggression, the police opened fire.

The bullets, however, bounced harmlessly off Ben's stone skin. He was shocked but irritated at the sudden hostility.

"Stay back!" he growled, sending the officers stumbling backward.

The police, now on edge, prepared heavier weaponry, but before things escalated further, a figure in black armor landed between them and the Thing.

"Big guy, calm down," said the figure—Zod, the Dark Knight.

Ben paused, looking at Zod's intimidating, high-tech armor with wary curiosity. Onlookers cheered at Zod's arrival, and the police, somewhat relieved, held back.

"I don't want trouble," Ben grumbled, his voice a mixture of frustration and sadness. "I just… I just need to talk to my fiancée!"

"Afraid I can't let you go just yet," Zod replied.

Ben's patience snapped, and he moved forward aggressively. But before he could even close the distance, he was suddenly halted. The air around him seemed to twist, generating an invisible pressure that began to crack his stony skin.

"What… what's happening to me?" Ben stammered, his voice trembling with fear.

"Magnetic field manipulation," Zod answered coolly, signaling the police to approach.

Suddenly, Reed and Susan appeared on the scene.

"Ben, is that you?" Reed asked in shock.

Ben nodded slightly. "Yeah…"

Susan quickly approached Zod and the officers. "Please, he's not a criminal—he's our friend."

Zod released the magnetic restraint on Ben, who collapsed to the ground, exhausted and shaken. Zod gave the police a nod, then shot off into the sky, leaving the crowd buzzing with excitement.

Susan watched Zod disappear. Does he even remember me? she wondered.

Meanwhile, Johnny Storm, nicknamed "Thunderbolt," discovered his own powers. To his delight, he found he could burst into flame at will, and he immediately started imagining all the ways he could use his new abilities to impress people and possibly become a hero himself.

As they all reconvened, Reed, Susan, Johnny, and Ben examined their new abilities. Johnny's excitement was in stark contrast to Ben's frustration—while everyone else looked relatively normal, Ben's transformation had left him trapped in a monstrous form.

"Why do I have to be the only one who looks like this?" Ben complained.

"Let's see if there's any risk to us from these mutations," Reed suggested cautiously. "Superpowers are one thing, but we need to know what we're dealing with scientifically."

Together, the four of them began considering the unique role they might play. Inspired by the Dark Knight Zod's example, Johnny was eager to explore heroism. For now, though, they were focused on understanding their powers—yet the Fantastic Four were on the verge of becoming something much larger than themselves.