Chapter 355: The Fantastic Four

"Now that I've explained what the Star Devourer is," Clark spoke calmly, "for this battle, it's not about quantity but quality."

Everyone nodded in agreement. In such a battleground, there was indeed no place for the unprepared.

"Firstly, our participants must be capable of surviving in space, even if it relies on equipment, but the crucial aspect is that it shouldn't compromise their combat abilities due to being out of their element," Clark continued.

The group listened attentively, knowing the harsh reality of space combat.

"Secondly, the individual combat capabilities of the participants must not be weak. This overlaps somewhat with the first requirement because any Avenger who can stand toe-to-toe with the enemy should naturally have no issues surviving in space. The only exception here is Steve."

Eyes turned towards Captain America.

With his gleaming octagonal silver hammer, Steve was among the top Avengers. However, he was still fundamentally a normal human and lacked the capability to survive or fight in space.

Under normal circumstances, Clark could adjust universal laws to enable everyone to move freely in space, but facing the Star Devourer, he couldn't guarantee he'd have the surplus energy to look after others.

"What if Uncle Star is in good shape?" Tony confidently slapped his chest and said, "Leave it to me!"

Indeed, Tony's technology was a perfect solution to Captain America's space survival issue, and Steve sincerely thanked him.

Tony responded, "I'm just trying to protect Earth. The suit is just a loan; I'll need it back after the battle. Unless you tell me where Bucky Barnes is..."

Steve's expression shifted at the mention of Bucky, and he remained silently meditative, like a monk in deep contemplation.

Seeing the mood, Clark quickly changed the subject, "Besides Steve, we should include Tony, Thor, and Asgard's Horse-Faced Thor, along with Daisy and Mindy. Excluding myself, we have about five top-level powers, one more than our opponents. Five against four should keep us from defeat, at least for a while."

"The rest depends on whether I can defeat the invincible Star Devourer."

"Wait, I want to fight too!" Just as Clark was finalizing the roster, a familiar female voice chimed in, and Ava walked over. "I've begun to communicate with the Phoenix Force inside me. Using its power, I should be able to contribute significantly."

"And me," Wanda followed, "After years at Kamar-Taj, I've learned to control my powers. Strange is no match for me. I feel I can take on a Herald of the Star Devourer."

Phoenix Force and Chaos Magic?

These powers could significantly tilt the odds in Earth's favor.

After a moment's thought, Clark shook his head, "Wanda can join the fight, but Ava, you should stay and protect Earth. If possible, it's best not to use the Phoenix Force at all. With so many of us away, Earth will need a strong guardian."

Clark managed to persuade Ava not to participate, not entirely for personal reasons. Ava's mastery over the Phoenix Force wasn't particularly high or low, definitely not comparable to Jean Grey, the most notable host, nor could it match Wanda's synergy with Chaos Magic. The risks of using it were simply too high.

To avoid one day facing a berserk Ava, Clark strongly advised limiting her use of the Phoenix Force.

With the team roster set, Clark began to consider other potential allies who could play a key role.

That brought Reed Richards and his group in New York into focus.

Clark had never paid much attention to the Fantastic Four; their powers weren't overwhelming, nor were they so weak as to be indispensable. Plus, there had been no mention of them until now.

Since they hadn't mutated yet, it seemed best to let them live quietly as normal people.

But now that the Star Devourer had emerged, it was hard not to think of the Fantastic Four. Although Uncle Star could be bullied by anyone in the comics, they were the most effective against him.

Whether the Fantastic Four had completed their mutations was not particularly important; their combined powers didn't impress Clark much. What really mattered to Clark was Mr. Fantastic's intelligence.

"Tony, what do you know about Reed Richards?" Clark asked.

"Richards..." Tony smirked slightly, "He's a genius, admittedly, but a misdirected one."

"Not focused on practical applications?" Clark raised an eyebrow.

Tony nodded, "His research is often ahead of its time, but I've seen some of it, and it's practically useless. He follows his interests without considering practicality. Isn't that the epitome of being unproductive?"

Clark smiled. Tony was right, that sounded just like a seer.

Tony added, "Just recently, he took a team into space for some research and they were hit by an unknown cosmic energy, all of them mutating. Luckily

, they gained superpowers during the process."

"I considered inviting them to join the Avengers, but they bluntly refused and started some nonsensical superhero group called the 'Fantastic Four.'"

The Fantastic Four had already transformed?

A mischievous grin spread across Clark's face, "Mindy, make an appointment for me. I want to visit Mr. Fantastic tonight."

Back at the Avengers' headquarters, not only was the funding a joint effort between Tony and Clark, but the control systems included both Moon and Friday, AI systems used by Clark and Tony respectively. Everyone else was free to choose whichever system they preferred for assistance.

After scheduling the appointment, Clark took Ava back to his room to explain the importance of her staying to protect Earth. This discussion took over three and a half hours. Ava was utterly convinced, exclaiming "oh!" and "yes!" enthusiastically as Clark spoke.

Meanwhile, the previously contacted Richards found himself in serious trouble.

His creditor had come calling!

This topic traces back to the space trip that transformed them into the Fantastic Four. Initially, Richards proposed the space research project, which caught the eye of another scientist, Victor Von Doom, who thought highly of it and saw potential unlike Richards' previous failures.

Doom decided to fund the project, but the space journey went awry, and the spacecraft was totaled. Besides giving the Fantastic Four their powers, it produced nothing else.

The failure led to Doom losing a fortune, made worse by his investors pulling out, pushing his company towards bankruptcy.

In desperation, Doom discovered he had gained the ability to control electricity and transform his body into metal.

Having gained these powers during the same cosmic storm that affected the Fantastic Four, Doom thought of revenge.

He decided to make those responsible for his financial ruin suffer terribly. First, he killed the investor who withdrew funding, then he sowed discord among the Fantastic Four, quickly overpowering the nascent superhero team with his own strength.

Using her own powers to block an electric attack from Doom, the Invisible Woman, Susan, turned to her boyfriend and asked, "Reed, should we call the Avengers for help?"

"Not yet," Mr. Fantastic decisively shook his head, "We should be able to handle this ourselves."

Reed had his own calculations. Having just rejected Tony's invitation, asking for help now would only prove they weren't capable of defeating supervillains on their own, which could jeopardize the independence of the Fantastic Four. After all, joining a larger organization could restrict their freedom of action.

If he were willing to compromise, with his intelligence, why would he be financially outstripped by Tony?

Giggling at the sight of the Fantastic Four retreating under Doom's assault, a girl in a beige jacket strolled up from the other end of the street, murmuring, "According to my understanding, Doctor Doom is a bad guy. He can be killed."

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