"Whatever happened to Earth-616 ?"

After reading all this Secret Empire stuff I'm guessing that is what Reed and Franklin Richards would say when they would re-visit their home universe.

As I recall, after the most recent Secret Wars, the Fantastic Four split up. The Human Torch went to join up with the Inhumans, Thing went to hang out with the Guardians of the Galaxy and the Richards family (Reed, Sue, Valerie and Franklin), together with the Future Foundation, started out into the new Multi-verse, version 8.0, re-creating the diffent universes of the previous multi-verse into their original (more or less) state. Recreating Earh-616 as one of the first re-constructed universes (with some additions from Earth-1610 and Earth-807128).

Now, as far as I know this 'new' Earth-616 did not include Hydra-Cap. No, Hydra-Cap was created when, during the Pleasant Hill unpleasentness, the Red Skull managed to influence the newly sentient cosmic cube, Kobrik into changing things. In other words ; the reality of Earth-616 was tampered with and is no longer in line with how it was originally recreated by Franklin Richards.

Now, Secret Empire #1 makes clear that the new Madame Hydra's prime goal is to get control of the cosmic cube (what happened to Kobrik again ?) possibly to control the reality of this Earth-616 once again.

Since all this Secret Empire stuff is the result of a reality manipulation by cosmic powers I would very much like to see this whole story end with the return of the Richards family and a climatic battle to restore Earth-616 reality between madame Hydra with the cosmic cube and Franklin Richards guided by Reed and Sue, joined by the Human Torch and Thing (firmly re-establishing the Fantastic four as the cornerstone of this main Marvel universe).

The result of such a battle would realy be a 'Legacy'.

Any thoughts on this ? (or do we all believe the Fantastic Four are written off, never to return)

Kobik was smashed to bits in Thunderbolts #12. The race is on among multiple factions to get her reassembled.

Human Torch actually joined the Uncanny Avengers as well as the Inhumans. Having ended his romance with Medusa, he's no longer with the Inhumans but is still an Avenger.

Thing has now left the Guardians of the Galaxy and joined SHIELD.

The Thing and Torch both have headshots for Legacy. Johnny's could be for Uncanny Avengers, but Ben's has no obvious place to be used... unless the Fantastic Four do indeed come back after Secret Empire.