SPOILERS: Fantastic Four #26

[jwatson]

Looking at how this unfolded, the sinister rumor in hox about someone not being a mutant, franklin name being in red on the omega list and slott saying everyone knew what he was going to do at the retreat. couple that to yes these books are usually written in advance and the collaborative effort that went in FF Xmen or at least scripted and it looks like someone giving someone a case of enough rope to potentially hang themselves on a story. Like he took the bait.

[markhyperion]

Or how about something no one talks about yet...are they setting up Val and Bentley aka Wizards clone?

[Steel Inquisitor]

Looking at how this unfolded, the sinister rumor in hox about someone not being a mutant, franklin name being in red on the omega list and slott saying everyone knew what he was going to do at the retreat. couple that to yes these books are usually written in advance and the collaborative effort that went in FF Xmen or at least scripted and it looks like someone giving someone a case of enough rope to potentially hang themselves on a story. Like he took the bait.

I've known about the Sinister rumor for months but how this taking bait? And it's true that writers like Hickman prepare in advance but plans still change. IIRC the Swords crossover was changed due to COVID, that's normal for comics. It's like making a tv show in that respect.

[jackolover]

The Future Foundation breaking up is quick and sad. They spend 5+ years together and are broken up in twelve seconds. At least we get Dragon Man, Bentley, and Lyja out of it. Hopefully they don’t get their characterization trashed.


As for Lyja... N’Kalla has made mention many times that she knew Alicia. The Skrulls had Alicia imprisoned for a few years (or months in Marvel time) while Lyja was impersonating her and marrying Johnny, so it’s probably an untold tale we’re going to get.

Don't forget, there was another victim in this plot besides Johnny. Lyja was also complicit in the kidnapping and imprisonment of Alicia. In some ways, what she did to Alicia was worse than what happened to Johnny. The poor woman was left in suspended animation for months while everyone else was just going on with their lives. Lyja apparently had no qualms about Alicia spending the rest of her life hooked up to a machine while she spent hers living happily ever after as Johnny's wife.

Judging by their reactions, it certainly doesn't look like the Grimm family trusts her. The kids were so upset that Alicia had to take them home, and Ben looked like he was hoping for a good excuse to clobber her.

Yes, these are good points as well. Just another description of Lyja’s unstable emotional condition, and it does elaborate on why N’Kalla was so distressed to see Lyja. Plus, Lyja is way behind in the curve not being up to date with the Teddy status quo. You’d have to consider Lyja a threat to the FF and their families considering their experience of her in the past. I never thought of Lyja like this before, but once you put her in the context of the Secret Invasion, and her Alicia persona, why would you let her remain around? She should be shuffled off to Teddy for re-education about the new alliance. Lyja could be just the sort of enemy to Teddy that is duplicitous enough to overthrow him.

[CaptCleghorn]

Or how about something no one talks about yet...are they setting up Val and Bentley aka Wizards clone?

I got an unusually friendly vibe from Bentley and Val in their meeting. Seems kind of weird as they really haven't been separated for that long but certainly a while anyway. What would matter is how they related to each other during the five year multi-versal rebuilding mission. It's certainly possible Val developed a much more positive impression of Bentley in that time and added to the recent experience with Prince whats-his-name, Bentley could find himself Rebound Boy.

[CaptCleghorn]

Yes, these are good points as well. Just another description of Lyja’s unstable emotional condition, and it does elaborate on why N’Kalla was so distressed to see Lyja. Plus, Lyja is way behind in the curve not being up to date with the Teddy status quo. You’d have to consider Lyja a threat to the FF and their families considering their experience of her in the past. I never thought of Lyja like this before, but once you put her in the context of the Secret Invasion, and her Alicia persona, why would you let her remain around? She should be shuffled off to Teddy for re-education about the new alliance. Lyja could be just the sort of enemy to Teddy that is duplicitous enough to overthrow him.

Hello, my name is N'Kalla, you kidnapped and impersonated my mother, prepare to die.

[jackolover]

when did Franklin become a non-mutant? and why, really?

In the issue, as defined by Professor X appearing suddenly, like the Watcher, and making a pronouncement. It seemed so irrational, but perhaps it was the only time Xavier had the opportunity to inspect Franklins DNA without Franky masking he’s not a mutant?

[jackolover]

Hello, my name is N'Kalla, you kidnapped and impersonated my mother, prepare to die.

I think that would be a mature response for N’Kalla.

I am especially impressed with Ben and Alicia adopting the two alien kids. And together with Ben having such hero worship from the Moloids, Ben Grimm is like the pied piper of the MU. I never would have thought the angry man Ben Grimm would turn out to be this Santa Claus figure. He does it again in Earth X by fathering two “Thing” kids as well.

[CaptCleghorn]

In the issue, as defined by Professor X appearing suddenly, like the Watcher, and making a pronouncement. It seemed so irrational, but perhaps it was the only time Xavier had the opportunity to inspect Franklins DNA without Franky masking he’s not a mutant?

I'm still not sure what's actually going on, but Xavier and his Cerebro helmet would certainly be the best bet of testing Franklin's mutant status. As to why telling him is important, his family is very capable of making a serious effort to get him back on Krakoa and if he's no longer a mutant, there's no reason to go to Krakoa. I'm not sure whether or not the story is all true, but the parts of it do make sense.

[CaptCleghorn]

I think that would be a mature response for N’Kalla.

I am especially impressed with Ben and Alicia adopting the two alien kids. And together with Ben having such hero worship from the Moloids, Ben Grimm is like the pied piper of the MU. I never would have thought the angry man Ben Grimm would turn out to be this Santa Claus figure. He does it again in Earth X by fathering two “Thing” kids as well.

Through Marvel Two-In-One and his West Coast Avengers run, Ben's developed a wide variety of friends and has shown an ability to get along with all sorts of people. Even going back to Lee and Kirby having Ben rooming with Reed showed Ben's a man with a big heart.

[BAS]

So the person who is writing the Fantastic Four has to get approval from the X corner to do what they want with their characters cause they may have an arc/storyline in mind.

It’s not a question about who gets what say over which characters they control. It’s the idea that both Hickman and Slott participate in these creator summits with the Marvel editors - planning out multiple storylines for the foreseeable future. How did they let 2 writers develop stories that cross over in such a way that all one writer’s developing plot is rendered completely irrelevant by the plans of the other? What was the point of allowing Hickman to create a subplot for Franklin and the FF if they knew what Slott was planning?

[Ravin' Ray]

Just a little update on Lyja for those not familiar with her appearances outside FF. Secret Invasion: F4 #3 was her last meeting with Ben, Johnny, Franklin and Val, when she chose to exile herself in the Negative Zone (after smooching Johnny, I might add, and who actually tried to talk her out of her decision). But after that she appeared in She-Hulk: Cosmic Collision as one of several female superheroes gathered by the Collector (yes, the Elder classified her as a superhero) where she met Sue who was amazed at seeing her (but who also wasn't antagonistic towards her). At the end of the issue she was presumably returned to the NZ. If there are other appearances after this I'm not aware of those.

[scribbleMind]

Or how about something no one talks about yet...are they setting up Val and Bentley aka Wizards clone?

I always assumed this was going to happen. It feels inevitable.

[baxer]

It’s not a question about who gets what say over which characters they control. It’s the idea that both Hickman and Slott participate in these creator summits with the Marvel editors - planning out multiple storylines for the foreseeable future. How did they let 2 writers develop stories that cross over in such a way that all one writer’s developing plot is rendered completely irrelevant by the plans of the other? What was the point of allowing Hickman to create a subplot for Franklin and the FF if they knew what Slott was planning?

Hickman didn't made a subplot for Frnklin, he just listed him on being a omega.

Everyone knew what Slott was doing

[jwatson]

I've known about the Sinister rumor for months but how this taking bait? And it's true that writers like Hickman prepare in advance but plans still change. IIRC the Swords crossover was changed due to COVID, that's normal for comics. It's like making a tv show in that respect.

If what people are alluding to is true and slott doesn't like people to play with his toy;s and everyone knew what he was doing it goes.

Franklyn named omega with name in red
Sinsiter rumor saying one mutant is not a mutant but everyone thinks they are (Who has played with genetics more than sisnister)
Then you have FF-Xmen, all this time supposedly slott plan to change franklyn from being a mutant was already discussed as a retreat.

So one can easily see how crumbs were dropped to see how Slott would react and if he did do it because he was worried about someone playing with his toy, he took the bait. We all know the x-offices is good at this stuff when they were once on the bottom of the rights pile. The story could have been done better or not at all but it feels like to me he was baited and took the bait.