It's another of the Thing's classic poker games, but with a couple of new wrinkles: Ben gets thrown into another dimension where the Fantastic Four formed in...1961! Instead of ten years ago or so in Marvel time. The FF's history unfolded in real time, so by 1998 Reed and Sue are semi-retired and on an archeological dig on Mars, Johnny married Crystal and had a couple of kids, and even Franklin's old enough to be married himself!
The seemingly ageless Thing pieces together what happened, but still makes his Wednesday night game; this time with the likewise still-youngish Thor, Wolverine, and Dr. Strange. Strange does have the bad news that Bruce Banner has just died, a heart attack while turning into the Hulk at age 70. After discovering that Ben isn't their Ben, a curious Wolverine grills him for info on his world's Spider-Man, since there, as Thor puts it: "He is forever young!"
From Fantastic Four Annual 1998, "In the Best of Families" Written by Karl Kesel, pencils by Stuart Immonen, inks by Cam Smith. A great single issue, that you could probably still pick up for a song. Kesel did more than a couple fill-ins and specials like this for the FF, but never seemed to get the full-time writer spot. And he should've.
That's it for this week: I stubbed my left middle finger on something, and it would quit bothering me if I lay off here...
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