Fantastic Four cake topper ad, from 2005's
Last Hero Standing #1, which I guess we might as well talk about while we're here! Plot and script by Tom DeFalco, plot and pencils by Patrick Olliffe, inks by Scott Koblish.
Last Hero Standing--which I'm repeating, because I'm sure I've accidentally called it 'Last Man Standing' multiple times--was a weekly, five-issue mini set in the Marvel Next/Spider-Girl continuity; where the usual Marvel heroes were still around but older and largely inactive, while newer heroes were arising. Newer, lippier heroes: most of them don't seem especially friendly, even with their own teammates! While several heroes disappear mysteriously (including Wolverine!) most of the focus this issue is at Avengers Mansion, where Captain America--grey-haired and scarred--was wondering if it was time for him to finally retire. But, when the call comes down, he still picks up the shield...(The Avengers at the time also had
American Dream, too, so...)
Peter Parker and the comatose Scarlet Witch also get taken, as well as the now-cyborg Ben Grimm. The various heroes meet up, following the trail underground...as the villain, hidden in shadow, shouts about "
Revenge for an unforgivable sin that has forever haunted me!" If that isn't a clue, his henchmen appear to be trolls, and he uses the phrase "glorious purpose" here
years before he would in his show!
There are like two other Fantastic Four movie related ads this issue, including one for the plug-and-play video game. Which I believe I still have, the kids played it; but I wonder if I have a TV it could still plug into...
The MC2 universe definitely had potential didn’t it? It gave readers a very plausible future for its iconic characters & introduced us to their offspring, be it as heroes or villains (making certain hero kids villains was a pretty nice twist I thought)
ReplyDeleteAlso, using the an underground threat in the Avengers Mansion was a nice callback/reference to the infamous Crossing “event” just a couple years prior to the introduction of the MC2. It’s definitely a shame it was pretty much abandoned for the sake of the Ultimate Universe instead.
Ok, I give up. Unless it’s Mole Man or the Watcher (neither of whom I think have had their own show) I have no idea who the mystery villain is.
ReplyDeleteIs it just me, or does the new Fantastic Four movie look like it’s going to be thoroughly underwhelming? I admittedly don’t know how to make a Fantastic Four movie not be underwhelming in 2025, but still.
Well it’s certainly GOT to be Mole Man right?
ReplyDeleteFrom the looks ok from what I’ve seen so far, the FF movie looks good. Not sure o would’ve cast who they cast, but overall it looks decent enough. Not sure why they went with Shalla Ball as a Silver Surfer though.
Spoiler alert: the heroes headed underground, find a statue honoring the late Mole Man. Double-spoiler alert: the big bad is Loki, on another of his "I hate that I created the Avengers" kicks. Telegraphed-spoiler alert: it's probably pretty obvious from his page, but Cap dies! Sure, they still have American Dream, but hopefully she would'a become the new Cap...
ReplyDeleteHmm, I wouldn’t have guessed any of that (except maybe Mole Man being dead- guy was like 60+ in present times). Then again, I don’t read much Marvel. The Cap thing I got the opposite idea- that he’d somehow be one of the few survivors, if not terribly close to death.
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