I: Feature Story: "We Have to Fight the X-Men!"

Pages: 22

Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Chic Stone
Letters: Artie Simek

Villain: Mad Thinker, Awesome Android, Puppet Master

Guest Appearance: The X-Men: Professor X, Cyclops, Iceman, Marvel Girl, Beast, Angel; Alicia Masters

Synopsis: Alicia has brought her new sculpture of the Thing to the Baxter Building and Thing looks for the right place to display it while the other three read about the X-Men's exploits in the paper.

Meanwhile, the Puppet Master arrives in the Mad Thinker’s lair. The Thinker urges the Puppet Master to carve a figure of Professor X from radioactive clay, so that they can take over the X-Men to destroy the Fantastic Four. Neither man has seen the Professor but the Mad Thinker’s meticulous research has given him a fair approximation. The Puppet Master completeshis radioactive puppet, but Xavier’s mental powers resist the Puppet Master’s control. The Mad Thinker, however, knows exactly how much clay will overcome him!Finally, he is under their thrall.

Professor X calls the X-Men into his office and orders them to destroy the Fantastic Four. He will hear no debate, saying only that the FF ‘plans world domination’ and they must be stopped. The reluctantbut obedient X-Men fly to the Baxter Building in their jetcopter and are welcomed inside by the Fantastic Four.

After introductions are made, Cyclops invites the FF to join them in an investigation ofan alien space-ship, but Reed declines, since he and the Torch are fine-tuning a new nose cone for use on Air Force rockets. This is the cue Cyclops was waiting for! Cyclops sabotages the nose cone with his optic blast and then fires at Reed. Johnny retaliates with a burst of flame but Cyclops’ optic blast holds it at bay. Meanwhile, Marvel Girl telekinetically grabs the Thing sculpture but drops it to the floor. Marvel Girl is frightened by Thing’s wrath and spins him telekinetically. Sue tries to stop her but is snatched by Angel and ankle cuffed by Iceman. The Fantastic Four are incredulous that they are being attacked by their youthful guests.

Reed turns into a ball and rolls into the Beast. Beast, thanks to his natural agility, keeps his balance on the rolling Richards. Beast rebounds off the tubes and gizmos of the lab and flies at Reed. He dives through Reed and hits the Thing, held aloft by Marvel Girl. Iceman blinds Thing with a face full of snow.

Reed surrenders in order to learn the truth from the X-Men. Iceman slides Thing out of the room with a push from Cyclops’ optic blast. The X-Men take Sue to their jetcopter and place her in a locker to ensure the FF’s cooperation. Reed is sure Sue is in no danger, a theory proven by the care the X-Men showed to Alicia in the fight.

The Fantastic Four fly the pogo plane to a lonely plateau where the X-Men and the Invisible Girl wait. They leap into battle but the fight has been rigged. Booby-traps wait for the Fantastic Four, such as a trap door that swallows the Thing, a giant reel that twirls Reed into a tight coil and straitjackets that fire from a cannon to bind Johnny and Sue.

The Mad Thinker, his android and the Puppet Master rise out of a trap door to congratulate the X-Men,and tell the X-Men they must serve them as long as the Puppet Master controls Professor X. Even now, he sends a command through Xavier’s mutant brain to make the X-Men fall sleep. Beast fights this command and leaps, knocking the Puppet Master’s sculpture from his hand. Before the Puppet Master can regain it, the Beast crushes it under his mutant heel.

The Thing claws his way back to the surface and unwinds Reed. Thing tears the jackets off Sue and Johnny and the Fantastic Four and the now-awake X-Men combine to fight the Awesome Android. The Android copies Iceman’s powers and freezes the Human Torch. Marvel Girl’s telekinesis, Cyclops’ optic blast, Invisible Girl’s force field and Thing’s strength all fail against the android. It is only Professor X from his mansion in Westchester who can stop it. He mentally presses the Android’s ‘off switch’ and shuts it down.

The Beast chases the Mad Thinker and the Puppet Master through a trap door and down a tunnel. They manage to escape in a hidden jet before Beast can reach them. The X-Men and the Fantastic Four part as friends, leaving the Fantastic Four alone with the Awesome Android.

--synopsis by Jonathan Clarke, aka doesitmatter, with Gormuu

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