I: Feature Story: "The Dismal Dregs of Defeat!"

Pages: 20

Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Artie Simek

Villain: Dr. Doom

Guest Appearance: Wyatt Wingfoot, Silver Surfer, Lockjaw

Gadgets & Technology: Inductive Converter, Metabolism Accelerator, Anti-Grav Disrupter

Synopsis: (continued from FF #57)

The image of Dr. Doom appears before the Fantastic Four in a bolt of lightning. Reed shrugs it off as an optical illusion, but is nonetheless nervous that it may portend something ominous. In fact, it is only Victor Von Doom's first strike against the team, an illusion cast to create a sense of unease and foreboding in his greatest foes. He gloats over his prisoner from whom he has stolen the power cosmic- the weakened Silver Surfer- then takes the Surfer's board and flies toward Manhattan.

The Thing is caught up in reading a book of ghost stories, so when Reed places his hand on his friend's shoulder, Thing leaps out of his chair in a fright. Reed tells Ben that he and Sue are going to visit their Southampton cottage for the weekend. When they leave, Thing can't shake a sense of unease about something awful happening. Confirming those feelings, Doom attacks the Thing at the Baxter Building. With cosmic power, he battles the Thing viciously through the air and into the park. Just when Thing seems to gain the upper hand, Doom freezes him in place, and abandons him. To all appearances, Thing is just a statue planted in the ground.

Lockjaw brings Wyatt and Johnny back to the Baxter Building. Johnny is furious at the beast until he notices the destruction and realizes something "deadly serious" has occured. Meanwhile, Doom attacks Reed and Sue at their cottage in Southhampton. He traps Sue inside a whirling cyclone and fashions a cosmic-powered mace to injure Reed's outstretched arm.

Johnny finds the frozen Thing in the park and sends Wyatt for Reed's Metabolism Accelerator, which he predicts will help cure his orange buddy, while he searches for Reed and Sue in Southampton. He heads through the window of the cottage for a direct attack, but finds that Victor is now fireproof. Still, Johnny tries to power up to near nova flame, while Doom stands ready to absorb it all. Sue and Reed rush outside to get away from the heat and flames. At the park, Wyatt has deployed Reed's Metabolism Accelerator and Thing is back in action.

Doom stands firm against Johnny's flame assault and freezes the Torch inside a coat of ice and knocks him aside. Using the last vestige of flame he can generate, he causes an explosion that allows him to get away from Doom. Wyatt and the Thing join the fight, with Wyatt aiming the sights of Reed's Anti-Grav Disrupter towards Doom. Johnny has destroyed the house in a desperate nova blast but it has done them no good, and he clears the way so others can have a chance at beating Doom. Wyatt fires the gun but it is useless. Doom is now so powerful it seems he cannot be touched. Reed glumly surrenders, telling the team there is nothing they can do to defeat Doom. The villain laughs proudly and declares that since they are no longer a threat, he can leave the team behind and it won't matter. He flies away on the Surfer's board, gloating.

(continued in FF #59)

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

--letter pages provided by Crusher Creel