War Between Worlds--the Finale

 

Cover art by Rich Buckler

(figures of Sue and Reed by John Romita)

The complex four-issue story arc involving war between parallel worlds, written by Roy Thomas and drawn by Rich Buckler, comes to an end in Fantastic Four #163 (October 1975). 

There are two important battles on. In one, Ben Grimm has used interdimensional skates to travel into a small pocket of hyperspace. Located here is the Nexus that connects the three dimensions on the verge of war with one another to Arkon's home dimension. Check last week's review for an explanation of  Arkon's plan. For now, its important to remember that his nefarious plan can be foiled by destroying the Nexus.

Ben has a hockey-puck shaped devise he needs to throw into the Nexus to collapse it, but Arkon's minion--the hockey-themed being called Gaard--is one step ahead of him. Reed and Sue are watching the battle on an interdimensional monitor, but the hyperspace pocket is designed so that no more than two living beings can occupy it at the same time. So Ben can't expect any help.

 Meanwhile, Thing-Reed from the alternate Earth and Johnny are carrying the fight to Arkon's home world. It's a cool fight scene, well-choreographed and well-drawn. During the fight, Thing-Reed has some character development, realizing he can't spend his existence locked in a lab tinkering with robots, but needs to become an active participant in life again.

Though from different dimensions, Johnny and Thing-Reed work well together and eventually put Arkon down.

But that won't do any good if Ben can't close up the Nexus. But Gaard is good at... well, guarding stuff. Ben can't get by him.

Reed finally tumbles on an idea to help, transmitting a holographic illusion of another Thing into the hyperspace pocket, distracting Gaard and allowing Ben to toss the anti-Nexus hockey puck into the Nexus.

War is averted and everyone heads home to their proper dimensions. We do get one last look at Gaard. He takes his mask off and we discover he's the alternate Earth's Johnny Storm, who had supposedly been killed in Vietnam. 

Gaard then disappears from continuity for 20 years, not reappearing until well after Marvel Comics stopped being fun. So this can be effectively considered his only appearance worth mentioning.

This was a great story arc and the finale is largely satisfying. Buckler's art work is wonderful and the action scenes are more fun than a barrel of interdimensional skates. It's not without a few minor flaws: Sue doesn't really get to do anything significant during the story arc. And Gaard's hockey-themed character design is considered by many fans to be a little too silly to be effective. And, though the resolution of Thing-Reed's character arc was a legitimate part of the story, the fight against Arkon didn't make any difference to the main plot. Whether or not Arkon went down, it all depended on Ben closing the Nexus. 

But there's are indeed minor glitches. I admire the way Thomas took a complex story idea and laid out the plot in a way that we readers could follow along without confusion. And the action scenes are magnificent from start to finish. 

Next week, we'll visit with the Haunted Tank.