Following the sale of Fantastic Four Inc to Interlocking Technologies Unlimited, Reed Richards spends time honing his skills in the Fantastic Four's training room, confirming a suspicion he's had since their last clash with Dr. Doom[1]: That his stretching powers are slowly fading away. After his training session he is confronted by his wife Sue who notices there is something wrong with him. Unable to tell his wife that he is losing his powers, Reed lies and tells her that he is worried about Johnny -- who stormed out of the Baxter Building after Reed had sold the Fantastic four to Interlocking Technologies.

Down on the street, Johnny Storm is fuming over not only this transaction but also losing Crystal to the mutant Quicksilver whom she just recently married. Feeling he needs the comfort of a woman he remembers the romantic interest that Valeria of the 5th Dimension showed in him and decides to pay her a visit. Travelling to the 5th Dimension through the portal that exists in the wilds of Long Island, Johnny is transported to the 5th Dimension's Central Plaza. There, Johnny is confused for something called an "Androne" by the people there who attack him until they are broken up by Valeria's father Phineas, now in charge of the world. Phineas apologizes for his peoples brash attack and informs him that they are at war with Reed Richards, much to Johnny's surprise. Taken to their command centre, Johnny is told that their attacker is really a Reed Richards from another Earth (The Thing Reed Richards of Earth-A) who created Andrones with his company Reed Richards Robotics a subsidiary of Inter-Related Technocracies Unlimited. Johnny is shocked by this revelation and the fact that this is an alternate world where Nelson Rockefeller is president of the United States. They are then attacked by a group of Andrones which Johnny easily defeats with his flame powers. Johnny agrees to sign onto their cause and help them fight this invasion from another world.

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