The Shape Of Things To Come! With the Reed Richards from another dimension currently a hostage of Arkon, he breaks free from his restraints and tries to escape, however he's easily restrained by Arkon and is shackled in Adamantium bonds. Arkon has his aide explain the progress from his plan: As it turns out they have orchestrated to send three different realities to attack to each other. Having acquired technology from all worlds Arkon has had his agents attack the 5th Dimension with Earth-A's Andrones, Earth-A by beings from other time periods through Dr. Doom's time machine, and lastly by using the 5th Dimensions freezing technology to turn the Fantastic Four's world into a frozen wasteland. They then drug the Earth-A Thing and leave him behind.
On the Fantastic Four's world, Mr. Fantastic is hurrying to try and come up with technology to thaw out the giant glaciers that are forming on their Earth when they are suddenly attacked by a barbarian. Reed dispatches it, but due to his waning powers it causes him considerable discomfort however he hides this from Sue. Reed is then painfully mind linked with his Earth-A counterpart. The Thing-Richards explains to him that he comes from another world where he became the Thing instead of Ben Grimm. He explains that his robotics technologies was purchased by Albert DeVoor, representing a company called Inter-Related Technocracies Unlimited, the same man who purchased technology from the 5th Dimension under a company called Inter-Politan Thermo-Dynamics Unlimited. Reed realizes that the same man bought technologies from Fantastic Four Inc. representing a company called Interlocking Technologies Unlimited and is simply a lackey of Arkon. Realizing the connection, the two Reed's combine their mental strength to allow the Earth-A Richards to use his strength to free himself from captivity.
