Walk Like An Angel

So. Now that December 21, 2012 has come and passed without incident--and the final item on the list of End Of Days™ dates to beware of has been crossed off, with no other dreaded dates on the calendar remaining for us to cower in despair at--perhaps we can finally stop trembling in our basements and leave scenes like this one in comic books, where they belong:

And we couldn't pick a better time to revisit the story of this particular herald of doomsday, appearing over forty years ago when Fantastic Four #121 told the story of the "Air-Walker"--a mysterious figure who appeared in the skies of the world and crisscrossed the globe, surveying the inhabitants without a word. After a dire warning from Agatha Harkness of the danger he represented, the FF were compelled to investigate, and lured him to their headquarters in New York.

By that time, the Pentagon was also moving to investigate, but then began marshalling its forces when the Air-Walker attacked one of their planes without warning. And when the FF attempted to intervene, they fared no better. Once all opposition had been nullified, it was then that the Air-Walker chose to speak for the first time, making his intentions crystal clear:

When the stranger then announced his name as "Gabriel," and actually blew a horn to signal mankind's end, the frightened masses immediately drew a biblical connection to the "archangel" Gabriel who supposedly signals the "end times" by sounding his horn. Yet this Gabriel remains cryptic as to his origin, and instead focuses on giving ample demonstration that he's not to be trifled with. It's arrogance that the FF isn't yet prepared to accept:

And Gabriel isn't finished yet. Sensing that the fearful crowds want to appease him, he takes advantage of their panic and sics them on the FF, effectively diverting the team's attention from himself. It's only when the foursome head to a television station in a desperate attempt to broadcast a message of hope that Reed learns how Gabriel's announcement and actions have affected the population of the entire world:

So they head back to the Baxter Building to grab their Fantasti-Car in order to take the battle to Gabriel. Though incredibly, Sue--who has faced more world-threatening menaces with the FF than I can count--seems ready to wave the white flag along with the rest of the human race:

Good grief, Sue--how many hopeless situations have you faced in your time with this group? Alone against Klaw or one of the Thinker's deadly androids? Facing off against a cosmic-powered Dr. Doom? Left on your own to deal with the threat of the Over-Mind? And you're ready to throw in the towel just when the FF is getting its second wind? How about a morale boost, for a change, instead of sucking it out of your team like a sponge?

At any rate, the group's efforts meet with little success, because Gabriel seems to have power to spare. Then again, the FF aren't exactly distinguishing themselves as the world's greatest fighting team. Not with battle strategies like this one:

"I might as well land--before it hits us!"?? So--it won't hit you, now that you've landed and become a stationary target? And by the way, wouldn't this be a good time for one of those force fields, Sue? Or maybe turning the Fantasti-Car and its occupants invisible?

Fortunately, the Fantastic Four have friends in high places--very high, as it turns out, as the Silver Surfer enters the fray and proves for all to see that humanity has let its fear blind it to Gabriel's true intentions:

And Gabriel's weakness, it seems, has been hiding--or, rather, flourishing--in plain sight:

The final page of the issue reveals Gabriel's true master, a threat the Earth has faced before and who's also been known to use a herald to warn a world of its end. It was the careful planning of Reed Richards that saved the human race that day, while also allowing us to retain some measure of dignity.  Perhaps we can reclaim some of that ourselves, now that the more fearful among us can replace the dread of an imminent doom with hopefully the optimism of a brighter future.

NEXT:

GALACTUS UNLEASHED!