A Town Besieged--An Aunt Revealed!

 

Eight issues into writer/artist John Byrne's distinguished run on Fantastic Four, early 1982's off-the-radar "Wendy's Friends" could be described as a middle-of-the-road tale, one of a number of such stories that Byrne would craft for the team which moved events forward for them but otherwise had nothing sensational to offer beyond what you'd ordinarily find the FF dealing with on an ordinary day when no current or imminent threat was preoccupying their time. (Though "ordinary" is certainly subjective when it involves the Fantastic Four.) That description is by no means a disparagement, as Byrne's writing generally reflects patience combined with an effort to establish characterization--and here you'll find the threat du jour folded into that, rather than the other way around, which can often be an interesting change of pace.

And so the FF not only encounter in this issue a mysterious danger that neither they nor its victims can comprehend, but also elements of their past and present--particularly in relation to Ben Grimm, the Thing, who has recently been dealt a setback in regard to an attempt by Reed Richards to return him to his human form. But Ben is also closely linked to the "unexpected guest-star" who is heralded on the issue's dramatic cover--though from the look of things, the FF will soon have other pressing matters on their plate.

 

Yet the guest-star is of such stature in FF lore that Byrne has already inserted her into the previous issue while making her the catalyst here for the scenes which greet us from as early as page one--and so we arrive with her at the FF's newly established reception office on the 30th floor of the Baxter Building, where one of the team's members is doing a little welding work on their, er, receptionist.

While it's certainly an '80s approach to Fantastic Four, Inc., it's up for debate whether it makes sense from a security standpoint to grant anyone boarding their no-longer-private elevator unhindered access to the entire first floor of the FF's headquarters, given that it seems the security scans that Johnny mentions aren't being performed until that person enters the reception area. (Perhaps doing so while on the way up--or even before the person(s) board the elevator--would be more prudent, just in case a potential foe isn't feeling obliged to follow visitor protocol.)

While Johnny and our visitor are on the way, we check in on Reed and his wife, Sue, as they revisit Reed's attempt to cure Ben and its inexplicable failure.

(We would discover in a future issue why the answer Reed sought on the procedure's failure remained out of reach.)

The answer to the identity of our visitor, however, is imminent, and how delightful to have it resolved at last--and as the cover caption intimates, its disclosure is most unexpected.

From here, the story revolves around the town of Benson, Arizona, where its residents are turning up dead due to suffering sudden, severe fright. Despite the circumstances, the upside for the reader is that during the FF's investigation, there is ample opportunity for Byrne to supply a number of additional character "nuggets" which collectively draw from some of the many aspects of the team previously established by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby which helped to endear the book and its characters to their fans, and on which Byrne successfully gives a fresh take. The Thing's regression to his prior form is clearly one such nod; and a nearly full-page shot of the Fantasti-Car, the refitted model's first appearance in flight during Byrne's run, is always a welcome sight.

The only "odd man out" remains the continued presence of the second Torch--Frankie Raye, Johnny's girlfriend, who virtually eclipses the entire team on this issue's cover yet, it's fair to say, is redundant in terms of the abilities she brings to the FF when a more experienced and long-standing flaming member is present. Byrne's plans for Frankie are just around the corner (which translates to five months in publication terms); for now, he appears to be focusing on her unofficial status as a member in training, which we'll see evidence of in a moment.

As the investigation proceeds, we receive a further nod of nostalgia in the form of Ben, who again dons a costume (and even his old helmet in certain scenes) for the duration of the FF's stay in Benson--while it seems there are aspects to Ben's past that even his three partners were unaware of. (Even Reed? Really?)

And to shift gears for a moment, how about checking in with the Inhumans, who are currently in a situation where they're not only gripped by an deadly epidemic but are fighting for their lives against an invading force?

Meanwhile, the central figure in this story--Wendy, the little girl whose offhand references to her "friends" have connotations that no one else realizes--is escorted home to safety, though Frankie witnesses firsthand that her home environment is the opposite of "safe."

Unfortunately, Wendy's father reacts angrily to Frankie's warning--and that night, the badly injured girl (conveyed through narrative only, judging by the dearth of any outward signs in Byrne's rendering of her appearance) seeks out her "special friends" for comfort, a brief meeting that results in an all-encompassing attack on the town's population, one which the FF are mostly helpless to stem. But along with the observations of an archaeologist whom Reed has been working with (perhaps a little overdressed for Arizona, Mr. Byrne), conclusions are drawn which provide the story with a satisfying ending--for the reader, at least, if not the weary, ravaged people of Benson.

Turning to the final page, we learn that Wendy's friends are still watching over her, information which neither the FF nor anyone in the town are aware of. In essence, the FF depart having done what they can in the face of something they can only barely comprehend, an up-in-the-air denouement which brings this very unusual tale to a close--leaving twenty-eight people remaining out of a population of 1,745, including Ben's uncle and aunt. I would think that given the events of the previous night and the fact that whatever forces struck remain at large, Ben would have a few things to say about that--we'll have to assume that Aunt Petunia's legendary clout with Ben settled the matter handily.

BY THE WAY...
Did any of you score that Columbia 10-speed racer?

(They should have offered the Fantasti-Car!)