| Synopsis | - In the observatory of the Baxter Building, Reed has tracked the energy drain on their headquarters’ computer to outer space, "an ion trace leading beyond the Milky Way" that he thinks may hold a clue to the mystery of the power drain. Tracing the ray to the Andromeda Galaxy somehow causes it to change course. The observatory is filled with a blinding light, and from the crimson transport beam emerges a young woman speaking in an alien language. Clearly in a state of distress, she appeals to Reed for help. The leader of the Fantastic Four wonders if she is being pursued, and his suspicions are confirmed when the alien woman is struck down by a blast from the weapon of her pursuer, a Skrull! Reed attempts to subdue the Skrull, but the alien intruder bursts into flame reminiscent of the Human Torch. The fight attracts the attention of Ben, whose intervention gives Reed the chance to escape and test a theory that physical force is not the way to defeat their foe. Ben doesn’t care and lays into his opponent, but finds the Skrull more than a match for his best. Reed returns with a weapon, trains it on the alien and downs the attacker. In the Medical Lab, the alien woman revives and is now able to communicate with Reed. Queen Adora hails from a planet whose scientific achievements and peaceful nature were once the envy of the Andromeda Galaxy, until that day when a mysterious ship appeared and drained her planet of all its energies in spite of efforts by the world’s greatest hero, Rhomann Dey, to save it. Miraculously the four largest cities of the planet survived, surrounded by spherical force fields that preserved the precious habitats. Over time Adora’s race managed to construct conduits between the four spheres, reuniting the people and allowing them to thrive once more. However, progress is now threatened by the arrival of a new alien invasion fleet seeking to conquer this peace-loving race. During the most recent attack chief scientist Master Xar learned of ‘an ion light’ that could be used to transport someone to an alien world to seek help. Leaving Master Xar and her lover Tanak to deal with an attacking Skrull, Adora entered the transport beam.
The strain of recounting her story causes Adora to lose consciousness. The Fantastic Four agree to help Queen Adora, but Johnny says he will stay behind. Reed, Sue and Ben enter the transport beam with Queen Adora and travel to her homeworld. Johnny is intrigued by an invitation by Security University, but wonders why he has never heard of them before. Immediately as he passes the entrance to the campus, Johnny is under surveillance from a mysterious figure who engineers an explosion in one of the campus science buildings. Johnny flames on and quickly incinerates falling masonry and rescues two endangered students. Dean Joseph Wayne arrives, thanks Johnny and offers to introduce him to campus life. The mysterious figure looks on, and promises that the Human Torch will soon be under the control of The Monocle!
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