01x01 - Trial by Fire

[bunniefuu]

[Classical music playing]

[Rumble, music skips]

[Sighs]

[Crash]

Ben, you always say that
when the rampaging monsters

Are better-looking than you!

Don't you start
with me, matchstick!

It's your fault this thing's
runnin' around out here!

My fault?!

How do you figure that,
rocks for brains?

You're the one stomping around
reed's lab in your size 30s!

You didn't see me
breaking any--

Whoa!

Jonathan spencer storm!

Is there something
you'd like to tell me?

No!
And it wasn't my fault.

You know, whatever it is
you're talking about.

I suspect your sister
is referring to you two

Roughhousing near
the inter-dimensional viewer.

You know there's sensitive
equipment in my lab!

Sensitive equipment?

Way to put it mildly,
stretch!

It's truly incredible
to think that --

Reed!

Big monster,
about to eat us?

Remember?
Right, sorry.

By re-aligning
the creature's
molecular configuration,

It should phase back
to its own reality.

Ahhh, our adoring paparazzi.

Come on.

[Reporters shouting questions]

Whoa, whoa, whoa,
slow down!

What are you vultures
talking about?

You don't know?

Reed richards purposefully
exposed you to cosmic rays

As part of an experiment.

It's all over the wire.

He wrote about it in a journal.

That's ridiculous, reed
would never write such a...

Thing. Reed?

Reporter: repeating the day's
top story, a scientific journal

Written by reed richards
years ago has been uncovered,

Raising serious questions
about his involvement in
the alleged accident

That created the fantastic four.

The journal contained
theories on the effects

Of cosmic rays on humans

And goes on to describe
exactly how to expose humans

To the mysterious rays.

It was an accident, right?!

Doom messed everything up while
we were on the station, right?

Tell me you didn't
write that paper!

I did publish a paper
on the possible

Biological effects
of cosmic rays years ago.

Nerd alert!

Let him finish,
johnny.

I theorized that
cosmic rays might be used

As a master key
to mammalian genetics,

But there wasn't anything in it
about experimentation!

That paper is what prompted me

To create the shielding
for the mission.

But the shields didn't work.

Ben, come on!

You can't think
that I would do such a thing!

I could never hurt susan,
johnny, or you on purpose!

I need some air.

Susan: reed, just
give him some time.

He's right.
The shields didn't work.

I didn't protect any of you.

It's okay.
We'll figure this out.

I just don't understand.

I know I didn't write
about the space station

In that paper.

I mean, I couldn't have.

Thanks for my powers,
dr. Evil,

But I'm getting out of here
before you grow me

An extra head
or something.

Johnny, wait!

Go. Take care of him.
I'll be fine.

[Elevator beeping]

Look, I just found out
I'm a really good-looking
guinea pig, and I don't...

Man: hey, mr. Fantastic!

Man #2: I want fish powers!

Whoa.

All the craziness in the
city, it started with them.

Maybe mr. Fantastic is
responsible for it all!

That's it!
Flame on!

Johnny, will you calm down?

You can't believe anything
you hear in the media!

You know that!

Think of all the wild stories
they've made up about you!

Uh, sis,

Most of those stories
about me are true.

So you're not helping
reed's case.

Johnny --

Sue, my powers are
the best thing that
ever happened to me.

But ben, I mean,
he got real ugly.

And if reed did this
to us on purpose,

How can we ever
trust him again?

This can't be happening.

Alicia. Could reed have
done this to me purpose?

I mean, I have always
given him grief

About bein'
a mad scientist,

But this?

He's supposed
to be my best friend,
for cryin' out loud!

All done?

Maybe.

First off, ben grimm,
you are no monster.

You're the bravest, kindest
person I have ever met.

Aw, alicia.

Listen to me.

Reed carries
so much guilt over what
happened to the four of you.

Especially you, ben.

If I can see that,
why can't you?

[Sighs]

I know.
You're right.

Stretch would never
hurt me on purpose,

Which means someone's
messin' with us.

Huh?
Alicia, get down!

Ben, what is it?
What do you see?

Trouble.

[Screaming]

[Footsteps]

And here I thought
reporters were pushy!

Well guess what?
I push back!

I haven't been attacked
by an evil robot for days!

Let's see what you've got!

Who are you?
Who sent you?

[Straining]

Tough guy, are ya?

I don't know what
your deal is, tin can,

But the kid gloves are off.

I told you,

I'm done messing around.

Ben?

What's going on?

Talk to me!

Ben!

This is all wrong.

Someone altered
my original paper.

These are not my words.

Sloppy.

Whoever is attempting
to frame me supplied the journal

As a digital file
to the media.

Easy enough to trace,
I just have to dig a little --

Alert.
Unknown code detected.

Odd.

There's a foreign program
embedded in the file.

Almost like a --

No!
How could I be so blind?

It's all been a trap!

Greetings, richards.

Doom!

You forged the journal!

Of course,

And now there's no one
here to save you.

Lousy robot.

Making me look bad.

I'll show you.

Susan:
ben, wake up!

What?
Where the& alicia!

Ben, it's okay!
I'm sure alicia's fine.

They're after us,
not her.

I'm right across
from you.

They got johnny, too.

And reed isn't answering
his communicator.

Get ready for a rematch, robot.

'Cause there's never
been a jail made

That can hold
the human torch!

Flame on!

Johnny!
Johnny!

Huh? Acid?

[High-pitched tone]

Ooh, ow ow!

[Johnny coughing]

Man,

I wish reed was here.

Me, too.

Me three. Ow.

[Groaning]

Did you think I would
come unprepared?

Those manacles are designed
to produce an electrical shock

When you access
your powers.

Your little inventions are
quite amusing, richards.

Gauntlets designed
to harness

Extra-dimensional energy --

I'm almost impressed.

But this...

Beautiful, isn't it?

I discovered the existence
of this negative zone

Years before
you stumbled upon it.

It is the nexus point
where all universes connect,

Perhaps where
all universes began.

Fitting then that
it will be your end.

What have you done
with my friends?

You don't have
any friends, remember?

They believe you
experimented on them

Like they were lab rats.

You betrayed them.

No!
Doom, stop!

You don't know
what you're doing!

Quite the contrary,

I know exactly
what I am doing.

By overloading
your quaint little viewer,

I am creating a rift
in dimensional space

That will pull you,
this building,

And a large portion of this city
into the negative zone.

Doom, no!
You can't do this!

Thousands of lives will be lost!

I know.
And you will be blamed.

History will see
reed richards

As a betrayer...

And a madman.

Ben, stop it!

The cells are designed
to counter our powers.

Last time I checked,
ugly wasn't a power.

If you wanna trade, though.

We can't free ourselves,

But maybe we can
free each other!

Great, free me first.
I've got plans tonight.

Johnny, do you
remember that time

You made ben's soda can
explode just by
looking at it?

Ha ha!
That was awesome!

It went all over him!

All I did was concentrate
really hard on the --

Oh, I get it.

I'm not fallin'
for that one again.

[Gasps]

[Ben grunts, loud thud]

Well, that was fun.

Now let's get out--

Hey, there's no doors.

Doors are for wimps.

[Ben grunts]

Well, I guess that answers
who's behind all this.

Doom must have
planted the journal.

He wanted us out of the way
to go after reed!

We have to help him!

Come on,
flame brain!

Hang on!
Almost done.

[Panicked screams]

Doom, you've got
to stop this now!

It's too late, richards.

This time,
your precious city

Will not survive!

New york is under attack!

More of the giant
insect-like aliens

Are appearing
throughout the city!

Where are the fantastic four?

I have to close the breach.

I will always be
your better, richards!

You alone can never hope
to defeat doom!

You may be right.

But you forgot one thing, doom.

Unlike you, I'm not alone.

If you attack
one of us, doom --

I totally messed up
that mask of yours.

Yeah!

As I was saying,

If you attack one of us,
you attack all of us.

Way to ruin it, matchstick.

Then you will
perish together!

Reed: johnny!

We're not finished yet!

Not by a long shot!

You will pay
dearly for this,

You oafish gargoyle.

None may touch doom!

Yeah, yeah.
Now stay there!

I'll beat you up more later.

Reed!

You wouldn't believe
what's going on outside!

Unfortunately, I would.

I've closed the breach,
but there's too much

Negative zone energy.

We have to manually transpose
the insectoid creatures,

Invert the extra dimensional
flux and --

Save the world?
Got it.

[Grunts]

Hang on!

Susan: doom's escaping!

Let's go after him!

You go after doom.
I'm getting out here.

You're what?

Doom, wait!
You forgot something!

This giant fireball!

Johnny!

Yeah,

There's more where
that came from, doom.

Easy, stretch.

I got you.

I hope someone's
keeping track

How many times
we save the world.

Seven.
Dr. Richards!

What happened
here today?

Did you cause
this disaster,

Like the space station
incident?

This guy just saved
the entire city,

And this is
how you treat him?

For your information,
dr. Doom did all this!

It's okay, ben.

The journal that's been
leaked to the media

Is a forgery
created by doom.

And while doom has
diplomatic immunity,

I can prove
his involvement.

Yeah!
Report that!

We never doubted him
for a minute.

Yeah, we totally
kicked doom's tail.

You know he's all ticked
about it, too.

Mark my words, cretins!

My vengeance shall be huge,

Like the size of my head!

My brilliance
is unparalleled,

Yet I always lose!

For I am doom!

Well, that's what he's like.

Stretch, I'm sorry.

I know you'd never do
anything like that to us.

You don't have to apologize.

All this --
the shields failing,

The insanity
that our lives have become --

It's all my fault.

I'm the one who's sorry.

Forget it, we're all
in this together.

But in the future,

If you come up with
any more magic doors

With giant aliens from
another dimension
behind them,

Label it.

[Enraged roar]