FF (Future Foundation) #2

This volume is issue #2 of Marvel's 2011 FF (Future Foundation) series, originally titled "Doom Nation." The story follows directly from Fantastic Four #588: after Johnny Storm (the Human Torch) dies in battle in the Negative Zone, the remaining members of the Fantastic Four—Mr. Fantastic Reed, the Invisible Woman Sue, and the Thing Ben—join Spider-Man and a group of brilliant young people Reed has gathered to re-form as the Future Foundation. At the end of the previous issue, Reed's daughter Valeria made a shocking proposal: Reed's new organization must have a place for Doctor Doom, Victor von Doom. In this issue, the proposal stirs fierce resistance within the team, with the Thing especially unable to accept sharing a room with his old enemy; Doom himself is weakened after brain damage, his magical and mental powers greatly diminished—near humiliation for a man who considers himself the universe's foremost intellect. To prepare him for the role the Future Foundation envisions, Reed, his time-traveling father Nathaniel Richards, Valeria, and Spider-Man travel to Latveria, hoping to repair Doom's damaged brain using the mental backup sealed within Doom's ward Kristoff. During the procedure, Reed faces a moral choice about whether to tamper while he has the chance; Spider-Man, with his usual banter and a calm question at the crucial moment, earns the others' reassessment of his intelligence. After Doom recovers, the true purpose of his bargain with Valeria gradually surfaces, casting a shadow over the new team's future. This volume continues Hickman's signature blend of scientific world-building and family ensemble; action is sparse, with the focus on character clashes and seeds for later developments.