I: Feature Story: "Behold! A Distant Star!"

Pages: 20

Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Chic Stone
Letters: Artie Simek

First Appearance: Warlord Morrat, Annelle, Reverend Miller

Villain: Warlord Morrat, Skrull Supreme Leader, Skrulls

Guest Appearance: Alicia Masters, Annelle, Reverend Miller

Marvel Milestones: Skrulls with no chin ridges

Gadgets & Technology: Power-Ray, Freeze Ray, Immobilizer Ray, Iso-Missiles, Demolo-Gun

Synopsis: Johnny and Ben are trying on their wedding tuxedos when Reed enters with his new Power-Ray. He accidentally turns it on Johnny, causingthe youngest FFer to burn right through his suit! While the boys try to calm down from the hubbub, Alicia alerts Reed to a problemhe might want to attend to: Sue is upset. He takes her flowers while she sobs in the map room. She tells Reed that she resents that she lost her father so close to the wedding (see FF #32) and the responsible Skrull has never paid for the crime.

Across the universe, the Skrull responsible for the murder of Dr. Franklin Storm is named Morrat and he is frustrated. He wishes to marry the emperor’s daughter Annelle but the Emperor won’t allow it; even Morat’s killing of Dr. Storm won him no favor. To make matters worse, Anelle wishes she could end the relationship herself. Morrat is a cruel man, who takes pleasure in killing, and she wonders why she even loves him, in spite of her conflicted feelings about him.

Reed postpones their rehearsal dinner to travel to the Skrull homeworld - he is determined to seejustice done for his fiance. The Fantastic Four must bring Dr. Storm’s murderer to justice! Thing thinks it’s suicide but Alicia convinces him it’s important to the Storms, and he should be supportive. They borrow a rocket from NASA and take it through a wormhole into Skrull space, reaching the Skrull homeworld in a matter of long hours.

As soon as they land, they are attacked by an army of Skrulls. They jump into the fight but sudddenly the Fantastic Four lose their powers! The Skrulls take the helpless Fantastic Four with an Immobilizer Ray.

They are imprisoned by Morrat. Anelle tells him that he must tell her father that he hastaken prisoner their Earthling foes. He humors her and tells her he will, but he has a different plan: he decides that if he kills the Fantastic Four, the entire world will hail him as a hero, giving him enough power to overthrow the emperor himself. He opens the cell door and assembles a firing squad against the humans. Thinking fast, Reed offers Morrat unlimited power if he will spare their lives. Morrat is interested in such an offer, while Reed's teammates wonder if he's gone crazy.

Annelle informs her father of the Fantastic Four’s capture. The emperor has heard none of this. “This smacks of high treason!” he says. Meanwhile, Reed shows Morrat how to use the Power Ray Gun. Ben and Johnny are incensed by Reed’s betrayal and Reed tells them to stay back and leave him alone. They attack Reed, but he responds by turning the gun on the team! Meanwhile, the Skrulls rip the gun out of his handsand turn the gun on Reed and bathe him in rays, worrying that he will go out of control against them.

But the Skrulls are the ones who are betrayed. Reed has built a copy of his Power-Ray and it has restored their super powers! Ben and Johnny finally get what Reed was up to, and the team tears through the Skrulls and their weaponry.

The Emperor arrives and breaks up the fight. He strips Morrat of his rank and orders him in chains. Morrat orders a mutiny against the Emperor. Annelle runs into the line of fire and it is only Sue’s force field that saves her, but Morrat is cut down. Once the emperor realizes the Fantastic Four has saved his daughter, he orders a truce. He explains that it was Morrat who wanted to enslave the human race, just as it was Morrat who killed Dr. Storm; he further informs them that the Skrulls have no further interest in Earth. Franklin Storm has been avenged and the Fantastic Four are allowed to leave.

The Fantastic Four return home in the rocket and with help from Johnny’s near nova heat, fly in the minister’s window just in time for the wedding rehearsal.

--synopsis by Jonathan Clarke, aka doesitmatter, with Gormuu

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