Fantastic Four Vol 1 205 Apr 179 "When World Dies"

Synopsis for "When Worlds Die!"

Reed, Sue, Ban and Queen Adora arrive at Xandar courtesy of the ion beam only to find the four spheres of the homeworld under a savage assault from the Skrull invasion fleet. The Fantastic Four press quickly into action, seemingly repelling the attack, but Prime Thoran arrives to tell the heroes that the withdrawal is only temporary and that it is only a matter of time before the Skrulls attack again. Aboard the Skrull flagship Emperor Dorrek bemoans the continued resistance of the Xandarians and the intervention of the earthlings. He is soon distracted by the imminent arrival from Earth of a photon-powered starship, and despatches Skrull troops to deal with this new threat. From afar, Uatu watches and ponders his intervention in matters, for it was he no less who gave the Xandarians the protection of the four force fields around their shattered world and brought about the meeting of the FF and Queen Adora. He issues the dire warning that "soon, twin forces will be unleashed which shall bring the very universe to the brink of annihilation." Mankind's only hope, he says, is the Fantastic Four and all he can do is observe matters. Back on planet Earth, we find Johnny settling down to life at Security University and feeling that he has made the right choice. Among the rich and famous students he finally feels he fits in, so much so that the presence of security cameras in his dormitory room don't even bother him. More fool him, for at that very moment The Monocle is studying Johnny on his monitor. He dismisses Lanie from his company, having first erased her memories of meeting and recruiting Johnny to the university. He then contacts his masters, one of whom is seen in shadow on his monitor. The master plan is revealed: the brainwashed students will be sent to infiltrate government and international organizations for the purposes of espionage. As Johnny settles down to sleep he comes under The Monocle's control, and with the hundreds of other brainwashed students sleepwalks to the campus administration building. On Xandar, Queen Adora, Prime Thoran, Master Xar and the FF watch over the stricken body of Tanak, who took the full brunt of the Skrull blast intended for the Queen last issue. As Adora vows to avenge the Skrull attack, Reed wonders why the Skrulls should attack the already ravaged world of Xandar. Master Xar suggests that the Skrulls require the power of Xandar's Living Computers. While Adora complains that to use the computer would be tantamount to sacrilege, Xar tells Reed that the computer is in fact the collective memories and knowledge of the brains of millennia of Xandarians. Reed is astonished by this technological marvel, but before he can find out more, word arrives of a fresh Skrull attack. The FF and Xar return to the Queen's throne room and find the Skrulls laying waste to another of Xandar's spheres. Vowing to help, the FF and the Xandarian Centurions do battle with the invading Skrulls but, outnumbered, they fall to a Skrull energy weapon and are taken captive aboard the Skrull flagship. As Adora and Xar watch events from the throne room, they wonder how they can now possibly prevail.