Fantastic Four Annual #21: Evolutionary War Part 6

Continued from my previous post on X-Factor Annual #3: Evolutionary War Part 1, this Fantastic Four was the other Evolutionary War installment I found at BAM! the other day. It's quite a skip from part 1 to part 6, but I feel these stories can be read independently, and the bulk of this Fanstastic Four Annual centers around Crystal, now a member of the F.F. and her family of Inhumans in "Crystal Blue Persuasion"!

The never-dull domesticity and unrest are resumed at the Fantastic Four Headquarters upon return from their adventures in the spaceways, revealing a budding romance in full bloom between The Thing and his female counterpart, Shary, while the tension between Johnny Storm & his old love, now F.F. partner Crystal. But their rest is short lived, as Black Bolt & the Inhumans appear to retrieve his young cousin and take her back to their home city Attilan, on the Moon, where her husband Pietro (Quicksilver) awaits.

Back on the Moon, the Evolutionary runs into The Watcher, who makes his presence & knowledge of the Evolutionary's transgressions known.  "Do you object to my designs?" asks a confrontational Evolutionary. "It is not for me to object or approve! I just watch!"

Crystal puts up a fight, and Black Bolt, Medusa, Karnak, and Gorgon take on the Fantastic Four! An evenly matched battle comes to a draw when word gets back that Atillan is under attack by the High Evolutionary and his army, after the terrigan mist for it's mutagenic properties. Back on the Blue Area of the Moon, the battle rages until the Evolutionary realizes his army is no match for the two mutant superhero teams, and must retreat, a knowing pair of Watchers there to quietly witness. Realizing her presence on Earth is tearing the Fantastic Four apart, Crystal acquiesces to Black Bolt's wishes for her to return to her family. 

In the next story included in this 64 page annual, Crystal attempts to reconcile with her husband Pietro, and adjust to life as an Attilan princess again. Pietro's mind had been controlled by Black Bolt's evil brother Maximus, turning him against his sister Wanda, the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and everyone else, only to be undone by Maria Pym putting a mental block in his mind which temporarily removed his power of speed and shattering Maximus' spell. But after assuring Crystal of his unshaken love, a private telecommunication with a former enemy reveals a secret grudge to be avenged through a dubious alliance!

And finally, the third story "Silver and Crimson"  is a tale from the High Evolutionary's history. Attacked by a werewolf, Edgar Wyndham builds the suit of armor he will use later as High Evolutionary to use against the beast. He confronts and captures the creature after it attacks his subterranean helpers inside his Wungadore Mountain citadel, no doubt interested in the origins of it's genetic makeup! Of course we know what sick & twisted ways Edgar Wyndham will process that information as the High Evolutionary!

This was a fun book! There were all kinds of Fantastic Four history I knew nothing of inside this annual, some of it pretty cheesy, but interesting from a historical standpoint nonetheless. I read about F.F.'s meeting the Inhumans, and Johnny's teenage crush on Crystal when I read the Marvel Essential :Fantastic Four Vol. 3 last winter, but knew nothing of his marriage to Alicia (Ben Grimm's ex-girlfriend), nor Crystal's marriage to Quicksilver. I didn't know she joined the F.F., nor of the female Thing, Shary, and that Mr. Fantastic & the Invisible Woman were retired in suburban bliss! *GASP*  Zany!

More Later- Make It FUN!