Several weeks ago in the Negative Zone, a crowd of natives gather together in their hive and agree that the invaders must be stopped. They realize the aliens are there to stay, and therefore their hives must be protected. A their leader speaks, the crowd realizes the aliens have arrived. From above, a large object moves swiftly down on top of them.
The soldiers of the new prison located in the Negative Zone stomp through the miniscule colony without even realizing. They slaughter hundreds and are oblivious. They only want the 42 completed on time and hope that they don’t have any monsters attacking them.
Now at the demolished Wakandan Embassy in New York City, Storm and the Black Panther wonder what they should do now. Storm wonders if they should return to Wakanda, but T’Challa says that they still have to rally support for the International Community. As Storm wonders how they’re going to get around, and a crowd watches in awe, the Black Panther raises a Wakandan aircraft from the water. T’Challa merely explains that he likes to be prepared. The two board and fly off.
On the SHIELD Helicarrier, Maria Hill watches the craft fly off and asks why she can’t simply blow it out of the sky. Tony Stark, donning his Iron Man armor explains that the US just destroyed his embassy, if the king of Wakanda needs to invade their airspace right now, then it’s okay. Maria asks if he’s going soft. Tony explains that T’Challa’s back is against the wall, but to get what they want out of him, they’ll have to leave him with enough dignity. Maria snaps that the Black Panther has twenty-four hours and then his ship better be gone. Iron Man merely replies that shouldn’t she have known about that ship and how many more T’Challa has around the country. This leaves former Director Hill slightly speechless.
Back in the Negative Zone, weeks ago.:
Two alien craters battle in front of a crowd of millions. They fight and hack. One stabs the other with forked arrow. As he moves in for the kill, the wounded creature pulls the arrow out and stabs its owner with it. He raises his weapons and calls to the crowd to behold their champion.
The present, in New York City.:
W’Kabi enters T’Challa’s chambers and informs him that the conference call is ready. T’Challa moves to the video screen, where S’yan and the Wakandan council members watch, wondering when their king will return to the homeland. T’Challa explains that he needs to resolve things here and gain allies within the United Nations. S’yan becomes angry, wondering why they’re so desperate to depend on the UN. S’yan continues stating it was T’Challa’s violation of a centuries old policy. He contines with saying that if the King of Wakanda needs to remain in the United States to dig himself out of a hole he created, they’ll just try not to be invaded in the meantime.
T’Challa merely glares with his steely gaze. He tells S’yan that if he has a problem with following the king’s orders, he will send Storm in to take his place. Terror grips S’yan and he promptly apologizes. T’Challa moves on and tells S’yan that he is sending him blueprints for a new Wakandan Embassy, to also update and upgrade their previous capabilities. S’yan acknowledges that it will take some time to build and wonders where the support staff will be based until then. T’Challa informs him that he will have an answer to that shortly.
At the United Nations Storm speaks with delegates from a fellow African nation. They, however, feel that her asking for their assistance in regards to the threat of the United States super-force is somewhat misplaced. They explain that it wasn’t that long ago that they sent an agent of theirs, the Arabian Knight, against Storm and the Black Panther. Storm thinks and says she can hardly remember. The delegates become angry and rush off as Storm pleads with them to reconsider.
Storm gets angry and wonders how she is supposed to remember a loser who interrupted her husband’s proposal. T’Challa beeps in on the video-screen asking how it went. Storm enlightens him, and he explains that it never would have worked anyway, that they were just looking for desperate enough allies to build a superhero army for them. Storm lists off how the other meetings went, none with any real success. T’Challa tells her to come back, that they have dinner tonight.
At the Tavern on the Green in New York, Reed Richards bought out the restaurant so that he, Sue Richards, Ororo, and T’Challa can talk in peace and privacy. Reed then explains that he and Sue have a proposition for the couple. He informs them that they’re going to take some time off to work on their relationship. Storm jokes that Sue must have planted a mind-control device in his head. Reed finishes by say that while the embassy is rebuilding, T’Challa can relocate to the Baxter building.
T’Challa wonders what will happen to Ben and Johnny. Reed explains that he hopes Storm and T’Challa would help guide the group while their gone. Susan agrees that they’re perfect because they’re a family. T’Challa wonders if Ben and Johnny are actually alright with this. Reed asks if they are, will Storm and the Black Panther join? The couple agrees and the four of them toast.
At the Baxter Building, Reed and Sue break the news to the other members of the Fantastic Four. Sue laughs that they’re calling this their second honeymoon and they never had a first. Ben promises to keep a watch on the place while they’re gone. Reed then informs them that they found replacements for themselves. As Ben explains that he and Johnny can take care of themselves, Johnny makes a joke that Ben is almost house broken. That sends the two into a fight that Sue has to separate.
As Reed and Sue move through the building, Johnny and Ben wonder who the replacements could be. Reed then introduces them to the king and queen of Wakanda. Ben wonders about this since the Black Panther and Mr. Fantastic were just on opposite sides of a war. T’Challa merely states that Reed and Sue should be inspirations to everyone. Ben then informs Reed that this is a classy move.
On the talk show Spin Zone, the host wonders if Reed Richards, one of the architects for the Super-Human Registration Act has gone soft. He explains that the Richards’ are opening their homes to a foreign potentate and a mutant terrorist. The host explains that Richards shouldn’t give in to the liberal guilt, and while they’re at it, do away with the United Nations too.
Back at the Baxter Building, Wakandan Embassy workers are already making their home within the Fantastic Four’s headquarters. The Thing and Human Torch wonder exactly what they got themselves into when their pagers go off. They meet the Black Panther and Storm, who ask what Reed’s fastest Spacecraft is.
In Wakanda, Brother Voodoo sits with a Wakandan elder and discusses the villain who was switching bodies at T’Challa and Ororo’s weddings. He explains that it is a soul eater, a cannibal who takes possession of the host. The elder warns that this could be very damaging. Brother Voodoo wonders how to find the creature. The Elder asks him that when he finds the Cannibal, is he ready to kill without hesitation and take an innocent life?
At the palace in Wakanda, T’Challa’s sister and her associates watch the American navy off their boarders. The two men agree that the Americans will attack soon because the king is gone. One then wonders what T’Challa’s sister is going to do about it since she is next in line. She insists that T’Challa can still handle things, but the man pressures her. He reassures her that while he’s in America, she’s there and has all the brains and power she needs.
In Washington D. C., Everett Ross meets with the Secretary of State. The Secretary expresses his displeasure with Reed Richards for allowing T’Challa to move into the Baxter Building. He then wonders if Richards is trying to make a political move. Ross tries to calm him and explains that they could just be friends. The Secretary continues and says if Richards wants to go down with T’Challa, so be it. He insists that they need to make an example out of someone and if Wakanda is volunteering, then so be it.
In the Fantastic Four’s jet, Storm wonders if things will be alright while they’re gone. T’Challa reassures her that they won’t be gone long. The jet flies out over New York toward space.
