Fantastic Four #542

The Human Torch has agreed to meeting Mister Fantastic at a Brooklyn coffee shop. When Johnny takes forever to get serious, Reed is about to leave and when they get down to business. When the subject comes to using Thor against heroes, Reed admits that was a mistake. Johnny points out that the pro-registration heroes appear to be making a lot of mistakes. When Johnny points out that three of the four members of the team think Reed is doing the wrong thing, Reed reiterates what he's been saying the whole time: that it's the law and they must obey it. Johnny points out that the Fantastic Four broke the law all the time, and that they broke the law the day the got their powers by stealing a ship. He also points out that they regularly face alien races, dictators and gods on a regular basis and deft their rules all. Reed finally explains that this law is the right thing that needs to be done and he has figured this out to a mathematical certainty. Reed then asks Johnny to help him on an errand. Johnny agrees to tag along, but insists that he will go back to trying to bring down the Super Human Registration Act.

At an abandoned warehouse elsewhere in town, the Mad Thinker is going over notes when suddenly Mister Fantastic comes out of one of the faucets. When Reed asks the Thinker for his aid, the mad scientist tries to escape but is cornered by the Human Torch. When the Thinker refuses to help, Reed points out that he can figure out how the Thinker was involved in the Puppet Master's attempt to attack the prisoner transport. Thinking about this for a moment, the Thinker agrees to help. Reed brings the Thinker to the Baxter Building. Before continuing on he conducts business with John Porter from Damage Control. When Franklin and Valeria interrupt by dropping blocks on John, Reed asks them to stay away from the holes, but is touched by the fact that they are conducting an experiment.

Meanwhile in France, the Thing and Anais are in the Catacombs of Paris where they are searching for a Hydra outpost. As they are discussing this situation, when suddenly they are ambushed by the Hydra agents. After they deal with the Hydra agent, Anais tries to seduce the Thing, but he tells her that he is kind of seeing someone. After she departs, the Thing is visited by the Human Torch. The two talk about how Ben didn't go to Goliath's funeral. When Johnny tells Ben that they cloned Thor, Ben finds it hard to believe. This causes them to all reminisce about how everyone used to play poker together during quieter times. When Johnny asks Ben to come back, Ben says he'll think about it. Johnny departs, leaving part of the Fantastic-Car so Ben can return whenever he wants.

Back at the Baxter Building, Mister Fantastic shows the Mad Thinker a secret room where he has a massive equation all over the surfaces. Reed explains he has been working on a formula to map out human history mathematically after reading a book by Isaac Asimov. Reed explains that he has been running mathematical scenarios that all lead to the downfall of society. The only solution, was to not only allow the SHRA be passed, but to make sure he had control over it and use it as a force for good. The Mad Thinker goes over the formula and it checks out. He then muses about how much Reed Richards had to sacrifice to see through this plan. Once he has enumerated everything that has happened he tells the Invisible Woman that she can make herself visible. Sue is horrified that Reed has been keeping up all these pretenses in order to support the SHRA for other reasons. She is furious that he could keep this all a secret from her. She is now convinced more than ever that she is on the right side and is returning to fight along side Captain America to beat the odds. As his wife walks away, Reed grimly says that they won't this time.