Mole Man Travels Back To Ensure Their First Encounter Goes Very Differently

Past (Fantastic Four #1)

It was all going so well. The Fantastic Four, on their very first adventure together. They had found the source of the monsters, deep beneath the Earth; seen the mysterious valley of diamonds. The Mole Man had revealed his tragic backstory, and his terrible plans.

"Look out, Reed! I'm gonna burn my way outta this monkey suit!" Johnny shouted.

Then everything went wrong.

The gas was colorless, odorless. Johnny collapsed. Then Reed. Ben staggered forward, but he had breathed too much of it already. Sue felt herself waver, knees weak . . . but when she fell, the Mole Man caught her. In her dizziness, she almost thought that she saw two of them.

Consciousness returned a moment later. The Invisible Girl found herself on a bed, the Mole Man trickling a little liquid between her lips. She sipped it slowly, grateful for anything liquid. Then she felt the burn of the ****. Vodka, or possibly some neutral spirit within much flavor. She coughed and spat.

The Invisible Girl sat up, and felt the weight of the collar around her neck. Her uniform was still in place, tightly-fitted to her young frame. Her blonde hair fell down to her collar, and her big blue eyes opened wide as she took in where she was. A bedroom. Alone. With the short, broad-chested, big-nosed villain that they had just been fighting.

"Reed—Johnny—Ben! Where are they!"

"Your friends are captured," the villain said. "They will die soon. Without the antidote I gave you, the gas will paralyze their lungs and they will suffocate. But you can save them. One little act on your part, and I will save them and release you all. I will make my escape, and the Fantastic Four will have won the day. They will be none the wiser, if we act swiftly."

Sue drew her mouth into a firm line. She knew she couldn't trust this despicable little man. Unconsciously, she tried to turn invisible.

Nothing happened.

He grinned.

"Your powers are momentarily negated," he said, touching the collar about her neck. "And will remain so, unless we come to a bargain."

"What do you want?" Sue said, hotly.

"Sex," the Mole Man said simply. "It is lonely in Subterranea. There is not much in the way of female companionship. We have little time, but spread your thighs and allow me to make love to you, and I will release you all. No one else needs to know."

"You—" Sue bit back a curse. She stared through the slits of his strange goggles to glimpse the light-sensitive eyes beneath. He was ruthless, dangerous. Possibly dangerous enough to do exactly what he said.

"How do I know you'll keep your word?" Sue said.

"If I wanted to **** you, I would have done it already, while you were asleep," the Mole Man pointed out. "I'd have killed your companions and made you my personal sex ****. But I do not desire a ****. A willing partner, however ****, is better than simply taking what I want."

And he did want her. Sue could see that too. The way his eyes wandered up and down her body made her shiver. It was sick.

What the Mole Man did not tell her, because there was no need, were the details of his agreement with Doctor Doom. Killing the Fantastic Four out of hand was out of the question; the timeline should be preserved until the point of divergence when the older Mole Man had come back to instruct his younger self. The rest of the Fantastic Four were safe—but the Invisible Girl did not know that.

Sue bit her lip. She couldn't believe she was in this impossible position. Worse, she couldn't believe she was considering this. Yet what choice did she have?