The Mad Thinker

It was the size of the Empire State Building. A titan that strode up from the depths, its destination unmistakable. Seawater fell from its grey skin, the blocky, eyeless head fixed on the object of its obsession.

A colossal Awesome Android was attempting to steal the Statue of Liberty.

"Where's the Mad Thinker?" Sue Storm said. "How is he controlling it?"

"He isn't!" Reed shouted, as the Fantasticar sped toward the grotesque titan. "No signals. It's autonomous! Perhaps he lost control of it?"

Johnny Storm was already speeding ahead, the Human Torch directing a stream of flame toward the goliath to distract it from its aim. One massive hand swung up and nearly swatted him out of the sky.

"Johnny!" Sue cried out. She glowered.

Concentrated.

Blood burst from her nose as the Invisible Woman exerted herself far beyond her normal usage of her powers. For a moment, no-one saw the effects. Then a seam appeared across the android's midsection. The top half of the colossus swayed and fell backwards, into the ocean, with a massive splash.

That was when it began to disassemble into hundreds of smaller androids.

"Ah, heck," Ben Grimm said.

The Mad Thinker strode into Dr. Stone's office, having quietly convinced the advanced security that he was not, in fact there. He was a big man, powerful, with a shock of brown hair and an expression of serene thought. A massive intelligence at work on a new problem. His not-so-little distraction would keep the Fantastic Four busy while he investigated what he had determined to be a potential weak point in the FF's cohesion.

It took the Mad Thinker two minutes to hack the advanced systems in the desk. He recognized the Latverian design of the electronics, and Doctor Doom's involvement intrigued him. The Mad Thinker's greatest weakness, he knew, was his devastating lack of creativity. He could adapt, engineer, and build, but original conceptions were always a profound difficulty for him.

As the Fantastic Four dealt with an army of Awesome Androids, the Mad Thinker reviewed Moonstone's notes on her "treatment" of Sue Storm. He noted the frequencies on which her implants operated, the purpose of the treatment, the fact that Sue Storm was currently not wearing underwear.

All of which was very interesting.

The Mad Thinker thumbed a control nodule on a small communicator built into his collar, based on one of Reed Richard's designs. He gave the command.

"Concentrate on the Invisible Woman. Unclothe her."

Satisfied his order would be carried out, the Mad Thinker began to install his own small additions to Doom's hardware and software. He doubted his androids would overwhelm the Fantastic Four, even with their numbers. But they might well embarrass Sue Storm. That would serve his own purposes. And when she returned here, the Mad Thinker would be able to monitor her "treatment."

And intervene, if the opportunity presented itself.

Some of the Awesome Androids attempted to reform into a giant again. Others simply charged at the Fantasticar when it landed. Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm went on the offensive, smashing and burning their way through the mass of grey bodies.

Yet it was Sue Storm who was having the worst of it. Her invisible **** fields could cut or smash dozens of them at a time, but each time she did so, they reformed into smaller versions. Foot-high versions had slipped past her guard and ripped at her costume, and Sue desperately made parts of herself invisible as she was exposed. She could feel cold wind on her nipples, a wet sea-breeze on her exposed crotch.

"Susan!" Reed said. "Stop trying to smash them! Use your powers to contain them!"

It was easier said than done. Finally, Sue had enough.

"Johnny!" she shouted. "Light me up!"

The Invisible Woman created a molecule-thin invisible shell over her entire body, which not even the androids could penetrate. Moments later, her world dissolved into white fire as Johnny doused the area with flame. When the light vanished, only Sue Storm was left standing.