EARTH-8312 (EARTH-THE INVISIBLE GIRL HAD DIED)
Type: Divergent Earth
Environment: Earth-like
Usual means of access: Presumably vibrational attunement
Dominant Life Form: Atlanteans, humans, mutants
Significant Inhabitants: Annihilus, the Avengers (Captain America, Goliath, Hawkeye, Iron Man, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Thor, Wasp), Black Bolt, Black Panther, Black Widow, Daredevil, Doctor Doom, Doctor Strange, the Fantastic Four (Crystal, Human Torch, Mister Fantastic, Thing), Hercules, Invisible Girl, Willie Lumpkin, Alicia Masters, Medusa, Namor the Sub-Mariner, Spider-Man, the X-Men (Angel, Beast, Cyclops, Iceman, Marvel Girl)
Significant Locations: The Baxter Building, the Negative Zone
First Appearance: What If? I#42 (December, 1983)
History: (What If? I#42) - Not long after discovering the Negative Zone, Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four decided to bring the Human Torch and the Thing with him on an expedition into the Zone. While Mister Fantastic, Human Torch, and Thing battled the alien Annihilus in the Negative Zone, Reed's wife, the Invisible Girl, prepared to give birth to their first child but met with unexpected complications. After retrieving the Cosmic Control Rod from Annihilus to save Sue; Reed, Thing, and the Torch attempted escape via a small craft but Annihilus soon caught up to them and captured them in a pressor beam that forced them in place. Realizing that time was of the essence if they were to save Sue, Mister Fantastic managed to subdue Annihilus and the trio once again made their way back. When they arrived at the hospital, Reed was horrified to hear that their battle with Annihilus had kept them too long and that Sue had died in childbirth. Not long after, a massive funeral was held for Sue, with nearly every superhero attending. During the funeral, Namor noticed a strange glint in Reed's eyes and asked if he could stay at the Baxter Building to help. The Thing took Namor aside in private and asked his intentions, to which Namor replied that he noticed something in Reed's eyes that worried him. That night, Reed went to his lab and erased all of his research. Soon after, the Thing was awakened by Namor punching through his wall with claims that Reed had disappeared. Namor explained that Reed had been getting worse and led both Ben and Johnny to the Negative Zone portal, claiming that when he looked into Reed's eyes, he saw a man on a suicide mission. In order to save Reed, Ben and Johnny agreed to travel into the Negative Zone with Namor as their navigator. Reed soon located Annihilus and announced that he had come to kill him. He then grabbed Annihilus and began to drain his life energy using a machine of his own design. Ben, Johnny, and Namor soon caught up with Reed and tried to talk him out of killing both himself and Annihilus, but Reed exclaiming that they couldn't take away his revenge. Annihilus noticed Reed's distraction and took advantage of the situation to bite Reed, causing him to fall further into the Negative Zone. Reed and Annihilus drifted towards a nearby sun and the Thing dove after them, trying to save Reed. Unfortunately, Reed turned on the motors of his flight harness and rocketed himself and Annihilus away from Ben, saying goodbye as he shot both himself and Annihilus into the sun. The Thing then made his way back to Namor and Johnny, and the trio sadly began their trek back to Earth.
Comments: Created by Peter B. Gillis, Ron Frenz, and Joe Sinnott.
The divergent point for this reality was during Fantastic Four Annual#6 (1968).
The designation for this reality was revealed in Marvel Encyclopedia Vol. 6: Fantastic Four.
Clarifications:
Earth-The Invisible Girl Had Died had no known connection to
Annihilus was an alien from the Negative Zone who was using the Cosmic Control Rod to extend his life, like his Earth-616 counterpart. When Reed, Ben, and Johnny stole the Rod, Annihilus caught up to them and captured them, preventing them from making it back to Earth with the Rod to save the Invisible Girl. In order to gain revenge for his wife's death, Reed soon returned and flew both himself and Annihilus into a nearby sun in the Negative Zone.
Annihilus had wings capable of flight and used various technological devices, like his Earth-616 counterpart.
--What If? I#42 (#42d
Susan Storm Richards was a member of the Fantastic Four who had taken a leave of absence while pregnant with her and Reed's first child. When the time came for it to be born, Sue experienced complications due to her irradiated blood. That same day, Reed discovered the Negative Zone and led himself, the Thing, and the Human Torch on an expedition into it. A native of the Zone named Annihilus attacked them, but the trio managed to escape with Annihilus' Cosmic Control Rod, which they hoped could save Sue. Unfortunately, Annihilus caught up with them and recaptured them, preventing them from making it back to save Sue and when Reed, the Thing, and the Human Torch finally did make it back, they were too late to save Sue.
The Invisible Girl had the same invisibility and force generation powers of her Earth-616 counterpart.
--What If? I#42 (#42d
Reed Richards was the inventor leader of the Fantastic Four and after discovering the Negative Zone, Reed led the Thing and the Human Torch on an expedition. While in the Negative Zone, Reed discovered that his wife had gone into labor but was suffering complications due to her irradiated blood. Reed was soon attacked by the Negative Zone inhabitant Annihilus, whose Cosmic Control Rod Reed thought could save Sue. Retrieving it, Reed and the others made a break for Earth but they were soon captured by Annihilus. When they finally made it back, Reed was horrified to find out that they were too late and that Sue had died during childbirth. Following the funeral, Reed erased the years of research he had done and travelled into the Negative Zone on a suicide mission to gain his revenge on Annihilus. The Thing, the Human Torch, and Namor the Sub-Mariner attempted to talk him out of it, but Reed eventually rocketed himself and Annihilus into a nearby sun within the Negative Zone, killing them both.
Mister Fantastic had the same stretching abilities that his Earth-616 counterpart had.
--What If? I#42 (#42d
images: (not counting ads)
What If? I#42, p4, pan4 (Annihilus)
p7, pan1 (Invisible Girl)
p13, pan3 (Avengers' reaction to death, Main Pic)
p24, splash page (Mister Fantastic)
What If? I#42 (December, 1983) - Peter B. Gillis (story), Ron Frenz (breakdowns), Joe Sinnott (finishes)
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Last Updated: 07/10/06
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ANNIHILUS
INVISIBLE GIRL
MISTER FANTASTIC