FOLD SHIP
Classification:
Terrestrial spacecraft
Creator: Mister
Fantastic (Reed Richards)
User/Possessors:
Michael Collins, the
Fantastic Four (Black Panther (T'Challa), Human Torch (Johnny Storm),
Storm (Ororo Munroe), Thing (Ben Grimm))
First Appearance:
Fantastic Four III#544 (May, 2007)
Powers/Abilities/Functions:
The Fold Ship was
equipped to technologically fold the fabric of space itself, allowing
for near-instantaneous space travel. The Fold Ship also had rocket thrusters
for vertical takeoff and was fortified for travel through outer space.
It often contained various other Reed Richards-designed devices, such as
life support bracelets that allowed its wearers to survive in space and
an extendable ladder.
History:
(Fantastic Four III#544 (fb) -
BTS) -
Mister Fantastic introduced his theories on folding space itself. The
following year, Mister Fantastic had adapted his theories into the
space-folding Fold Ship spacecraft.
(Fantastic Four III#544) - Upon
learning that Uatu
the Watcher was one of the last beings to see the apparently deceased
hero Gravity, the Fantastic Four decided to use their Fold Ship to
visit Uatu at his home on the Blue Area of Earth's moon. Due to the
Ship's capabilities, their trip was nearly instantaneous. After
learning that Gravity's body had been stolen, the Fantastic Four
rocketed from Uatu's home via the Fold Ship and traveled into space,
where they found the cosmic entity Epoch, who warned the heroes not to
meddle. Eventually attacking the Fantastic Four to prevent them from
interfering, Epoch fired on the Fold Ship, warning them that if "the
herald" found her then "he" would not be far off. Just then, the Silver
Surfer arrived, explaining that Epoch feared his arrival.
(Fantastic Four III#545) - From the Fold Ship, the Fantastic Four donned life support bracelets and went out onto the ship's hull in an attempt to reason with the Silver Surfer, who tried to warn them that his master, Galactus, must feed. The Fantastic Four's ally, Michael Collins, piloted the Fold Ship while the Fantastic Four engaged the Silver Surfer in battle. Eventually, the battle was halted but Galactus was summoned to the Fold Ship's location. Seeing the most strategically sound move, the Black Panther climbed back into the Fold Ship just before a reborn Gravity appeared.
(Fantastic Four III#546) - Black Panther and Michael Collins
used
the Fold Ship to travel back toward Earth. Along the way, the Black
Panther contacted the Wakandan Taku and ordered him to prepare the
Black Panther's Galactus Contigency Plan. He also explained to Collins
that he had a contigency plan for if the Fold Ship could not get them
back into space in time to prevent Galactus from destroying the rest of
the Fantastic Four. Landing the Fold Ship at the Wakandan Palace Royal,
the Black Panther gathered together his Galactus Contigency Plan items,
as well as the two time and space-manipulating King Solomon's Brass Frogs.
Black Panther and Michael Collins then used the brass frogs to travel
instantly to the Fantastic Four's location, where the Fantastic Four
battled the Silver Surfer and Stardust
until Gravity used his powers to feed Galactus, effectively ending the
threat.
Comments:
Created by Dwayne McDuffie, Paul Pelletier and Rick Magyar.
It kind of makes you wonder if the Black Panther just kept the Fantastic Four's Fold Ship after their battle with Galactus. He used it to travel to Wakanda and then, following the battle with Galactus, returned the Fantastic Four back to the Baxter Building, apparently leaving the Fold Ship in Wakanda...
Given that Mr. Fantastic had designed Fold-Space Transceptors
in the
early issues of Fantastic Four III, it seems plausible that he used the
same technology to create the Fold Ship.
Profile by Proto-Man.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Fold Ship has no known connections to
images:
(without ads)
Fantastic Four III#544, p14, pan1 (Fold Ship, main image)
Fantastic Four III#544, p15, pan4 (Fold Ship folding space)
Appearances:
Fantastic Four III#544 (May, 2007) -
Dwayne McDuffie (writer), Paul Pelletier (pencils), Rick Magyar (inks),
Tom Brevoort (editor)
Fantastic Four III#545 (June, 2007) - Dwayne McDuffie (writer), Paul
Pelletier (pencils), Rick Magyar (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Fantastic Four III#546 (July, 2007) - Dwayne McDuffie (writer), Paul
Pelletier (pencils), Rick Magyar, Scott Hanna (inks), Tom Brevoort
(editor)
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
First Posted: 07/06/2014
Last Updated: 07/02/2014
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