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Warning: Spoilers Ahead for Fantastic Four #33!One of the Fantastic Four‘s closest allies has sacrificed himself for their lives, and accidentally revealed himself to be the secret creative force behind the entire Marvel Universe.
With Doctor Doom stripping Ben Grimm of his powers in the current Fantastic Four series, the rest of the team are all losing their abilities completely. But in Fantastic Four #33, Valeria Richards realizes the team can capture the cosmic rays needed to regain their powers… if they travel to the beginning of the universe, nanoseconds after the Big Bang occurs. Totally unaware that the Fantastic Four’s mission will rewrite the creation of Marvel’s Universe.
HERBIE Sacrifices His Life To Save The Fantastic Four From The Big Bang
Fantastic Four #33; Written by Ryan North; Art by Cory Smith, Wayne Faucher, Jesus Aburtov
As readers would expect, Reed Richards considers Valeria’s plan unfeasible due to the universe’s extreme temperature and quickly-evolving variables. Valeria clarifies that they would only travel back to that setting for the smallest fraction of a second, returning to the present day just as quickly, with their powers restored. But as Reed dismisses the risks due to any substance being “absolutely eradicated within a second of survival,” the family’s robotic butler suddenly appears as a solution.
HERBIE may be atomized within nanoseconds, but his sacrifice accidentally becomes a key part of the Marvel Universe’s entire history.
The issue is narrated by HERBIE, the Fantastic Four’s robot support member, who is capable of being upgraded and operating at a speed fast enough to actually pull off this deadly mission. Proud that by assisting the Fantastic Four, he’s assisting “the world,” readers everywhere will be drying their eyes when the mission goes wrong the moment they arrive. Leaving HERBIE to sacrifice himself in the Big Bang to save his Fantastic Four family.
The Death of HERBIE is Revealed To Have Created The Entire Universe
The Robot’s Heroic Sacrifice Made All The Difference, Potentially
Tragically having gained the awareness that HERBIE is not alive, and therefore cannot die, the robot’s sacrifice succeeds in repowering the heroes and returning them home. What’s more, pulling off the feat so quickly, they barely register that the entire trip even took place. But being obliterated by the Big Bang turns out to be much more than just a noble death, as Valeria and Reed contemplate the way in which their time travel actions changed the past.
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Ben Grimm’s rocky form and tough persona are linked to his deceased brother’s legacy and his struggle to live up to that image.
Since the entire team was intended to have returned intact, both geniuses theorize that they accidentally turned their loyal service robot into the imbalance the universe needed to keep matter and antimatter from canceling each other out. HERBIE may be atomized within nanoseconds, but his sacrifice accidentally becomes a key part of the Marvel Universe’s entire history, potentially the actual being responsible for the expansion of the universe and everything within it.
The previous form of HERBIE (a far simpler AI system) is restored by Reed upon their return, having been backed up in case of his destruction. Which means that HERBIE may never know the depths of his sacrifice and resulting impact, but his selfless heroism will remain intact regardless.
Fantastic Four #33 is available now from Marvel Comics.
Fantastic Four (2022)
“}]] An unexpected hero becomes part of the Big Bang. Read More