Fantastic Four (2005)/Transcript

FANTASTIC FOUR
 by
 Mark Frost and Michael France
 
 based on the Marvel comic book by
 Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
 Shooting Script
 
 FADE IN:
 CLOSE ON A MASSIVE STEEL HEAD
 Our first thought: DR. DOOM? But it's not moving. A
 welder's torch sparks into frame in the hands of a sculptor
 on scaffolding. This is art, an epic 20 foot statue going up
 of a business mogul (VICTOR VON DOOM) in whose generously
 extended hands sit two intertwined columns of DNA. His face
 is chiseled, angular, perfect (too perfect). Past sparks, we
 MOVE down to pick up...
 EXT. STREET/VON DOOM INDUSTRIES TOWER - DAY
 REED RICHARDS and BEN GRIMM head toward the soaring glass-box
 atrium of VDI Headquarters. Designed to inspire awe, it
 does.
 REED
 High open space, exposed structural
 elements. Obviously aimed at first
 time visitors to create feelings of...
 smallness, inadequacy.
 Ben glances at Reed, who looks a little nervous.
 BEN
 Good thing it ain't workin... Reed,
 what are we doing here? This guy's
 fast-food, strip-mall science --
 REED
 This wasn't our first stop, in case
 you forgot NASA. And Victor's not
 that bad. He's just a little...
 (seeing the statue)
 Larger than life.
 INT. VON DOOM INDUSTRIES TOWER - DAY
 They move past the statue, into the sprawling atrium.
 REED
 He's financed some of the biggest
 breakthroughs of this century.
 BEN
 You'd never know it.
 He motions to a high-tech ORB, showing FOOTAGE of VDI's
 accomplishments: a safe and clean nuclear facility, the first
 private Space Station.
 All images have VICTOR front and center, glad-handling George
 Bush, Tony Blair, shady International Leaders. The last
 image is Victor holding the AMERICA'S CUP.
 BEN (CONT'D)
 Jesus. That too?
 They reach three stern RECEPTIONISTS.
 REED
 Reed Richards and Ben Grimm to see --
 A receptionist cuts him off, handing them each a pass.
 FEMALE RECEPTIONIST
 Executive elevator, top floor.
 BEN
 What's the price for a smile round here?
 They head for the elevator. Reed carries a small, black box. 
 As they enter the elevator, steel doors shut and we CUT TO --
 INT. VON DOOM INDUSTRIES TOWER - OFFICE - DAY
 A large, dark office. Ben in the corner. He yawns,
 watches...
 BRIGHT HOLOGRAMS: Stars. Planets. They hover in the air,
 making the room feel like a majestic portal into outer space.
 REED (O.S.)
 My research suggests that exposure to
 a high-energy cosmic storm born on
 solar winds might have triggered the
 evolution of early planetary life.
 REED stands among the holograms, speaking to a MYSTERIOUS
 FIGURE in shadow behind a desk. An ominous, PULSATING RED
 CLOUD covers the stars. It washes over a hologram of EARTH.
 REED (CONT'D)
 In six weeks another cloud with the
 same elemental profile will pass
 Earth's orbit. A study in space could
 advance our knowledge about the
 structure of the human genome, and
 help cure countless diseases, extend
 human life --
 The SHADOW clears his throat. Reed speeds up, emotional.
 REED (CONT'D)
 Give kids the chance to be stronger,
 healthier, less prone to --
 SHADOWED FIGURE
 Turn it off. Please.
 The figure's DEEP VOICE pierces the darkness.
 REED
 But I haven't fully explained my --
 SHADOWED FIGURE
 Yes you have... Imagination.
 Creativity. Passion. Those were
 always your trademarks.
 Lights brighten, revealing the face behind the voice: VICTOR
 VON DOOM. 35, handsome, commanding. He looks almost...
 airbrushed. He drops a WIRED magazine to the desk. REED is
 on the cover over the words: RICHARDS BANKRUPT, GRANT
 CUTBACKS. 
 VICTOR
 But dreams don't pay the bills, do
 they?
 (a condescending smile)
 Same old Reed, the hopeless optimist. 
 Still reaching for the stars, with the
 world on your back.
 REED
 You remember in school we talked about
 working together. That's what I was
 about to explain...
 Reed presses the remote. Another hologram appears: A SHUTTLE
 slowly approaching AN ORBITING SPACE STATION. Both bear the
 VON DOOM INDUSTRIES logo. Victor smiles, more intrigued.
 VICTOR
 So it's not my money you want. It's
 my toys... Tell me: if NASA doesn't
 trust you, why should I?
 Victor is a step ahead. Reed pauses, thrown for a beat. Ben
 wakes up, suspicious. Victor notices. He notices
 everything.
 VICTOR (CONT'D)
 That's my job. To stay a step ahead. 
 To know what other men don't.
 Ben gets close to Reed, turning toward the door.
 BEN
 I can't take this.
 REED
 (low, quiet)
 Ben. This is business. Just work.
 
 A beat. Victor cracks a smile, enjoying the tension. And...
 SUE (O.S.)
 He's right, Ben.
 They turn to see...SUE STORM (demure, stunning) standing in a
 corner...possibly for the whole presentation. A little cold:
 SUE (CONT'D)
 It's just business.
 VICTOR
 I think you both know my Director of
 Genetic Research, Susan Storm.
 BEN
 Heya Susie.
 (under breath, to Reed)
 One more thing he's got.
 Sue gracefully walks into the office, only taking her eyes
 off of Reed to give Ben a warm hug.
 SUE
 Ben, it's been too long.
 She gives Reed a polite handshake. Victor watches carefully. 
 Reed looks uncomfortable in her gaze. A little tongue-tied.
 REED
 You're, you've, I mean, how have you
 bee--
 SUE
 Never better.
 Victor sizes them up. He puts a hand on Sue's shoulder.
 VICTOR
 This isn't going to be a problem, is
 it?
 REED
 Not at all.
 SUE
 Ancient history.
 Victor smiles, eyeing Sue.
 VICTOR
 Good. Then you're just in time to
 hear the great Reed Richards ask me
 for help.
 (to Reed)
 You know, you made a lot of folks at
 MIT feel like a junior high science
 fair. So you'll excuse me if I savor
 the moment.
 Ben tightens. A hard beat. Reed sucks it up.
 REED
 You back this mission, and I'll sign
 over a fair percentage of any
 applications or --
 VICTOR
 The number's seventy-five. And it's
 applications and patents.
 BEN
 What about his first born?
 REED
 (quiet)
 Ben, the money's not important. We
 could save lives.
 Sue gives a thin smile -- a flicker of old feelings.
 VICTOR
 Twenty-five percent of a billion is
 enough to keep the lights on, isn't
 it? Maybe even pay off your fourth
 mortgage on the Baxter Building.
 They look at Victor. How does he know all this...?
 VICTOR (CONT'D)
 Deal...?
 Reed looks at Ben, who shakes his head softly no. But
 Reed...drops a nod. Done. Victor smiles, offers a
 handshake.
 VICTOR (CONT'D)
 Well then, to our future. Together.
 Victor squeezes. Hard. His other hand on Sue's shoulder.
 VICTOR (CONT'D)
 Funny how things turn out, isn't it?
 REED
 Hilarious.
 As Reed and Sue lock eyes, Ben watches Victor. Wary.
 INT. VICTOR'S OFFICE - MOMENTS LATER - DAY
 Director of Communications LEONARD enters, checking files.
 VICTOR
 If Reed's right, then this little trip
 will double our stock offering.
 LEONARD
 And if he's not...?
 VICTOR
 Reed's always right. Good thing he
 doesn't always know what he's got...
 INT. VON DOOM INDUSTRIES TOWER - ELEVATOR - MOMENTS LATER
 Reed and Ben step into the elevator.
 BEN
 He knew about NASA. What if he made
 the call to shut us down --
 REED
 Ben, think about all the people we can
 help if this works --
 BEN
 Maybe you should think about yourself
 for once. You always let this guy
 push you round --
 REED
 We got what we wanted. That's
 enough.
 BEN
 I know, I know. I'm just worried
 about what he wants... Speaking of
 which...
 Reed follows Ben's eyes to...SUE. She joins them. Doors
 shut.
 INT. VON DOOM INDUSTRIES STAIRCASE - CONTINUOUS
 SUE
 You sure about this, Reed?
 He nods, head down. He doesn't want eye contact.
 REED
 Those solar winds are flaring, but I
 factored them into my coordinates and --
 SUE
 I was talking about us. Working
 together.
 Sue holds her eyes on Reed. He is clearly uncomfortable in
 her gaze. Did the elevator just get smaller?
 REED
 (thinking, talking fast)
 Well, uh, based on our history...you
 can handle the biogenetics, and I'll
 focus on the molecular physics. Or,
 uhm, maybe I should take the biotech,
 you work the microscopes, since you
 have some background in electropho--
 SUE
 (droll, a little annoyed)
 Right. That's exactly what I meant.
 She shakes her head -- same old Reed. He looks at her --
 what did he say wrong? Ben smiles, patting Reed on the
 shoulder.
 BEN
 Way to not overthink it.
 (to Sue)
 So when do we leave?
 SUE
 I'll schedule the launch. Call me in
 the morning to talk about resources
 and crew.
 She offers a business card. Reed doesn't take it.
 REED
 I, uh, think I remember the number.
 SUE
 It's been changed.
 Beat. Ben grimaces. Reed takes the card, his eyes down.
 REED
 As far as crew, I was hoping Ben could
 pilot the mission --
 SUE
 Well, he's welcome to ride shotgun,
 but we already have a pilot on our
 payroll. You remember my brother
 Johnny...
 Off Ben's curdling smile, we DISSOLVE TO --
 EXT. LAKE LAUNCH FACILITY - DAY
 A helicopter shot through trees. We soar over timberland,
 and find something massive looming on the horizon:
 A SPACECRAFT. A sleek take on a space shuttle. Modern tech
 combined with industrial design that NASA could never afford. 
 The craft's nose is pointed straight up, ready for launch. 
 WORKERS IN JUMPSUITS are scattered around the two-hundred
 foot tall scaffolding, performing routine checks.
 EXT. GANTRY OVERLOOK - DAY
 Ben stares up at the craft. A sneer on his face.
 BEN
 Can't do it. I cannot do it.
 REED
 External SRBs, orbital system engines. 
 Its just like the shuttles you flew
 in --
 BEN
 No. I cannot take orders from that
 underwear model. That wingnut washed
 out of NASA for sneaking two Victoria
 Secret wannabes into a flight 
 simulator.
 REED
 Youthful high spirits.
 They walk toward the base of the scaffolding.
 BEN
 They crashed it into a wall. A flight
 simulator.
 REED
 I'm sure he's matured since then.
 CLOSE on JOHNNY STORM, leaning over to kiss a hot redhead. 
 PULL BACK TO REVEAL he's riding a MOTORCYCLE, and she's
 driving a red CORVETTE with license plate: FRANKIE. PICK UP
 Reed and Ben, watching through binoculars.
 REED (CONT'D)
 When have I asked you to do something
 you absolutely said you could not do?
 BEN
 Five times.
 REED
 I had it at four.
 BEN
 This makes five.
 INT. LAKE LAUNCH FACILITY LOCKER ROOM - NIGHT
 Reed and Ben unpack gear into lockers. Suddenly --
 JOHNNY (O.S.)
 Captain on the bridge!
 Ben goes to attention on reflex: Johnny snaps a picture with
 a digital camera. Then advances, as Ben realizes who it
 is...
 JOHNNY (CONT'D)
 Digital camera: $254. Memory stick:
 $59. The look on your hard-ass former
 CO's grill when he finds out he's your
 junior officer: priceless.
 Ben eyeballs Johnny, suddenly reaches up as if to grab him. 
 Johnny flinches. But Ben just reaches for Johnny's zipper,
 adjusts his uniform.
 BEN
 I can handle the ship. I can even
 handle Mr. Blonde Ambition. But I
 don't know if I should be flying or
 playing Vegas in these suits. Who the
 hell came up with them?
 SUE
 Victor did.
 Sue enters, wearing her blue, wetsuit-like uniform, carrying
 a stack of flightsuits. She hands them out to the guys.
 SUE (CONT'D)
 The synthetics act as a second skin,
 adapting to your individual needs to --
 JOHNNY
 Keep the hot side hot, and the cool
 side cool!
 REED
 Wow. Fantastic.
 Reed stares at Sue in the skintight outfit. She wonders,
 maybe hopes -- is he actually checking her out?
 REED (CONT'D)
 Material made from self-regulating
 unstable molecules. I've been working
 on a formula for this.
 SUE
 Great minds think alike.
 VICTOR (O.S.)
 Guess some think faster than others.
 Victor enters, wearing his custom-tailored flightsuit.
 VICTOR (CONT'D)
 I hired Armani to design the pattern. 
 These colors will look great on
 camera.
 A DOOR OPENS. Leonard enters, in a sharp suit.
 LEONARD
 They're ready for you, sir.
 VICTOR
 Showtime.
 EXT. LAKE LAUNCH FACILITY - HALLS - NIGHT
 Leonard leads Victor through the halls. Victor checks
 himself in mirrors as he walks, fixing his hair, his uniform.
 LEONARD
 Our numbers are through the roof. The
 IPO's tracking at fifty, sixty a
 share. The bank's five times
 oversubscribed --
 VICTOR
 It's not just the money. I could make
 money in my sleep.
 LEONARD
 Then what is it?
 VICTOR
 History, Leonard. History. 
 Everything else is conversation...
 (a beat)
 How's the other matter?
 Leonard pulls out a BOX. Opens it: a TEN KARAT DIAMOND RING.
 LEONARD
 Harry Winston sends his regards.
 They hit a set of big doors. Victor stops and looks into the
 reflective, metallic surface on the wall. He fixes one last
 strand of hair. Perfect. Then he opens the door to... 
 SNAP!SNAP!SNAP! WHIP-PAN a row of CAMERAS snapping shots of --
 EXT. LAKE LAUNCH FACILITY - NIGHT
 Retrofitted into a makeshift press area. Victor sits on a
 platform, with reporters stretched out below him.
 VICTOR
 Today we stand on the edge of a new
 frontier. In the furthest depths of
 outer space...we will find the secrets
 to inner space. The final key to
 unlocking our genetic code lies in a
 cosmic storm...
 BEHIND THE ACTION: Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben walk past. News
 crews barely notice, passing without even taking a picture. 
 Our "Fantastic Four" are not exactly big news. Not yet.
 BEN
 Isn't that your speech?
 REED
 He's made a few changes.
 BEN
 This is your dream, Reed. You should
 be the one up there.
 REED
 Victor's better at these things.
 Just past the press area, they see...one woman standing,
 waiting. This is DEBBIE, Ben's fianc�e. And for the first
 time in the entire film...Ben SMILES. They hug, kissing. 
 Johnny and Reed watch. Reed glances at Sue, who walks ahead. 
 Debbie slips a photo into Ben's flightsuit. A tender beat.
 BEN
 I'll be watching over you.
 DEBBIE
 Just get back soon, or I start looking
 for a new groom.
 Ben looks at the little ENGAGEMENT RING on her finger.
 BEN
 Soon as I'm back, I'm gonna trade that
 in for a bigger rock.
 DEBBIE
 I don't care about rocks, I care about
 you.
 (to Reed)
 You bring him back in one piece, or
 you can forget being Best Man.
 Reed nods, smiles. Debbie gives Ben a last kiss. Ben turns
 to Johnny, who gives a cocky smile.
 BEN
 What the hell you smiling at? Just
 keep your mouth shut, and your mind on
 those SMBs --
 JOHNNY
 Actually, the engines are SMEs.
 Hydrogenbase, carbon propellant. 
 Couple generations past your last
 ride.
 (at the threshold)
 I'm not as dumb as you look.
 Ben just glares at Reed. This is going to be a long trip. 
 As they follow after Sue, we CUT BACK TO --
 VICTOR ON STAGE
 Mid-speech. Playing behind him is REED'S HOLOGRAM: stars
 give way to a pulsating red cloud...
 VICTOR
 Think of a world without genetic flaws
 -- no asthma, allergies, baldness,
 breast cancer...
 Ben and Reed hear the speech. Ben bristles.
 BEN
 What's wrong with being bald...?
 Victor smiles at the crowd, commanding. A true leader.
 VICTOR
 Darwin discovered evolution. Now we --
 I -- will define it. Only in America
 could...
 The red cloud of cosmic rays wash over the Earth.
 VICTOR (V.O.) (CONT'D)
 ...a little country boy from Latveria
 build one of the biggest companies in
 the world, and truly reach the stars. 
 Now if you'll excuse me, history
 awaits...
 On those words, the HOLOGRAM TRANSFORMS TO...Von Doom's
 SHUTTLE on the launch pad. BOOM! THRUSTERS FIRE WHITE HOT. 
 Smoke billows across the pad. Ready for take off.
 Victor walks past the hologram and exits. His departure
 perfectly timed with the shuttle LIFTING OFF.
 We push in on the shuttle, and follow the ship as it leaves
 Earth's atmosphere. BOOM -- booster rockets fall away and
 the shuttle fires its thrusters. The hologram transitions
 to...
 A shot of the SPACE STATION high above the Earth. The
 shuttle enters from the top, lighting up the hologram with
 engines afire. As the shuttle approaches the station we CUT
 TO --
 EXT. DEEP SPACE - SAME
 THE SPACE STATION in the distance, rotating in orbit above
 Earth. THE SHUTTLE eases in and docks.
 INT. SPACE STATION - COMMAND CENTER - SAME
 Victor and Sue lead the others into the command center.
 JOHNNY
 (a "dad voice": to Ben)
 If you behave, maybe next time
 daddy'll let you drive.
 BEN
 Keep talking, there won't be a next
 time.
 Reed is focused on THE EARTH.
 SUE
 Long way from the projection booth at
 the Hayden Planetarium, isn't it?
 Reed turns towards her -- a little stunned that she would
 bring that up. It's the first time she's been nice to him so
 far. He smiles, gently, hesitantly, always hesitant with
 Sue.
 REED
 Yes. Yes it is.
 Johnny and Ben exchange a look. Reed keeps looking at the
 stars, eyes wide, like a little kid.
 INT. SPACE STATION - COMMAND CENTER/OBSERVATION DECK - SAME
 They enter the nerve center of the space station. Victor
 goes to a computer console on the observation deck below. 
 The windows are closed, so there's nothing to observe.
 VICTOR
 (to ground; via comm-link)
 Leonard, how's the feed?
 LEONARD (V.O.)
 Recording, sir. We see you perfectly.
 Victor glances at a camera mounted into the console.
 SUE
 We can monitor the cloud's approach
 and observe the tests from here.
 BEN
 Is it safe?
 REED
 The shields on the station should
 protect us.
 BEN
 Should?
 VICTOR
 What's wrong, Ben? Eighty-million
 dollars worth of equipment not enough
 for you?
 Ben turns to Victor. A little tension. Reed cuts it:
 REED
 Let's start loading those samples. 
 Get your suit ready, Ben.
 Victor keeps his eyes on Ben.
 VICTOR
 So you still do all the heavy lifting?
 Victor gives a friendly smile, patting Reed.
 VICTOR (CONT'D)
 Maybe you should have stayed back in
 the lab. Field work never suited you.
 Reed doesn't defend himself. Ben steps up.
 BEN
 He does the talking. I do the
 walking. Got it?
 Victor holds tight to his smile. He nods, condescending.
 VICTOR
 Got it. So take a walk, Ben...I'm
 going to borrow Susan for a second.
 REED
 Sure.
 Ben and Johnny read his eyes, as we CUT TO --
 INT. SPACE STATION - AIR LOCK - LATER
 Ben preps for a space walk, putting on a helmet and boots. 
 Johnny unloads a set of clear sample boxes off of a cart,
 each containing a variety of plants.
 JOHNNY
 Please tell me your dawg's not trying
 to rekindle things with my sister.
 BEN
 'Course not. Strictly business.
 JOHNNY
 Yeah, well, his eyes say different.
 BEN
 Hey, two hearts got busted last time. 
 Maybe she's not over it either.
 JOHNNY
 Let's see: you got Victor, stud of the
 year, more coin than God? Or Reed,
 the world's dumbest smart guy worth
 less than a postage stamp. Hmmm, it's
 a toss-up.
 BEN
 Put your tiny little mind at ease.
 JOHNNY
 Don't you wander off, boy.
 Johnny steps out of the air-lock and shuts the door. He
 looks through a small window to see Ben give the thumbs up. 
 THE AIRLOCK DOOR opens, and Ben gracefully steps into space.
 INT. SPACE STATION - OBSERVATION DECK - SAME TIME
 Sue descends the stairs at Victor's behest. Joins him.
 VICTOR
 Surprised I agreed to Reed's proposal?
 SUE
 I understand the business reasons.
 VICTOR
 Well, when you're looking at your
 future, it never hurts to find closure
 about the past.
 Sue's eyes narrow. What is this about...?
 VICTOR (CONT'D)
 Susan, every man dreams that he'll
 meet some woman he can give the world
 to.
 He presses a button and the observation deck's outer windows
 open up, revealing a spectacular, romantic view of the EARTH.
 VICTOR (CONT'D)
 In my case, it's not just a metaphor.
 While she stares out the window, Victor reaches into a
 pocket, revealing a RING BOX. Sue looks unsettled.
 INT. SPACE STATION - NEARBY CORRIDOR - SAME TIME
 Reed checks data on a work station, set on a wall. The
 results of his calculations are not what he expected... He
 sees WIND VELOCITY digits rise. He does a double-take when
 he sees the readout: EVENT THRESHOLD, T-MINUS 10:00.
 REED
 No...no...impossible. It's...too
 fast.
 INT. SPACE STATION - OBSERVATION DECK - SAME TIME
 Behind his back, Victor holds the ring box in hand.
 VICTOR
 You've been with me two years now.
 Sue doesn't know where this is going. She treads lightly.
 SUE
 It's been a good two years, Victor...
 The company's accomplished so much.
 VICTOR
 Right, of course, the company... But
 you see, I've come to realize all the
 accomplishments in the world mean
 nothing without someone to share them
 with --
 SUE
 Uh, Victor, I hope I haven't done
 something to make you think...
 VICTOR
 Sue, I've lived my life unafraid of
 taking big steps. And this is the
 biggest step yet. If it helps, think
 of this as a promotion. A merger of
 sorts...
 (getting closer)
 Four little words that can change our
 lives...
 He is about to spring the ring on her. She looks like a deer
 in headlights. She opens her mouth, and...WHAM! Doors slam
 open. REED RUSHES INTO THE ROOM.
 REED
 The cloud is accelerating!
 Victor quickly puts the ring back in his pocket.
 REED (CONT'D)
 I don't know what happened.
 Sue quickly moves to a nearby control panel to verify Reed's
 claim. Starts punching buttons. Confirms Reed's findings
 with a nod. Victor hardens, in control.
 REED (CONT'D)
 We've got minutes until it hits, not
 hours...Victor, that storm's deadly --
 the radiation's lethal. We need to
 abort.
 VICTOR
 Get a grip. Reed. We didn't come all
 this way to lose our nerve at the
 first little glitch. Just close the
 shields...
 REED
 Ben's still out there --
 VICTOR
 So reel him in. But we came here to
 do a job. So let's do it. Quickly.
 EXT. SPACE STATION - MOMENTS LATER
 Ben is carefully arranging SAMPLE BOXES OF PLANTS.
 REED (ON RADIO)
 Ben, we need you back inside.
 Ben turns to see Reed and Johnny staring from a window.
 BEN (INTO RADIO)
 I ain't done arranging your flowers,
 egghead.
 REED (ON RADIO)
 Ben. This is serious. Turn around.
 Ben sees Johnny motioning for Ben to look behind him. Ben
 turns and sees: THE COSMIC STORM, rumbling toward the
 station. Not close, but not far. That gets Ben's attention.
 BEN (INTO RADIO)
 Roger that, on my way.
 He turns back towards the ship. BEHIND HIM, the storm grows.
 INT. SPACE STATION - COMMAND CENTER - SAME TIME
 Victor rushes into the room, looks at the monitors. Sees the
 others near the airlock on one screen, and the approaching
 cloud on another. Anxiety creeps across his face.
 AUTOMATED VOICE
 Event threshold in two minutes.
 INT. SPACE STATION - AIRLOCK DOOR - SAME TIME
 Reed and Johnny stand by the airlock, waiting for Ben. They
 heard the automated voice. It panics Reed.
 REED
 Come on, Ben, come on...
 VICTOR (ON RADIO)
 Reed, we're running out of time.
 EXT. OUTER SPACE - MOMENTS LATER
 A wake of turbulence from the cloud hits Ben, making it
 harder to maneuver. The cloud's tendrils snake toward him.
 INT. SPACE STATION - AIRLOCK DOOR - SAME TIME
 They can see Ben outside the window, still twenty yards away. 
 The entire corridor rumbles. Lights flicker and spark. They
 watch helplessly.
 INT. SPACE STATION - COMMAND CENTER/OBSERVATION DECK - SAME
 Sue watches the monitor, also helpless.
 SUE
 Johnny... Reed...
 Victor, annoyed by the indecisiveness, marches right up to
 Sue. Practically shoves her aside as he hits the INTERCOM.
 VICTOR
 Reed, you need to get up here so we
 can close the shields! Now!
 Sue glares at Victor. His lack of compassion shocks her.
 REED (ON RADIO)
 Not until Ben is back inside!
 VICTOR
 It's too late for him, and soon it'll
 be too late for all of us.
 Victor doesn't bother to wait for a response. He takes over
 the console, punching keys.
 SUE
 What are you doing?
 VICTOR
 Raising the shields.
 SUE
 You can't leave them out there.
 Sue glares with as much contempt as her face can muster.
 VICTOR
 Watch me. Reed had his chance. You
 can't help them any more than I can.
 Beat. She takes a step toward the door. Not sure what to
 do.
 SUE
 I can try.
 With one final glare, she bolts from the room.
 INT. SPACE STATION - AIRLOCK DOOR - SAME TIME
 Reed bites his lip. Thinks. He decides.
 REED
 Victor's right. Johnny, get to the
 command center. Close the shields.
 
 JOHNNY
 What about you?
 One look from Reed tells Johnny, he won't leave without Ben. 
 Johnny eyes Ben, steels his courage. He's not going either.
 JOHNNY (CONT'D)
 (to Ben)
 Come on big guy, you can do it!
 INT. SPACE STATION COMMAND CENTER - DAY
 Victor watches the shields slide down. Alone. An island.
 AUTOMATED VOICE
 Event threshold in thirty seconds.
 INT. SPACE STATION - CORRIDOR - SAME TIME
 Sue races down the hall. Not panicked. With determination.
 EXT. SPACE STATION AIR LOCK - DAY
 The exterior air lock door slides open. In agonizing,
 weightless slow motion Ben reaches to haul himself inside. 
 The leading edge of the cloud hits: Ben is pelted by a
 hissing mass of space dust, splattering his suit with orange
 stains. Larger particles, small pellets, pepper him. Ben
 hauls himself in the last few feet by pulling on his tether.
 INT. SPACE STATION AIR LOCK/COMMAND CENTER - DAY
 AUTOMATED VOICE
 Event threshold in ten seconds. 
 TEN...
 Johnny punches controls to close the exterior airlock door...
 Reed opens a first aid kit, grabs a thermo-elastic blanket...
 INT. SPACE STATION - COMMAND CENTER/OBSERVATION DECK - SAME
 Clutching the diamond ring, Victor stands defiantly. Showing
 absolutely no concern for the others. Interested only in the
 event itself. Lights and equipment FALL, CRASHING around
 him.
 A control panel EXPLODES in Victor's face. He jumps back,
 and into the falling equipment. Collapses under the weight.
 INT. SPACE STATION - AIR LOCK - SAME TIME
 Sue rounds a corner, sees Reed and Johnny.
 SUE
 Johnny! Reed!
 AUTOMATED VOICE
 FIVE...FOOOOUUUR...
 SLOW MOTION: Everyone frozen in position as:
 -- JOHNNY is hit with sparks of flame from a control panel.
 -- REED REACHES out for Ben and the airlock door.
 -- VAPOR STREAM pours down on Sue from a blown gasket.
 -- THE SPACE DUST burns into Ben's skin.
 SLOW MOTION: Just BEFORE the exterior air-lock door closes, a
 SINGLE PARTICLE zips through the narrowing gap and hits Ben
 in the back, ripping through his suit. The exterior door
 shuts and seals. The station loses all power. DARKNESS.
 EXT. SPACE STATION - DAY
 As quickly as it came, the cloud passes on and whirls away,
 leaving the space station intact. Power quietly flickers on. 
 Silence. Time resumes. All four pick up exactly where they
 left off, unaware of anything that just happened to them.
 INT. SPACE STATION COMMAND CENTER - DAY
 Victor emerges from the rubble. He stands, checks his body. 
 A few scrapes, nothing serious. A thin, throbbing CUT on his
 head. He touches the wound, but it is not bleeding.
 INT. SPACE STATION AIR LOCK - DAY
 Reed and Johnny scramble to open the interior air lock door. 
 Sue joins them, as they pull Ben in. They try to remove his
 helmet. We don't see his face, but he's clearly unconscious.
 REED
 He's not responsive --
 JOHNNY
 Ben! Ben!
 INT. VON DOOM COMPOUND HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY
 A BLACK SCREEN:
 JOHNNY'S VOICE
 Ben, wake up! Wake up!
 SUBJECTIVE CAMERA, BEN'S POV: The blurry image of Johnny
 comes slowly into focus, standing beside a hospital bed.
 BEN (O.S.)
 Where...where am I?
 JOHNNY
 Back on Earth. Victor's medical
 facility... We're in quarantine.
 BEN (O.S.)
 Reed? ... Sue?
 JOHNNY
 They're fine. Everybody else...is
 fine.
 Johnny looks away, as if he can't bear to lay eyes on him.
 BEN (O.S.)
 What's wrong with me?
 JOHNNY
 I swear to you they've done everything
 humanly possible. The best plastic
 surgeons in the world, Ben. You had
 the best --
 BEN (O.S.)
 Give me a mirror...
 Johnny picks up a hand mirror on the bed table before Ben can
 reach it, reluctant to give it to him.
 JOHNNY
 They said that's not such a good idea,
 the shock alone could --
 BEN (O.S.)
 Give me the god damn mirror!
 Ben grabs it from him. Then slowly raises it to look and see
 that...except for some serious stubble, Ben's totally normal.
 JOHNNY
 Unfortunately, the doctors just
 couldn't do anything to fix your face!
 He cackles as he heads for the door. Ben heaves the mirror
 at him, breaking it into hundreds of pieces. He turns to the
 side-table, and grabs that picture of DEBBIE. It calms him.
 EXT. VON DOOM COMPOUND - ESTABLISHING - DAY
 A modern facility of glass and stone, nestled in the forest. 
 In stark contrast to the lush greenery surrounding it.
 INT. VON DOOM COMPOUND HOSPITAL CORRIDOR/SUE'S ROOM - DAY
 Reed walks down the hall. His hair is GRAYING at the
 temples. He passes Johnny, who is smiling, still enjoying
 his joke on Ben. Johnny slows, looking at Reed's hair.
 JOHNNY
 Nice 'do. Going for the "grandpa"
 look?
 Reed passes a mirror, slowing, seeing his gray hairs. He
 keeps going. He passes a partially open door. He stops when
 he catches a glimpse of Sue asleep in bed. He sees a vase of
 flowers. He grabs a couple lilies, and enters.
 But Reed sees...the room is already FILLED with expensive
 flowers. All from VICTOR. Reed is trumped once again.
 A DOCTOR writes on Sue's chart. A wall TV plays a press
 conference with Victor, outside the FACILITY. He looks worse
 for wear. A few hairs out of place, and a small BANDAGE on
 his face. We PUSH INTO the press conference --
 REPORTER #1
 You've been accused in the past of
 moving science a little too fast --
 VICTOR
 Accused by who? My competitors?
 REPORTER #2
 But surely this accident gives you
 pause --
 VICTOR
 Danger is always part of discovery. 
 What would have happened if Ben
 Franklin never went out in a storm?
 Without risk, there's no reward.
 REPORTER #3
 So where's the reward? You promised a
 cure-all.
 Victor pauses. For the first time. Just a flicker.
 VICTOR
 And you'll have it. I've never come
 up short. And I'm not going to start
 now.
 REPORTER #2
 So you're still taking VDI public --
 VICTOR
 Yes, of course. I've never been more
 confident in the compan--
 Reed mutes the television.
 REED
 How's she doing?
 DOCTOR
 Stable. Vitals are strong.
 Reed takes the clipboard, looks for himself.
 REED
 Blood panels show no irradiation. 
 Good. You'll step up this protocol,
 every --
 DOCTOR
 Four hours. We know what we're
 doing... One more day of observation,
 then you're all cleared. 
 The Doctor takes his clipboard, and walks out. Reed steps to
 Sue, with the drooping flowers in his hand. Quiet:
 REED
 Sue...I want to tell you...I'm...
 WHOOSH. A NURSE rolls in with a tray bearing ten more
 extravagant bouquets. Reed looks resigned. He walks out.
 REED (CONT'D)
 She's allergic to orchids. Put that
 Amaryllis Apapathos by her bed. The
 African lilies? They're her
 favorites.
 Reed exits, dropping his two wilted lilies into the trash. 
 Sue opens one eye, as the big lilies land by the bed.
 INT. VON DOOM COMPOUND HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY
 A SEXY NURSE wheels a testing station into Johnny's room. 
 He's stripped down to Calvins, changing into a ski outfit.
 SEXY NURSE
 And where do we think we're going?
 JOHNNY
 I don't know if "we've" noticed, but
 the sickest runs this side of the Alps
 are right outside that window --
 NURSE
 I've noticed... But doctor's orders,
 you're not allowed to leave until we --
 JOHNNY
 Finish the tests, I know -- could you
 give me a hand with this zipper?
 NURSE
 You know this is not a ski resort.
 JOHNNY
 Not yet.
 Johnny opens the cardboard box, revealing a colorful
 fiberglass object the size of a briefcase. In the blink of
 an eye, he unfolds it into a LONG SNOWBOARD.
 JOHNNY (CONT'D)
 Luckily grandma still sends care
 packages.
 The nurse pops a thermometer in his mouth to shut him up.
 NURSE
 You are trouble.
 JOHNNY
 (thermometer in his mouth)
 Brubbles my Triddle Name.
 They both pay more attention to his zipper than the digital
 read-out: it runs right up past 98.6, then accelerates fast.
 SEXY NURSE
 You're hot!
 JOHNNY
 So are you!
 SEXY NURSE
 I mean, you feel a little feverish.
 JOHNNY
 I've never felt better in my life. 
 When do you get off work?
 SEXY NURSE
 My shift ends at four, but I couldn't --
 JOHNNY
 Meet me at 4:01, top of the run. 
 That'll give you a minute to freshen
 up.
 He hands her the thermometer, a quick kiss and he's out the
 door. The machine beeps: Johnny's temperature is 209
 DEGREES.
 EXT. VON DOOM COMPOUND HOSPITAL PATIO - DAY
 Ben finds Reed on a patio with a panoramic view. Reed works
 at a laptop computer.
 BEN
 How long was I out?
 REED
 Three days. I was worried about you. 
 How are you feeling?
 BEN
 Solid.
 Ben can see Reed doesn't look too solid.
 BEN (CONT'D)
 How you doing?
 Reed shakes his head, looking back at his screen.
 REED
 I don't know. I just keep going over
 and over the numbers.
 BEN
 Reed. Even you can't compute every
 little thing.
 REED
 I should have done more, run more
 tests --
 Ben gets closer, pushing down Reed's computer screen.
 BEN
 It was a freak of nature. Last I
 checked, you don't have a crystal
 ball. Let it go.
 Reed considers. But he can't let it go. He opens his
 computer back up, returning to work. Ben shakes his head,
 looks out at the view. His eyes catch on something, wheels
 turning.
 BEN (CONT'D)
 You go through something like this,
 makes you appreciate having the right
 woman in your life.
 REED
 Yeah, you and Debbie and perfect --
 BEN
 Reed, I'm not talking about Debbie.
 Reed follows Ben's eyes to a lower level patio: SUE.
 REED
 What? Come on. She's got a good
 thing with Victor --
 BEN
 I'm sorry, did that cosmic-bath loosen
 your screws?
 REED
 He's smart, powerful, successful --
 BEN
 Well maybe you should date him.
 Reed looks at Ben, resigned.
 REED
 Ben. He'll give her the life she
 deserves. She ended up with the right
 guy. Things worked out for the best.
 Reed steps away. Ben stands alone, an idea sparking.
 BEN
 Do I have to do everything myself?
 INT. HELICOPTER/EXT. MOUNTAIN SUMMIT - DAY
 The chopper hovers over this pristine peak. JOHNNY and his
 NURSE sit in the chopper-bay, prepping their ski gear. 
 Johnny's customized snowboard has wild, acrylic patterns.
 His Nurse wears a hot pink cat-suit, her skis dangling out. 
 Their bodies are close: a sexy, competitive flirtation. They
 look down at a death-defying black diamond run.
 JOHNNY
 Me like-y.
 SEXY NURSE
 Stay right. Left is trouble.
 JOHNNY
 I though we went over this.
 SEXY NURSE
 Last one down springs for room
 service.
 She pulls down her goggles, jumps out. Johnny drops out
 after her, hitting the snow. He smolders: literally. The
 snow bank behind him sizzles and starts to melt.
 He takes off after her and the chase is on:
 EXT. BLACK DIAMOND RUN - DAY
 The Nurse knows every inch of the trail, slicing expertly in
 and out of the trees through deep powder. Johnny's a speed
 freak, maximizing velocity, closing the gap between them. 
 Ghostly FLAMES shoot off his hair: his ski cap catches fire,
 flies off. Jets of fire knife through the back of his jacket.
 The Nurse looks back: In a burst of speed, Johnny draws even. 
 She looks over and sees the flames shooting out behind him...
 SEXY NURSE
 You're on fire!
 JOHNNY
 Not this again --
 SEXY NURSE
 No: You're ON FIRE!
 Johnny sees his gloves are burning, flicks them off in alarm. 
 His body SHUDDERS: the back of his ski suit catches on fire. 
 A burst of flame launches him down the slope like a rocket.
 Nurse loses concentration, falls. Johnny races away like a
 missile, screaming in exhilaration. He looks back -- no
 nurse.
 He tries to put out his flaming clothes, and accidentally
 VEERS to the LEFT. He fails to notice the giant CHASM in
 front of him. He faces forward and...
 SCREEAAMMS! LAUNCHING off the cliff, LEGS FLAILING, trying
 to catch ground. FLAMES begin to TRAIL his body as he FALLS
 towards the rocks below. He tries to will his body away. 
 Instead, his body becomes engulfed in flame. He is a HUMAN
 TORCH! And for a moment he HOLDS THE AIR -- the fire giving
 him some kind of...LIFT. He maneuvers just over the rocks,
 almost making a 90 degree turn.
 He looks back at the rocks in disbelief. But the lift
 doesn't last long. He quickly CRASHES, landing HARD into a
 snowbank.
 He opens his eyes; tries to move but can't. He's trapped
 under snow and ice. With all his strength, he tries to move,
 NO DICE. Panic sets in. His eyes go wide as the snow around
 quickly begins to melt. Johnny is on fire, and within
 seconds he's sitting in a small POND, steam rising from the
 water.
 The nurse races toward the steam. Scared, panicked. She
 finds Johnny...smiling, sitting naked in an impromptu hot
 tub, staring at his hands. His body. Exhilarated.
 JOHNNY
 Care to join me?
 She smiles and unzips. The FLAMES DISSOLVE TO...CANDLES IN --
 EXT. VON DOOM COMPOUND - VICTOR'S OFFICE - DAY
 On an expansive parapet with a billion-dollar view, Victor
 prepares a romantic dinner-setting as his staff scurry about. 
 He checks every fork and knife, with a slightly manic energy.
 VICTOR
 How's the IPO?
 LEONARD
 Stable. We're looking at low
 twenties. It's a good number,
 considering the fallout from --
 VICTOR
 Reed's disaster. You know, I half-
 think he did this to me on purpose.
 LEONARD
 Sir, I'm sure he wouldn't put himself --
 But Victor is on to the next thought, always strategizing.
 VICTOR
 Get me on the AM shows, Larry King,
 cover of the Journal...
 (staring into silver tray)
 I've got to do something about this
 scar. Make sure they only shoot my
 right side.
 LEONARD
 Actually, uh, people seem to think the
 scar "humanizes" you.
 VICTOR
 And that's a good thing?
 Victor looks at the scar, enraged by this defect. It
 glistens in the silver tray. His eyes are bloodshot,
 sleepless.
 LEONARD
 You know, maybe you should get some
 rest --
 VICTOR
 Later. First, I've got some
 unfinished business. A deal that
 needs closing...
 Leonard looks at the table, the lavish spread. A beat.
 LEONARD
 Sir, I've always wondered... Why Sue? 
 You could have any woman in the world
 but --
 VICTOR
 That's why. Because I could have
 any other woman... You know, when
 they asked Caesar "why England," he
 said, "because it's not mine."
 INT. VON DOOM COMPOUND DINING HALL - LATE AFTERNOON
 Two dozen EMPLOYEES sit and eat. Others serve themselves at
 the buffet. Ben and Sue walking into the dining hall --
 SUE
 I can only stay for one drink, Ben. 
 I've got to meet with Victor.
 BEN
 Wouldn't want to keep Vic waiting.
 They turn a corner and find Reed, entering by another door.
 BEN (CONT'D)
 Hey Reed, what are you doing here?
 (before he can answer)
 Great, why don't you join us?
 He quickly shepherds the two of them toward a quiet table. 
 Ben's stomach GROWLS; so loud that they all can hear it.
 BEN (CONT'D)
 God, I'm starving. Gonna hit the
 buffet.
 Ben's stomach growls again, even louder this time.
 INT. VON DOOM COMPOUND DINING HALL - EVENING
 The sun is long gone, and so are most of the diners. The
 room is darker, more romantic. Ben finishes the last shrimp
 on his plate, pushes it away, belches prodigiously.
 BEN
 Pardon me...
 Sue and Reed stare at him. Ben's stomach growls again.
 REED
 Are you alright?
 BEN
 I think I need to lie down. Bad
 shrimp.
 This was Ben's plan, but he really isn't feeling well,
 unsteady when he walks away. He looks down at his stomach.
 BEN (CONT'D)
 Really bad shrimp.
 ANGLE: Fireplace. Sue looks gorgeous in the light. A beat. 
 A long beat. Reed doesn't know where to start with this
 woman.
 REED
 Feeling better?
 SUE
 Yes, thanks.
 REED
 That's good. That's uh...good.
 SUE
 You always had a way with words.
 (an awkward beat)
 I should be getting back.
 Sue gets up to leave. Exasperated, Reed tries to think of
 something, anything, to say.
 REED
 I'm really happy for you and Victor.
 She slows down, looking at him. She was hoping for more.
 SUE
 You're happy for me and Victor.
 REED
 I can tell you guys are enjoying what
 was the best part of our relationship --
 SUE
 Which was?
 REED
 Passion.
 We see surprise on Sue's face, and...
 REED (CONT'D)
 For science.
 SUE
 (frustrated)
 You are such a dork, Reed... You never
 got it and never will unless it's
 explained to you in quantum physics.
 As if triggered by her emotion, the fireplace light around
 her BENDS. The flames flicker in a ghostly breeze.
 REED
 What? What did I say?
 She looks more disappointed than angry.
 SUE
 It's never what you say. It's what
 you don't say. What you don't do...
 She lets that hang. A lot of history here. Quiet, hurt --
 she wants Reed to fight for her, to show some emotion.
 REED
 I...I...I just wanted to --
 As Sue's emotions swirl, she slowly...disappears.
 SUE
 It's been two years, and all you can
 say is you're happy for me and some
 other guy...
 (standing up, hurt)
 You know, Victor may be a lot of
 things, but at least he's not afraid
 to fight for what he wants...
 (Reed looks down)
 And it's nice to be wanted sometimes. 
 To be heard...seen... Reed, look at
 me.
 He looks up...but all that's left of her is the blush on her
 cheek and her bewitching eyes. He drops his fork, shocked.
 REED
 Uh, Sue...? I can't.
 SUE
 What? What do you mean you --
 REED
 Sue...look at your hands.
 She raises her hands, but we don't see them. We only see a
 medical waistband...floating. Her watch...floating. Her
 clothes appear to be suspended in mid-air.
 Sue is invisible. She shrieks and gets up -- knocking a
 GLASS off the table...
 SLOW MOTION: The glass flies off the table, tumbling... Reed
 instinctively reaches for the bottle: his arm stretches two
 feet out of his sleeve -- grabs it just before it hits -- 
 Then snaps back into place. Reed stares at his arm in
 disbelief. Sue's eyes widen as well. The rest of Sue
 reappears. They look at each other: mutual alarm.
 JOHNNY (O.S.)
 You guys will not believe what just
 happened!
 They look up to see JOHNNY in the doorway, NAKED except for
 the nurse's PINK PARKA wrapped around his midsection.
 INT. VON DOOM COMPOUND - VICTOR'S OFFICE - EARLY EVENING
 CLUNK. The candles burn low on the table. Victor strides
 out, heading for the door. He runs his hand through his hair
 to comb some strays. A CLUMP comes off in his fingers. He
 PAUSES. He steps to a mirror, stares at his hair. His SCAR. 
 It is longer than the bandage now (as if it SPREAD). Victor
 peels back the bandage, and sees the scar is bluish-gray. 
 Deep, unhealthy, maybe infected...
 INT. VON DOOM COMPOUND - HALLWAY - EARLY EVENING
 DOUBLE DOORS burst open. Reed, Sue, and Johnny urgently
 walk.
 SUE
 It has to be the cloud. It's
 fundamentally altered our DNA.
 REED
 Let's not jump to conclusions, we need
 a massive amount of evidence before
 making that leap.
 Reed glances over his shoulder. He stares. Sue follows his
 gaze to see: Johnny's FINGERTIPS are on fire. He SNAPS his
 fingers. They GO OUT. He's totally unharmed.
 JOHNNY
 Now what is up with that?
 REED
 (deadpan)
 The cloud has fundamentally altered
 our DNA.
 JOHNNY
 Cool. What'd it do to you guys?
 SUE
 Apparently I can disappear.
 JOHNNY
 Please tell me you go silent too. 
 Only one thing on Reed's mind --
 REED
 We have to find Ben.
 EXT. VON DOOM COMPOUND - OUTSIDE BEN'S ROOM - EARLY EVENING
 Johnny snaps his fingers -- which generate small explosive
 bursts of flame. He turns it on and off, like the "CLAPPER."
 JOHNNY
 Flame on, flame off. Flame on, flame
 off --
 SUE
 Johnny.
 He does it again. Flame on, flame off.
 SUE (CONT'D)
 Stop it.
 JOHNNY
 Okay, "mom."
 Reed's about to knock on Ben's door when he hears the
 banging, moaning and pleading inside. Johnny smiles.
 JOHNNY (CONT'D)
 Oh, you dawg you. Better not be my
 nurse!
 INT. VON DOOM COMPOUND - BEN'S ROOM - EARLY EVENING
 REED (O.S.)
 Ben, are you there?
 A creepy rippling movement begins beneath the sheet and
 gradually intensifies, reflected in the fabric's surface: the
 contours of Ben's body are changing, inflating, growing rough
 and craggy. SOUND of grinding heavy rocks.
 SUE (O.S.)
 Open up Ben, we need to talk.
 It all stops. A beat, then all four legs of the bed give way
 and it crashes to the floor. Under the covers, he groans in
 pain, and his voice is DEEPER, GRAVELY, but definitely CLEAR:
 BEN
 LEAVE ME ALONE!!!
 INT. VON DOOM COMPOUND - OUTSIDE BEN'S ROOM - EARLY EVENING
 Reed decides they can't wait any longer. He kneels to the
 floor. He concentrates, not sure if it will work...
 Suddenly, his arm STRETCHES, THIN ENOUGH TO CREEP UNDER THE
 DOORJAMB.
 INT. VON DOOM COMPOUND - BEN'S ROOM - EARLY EVENING
 Reed's arm wriggles under the door. It bends upward, swiping
 clumsily, until it finally grabs the knob. Rubbery fingers
 find the latch and unlock the door.
 INT. VON DOOM COMPOUND - OUTSIDE BEN'S ROOM - EARLY EVENING
 Reed focuses, and pulls. His arm snakes out from under the
 door and snaps back into place. His flesh and bones
 reforming before their eyes. Johnny stares at Reed.
 JOHNNY
 Ewwwwwwww. That is disgusting.
 They hear a tremendous SMASH from inside the room.
 INT. VON DOOM COMPOUND - BEN'S ROOM - EARLY EVENING
 They open the door. The room is trashed. Every stick of
 furniture smashed to splinters.
 REED
 ...Ben?
 Their eyes adjust; there's a huge hole where the window used
 to be. They rush to it. Looking out they see SOMETHING
 LARGE in the distance, running away.
 JOHNNY
 What is that thing?
 SUE
 I think that thing is Ben.
 Reed looks out, emotions roiling. Is that his best
 friend...? Suddenly, Victor comes around the corner (bandage
 bigger).
 VICTOR
 What's going on?
 SUE
 Victor, are you feeling alright?
 He considers, but never shows weakness. He nods.
 VICTOR
 Just a little banged up. A couple
 scrapes. Why?
 REED
 Ben did this.
 VICTOR
 Ben did this?
 REED
 He's had some kind of...reaction to
 exposure from the cloud. And he's not
 the only one.
 SUE
 We need to find him.
 Victor redirects his attention to Sue.
 SUE (CONT'D)
 Victor, I'm sorry I --
 VICTOR
 (cold)
 Just find him.
 Victor strides off, leaving the others.
 JOHNNY
 Anybody know where the big guy's
 going?
 We PUSH IN on a picture of Debbie lying on the floor, Reed
 knows exactly where Ben is going.
 REED
 He's going home.
 EXT. TRAIN YARD - NIGHT
 A view from Brooklyn: Manhattan glistens in the distance. 
 CAMERA MOVES down to A TRAIN YARD, where we find empty cargo
 trains. We PUSH IN on the main track, where...
 A CARGO TRAIN has just stopped. We hear a cargo DOOR slide
 open, then WHUMP! Big FEET hit the ground. Someone, or
 someTHING barrels into the night.
 EXT. BIG & TALL SHOP - NIGHT
 A locked storefront on Flatbush Ave. SOUND of breaking
 glass.
 INT. BIG & TALL SHOP - NIGHT
 SERIES OF SHOTS: Ben tries on clothes, shoes. Jackets rip,
 shoes split. He needs an extra extra extra large.
 EXT. PAY PHONE - NIGHT
 A HUGE FIGURE is huddled in shadow. It's Ben.
 CLOSE ON: The dial pad. Big fingers try to push keys but
 they're too large. Ben tries for a few seconds, getting more
 and more frustrated. He manages to press "0" with his pinky.
 BEN
 Hello, Operator?
 Ben looks up the street, into the 2nd story window of a
 modest, working-class home. His eyes go soft when he sees
 Debbie grab the phone.
 BEN (CONT'D)
 Deb... It's me. I need you to step
 out front.
 DEBBIE
 Out front? You home, baby? I got
 a surprise for you.
 He blinks hard. Sad, dark.
 BEN
 I got a surprise for you too.
 EXT. BROOKLYN HOUSE - NIGHT
 Debbie steps out. There is "WELCOME HOME" sign over the
 door. She looks out. The wind blows softly. Something
 shifts in the darkness. Debbie pulls her robe tighter.
 DEBBIE
 Ben?
 BEN (O.S.)
 Don't come any closer for a sec. This
 is gonna be kind of a shock... You
 remember when we said "together
 forever no matter what"?
 DEBBIE
 Baby, you're scaring me.
 A hanging beat. And Ben...steps into the light, where we SEE
 HIM FOR THE FIRST TIME: he's HUGE, easily twice the size he
 once was, and AN ORANGY ROCKY SURFACE COVERS HIS ENTIRE BODY.
 Debbie sees him. Fear washes over her, not sure what to
 think. He reaches out, a little tentative. She flinches
 back.
 DEBBIE
 Oh my G-g-g. What did you...do to
 Ben?
 BEN
 Deb, it's me. It's still me.
 He reaches out. She recoils. It's too much for her. Tears
 swell in her eyes. Covering her mouth, she backs away.
 He takes a step closer. She backs away faster, tripping over
 her robe, falling into the street. A car screeches to a
 halt. Ben instinctively steps out to help, but she scurries
 back.
 DEBBIE
 Don't...don't...DON'T TOUCH ME!
 Her shout wakes NEIGHBORS. Lights flicker on. Ben knows he
 has to go. He looks at Debbie, sensing this is the last time
 he'll see her. She trembles, terrified. His eyes go moist.
 BEN
 I love you, Deb.
 With that, he turns away. The "WELCOME HOME" sign flutters,
 falls to the ground. A tragic tableau. As more lights go on
 around him, Ben picks up his pace, speeding into the dawn.
 INT. VICTOR'S COMPOUND OFFICE - DAY
 Victor packs a monogrammed Armani briefcase: "VDM" emblazoned
 on a gold plate. Leonard waits not-so-patiently.
 VICTOR
 Make sure you find Ben, bring him back
 here. And keep it quiet. I don't
 need this to hit the press.
 LEONARD
 Yes sir. You've got the Mayor at
 eight, then a nine-thirty interview
 with the Journal --
 VICTOR
 Front page?
 LEONARD
 Top left, like you asked.
 (a smile)
 Today Wall Street. Tomorrow, who
 knows...maybe Washington.
 Victor turns to Leonard, disappointed with him.
 VICTOR
 Leonard. Think bigger.
 EXT. BROOKLYN BRIDGE - DAY
 We swoop toward this epic monument. On a steel girder above
 the road, we see...a STATUE. BEN. He sits on the edge of
 the beams, staring down at the river below, brooding,
 muttering.
 BEN
 A few days in space, it'll be great,
 what's the worst that could happen?
 A PIGEON flutters past him, and drops a white gooey gift on
 his shoulder. Ben just glares up at the heavens.
 BEN (CONT'D)
 Perfect. Thanks.
 He hears the sound of someone SOBBING. He turns to see...a
 distraught BUSINESSMAN with a briefcase. The man drops his
 case, which PLUMMETS hundreds-of-feet into the RIVER.
 The Businessman looks out, ready to jump. He doesn't see Ben
 (or doesn't realize Ben is not a statue).
 BEN (CONT'D)
 You think you got trouble? Take a
 good look, pal, how bad could it be?
 The Businessman looks at Ben, terrified. Ben steps forward.
 BEN (CONT'D)
 Okay, easy there, buddy.
 Backpedaling, the man SLIPS, FALLING toward the ROADWAY! His
 arms flail, grabbing a narrow beam -- his fingers hold tight
 while his legs thrash over speeding traffic. Cars and trucks
 SKIM right underfoot. Ben shakes his head.
 BEN (CONT'D)
 You had to choose my spot, didn't you?
 Ben steps out to help, but...his WEIGHT BENDS the beam! The
 Businessman LOSES HIS GRIP! He FALLS TO THE ROAD, landing
 hard on the highway! A few PEDESTRIANS see Ben. They point. 
 Ben looks up, deer in headlights. He sees a massive TRUCK
 bearing down on the Businessman.
 BEN (CONT'D)
 This is really not my day.
 Ben DROPS to the street. WHOOMPF! He lands in front of the
 Businessman, SWEEPS him out of the way with one arm, and
 turns to the oncoming 18 WHEELER CAB.
 The DRIVER slams his brakes, eyes wide. The truck SWERVES,
 but cannot stop! Time slows to syrup, as Ben looks a little
 scared. He shuts his eyes, and...
 SHOULDER-BLOCKS the INCOMING TRUCK! A football move. The
 truck BUCKLES, POPPING a WHEELIE, CRUMPLING all the way to
 the windshield! It looks like a metal car-compactor.
 The truck SWERVES hard, its tail SMASHING into steel girders. 
 CARS SCREECH, SWERVE, SLAMMING INTO EACH OTHER, CAUSING A
 FOUR-LANE TRAFFIC ACCIDENT! Windows shatter, fires flicker. 
 One of the cars in an NYPD CRUISER. COPS clamber out.
 EXT. CAB ON HIGHWAY - DAY
 Reed, Johnny, and Sue sit in the back. They see the action
 on the bridge. Reed and Sue lock eyes, sensing the worst.
 EXT. BROOKLYN BRIDGE - DAY
 Ben stands in the middle of the chaos, staring at the
 destruction. He sees the tow-truck DRIVER bleeding, trapped
 in his cab. Ben moves to this burning hunk of steel.
 He SWIPES through the shattered window, and PUNCHES the
 airbag, POPPING it like a kid's balloon. He tries to grab
 the seat-belt, but his fingers are TOO BIG. He struggles.
 BEN
 A little help here?! You wanna hit
 that button, sir?
 The driver is too woozy. Ben can't get to the button. 
 Frustrated, he simply TEARS OFF THE DOOR, and RIPS THE
 DRIVER'S SEAT right out of the cab! COPS round the corner. 
 They see Ben holding onto the Driver. They raise their guns.
 COP
 FREEZE! PUT THE MAN AND THE SEAT
 DOWN!
 Ben looks at the cops. PEDESTRIANS stare, point. He
 realizes how this must look -- a monster holding a bloody man
 in hand.
 EXT. BROOKLYN BRIDGE - APPROACH - DAY
 At the back of the traffic jam, cars SCREECH to stops. The
 whole bridge is FULL of bumper-to-bumper traffic. We PUSH
 TOWARD one car: three doors pop open, and out come...
 REED, JOHNNY, SUE. They look through smoke and mayhem to
 see...their first full look at Ben. Reed stands gutpunched.
 JOHNNY
 Not even Ben deserves that.
 EXT. BROOKLYN BRIDGE - DAY
 Ben puts the seat down, with the Driver on it. He lunges
 behind a truck. The cops try to follow, but FLAMES push them
 back. Ben lurches away, head down, self-conscious.
 He tries to hide from ONLOOKERS around him and PEDESTRIANS on
 walkways overhead. He wants to escape, but hears SCREAMING
 MOTORISTS. He grits his teeth, and moves to help them.
 EXT. BROOKLYN BRIDGE - GRIDLOCK - DAY
 Reed, Sue, and Johnny race toward the flames. All other
 people head in the OPPOSITE DIRECTION. BRIDGE POLICE herd
 the crowd away from the accident.
 BRIDGE COP
 Back! We're evac-ing the bridge. 
 Reed, Sue, and Johnny slow down, swap glances.
 SUE
 What now? Reed...? What do we do?
 MOVE IN ON REED. A first test of leadership. But he is not
 a leader. Not yet. Sue gets closer to him.
 SUE (CONT'D)
 Ben's out there. Let's go get him.
 BRIDGE COP
 Maybe you didn't hear me. Those cars
 are gonna blow sky high, any second.
 REED
 Look, we've got a friend out there in
 trouble. We need to get to him before --
 BRIDGE COP #2
 Nobody gets past this point.
 A hard beat. Reed signals Sue with a look, a nod.
 SUE
 What?
 REED
 (mutters)
 We need to get past them.
 He motions to her body. She understands. She concentrates,
 and starts to turn invisible.
 BRIDGE COP #1
 What the hell is this? A magic show?
 But her clothes don't go invisible. Beat. Reed mutters:
 REED
 Sue. Your clothes. Lose them.
 SUE
 What...?
 (realizes)
 Oh.
 She unbuttons her blouse. Not thrilled with the idea. She
 wriggles out of her pants. Down to her skivvies. She
 reaches back to undo her bra...momentarily loses
 concentration and becomes visible. The sight of Sue in her
 undies grabs the COPS' attention. Everyone watches, stunned. 
 The realization that she's visible hits her like a ton of
 bricks. Cops are transfixed. So is Reed.
 JOHNNY
 This is wrong in so many ways.
 REED
 You've been working out.
 SUE
 Shut up.
 Sue takes a deep breath. Closes her eyes. Focuses. Nothing
 happens. She's embarrassed and furious.
 SUE (CONT'D)
 Any more ideas, Reed? Maybe you
 should strip down next, see how it
 feels to have fifty people staring --
 ...and she DISAPPEARS. Entirely. Undies float. Jaws drop.
 REED
 Uh, Sue?
 She stops ranting. Realizes she's gone invisible.
 SUE (INVISIBLE)
 Oh. Well then...
 The undies drop. The cops stare open-mouthed. They turn to
 look at Reed, astonished. He sheepishly shrugs his
 shoulders.
 JOHNNY
 I'm gonna need serious therapy.
 A beat. She walks away. The cops watch her, gaping. By the
 time they turn back around, Reed and Johnny are gone,
 disappearing into the clouds of smoke.
 EXT. BROOKLYN BRIDGE - DAY
 A news CHOPPER flies around the bridge, fighting for the best
 angle on the action.
 EXT. BROOKLYN BRIDGE - ACCIDENT - DAY
 Reed races through wreckage. He tries to see over a big
 TRUCK, and his neck STREEETCHES!
 He finally sees...BEN. Reed wraps around a car, and...BOO! 
 His face snakes right in front of Ben. Ben jumps.
 BEN
 What the --!
 REED
 Ben. Are you okay?
 BEN
 Am I okay?! You wanna explain that?! 
 He motions to Reed's neck. Then to his own body:
 BEN (CONT'D)
 Or this?! What the hell am I? 'Cause
 I sure ain't Ben anymore.
 Reed opens his mouth, but he has no answer. Not yet.
 SUE (O.S.)
 REED! BEN! LOOK OUT!
 Ben spins, looking for Sue. He can't see her. But he does
 see...A CAR INCHES AWAY, WITH GAS TANK FLAMING!
 BOOOOM! The first car BLOWS! BOOOM!BOOOOM!BOOOOOM! Empty
 cars BLOW in a chain-reaction. The flames are mushrooming! 
 Reed SWIPES his ARMS OUT, holding people back. His arms
 FLATTEN to form a barricade -- FACES INDENT his skin.
 FLAMES lash out. A pack of attractive YOUNG WOMEN scream. 
 Johnny LEAPS toward them. His feet LEAVE THE GROUND, giving
 him extra lift. He SPINS, lands, and embraces the women,
 SHIELDING them from flames which burn up his back. He looks
 the ladies up and down, and gives a cheesy smile.
 Sue SCREAMS. She puts her hands up (a normal reflex). The
 air seems to RIPPLE around her hands, like FORCE-FIELDS.
 She looks at them, surprised, confused. Her invisible fields
 SPIRAL OUT, partially CONTAINING the blast. But the flames
 hurtle closer. She fights the pressure. Blood trickles from
 her nose. Just as the white hot blast is about to hit her... 
 Sue is dressed again. Visible. She SCREAMS, and PUSHES THE
 FORCE DOWN INTO THE ROAD! She collapses, as the blast
 deflects off the street and into...
 An oncoming FIRETRUCK! BOOOOM! The firetruck is KNOCKED OFF
 THE GROUND, SLEWING SIDEWAYS. Brakes scream. Its tail
 slashes out, PUNCHING through the guard-rail.
 THE BACK OF THE TRUCK DANGLES OUT, HUNDREDS OF FEET ABOVE THE
 WATER! FIREMEN hang off the back and sides. The truck
 TEETERS, falling! Ben wastes no time. He GRABS onto the
 front of the truck, just as it goes off the side!
 He DIGS his heels into the ground, but his feet DRAG across
 the concrete, digging grooves into the street.
 ON THE DANGLING FIRETRUCK: FIREMEN climb out, clawing toward
 the bridge. Their truck SWINGS. Bits and pieces tumble down
 at them -- a hose, an axe, a helmet. All deadly now. The
 HANGING LADDER swoops down, with men RIDING ON IT!
 Ben SCREAMS! STRAINING with all his might. Ben SCREAMS! 
 His muscles ripple, and...he takes his first step...back. 
 Another scream. Another step. Another. Another. Epic,
 painful.
 He is pulling the truck back onto the bridge, inch by inch. 
 His footsteps THUD. With monumental effort, he levels the
 truck. Firemen scurry over hoses and ladders, some climbing
 over Ben.
 Reed tends to Sue who has fainted from her effort. Ben steps
 back from the truck and slumps to the street exhausted. Wary
 cops close in to cover him with weapons, but...
 The FIREMEN slowly begin to APPLAUD. The crowd of onlookers
 joins in as well. Sue, Reed, and Johnny seem surprised,
 touched by the reaction. But Ben seems uncomfortable. 
 Firemen step forward to offer Reed a couple of their coats;
 he hands one to Johnny and uses the other to cover Sue.
 EXT. BROOKLYN BRIDGE - DAY
 Ben sees a familiar face in the masses: DEBBIE. Ben steps
 toward her, but she stops him with a look. She places
 something on the ground and runs off into the crowd.
 Ben sees something GLISTENING on the ground. He stoops over
 to pick up...her ENGAGEMENT RING. His big fingers can't grip
 it. He tries in vain. Hopeless, pathetic. A beat. And... 
 A hand grabs the ring. It's Reed. Quiet, close.
 REED
 I swear to you, I will do everything
 in my power until there is not a
 breath left in me: you are going to be
 Ben again.
 Off the wounded look in Ben's eyes, wanting to believe him...
 INT. VICTOR'S OFFICE - DAY
 Victor sits with remote in hand, staring at his plasma TV. 
 ON THE TV: he sees a crowd of firemen applauding the new
 Fantastic Four. For the first time they strike a heroic
 pose. Leonard enters, with a phone in his hand.
 LEONARD
 Uh, sir...Larry King called, to
 cancel.
 (seeing the TV, a beat)
 Apparently, there's a bigger story.
 Victor sees Reed put his arms around Sue as he covers her
 with the jacket. And the penny drops: he's FURIOUS. As it
 hits him, he feels something odd. He looks down at his
 hand...at glints of gleaming METAL poking through flesh.
 EXT./INT. EMERGENCY HOLDING AREA - DAY
 An impromptu command center -- a series of police tents,
 surrounded by EMERGENCY VEHICLES, NEWS VANS, FIRETRUCKS.
 INT. EMERGENCY HOLDING AREA - TENT - DAY
 Reed, Sue, Ben and Johnny sit together, getting changed. 
 They get ready to go, but the CHIEF FIREMAN enters, stopping
 them.
 CHIEF FIREMAN
 There's some folks outside, want to
 talk to you.
 REED
 We're not going public with this. 
 We're scientists, not celebrities.
 CHIEF FIREMAN
 Too late, son.
 He turns on a little TV MONITOR in the corner. NEWS FOOTAGE
 plays on all stations, with the tagline: FANTASTIC FOUR.
 CHIEF FIREMAN (CONT'D)
 That's what they're calling you. The
 Fantastic Four.
 JOHNNY
 Nice.
 Johnny heads for the exit.
 SUE
 Johnny, slow down. Let's think this
 through, a second.
 Johnny pauses. Rubs his chin once. And...
 JOHNNY
 Okay. Done thinking.
 He runs out. Sue, Ben, and Reed swap glances, knowing Johnny
 cannot be their spokesman. They take off after him, out to --
 EXT. EMERGENCY HOLDING AREA - PRESS FIELD - DAY
 CLICKCLICKCLICK! Fifty cameras flash. The field is full of
 press. Our heroes freeze, shocked by the crowd.
 Johnny eats up the attention. Ben turns, self-conscious. 
 Reed notices. The Chief Fireman turns to them.
 CHIEF FIREMAN
 So which one of you's the leader?
 Johnny does not hesitate.
 JOHNNY
 That'd be me.
 CHIEF FIREMAN
 No seriously.
 A beat. Sue and Ben turn to Reed. The Chief hands him a
 mic.
 CHIEF FIREMAN (CONT'D)
 You're on, son. They all want a
 statement.
 All eyes go on Reed. He looks out, gulps hard. A long beat.
 REED
 Uh, during our recent mission to the
 Von Doom space station, we were
 exposed to as yet-unidentified
 radioactive energy, most likely some
 kind of nucleotide compoun--
 Nobody came for a science class. A crush of questions
 overwhelms Reed:
 VARIOUS REPORTERS
 What happened on the bridge? Does it
 hurt to stretch? Were you really on
 fire? Is it true that one of you can
 fly?
 JOHNNY
 Working on it. And it's a lot harder --
 SUE
 We don't know much more than you do,
 at this point. Which is why we will
 be going directly to the lab, where we
 can diagnose our symptoms and --
 REPORTER #2
 Symptoms? So it's like a disease?
 Reed looks at Ben's face, feeling the guilt. Ben is lost in
 thought, looking at Deb's ENGAGEMENT RING. Johnny leaps in.
 JOHNNY
 Symptoms? Please. If having powers
 is a disease, then yeah we got it. 
 And we are gonna blow your minds. 
 There's a new day dawning. The day of
 the Fantastic Four.
 REPORTER #3
 That thing doesn't look too fantastic.
 The Reporter nods toward Ben. Ben's fists tighten, the sound
 of rocks crushing together. Reed feels the pain.
 REED
 Ben Grimm is a genuine American hero
 who's been through a terrible orde--
 JOHNNY
 What he's trying to say is: every team
 needs a mascot...
 Reporters laugh. Ben turns his head away. Reed burns.
 REED
 Look, we went up to space to find a
 way to understand DNA, to cure
 disease, save lives. Well, now it's
 our DNA, our disease, our lives on the
 line...
 (a beat)
 Thank you. No more questions.
 Reed, Sue, and Ben get up to go. The press waits a beat,
 then surges. Ben spins, holding up one finger. A giant.
 BEN
 Be nice.
 The press step back, intimidated. Flashbulbs POP, and Ben's
 FACE FREEZES. It goes BLACK-AND-WHITE on a NEW YORK POST in --
 EXT. BANK - DAY
 Establishing shot of a historic New York building.
 INT. BANK - CONFERENCE ROOM - CONTINUOUS
 BANKERS sit around a table. LAPTOPS hum. The lead banker is
 power-broker NED CECIL. The men keep their eyes on Victor.
 NED CECIL
 Well, Victor, the bank would like to
 congratulate you. On the fastest
 freefall since the Depression. We
 can't even give your stock away.
 VICTOR
 Ned, you know I can turn this around.
 Ned motions to the paper, the picture of BEN.
 NED CECIL
 You promised a cure-all, and came back
 with this. Who the hell's going to
 invest in a biotech company that turns
 its workers into circus freaks?
 Victor's grip tightens around the table, and...the LAPTOPS
 FLICKER, losing feeds.
 Victor looks down at his hands -- a private beat (did I do
 that?) He lets go of the table; screens go back to normal.
 VICTOR
 (pointed)
 I really appreciate all your support.
 NED CECIL
 You've got a week, Victor. One week
 to turn this around. Or we pull
 out...
 (a beat)
 This meeting is over.
 Victor looks at him, blood boiling, and we CUT HARD TO --
 INT. BANK - HALLWAY - DAY
 Victor and Leonard stride out. Victor is writhing.
 VICTOR
 Goddamn book-keeper doesn't know
 preferred stock from livestock.
 Leonard is thinking all business.
 LEONARD
 Sir. Reed's comments at that press
 conference killed us. How are we
 going to turn this around?
 Victor considers. His mind races, eyes narrow.
 VICTOR
 Very simple. I cure them. If I can
 cure these freaks, then I can cure
 anyone. What better way to restore my
 reputation?
 Leonard nods, impressed. Victor is a man in motion. As they
 step into sunlight, we cut to...CLICKCLICKCLICK in --
 EXT. BAXTER BUILDING - DAY
 REPORTERS snap pictures. A POLICE CONVOY drives up, stopping
 in front of a towering HIGH-RISE. Sue, Reed, and Johnny and
 get out of a police-car. Ben steps out of a BIG PADDY-WAGON,
 which immediately bounces back up to the normal axle
 position.
 COPS hold back the surging press. Ben keeps his head down,
 self-conscious. He passes Johnny, smiling for the cameras.
 JOHNNY
 Smile, Ben. They want to like you. 
 Give 'em your good side. Or your less
 bad side.
 Ben turns to a group of LITTLE KIDS. Stiff, tentative:
 BEN
 Uh...don't do drugs.
 The kids FLINCH. Ben trudges on. Johnny smiles bright,
 doing hand-signs for F4. Sue pulls him toward --
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING - LOBBY - DAY
 The Fantastic Four enter. They are greeted by JIMMY
 O'HOOLIHAN, an old-time doorman with a kind smile.
 O'HOOLIHAN
 Welcome back to the Baxter, Dr.
 Richards. All that for you?
 He motions to the flashing cameras outside.
 REED
 I'm afraid so...
 He searches for the name. Sue steps up.
 SUE
 Jimmy. Good to see you again.
 He smiles at Sue, then at Reed.
 O'HOOLIHAN
 Good to see you too... Don't worry,
 sir. I know how crowded that head of
 yours is.
 REED
 Any visitors while I was away?
 O'HOOLIHAN
 Just the usual. Told 'em you were
 circling round outer space.
 He opens a drawer full of LETTERS from the BANK. Reed looks
 sheepish. He shuts the drawer, looks to Johnny and Sue.
 REED
 We had a tough year.
 BEN
 Yeah, nine years straight.
 Reed looks at Ben. Thanks a lot. DING. Elevator doors
 open.
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING - ELEVATOR - DAY
 They enter. Reed hits the top button, for the 20TH FLOOR.
 JOHNNY
 Twenty? From outside the place looks
 a lot taller.
 REED
 Oh, it is.
 The doors close, but...the ELEVATOR does not move. A beat.
 JOHNNY
 Either we're moving really fast...or
 not at all.
 A digital readout on the panel: EXCEED MAXIMUM WEIGHT. A
 sign reads: MAXIMUM CAPACITY: 2000 pounds. They turn to Ben.
 BEN
 I'll take the stairs.
 Doors open. He lumbers out. As the doors close behind him,
 he looks back over his shoulder, locking eyes with Reed.
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING - ELEVATOR - DAY
 The elevator rises. Reed roils with guilt.
 SUE
 How come Ben can't turn it on and off
 like us?
 REED
 That's what we're here to find out.
 SUE
 If it happened to him, then it
 could...
 Happen to all of them. Reed nods softly.
 JOHNNY
 Wait. You mean there's chance we
 could be full-on-24-7-fantastic? 
 SUE
 Grow up, Johnny. You want to run
 around on fire for the rest of your
 life?
 JOHNNY
 Is that a trick question? C'mon, I
 can't be the only one who thinks
 this is cool.
 Reed considers. But Sue cuts him short with a look.
 DING! The elevator stops.
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING - ATRIUM - MOMENTS LATER
 The elevator opens. They step out. They might be on the
 20th floor, but Reed owns the building from here to floor
 sixty. It's a massive atrium, lit by skylights far above -- 
 Reed leads them into another area filled with separate
 "apartments" and all the amenities of home.
 REED
 We should stay here until we can
 define the extent of our changes...
 JOHNNY
 This place is deluxe. You got cable?
 REED
 (hearing Ben's FOOTSTEPS)
 ...and figure out how to reverse them. 
 Let me show you to your rooms.
 EXT. BAXTER BUILDING - DAY
 The press has died down, but there are still plenty of
 cameras. A MAYBACH SEDAN rolls up. Victor emerges, wearing
 sunglasses. This time, the press pay no attention to him. 
 No cameras flash. Victor tightens, and enters the building.
 INT. SUE'S ROOM - DAY
 Sue walks out of the bathroom in a robe, drying her hair. 
 She notices a familiar book on a shelf: a SCRAPBOOK.
 She flips through it. It's filled with pictures of Reed and
 his inventions -- a lot less fancy than Victor's multimedia
 globe. She stops at a picture of her and Reed in COLLEGE.
 A noise, and she turns, flinching slightly, surprised to
 see...VICTOR. He smiles, standing at the door, watching her.
 VICTOR
 God, I've been so worried about you.
 She notices the scar on his head.
 SUE
 Victor, your scar --
 VICTOR
 I told you, I'm fine. It's you I'm
 worried about.
 SUE
 I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to --
 VICTOR
 Please, no apologies. I've arranged
 for your things to be moved to one of
 my condos. You'll have round-the
 clock care.
 He goes for her bag. But she stops him. A half beat.
 SUE
 Thank you, that's generous, but I
 think I should stay here. With my
 brother. Until we get a handle on
 this.
 Victor is not used to being rebuffed. He gives a thin smile.
 VICTOR
 Sue. I think you should let my
 doctors have a look at you.
 A tense beat. Standoff. Made more tense by --
 REED (O.S.)
 Victor! What are you doing here?
 They turn to see Reed approaching, with files in hand.
 VICTOR
 I'm starting to wonder the same
 thing... How much do you know about
 what happened to you?
 REED
 Not much. We need to run tests to see
 the extent of the damage.
 Victor pauses. He looks at Sue, knowing she's here to stay.
 VICTOR
 Well, let me know if there is anything
 I can do. We're all in this together
 now.
 Victor shakes Reed's hand. His GRIP is so tight that Reed's
 fingers STRETCH. Victor lets go, and turns to Sue, who puts
 her hand out. He smiles, and shakes. He heads off.
 Reed looks at his hand. Shakes his wrist. He looks at
 Victor.
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING - HALL - DAY
 Victor moves fast, holds tight to his anger. Reed catches
 up.
 REED
 Victor wait... I just wanted to say,
 I'm sorry the mission didn't go as
 planned --
 Victor suddenly WHEELS on Reed. Lights flicker.
 VICTOR
 Didn't go as planned? It was a
 catastrophe. You ruined the lives of
 four people --
 REED
 I ruined? With all due respect, I
 told you to abort --
 VICTOR
 Abort? Reed, I put my company, my
 name, billions of dollars on the line,
 and I will not let you make me look
 like a fool --
 REED
 Victor, if we could understand what
 happened to us --
 VICTOR
 I don't want to understand it. This
 isn't one of your science projects. I
 just want to fix it. Fast!
 Reed sees Victor's SCAR maybe growing. Lights dim.
 VOICE (O.S.)
 There a problem, Vic?
 They turn to see...BEN down the hall, leaning in a doorway. 
 Victor tightens, looking at Ben's massive rock-hewn body.
 VICTOR
 No problem, Ben.
 He turns back to Reed. Close, quiet. Lights flicker.
 VICTOR (CONT'D)
 Just pay your goddamn electric bill,
 and get to work on a cure.
 Victor steps away, toward the elevator. He passes Ben, who
 just smiles and waves "goodbye." Before Victor's finger taps
 the down-button, the button lights up (as if the circuit
 responded to him). Reed exhales, shaken. Victor steps into --
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING - ELEVATOR - DAY
 The doors close, and Victor really LETS LOOSE. He SLAMS his
 fist into a STEEL WALL. The wall BUCKLES, steel DENTING.
 Victor shakes out his hand, and sees...a rippling METALLIC
 SHELL under the skin. He stares at it in horror. The dark
 surface pulsates with electric energy. What is he
 becoming...?
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING LABS - DAY
 Sue works the controls. Reed approaches Ben with an
 ELECTRODE NEEDLE. He tries to stick the needle into Ben, but
 it SNAPS.
 BEN
 You got a chisel round here?
 REED
 If we're going to identify the source
 of the mutation, we need to isolate
 your recombinant DNA so we can
 activate positional genomes.
 Ben looks to Sue for translation.
 SUE
 We need to give you a physical, so we
 know what got zapped.
 BEN
 Well why didn't you say so? You want
 me to lift some weights or something?
 Reed shakes his head. He approaches with an X-RAY MACHINE.
 REED
 No, just sit back. We have a good
 sense of your strength from the
 firetruck. We need to find the source
 of your strength.
 He turns on the X-ray machine. The graph shows SOLID ROCK. 
 The rays don't penetrate. Sue and Reed look confused.
 BEN
 How bad is it? You know I used to
 smoke.
 Reed grabs a BLOOD PRESSURE MACHINE, but the strap is way too
 short to wrap around Ben's arm. Reed stands stumped. He
 looks at his tray full of instruments. He picks up the
 little rubber REFLEX-HAMMER. But it looks miniscule compared
 to Ben.
 Reed has an idea. He opens a drawer full of HARDWARE TOOLS. 
 He pulls of a real HAMMER. He approaches Ben.
 REED
 Okay, this might smart a little.
 He taps Ben's knee lightly, and BEN'S LEG KICKS! SLAMMING
 UP! RIGHT BETWEEN REED'S LEGS! The ultimate kick in the
 crotch. Reed STRETCHES UP a few feet, then SNAPS BACK,
 wincing.
 REED (CONT'D)
 (high-pitched voice)
 We'll...continue this later.
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING LABS - DAY
 From their second level control room, Reed and Sue observe
 Johnny in an enclosed fire-proof chamber. Flames escape
 through the vents of the chamber...he's fully torched!
 Reed watches the read-out: it climbs from 2000 to 4000
 degrees Kelvin. They are essentially taking his temperature. 
 INSIDE THE CHAMBER: Johnny turns white hot, blinding to look
 at: the chamber walls begin to glow red. Machines go
 haywire.
 His feet even start to LIFT OFF THE GROUND, LEVITATING a foot
 or two. He looks down, excited, burning hotter and hotter.
 REED
 Back it down, Johnny!
 JOHNNY
 I can go hotter!
 He won't stop. Reed pulls a switch on the wall. FOAM sprays
 out of nozzles, dousing Johnny's flames. He stands there,
 covered in thick FOAM. His body steams. So does his temper.
 JOHNNY (CONT'D)
 You're really cramping my style here.
 SUE
 You were at 4000 Kelvin. Any hotter,
 you're approaching supernova --
 JOHNNY
 Sweet.
 SUE
 No, not sweet. That's the temperature of the sun.
 REED
 Not only could you kill yourself, but
 you could set fire to Earth's
 atmosphere and destroy all human life
 as we know it.
 JOHNNY
 Got it. Supernova bad.
 Reed looks at the control panels.
 SUE
 He cooked the equipment.
 Frustrated, Reed looks at the smoking system. And we CUT TO --
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING - LAB - DAY
 Reed and Ben sit in chairs, facing each other. A beat
 passes. Ben taps his fingers on the chair, making small
 DENTS. Reed looks down at his clipboard. A little awkward.
 REED
 Okay. I've uh, got some questions,
 from Sue. That she thought might be
 better coming from me... Can you, you
 know, go to the bathroom...like
 normal...
 BEN
 Yeah.
 (a beat)
 You don't wanna know the details.
 REED
 Ben, I'm afraid I've got to ask --
 BEN
 Not unless you want that clipboard
 stretched up your --
 REED
 O-kay. We'll skip that question.
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING - LAB - DAY
 Reed and Johnny now. Johnny exercises. Reed stands nearby. 
 Clipboard in hand.
 REED
 Is there something about flames? 
 About flaming, that you --
 JOHNNY
 What are you trying to say? Just
 because I dress well and like to dance --
 REED
 (confused)
 What? No. I'm trying to figure out
 why we each ended up with different
 symptoms.
 JOHNNY
 Oh, well that's easy: I'm hot. 
 You're...well, you're a little limp. 
 Sue's easy to see through. And Ben's
 always been a hardass.
 (a beat)
 Why aren't you writing this down?
 Reed sighs. It's going to be a long process.
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING LAB - DAY
 Reed and Sue, tables turned: Reed observes her through a
 prismatic device measuring light refraction. He "sees" her
 through the device: lit up like some heavenly creature. He's
 having a hard time concentrating. He focuses on his work.
 REED
 It's not "invisibility" per se. 
 You're bending the light around you
 with some kind of malleable force
 field. That's what you projected on
 the Bridge.
 SUE
 What about you? You haven't eaten in
 days. How come you're never on this
 side of the microscope?
 He tightens, uncomfortable with being center of attention. 
 She reaches for his arm, like a specimen. He pulls away, but
 she sees a glimpse of BRUISES on his ARMS. She slows down.
 SUE (CONT'D)
 Bruises...from the bridge?
 He nods, rolls down his sleeves.
 REED
 Have you had any side-effects, from
 your powers?
 She considers. A little vulnerable.
 SUE
 I've had some headaches. Migraines.
 A beat. Reed drops his eyes, makes a note, back to work.
 REED
 You should be able to bend light
 around other objects, even people, if
 you could control your emotional state
 better --
 SUE
 Excuse me?
 She is annoyed. Reed is oblivious.
 REED
 I'm saying, if you had a little more
 self control, you could locate the
 trigger. Can you remember the exact
 emotions when --
 SUE
 Anger. Rage. Frustration.
 REED
 Okay. Is there any way to duplicate
 that feeling? Some memory or...
 SUE
 (staring right at him)
 I'm sure I can come up with something.
 She looks at Reed, eyes narrow. She becomes invisible. As
 she focuses on Reed -- and gets angry -- a small, clear FORCE
 FIELD forms around her body. The force-field BENDS LIGHT
 around a MICROSCOPE, which goes INVISIBLE. Reed steps out to
 ask...
 REED
 How's that coming -- whoa --
 The FORCE-FIELD shoots in all directions, knocking everything
 over in a fifteen foot radius. Reed is thrown from his
 chair.
 SUE
 I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to
 do that... You must think that was
 some kind of latent hostility or --
 REED
 What in the world would give me that
 idea?
 An awkward beat.
 REED (CONT'D)
 I mean, you broke up with me, right?
 SUE
 Are you kidding?
 REED
 No, I distinctly remember: you walked
 out my door. Ergo...
 She didn't want to get into this. She looks down,
 vulnerable.
 SUE
 Reed. I was ready for the next step,
 you weren't, ergo, I walked.
 REED
 I think it was a little more
 complicated than --
 SUE
 I just wanted to share an apartment. 
 What was so complicated about that?
 The question stumps him. A beat. He struggles.
 REED
 There were a lot of variables to
 consider --
 SUE
 No. There weren't. There was you. 
 And me. No variables, no math. It
 was actually the simplest thing in the
 world. But your head got in the way...
 like it always does.
 Her words penetrate. He knows she's right. He looks away.
 REED
 Sue...I just...I thought...
 He struggles for the words.
 SUE
 Same old Reed. Too much thinking...
 He opens his mouth, but...WHAM! Doors open. Johnny enters,
 wearing a CHARRED SHIRT. He points to the burned scraps of
 his shirt.
 JOHNNY
 Okay guys, we have a serious problem.
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING LABS - DAY
 ANGLES of Reed in the lab, grabbing their space uniforms from
 various closets/containers:
 REED (V.O.)
 Our uniforms were exposed to the storm
 like us. So they can transform like
 us, becoming invisible, changing size
 on demand or remaining impervious to
 flame.
 REVEAL: Reed, Sue, and Johnny step out to look at themselves
 in a mirror wearing the uniforms. No boots, no gloves. Not
 yet. (The uniforms will develop, like our heroes).
 BEN
 You look like an eighties rock band.
 SUE
 (to Ben)
 The suit will stretch. You should try
 it --
 BEN
 I wouldn't be caught dead in that.
 JOHNNY
 He's right. These costumes are...
 missing something. I can't put my
 finger on it --
 REED
 They're not costumes.
 SUE
 We're not taking them out. Johnny, we
 need to stay here till we've stabilized.
 
 Johnny shakes his head, frustrated.
 JOHNNY
 I'm getting sick of being trapped
 here. NASA wasn't even this strict!
 He marches out. Sue turns to Reed, who says nothing. Sue
 heads out, leaving Ben and Reed. A beat. Ben looks at Reed.
 BEN
 (looking at uniform)
 Maybe it's missing a utility belt. 
 Off Reed's dark look, we hear:
 VICTOR (V.O.)
 So what's the prognosis?
 INT. VON DOOM INDUSTRIES - VICTOR'S OFFICE - DAY
 CLOSE ON: an X-RAY. Victor's ARM. The metallic
 transformation is higher now. PULL BACK TO REVEAL: Victor
 and his DOCTOR. In the wall behind them: ancient armor
 (maybe we noticed it before, maybe not). It adds a little
 menace to the room.
 DOCTOR
 Your tissue, your organs, your entire
 biophysical structure is changing. 
 Every system is still functioning,
 somehow --
 VICTOR
 And they're changing into...
 DOCTOR
 I don't really know. A compound
 organic-metallic alloy. Stronger than
 titanium or carbon steel. Harder than
 diamonds --
 VICTOR
 Like the shields Reed said would
 protect us.
 (cold fury, deadly focus)
 How long?
 DOCTOR
 At this rate, the infection should be
 complete in two, maybe three weeks --
 VICTOR
 What do you mean "complete"?
 DOCTOR
 I wish I could tell you. I can't
 pretend to know what we're dealing
 with here. I'll notify the CDC and --
 Victor hardens, razor sharp.
 VICTOR
 What?
 DOCTOR
 The Center for Disease Control. If
 this thing is contagious --
 WHHM! Victor GRABS the Doctor by the throat.
 VICTOR
 Look at me. I have a life. I'm the
 face of a billion-dollar-company... We
 need to keep this confidential,
 understand?
 Victor's grip TIGHTENS around the man's throat.
 DOCTOR
 But...this disease...is progressive...
 degenerative...
 VICTOR
 That's terrible news...
 With one cobra-swift move, Victor thrusts his metallic arm
 into the doctor, killing him instantly. Victor retracts his
 arm, and looks at it, shocked by his own strength.
 VICTOR (CONT'D)
 ...but I think I'll get a second
 opinion.
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING - REED'S OFFICE - NIGHT
 A SERIES OF TIME-LAPSE SHOTS: REED works around the Baxter
 Building, spending hours searching for the cure. He checks
 charts, writes equations, paces, frustrated.
 Finally, he sits at his long desk, looking at a wall where
 Ben's CHARTS are projected (both Ben and Thing's anatomies). 
 Reed wears the uniform under his labcoat. He checks his
 equations over and over, making notes upon notes.
 REED
 Nothing...nothing...nothing...
 He hits the end of the slides. The wall fills with white
 light. Frustrated, Reed SLAMS his head into his desk, CRASH! 
 Something FALLS off the end of the desk.
 Reed raises his head, revealing his flattened face. He steps
 over to see...a PLANT SAMPLE from space, glass box shattered. 
 Red sparks swirl around the plant, like the cosmic storm --
 REED (CONT'D)
 Of course...of course...the cloud...
 THE COSMIC STORM swirls, terrifying. We slowly PULL BACK TO --
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING - MAIN LAB - NIGHT
 The STORM is a computer-image on screen now. Behind the
 screen are six chalkboards full of Reed's calculations and
 the scribbled beginnings of a MACHINE.
 We PULL BACK to see his arm stretched across the room writing
 on the end of another chalkboard.
 He's moving fast, excited, almost a little manic. He
 hears...a CREAK. He slows down, but doesn't look up to see
 SUE enter.
 SUE
 What are you doing?
 REED
 (fast, charged)
 The plants, from space. Their
 particles are still charged. With the
 right amount of energy, those ions
 could create the elemental profile of
 the cosmic storm.
 He rifles through a desk drawer, then heads out. Sue stands
 there, looking at the storm. Concerned. Then we CUT TO --
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING - HALLWAY - NIGHT
 Sue follows Reed. He flips through a file, excited.
 REED
 If we can build a machine to re-create
 the storm, we can reverse the polarity --
 SUE
 (realizing)
 And reverse the mutations --
 REED
 (talking more to himself)
 Curing countless diseases, not just
 ours.
 She looks at him.
 SUE
 But we're the focus, right Reed? 
 Reed...?
 REED
 Of course. Of course.
 SUE
 And you sure you can control this
 thing? Last time didn't work out so
 well.
 REED
 (preoccupied, mind
 spinning)
 With the right energy, we can
 stabilize the storm. Maybe tie into
 the city grid...
 He keeps his head down, making notes, entering --
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING - STOREROOM - NIGHT
 Reed and Sue enter. Reed is looking for something. Sue
 slows down, staring at this sprawling space, jam-packed with
 GEAR, GADGETS, BLUEPRINTS, INVENTIONS. Awe-inspiring,
 overflowing.
 SUE
 You really need to get a janitor.
 She stares at shelves upon shelves of overcrowded clutter.
 SUE (CONT'D)
 This must be what it looks like inside
 your head.
 Reed finds his electron microscope. He turns to Sue,
 defensive:
 REED
 There's a system to it.
 She starts to pull out a MODEL of the FANTASTICAR.
 REED (CONT'D)
 Wait! Sue, don't touch tha--
 The little car sets the whole shelf off balance. A WAVE OF
 INVENTIONS COME CLATTERING DOWN! Reed moves fast:
 He LUNGES toward Sue, STREETCHING his ARMS AROUND the SHELF,
 pushing Sue away, just as the INVENTIONS SMASH TO THE GROUND! 
 Reed and Sue hit the floor. A close call. Now more
 closeness: Sue and Reed lay face-to-face, with Reed's wrapped
 around her. A heated beat. Their first real intimate
 moment.
 SUE
 Sorry. My fault. I won't...touch
 anything.
 As if suddenly made aware of their vulnerability, Sue and
 Reed stand, backing off. As they part, we see:
 BEN watching from the doorway. Melancholy. He disappears. 
 We slowly MOVE TO...A SURVEILLANCE CAMERA in a VENT GRATE.
 INT. VICTOR'S OFFICE - NIGHT
 Victor watches a bank of videoscreens. He has the Baxter
 Building under surveillance. He sees Reed and Sue on
 monitors. He toys with Sue's diamond ring in his gloved
 hand.
 A door opens. Leonard enters. He sees the screens.
 LEONARD
 Is Reed any closer to a cure?
 Victor looks at that image of Reed and Sue on the screen.
 VICTOR
 The only thing he's closer to is
 Sue...
 But Victor sees something between Reed and Sue on the wall. 
 He leans closer, and the camera ZOOMS IN, as if responding to
 his will. He ZOOMS all the way to a CLOSE UP of:
 REED'S BLUEPRINTS FOR THE TRANSFORMATION CHAMBER. Victor's
 eyes narrow, mind ticking, a plan forming.
 VICTOR (CONT'D)
 Make me a reservation for two at
 Cipriani tonight.
 Victor opens a drawer, pulls out an old VIDEOTAPE.
 VICTOR (CONT'D)
 And get this over to Ben Grimm.
 Victor leans forward, fixated on that machine. As he gets
 closer, his screens go STATICKY. He absentmindedly picks at
 his SCAR. In shadows, we see skin peeling off.
 WOMAN'S VOICE (V.O.)
 Close your eyes, baby. Keep 'em
 closed.
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING - MEDIA ROOM - NIGHT
 BEN GRIMM stands front and center. Not the Thing. But BEN
 GRIMM. A normal man. He smiles wide, shaking his head.
 WOMAN'S VOICE (V.O.)
 You surprised?
 Now we PULL BACK to reveal DEBBIE and BEN on a SCREEN. The
 Thing watches the old videotape. He smiles sadly at his old
 life. He mouths the words -- he knows this tape by heart.
 BEN (ON SCREEN)
 Yeah I'm surprised. Surprised the
 fire department didn't shut this down.
 ON SCREEN: the handheld camera whips around, revealing...a
 SURPRISE PARTY. Full of people. Ben Grimm is a popular guy. 
 On screen: Reed hugs Ben. They pose for pictures together.
 THE THING
 God. I was good looking.
 We hear the party sing "HAPPY BIRTHDAY." Debbie kisses Ben. 
 Thing's eyes start to mist. On screen: Ben blows out
 candles.
 DEBBIE (ON SCREEN)
 What did you wish for, honey?
 BEN (ON SCREEN)
 I already got it. Everything I want.
 As they kiss, a tear runs down Thing's cheek. The tape ends,
 and he sits in darkness for a beat. A long, lonely beat.
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING - HALLS - NIGHT
 Ben stalks the halls, slipping into his ragged trenchcoat. 
 As he passes a crossroads, he sees a strange sight:
 REED'S HAND is TIED to a latch in the wall. His ARM is
 STREEETCHED THIN, spanning around the corner. Ben just
 shakes his head, keeps moving. And we FOLLOW REED'S ARM... 
 UP THE HALL...ROUND A CORNER...DOWN ANOTHER HALL. The
 muscles and tissue STRETCH, going taut. Finally, we reach... 
 REED. He steps slowly. He holds a digital TAPE-MEASURE in
 his other hand, measuring distance. His skin STREEETCHES. 
 His face tightens, pained. We hear the faint SQUEAK of his
 skin.
 VOICE (O.S.)
 Damn, Stretch!
 Reed turns his head around, seeing JOHNNY come down the hall.
 JOHNNY
 How far's that rubber bend?
 Reed keeps moving, slowly. His muscles and tendons laboring.
 REED
 That's what I'm trying to calculate. 
 And it's not rubber. It's muscle,
 tendon. I seem to have the ability to
 manipulate the malleability of my
 molecular structure and redistribute
 my density to --
 JOHNNY
 Right, whatever, have fun.
 And Johnny is GONE, ducking under Reed's arm into --
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING - KITCHEN - NIGHT
 Johnny opens a cupboard, pulls out some JIFFY POP. It starts
 to POP in his hand, the bag swelling. He casually turns on a
 TV, flipping to...the X- GAMES. The Jiffy Pop swells, ready
 to blow. He rips it open, eats popcorn, and watches the
 games:
 Cool stunts, hot girls. Johnny's brow furrows, a thought
 forming, a mischievous smile on his lips.
 EXT. BAXTER BUILDING - SIDE EXIT - NIGHT
 A FIGURE exits, wearing that ragged trenchcoat and fedora. 
 Ben disappears into the dark night, and we CUT TO --
 EXT. BROOKLYN STREET - NIGHT
 Dark. Lights flicker. Steam rises through the grates. A
 shadow emerges. Ben. He heads toward O'DONNEL'S PUB, a
 classic Brooklyn tavern. Neon sign. Music, life inside. 
 Ben pulls his hat low, turns up his collar, and squeezes
 through the door into --
 INT. O'DONNEL'S PUB - NIGHT
 A big photo of Ben Grimm in his astronaut heyday occupies a
 place over the bar. Ben enters, and the bar goes SILENT. He
 moves through the crowd. People clear out of the way.
 Ben reaches the bar. He sits on a stool, and CRUNCH! SMASH! 
 The stool SNAPS like a toothpick. He hits the ground hard. 
 Glasses shake. A few PATRONS smile, laugh softly.
 BEN
 That's not funny!
 They go silent. They drop bills onto tables, filing out,
 scared of this monster. ERNIE works the bar.
 ERNIE
 Hey, that's Ben Grimm there, the first
 mook from Brooklyn to go to outer
 space, so pay him some respect!
 But the patrons keep filing out. Ben looks down, weary.
 BEN
 Ernie. Sorry for killing your
 business. I'll take the usual, then
 I'm out... Better make it a double.
 Ernie heads for the booze. Ben gives a sad shake of his
 head. Then he notices...one lone patron at the end of the
 bar. A beautiful young woman nursing a drink. Meet ALICIA
 MASTERS.
 ALICIA
 Who killed the party?
 She turns to him, unafraid. He notices her blank stare, lack
 of focus, and white cane. Alicia is blind.
 ERNIE (O.S.)
 Make it a triple. On the house,
 Benny.
 Ben takes his drink, but SMASH! His grip shatters the glass,
 spilling all over himself. He smiles ruefully.
 BEN
 If there's a God, she hates me.
 He grabs a bar-rag to dry off.
 ALICIA
 I don't think She's real big on hate.
 BEN
 You wouldn't say that, if you could
 see me.
 She knocks back her drink, grabs her cane, steps toward Ben.
 ALICIA
 Can I...? See you...?
 Ben doesn't say anything. A little unnerved by this woman.
 ALICIA (CONT'D)
 It's okay, I won't bite...
 (feeling his arm)
 ...not that I could.
 She puts a hand on his face -- something in her tone and
 gentle touch allows Ben to let her. She smiles softly.
 ALICIA (CONT'D)
 Such a sad face... You know, sometimes
 being different isn't a bad thing.
 BEN
 Trust me, this ain't one of those
 times.
 She smiles softly, takes her cane, and starts to head out.
 ALICIA
 See you round, Benny...
 Right as she hits the door, over her shoulder --
 ALICIA (CONT'D)
 I'm Alicia, by the way.
 Ben watches her disappear. He sees a few people staring. He
 lowers his head, turns back to the bar, and finds a new
 drink, in a steel MARTINI SHAKER. He knocks it back.
 EXT./INT. UPSCALE RESTAURANT - NIGHT
 Lights twinkle. A MAITRE D' leads us through fancy digs. 
 Heads turn, whispers flutter. SUE steps out, joining...
 Victor at a prime table. He pulls out her chair, wearing
 gloves.
 VICTOR
 Thank you for coming out to see me.
 She nods, a little self-conscious.
 SUE
 You said it was urgent.
 VICTOR
 It is. There's something we need to
 talk about. Something I need to ask
 you...
 Sue senses where this is going, and she cuts it short.
 SUE
 (slow, careful)
 Victor, wait, slow down a second. I
 want you to know I appreciate
 everything you've done for me, but I
 just don't --
 VICTOR
 Susan. What are you doing?
 He is cold as ice. If he's hurt, he'll never show it.
 VICTOR (CONT'D)
 You think I brought you here to talk
 about us? Please. This is business.
 (leaning forward, intense)
 I need to know: how close is Reed
 to finding to a cure?
 She pauses. Then:
 SUE
 He's working round the clock. But the
 data needs to be tested, analyzed
 before --
 VICTOR
 Same old Reed. All analysis, no
 action. Wasn't that the problem with
 you two?
 She holds tight, keeping cool.
 SUE
 If these molecules aren't stable, they
 could make us worse, maybe even kill
 us.
 VICTOR
 Then why is Reed dragging his feet? 
 Maybe he likes having his prize
 specimen under glass...
 (closer, cruel)
 It's ironic, isn't it? You're finally
 the perfect woman for him...because
 you're his science project.
 The words sting. She can't help but hear some truth in them.
 SUE
 Please don't make this personal --
 VICTOR
 Oh, I think you already have.
 SUE
 Victor, we can't do anything until the
 research is ready.
 Victor's fist CLENCHES -- metal SFX.
 VICTOR
 "We," huh?
 Victor SCREECHES his chair back, PUSHING the table so hard
 that he SPILLS water. Heads turn, all eyes on Sue. Victor
 gets close to her, too close, a hand on her shoulder.
 VICTOR (CONT'D)
 Don't forget who you work for, Susan. 
 So get to work. And do your job.
 He walks out. As he goes, he slips the engagement ring out
 of his pocket. He crushes the diamond to dust, leaves the
 dust in an ashtray, and disappears into the night.
 Sue sits embarrassed. She slowly...disappears. People gasp. 
 She walks out, invisible, save for her clothes, which DRIFT
 through the air. At a TABLE FULL OF BUSINESSMEN --
 BUSINESSMAN
 I wish my wife would disappear.
 The other men laugh, but WHHM! The man's wine SPILLS into
 his LAP! Sue walks out. The restaurant is left buzzing. 
 Lights twinkle. And we FADE OUT. A beat. Then we CRASH
 INTO --
 EXT. NYC ARENA - ESPN MOTO X GAMES - DAY
 The X games in full effect: A maze of mountainous dirt hills
 and ramps...where MOTO-BIKES launch into the air to the
 delight of 20,000 fans. The Riders spin and flip, performing
 aerial acrobatics on their 250CC motor bikes.
 X GAMES ANNOUNCER (V.O.)
 And now, ladies and gentlemen, we have
 a special guest for you... Johnny
 Storm of the Fantastic Four!
 JOHNNY emerges, wearing his blue uniform, waving to the
 crowd. He steps up to the pit where RIDERS prep. He
 beelines to RONNIE RENNER.
 JOHNNY
 Hey, Ronnie Renner! I'm a big fan.
 Ronnie gives a tight nod. He doesn't like being upstaged by
 this circus freak.
 The other bikers approach.
 KENNY BARTRAM
 Heard you like to ride. Wanna take
 her for a spin?
 He motions to his BIKE. Johnny eyes this mean machine.
 RONNIE RENNER
 Come on, bro. I'll teach you some
 tricks...if you can keep up.
 We PUSH IN on Johnny, his ego getting stoked, as we CUT TO --
 INT. NYC ARENA - TRACK - DAY
 Ronnie jams down the track, kicking dirt back at Johnny. 
 Johnny now wears a MOTOCROSS OUTFIT over his uniform, with
 the number "004" on the back and a small 4 over his heart. 
 Ronnie hits the first hill, and CATCHES AIR, FLIPPING HIGH!
 X GAMES ANNOUNCER
 A rock-solid double-flip!
 The CROWD goes wild. Now it's Johnny's turn. He hits the
 hill and pulls the exact same move. With even more height!
 X GAMES ANNOUNCER (CONT'D)
 Look at that lift, ladies and
 gentlemen!
 Johnny sticks the landing. The crowd swells. Ronnie
 tightens, pulls his throttle harder, taking the next jump,
 and...MAKING AN INSANE MOVE, CORKSCREWING IN THE AIR!
 X GAMES ANNOUNCER (CONT'D)
 Frontside 360! He's totally flat and
 whipped!
 He lands clean. The crowd is ready to explode. Johnny REVS
 his engine, his body starting to STEAM, adrenaline burning. 
 He hits the hill, and pulls an even gnarlier SPIN!
 X GAMES ANNOUNCER (CONT'D)
 Whoa! That's a...what is that? A
 720?
 Johnny lands. The crowd roars. Ronnie bears down on the
 last hill. He leans over his handlebars.
 X GAMES ANNOUNCER (CONT'D)
 He's going for a Kiss of Death!
 Ronnie hits the hill, pulls this JAW-DROPPING DEATH-DEFYING
 STUNT! The crowd is deafening! Ronnie smiles. And...
 
 JOHNNY SPEEDS FASTER, FASTER. Trails of FLAME start to
 streak off his back! He RACES LIKE A ROCKET UP THE HILL! 
 LAUNCHING TO IMPOSSIBLE HEIGHTS! SPINNING LIKE A TOP! A
 FLAMING BLUR!
 And now for the really impressive part: Johnny's bike starts
 to drop, but JOHNNY KEEPS RISING! He FLAMES ON, spiraling
 upward! For a few seconds, he's actually...almost...flying.
 X GAMES ANNOUNCER (CONT'D)
 (hand over mic)
 Is he......flying?
 A beat. Time suspended. And...WHHM! He PLUMMETS back down! 
 LANDS on his bike in mid-air! And sticks a perfect landing,
 maybe even kicking a little dirt up at Ronnie. Johnny
 swerves to a stop, with a "holy shit" look on his face. What
 the hell just happened??
 X GAMES ANNOUNCER (CONT'D)
 Unbelievable, ladies and gentlemen! 
 You've just seen the first...the
 first...TORCHFLIGHT! The McTORCH!
 A new name is born. The crowd goes berserk. Standing
 ovation. Riders rush up to Johnny. Kenny sees his bike:
 THE SEAT MELTED, WHEELS BURNED OFF. Johnny smiles.
 JOHNNY
 My bad. Sorry about that.
 (a glance to Ronnie)
 Thanks for the lesson, bro.
 HOT GIRLS swarm. As Johnny gets swallowed by fans, we see a
 scary thing flicker in his eyes: the birth of a star.
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING - KITCHEN - MORNING
 Sue stands alone, sifting through piles of mail. She focuses
 on one piece of mail that she's holding. Her hand begins to
 disappear and then the envelope slowly begins to disappear as
 well. Sue smiles at the success. Intrigued. Quiet:
 SUE
 That's new...
 Reed enters -- overworked, unshaved. He keeps his head down,
 preoccupied. Sue shifts focus.
 SUE (CONT'D)
 Have you read these...? From all
 over. People want us to fight crimes... 
 save their kids...solve their problems...
 (no response from Reed)
 ...when we can't even solve our
 own.
 She puts the letters down, steps closer to Reed.
 SUE (CONT'D)
 Reed. How close are we to a cure?
 REED
 No way to know. Without more
 tests, experiments.
 She considers. Victor's words echo in her head.
 SUE
 We're not specimens, we're patients. 
 This isn't just another science
 project to you, is it...?
 Reed looks up, a little surprised. He opens his mouth, but --
 BEN (O.S.)
 NO...NO...NO FREAKIN' WAY!!
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING - MEDIA ROOM - DAY
 CRASH! BANG! Ben stalks around the room, furious. Reed and
 Sue rush in.
 REED
 BEN! What? What's going on!?
 Ben points to the wall-sized TV: the ESPN MOTO X GAMES.
 X GAMES REPORTER (ON TV)
 So what can you tell us about the
 outfit?
 REVEAL: JOHNNY standing next to an X GAMES REPORTER. He is
 peeling off the burned remains of his motocross outfit,
 revealing his FF UNIFORM, with a "4" STITCHED ONTO THE CHEST.
 Behind them, STEP UP RIDERS launch their MOTO-BIKES off huge
 18' high mountains of dirt, thirty feet in the air.
 JOHNNY (ON TV)
 Not too much, but I will say that it's
 all weather and no leather. Kind of
 Armani meets Astronaut.
 Ben, Sue, and Reed stare at the wall-sized TV. Mouths agape.
 SUE
 He didn't.
 BEN
 Oh, he did.
 SUE
 What did he do to the uniform?!
 She turns to Reed, who gives a sheepish shrug, and peels back
 his labcoat revealing a "4" stitched onto his chest too.
 REED
 He talked me into it.
 X-GAMES REPORTER (ON TV)
 So what are your superhero names?
 JOHNNY (ON TV)
 I go by the Human Torch. The ladies
 call me Torch.
 X-GAMES REPORTER (ON TV)
 What about the rest of the team?
 Johnny hadn't really thought about them. He spitballs:
 JOHNNY (ON TV)
 Uh, we call my sister the invisible
 girl...the Invisible Girl.
 SUE
 Girl...?!
 X-GAMES REPORTER (ON TV)
 That's easy to remember. And Reed
 Richards? He's the leader. So
 what's he? Mr. Fantastic?
 JOHNNY
 Well, I wouldn't say he's the leader.
 Reed shrugs. He doesn't hate the name.
 BEN
 Could be worse.
 Case in point: a photo of Ben fills the TV.
 X-GAMES REPORTER (ON TV)
 What about this one? What do you call
 this Thing?
 Johnny smiles, looking right into camera.
 JOHNNY
 That's it. Just The Thing. We would
 have gone with The Rock, but it was
 taken. And "Thing" pretty much sums
 it up.
 A LAUGH from the studio audience.
 BEN
 (matter-of-fact)
 Okay, now I'm gonna go kill him.
 He turns to go. Reed wraps an arm around Ben.
 REED
 Ben! Slow down a second and --
 He sees a photo of himself on screen.
 X-GAMES REPORTER (ON TV)
 Is it true what they say? That he can
 expand any part of his anatomy?
 JOHNNY (ON TV)
 Actually, between us, I think he's got
 some problems staying rigid.
 REED
 (finishing his thought to Ben)
 ...wait for me...
 X-GAMES REPORTER (ON TV)
 Which may explain why this woman's
 not smiling.
 They put up a shot of Susan.
 SUE
 I'm driving.
 JOHNNY (ON TV)
 Dude. That's my sister.
 EXT. NYC ARENA - DAY
 The Thing rounds the corner. Sees a crowd of girls lined up
 near a red PORSCHE parked out front...with "TORCHED" on the
 plates. Ben slows down, smiles.
 EXT. NYC ARENA - A LITTLE LATER
 Johnny and the Hot Babe exit, signing autographs for girls in
 the line. Sue and Reed approach, glare like angry parents. 
 Johnny finds the Valet, who looks ill...his car is gone.
 JOHNNY
 (looking around)
 Where's my ride?
 The Valet blows his whistle...and a 4 X 4 solid cube of RED
 JUNK METAL slides down the street and stops at the curb in
 front of Johnny. The Valet timidly holds out the keys...
 JOHNNY (CONT'D)
 What the?! Is that my --
 Before he can finish, Johnny gets PELTED IN THE HEAD with the
 license plate. It rattles to the ground, face up.
 Johnny rubs the sting out of his head. Looks up and sees Ben
 in the distance, dusting off his hands.
 JOHNNY (CONT'D)
 (shouting: to Ben)
 You're gonna pay for that, Pebbles.
 (seeing Sue)
 What?!
 SUE
 You gave us names? What are you, the
 "face" of the Fantastic Four now?
 Ben marches up. Hands balled into fists.
 BEN
 It's about to be a broken face.
 REED
 This isn't permanent, Johnny. We need
 to be careful until we're normal
 again.
 JOHNNY
 What if some of us don't want to be
 "normal" again? We didn't all turn
 into monsters like --
 Ben reels back a FIST the size of an anvil. Stops himself. 
 Instead of attacking, he starts to walk off.
 SUE
 Johnny, say you're sorry.
 Johnny hurls a FIREBALL that SMACKS Ben in the back of the
 head. Ben stops. Turns around more shocked than hurt.
 BEN
 Did you just --?
 Ben gets hit with ANOTHER FIREBALL. This time in the face.
 BEN (CONT'D)
 That's it, Tinker Bell! YOU WANNA FLY?!
 REED
 No, Ben.
 BEN
 THEN FLY!!!
 Ben charges like a bull, fist cocked back, and...Reed steps
 in the way! Too late! WHAMM! Ben's fist PUNCHES INTO
 REED'S CHEST, which INDENTS. Reed's BACK EXPANDS with Ben's
 fist, PUNCHING into Johnny, launching Johnny off his feet. 
 BAM! Johnny SLAMS into a moving ADVERTISING TRUCK, with a
 BURGER KING flame-broiled WHOPPER on the side. WHOOSH! He
 leaves a flaming imprint on the all-beef patty.
 The crowd stands stunned. So do Reed and Sue. Cameras pop. 
 Johnny slowly pulls himself up. The paint on the truck
 begins to bubble around his hand. Beaten, bruised, he
 stands. Heating up. Both his hands are now flaming fists of
 fury.
 JOHNNY
 Let's see if we can get blood from a
 stone.
 He and Ben lock eyes, with a block of sidewalk between them. 
 High Noon. They start to RUN toward each other...
 When they are almost within range, Sue STEPS BETWEEN THEM,
 stops them both in their tracks with just a look. Like a
 mom:
 SUE
 You two need a time-out.
 JOHNNY
 Blockhead started it!
 Ben just stalks off. The crowd clears, scared. A PAPARAZZI
 snaps a picture. Ben GRABS his camera, and flicks the lens.
 EXT. STREETS - DAY
 Sue looks at Johnny, more disappointed than angry.
 SUE
 Damn it, Johnny.
 She goes after Ben, leaving Reed and Johnny on the sidewalk.
 REED
 You need to control yourself and think
 before you --
 JOHNNY
 Act. Here we go again. Reed, what if
 we got these gifts for a reason? What
 if we have some, you know...like,
 calling?
 REED
 A higher calling like getting girls
 and making money?
 Johnny nods, totally missing the sarcasm.
 JOHNNY
 Is there any higher?
 Reed looks at him, disgusted. Johnny waves to the crowd,
 hand flaming. People SHRIEK, snap pictures. Johnny smiles at
 Reed.
 JOHNNY (CONT'D)
 This is who we are Reed. Accept it. 
 Or better yet: enjoy it.
 Johnny steps into the sea of fans. Reed stands alone.
 EXT. STREET/ALLEY - DAY
 Sue wades through the throng of New Yorkers. Tries to catch
 up with Ben...whose presence parts the crowd like Moses.
 SUE
 Ben! Slow down...
 Ben glances sideways at her, doesn't stop. She catches up.
 SUE (CONT'D)
 He didn't mean it. You know Johnny. 
 He's always been a hothead --
 BEN
 It ain't him. It's THEM!
 (pointing to crowd)
 I can't live like this.
 SUE
 Just give Reed a little more time.
 You know how he works -- analyzing
 every little step before he takes
 one --
 BEN
 It's easy for you to be patient.
 SUE
 No, it's not. I thought I was done
 waiting for Reed... We're all in this
 together now, Ben.
 He slows down, gets closer, intense.
 BEN
 Together? Look at me, Susie. You got
 no idea what I'd give...to be
 invisible. Your nightmare...is my
 dream.
 She opens her mouth, but has no response. She doesn't know
 his depth of pain. As he disappears into the alley, we CUT
 TO --
 INT. INVESTMENT BANK - CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY
 The news plays on the TV. Head Banker Ned Cecil freezes the
 screen on an image of...THE THING. He turns to Victor, who
 sits with the rest of the bankers. Cold, sterile
 environment.
 NED CECIL
 This is how you "turn things around"? 
 These freaks are on the front page and
 your company's in the obituaries.
 Victor has a larger bandage on his face now.
 VICTOR
 I have a plan to use their publicity
 for --
 NED CECIL
 Victor, stop. The bank's lost enough
 already. This isn't a negotiation. 
 It's a notification. We're pulling
 out.
 A cold, silent beat. Victor leans forward.
 VICTOR
 You need to look long-term here. 
 Without risk, there's no --
 NED CECIL
 Reward. We all know the sales
 pitch, Vic. And frankly, we're
 done buying... Gentlemen.
 He motions to his men. They all stand. Victor is the lone
 man sitting. PUSH IN on Victor's face, his inner rage
 palpable. A few quick surges of electricity emanate from his
 body. This man is getting stronger, more electric.
 INT. BANK - UNDERGROUND PARKING GARAGE - DAY
 After hours. The floor is slick with water -- puddles in
 every direction. Ned Cecil comes out of the elevator,
 heading for his car. As he goes, the structure lights start
 to flicker. Ned looks up, watches the lights go out one by
 one, furthest to closest. He looks around. Unnerved by the
 darkness.
 NED CECIL
 Hello...?
 A hanging beat. Victor steps out from shadows.
 NED CECIL (CONT'D)
 (relieved, almost)
 Von Doom? Gave me a little shock. No
 hard feelings, right? Nothing
 personal.
 Victor says nothing. Ned keeps going.
 NED CECIL (CONT'D)
 You know, you could always move back
 to Latvura, start fresh.
 He mispronounces Latveria, dripping condescension.
 NED CECIL (CONT'D)
 Maybe that's where you belong, back in
 the "old country."
 That does it. A surge of electricity courses through Victor. 
 His eyes narrow, and the electricity crackles down his leg to
 THE GROUND. The electric spark hits the water and...
 ELECTRIC CURRENTS RACE ACROSS THE GROUND, SLITHERING
 LIGHTNING-FAST ACROSS THE WATER (like deadly electric
 snakes), heading straight for Ned. His eyes go wide. And...
 
 NED IS ELECTROCUTED! His body spasms. THUD! He slumps,
 dead. Smoke rises from his body. Victor stands, power
 swelling.
 For the first time, his SCAR SPLITS OPEN, revealing a METAL
 GLOW beneath the skin. He remains scary calm.
 VICTOR
 It's pronounced Latveria.
 (looking down at the dead body)
 This meeting's over, Ned.
 Victor walks away, the final lights going to DARKNESS.
 INT. VICTOR'S OFFICE - DAY
 Victor enters, still adrenalized. He turns to the light
 switch, and the lights come on. He approaches his screens,
 and the monitors flicker to life. His powers are growing. 
 One MONITOR rolls the news. IMAGES of the FANTASTIC FOUR. 
 Victor leans closer, and the VOLUME automatically goes up.
 NEWSCASTER (ON TV)
 ...the Fantastic Four put on quite a
 show last night. They landed in every
 major headline in the northern
 hemisphere. In related news...
 An IMAGE of VICTOR on screen.
 NEWSCASTER (ON TV) (CONT'D)
 Reports have surfaced that Von Doom
 Industries may be filing for
 bankruptcy. You may remember that it
 was Victor Von Doom who...
 Victor turns away from the screen. The volume goes down. He
 focuses his eyes on REED.
 Leonard enters, stepping closer, seeing the faint flicker of
 VICTOR'S METALLIC SCAR. His eyes narrow, concerned.
 LEONARD
 Sir, is everything okay? What
 happened to your...?
 Victor keeps his eyes on the screen, totally engrossed.
 VICTOR
 (under breath, seething)
 Reed... He got what he wanted...
 (looking at Sue)
 Everything he wanted...he took from me.
 He leans ever closer, so the static starts to swallow Reed. 
 A hard, deadly beat. Victor's eyes narrow, zooming
 into...REED'S RESEARCH: SLIDES on the wall. He zooms into
 key words:
 DANGER, UNSTABLE IONS, MUTATION, OVERLOAD. And Victor gives
 a slow, thin smile. A new plan forming.
 VICTOR (CONT'D)
 Now I'm going to take it back. Piece
 by bloody piece...
 His fist clenches. We hear METALLIC SFX.
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING - TRANSFORMATION LAB - DAY
 Reed enters the room carrying a stack of boxes that no normal
 man could balance. But he is not normal. His arms are
 wrapped around the boxes five times over -- like human twine. 
 He stops short, and drops the boxes when he sees...
 VICTOR overseeing a group of TECHNICIANS. They are boxing up
 Reed's work -- all of his equipment, research. Victor wears
 a bandage, covering his scar. Reed eyes a glint of METAL.
 REED
 Victor, are you...are you okay? 
 Victor turns away.
 VICTOR
 Don't worry about me. Worry about
 yourself.
 Reed looks around, seeing his lab turned inside out.
 REED
 What are you doing here?
 VICTOR
 What I should have done a long time
 ago. Applications and patents, Reed. 
 This all belongs to me.
 Reed reaches out, grabbing a folder from a box.
 REED
 But I'm not done with the machine --
 VICTOR
 Which is precisely the point.
 Analysis is over. It's time for
 action. My men could have mass-
 produced this by now.
 Reed shakes his head, defending himself.
 REED
 Mass-produced? This isn't a
 toaster. You have no idea how it
 works.
 Victor pulls the folder from Reed's hand, and whips out the
 intricate DIAGRAM of the MACHINE. He points to parts:
 VICTOR
 Re-create the storm, invert the
 polarity here, reverse the mutation
 there. Don't talk to me like I'm some
 schoolboy. I've got the same Phd you
 do.
 Reed is a little surprised that Victor is so familiar with
 his machine. He points to a SECURE CHAMBER on the blueprint.
 REED
 The storm needs to be handled exactly
 right, or it could make our mutations
 worse, much worse, maybe even kill
 us...
 Victor slows. Is Reed getting to him? Or giving him ideas?
 REED (CONT'D)
 Victor, please. We need time to
 verify the data... We can't afford any
 mistakes -- there's only enough ions
 for two or three attempts.
 Victor considers. He seems to enjoy watching Reed dangle.
 VICTOR
 Reed. I'm not asking permission.
 (a final verdict)
 We'll build it, while you check the
 specs.
 Victor walks out. Reed looks unsure, as we CUT TO --
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING TRANSFORMATION LAB - DAY
 The SHIELDS slowly rise. FIVE TECHNICIANS go to work. They
 wear the VDI jackets. Reed watches, worried.
 Sue enters. She sees the shields, the technicians, the VDI
 logo. And she is deeply worried. She steps over to Reed. 
 Sparks fly behind them. Drills scream.
 SUE
 Can I talk to you?
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING - REED'S OFFICE - DAY
 Sue steps into the office, followed by Reed. Quiet, urgent:
 SUE
 Don't let Victor push you into making
 a mistake --
 REED
 He was going to take away all my data,
 equipment --
 SUE
 Better than your life. Victor's not
 the one who has to get into that
 thing. We are.
 Reed starts to snap, losing his studied cool.
 REED
 Which is why I'm working twenty hours
 a day, checking every variable --
 SUE
 Every variable but yourself. You
 don't eat, sleep. You can't live in
 your head like --
 REED
 (finally losing it)
 I'm not the only one in there. I got
 you, Vic, Ben, Johnny, all rattling
 around in there.
 Sue stands there, shocked by his outburst. A beat.
 SUE
 So clear it out. Get out of your
 head. Get out of here...
 He looks at her, knowing what she means. Where she means.
 EXT. BROOKLYN STREETS - DAY
 Ben nearly knocks people over as he stomps down the street,
 mind tossing and turning. People stare, point. A LITTLE
 GIRL and FRIEND run up to him.
 LITTLE GIRL
 Mister, Mister! Please help me! My
 kitty is stuck in a tree.
 She gestures to a tree next to Ben. Looks up.
 LITTLE GIRL (CONT'D)
 Please save Miss Lucy.
 Ben rolls his eyes. Looks up. Considers climbing the tree,
 but thinks better of it. He has another idea...
 Ben grabs the tree with one hand, and starts shaking the crap
 out of it. MEEEEEEOOOOOOOWWWWRRRRRRR!!!!
 The cat falls into frame. At the last instant, Ben sticks
 out his hand and the cat lands safely in his palm. He hands
 the cat to the girl. Barely acknowledges her profuse thanks. 
 He just moves on.
 EXT. ANOTHER BROOKLYN STREET - NIGHT
 Ben passes a window in a gallery, and almost misses A LARGE
 SCULPTURE of his bust.
 He stops, steps back to take a look. It's exquisitely
 rendered, capturing not just brute physicality, but the
 haunting anguish in his eyes. Ben is amazed, and touched,
 but...
 BEN
 (under breath)
 Eyebrows are a little big...
 A beat. He stares at these images of himself.
 VOICE (O.S.)
 I figured the only way to get you here
 was to stick that in the window.
 He turns to see...ALICIA in the doorway.
 BEN
 How'd you know it was me?
 ALICIA
 I'm blind, not deaf. Wanna come in?
 He steps toward her. But he sees...a PARTY in the back part
 of the gallery. Ben pauses, a little insecure.
 BEN
 I'm not really dressed for a party.
 ALICIA
 Relax, it's casual.
 BEN
 No, I mean...I'm a little...dusty... 
 She smiles, a thought forming, as we CUT TO --
 INT. GALLERY - STUDIO - NIGHT
 WHOOSH! A SCULPTOR'S HOSE sprays a thin stream of water at
 BEN. Alicia cleans Ben with her hands, using thin CARVING
 CHISELS for his cracks. Intricate, intimate work.
 Ben enjoys every moment. He eyes a couple, large PUPPETS in
 the corner.
 BEN
 Those yours too?
 ALICIA
 My step-dad's. I'm strictly into
 stone. I was wondering when you'd
 walk by.
 THE THING
 You know, you could'a run an ad in the
 personals.
 ALICIA
 "Sensual blind chick seeks three-ton,
 rock-hard he-man for deep spiritual
 relationship."
 THE THING
 This ain't permanent. My friend
 Reed's working on a cure...I think.
 She gets closer, running her hands across his arm.
 ALICIA
 Bennie. You feel pretty good as is.
 Ben bristles. He doesn't want to stay this way.
 THE THING
 You don't know what it's like out
 there. Walking around like some kind
 of circus freak. People staring,
 whispering --
 ALICIA
 I wouldn't know anything about that.
 THE THING
 I mean...
 ALICIA
 Tell me. When you grew up in
 Brooklyn, how many astronauts did you
 know?
 (a beat)
 You went your own way then. You
 didn't listen to people. So why start
 now...?
 As he ponders that, we hear a CROWD SWELLING on the CUT TO --
 EXT. STREET - NIGHT
 Fans swarm JOHNNY. He signs autographs, poses for pictures. 
 Then his eyes move to...an incredibly long stretch LIMO. A
 tinted window rolls down. Victor's face emerges.
 VICTOR
 Need a ride, Johnny?
 EXT./INT. LIMO - NIGHT
 Johnny climbs in, sees...three impossibly gorgeous MODELS.
 VICTOR
 A few fans. Hope you don't mind.
 JOHNNY
 Gotta take care of the fans, right? 
 He smiles, sitting down in the middle of them.
 VICTOR
 Look, I built my business knowing what
 people want. And right now, the
 people want you.
 Johnny eyes the models, all lusting.
 JOHNNY
 And we don't want to let the people
 down now, do we?
 VICTOR
 No we don't. Which is why we need
 to strike while the iron's hot. 
 I'm talking action figures,
 videogames, sponsors --
 JOHNNY
 Videogames? You serious?
 Victor nods, knowing he has Johnny on the hook.
 JOHNNY (CONT'D)
 You talk to Reed and Sue about this?
 VICTOR
 Johnny. Let's be honest here. Ben,
 Reed, Sue. Good people, all. But
 stars?
 (shaking his head, a beat)
 I don't want to break up the band, but
 you're the one they want. Don't you
 think it's time to go solo...?
 Victor subtly nods to the models. They envelop Johnny.
 VICTOR (CONT'D)
 Take the car for a spin. Think about
 it. Is this the life you want? Or
 would you rather live in Reed's
 lab...?
 The car stops. Victor gets out. He stands on the pavement. 
 As he shuts the door, we see the women climbing onto Johnny. 
 The door shuts, and...
 WHHHMMMPF! The windows all suddenly STEAM UP!
 INT. HAYDEN PLANETARIUM - NIGHT
 STARS on the ceiling. A VOICE drones about the galaxy. In
 the LAST ROW, we find: Reed and Sue. Reed is thinking about
 work.
 REED
 I could get Ben to tap into the
 Baxter's main power to generate enough
 voltage --
 SUE
 Reed. Shh. Just be quiet. And look
 up.
 He slowly looks up. The stars seem to calm him.
 SUE (CONT'D)
 Remember our first date here...? God,
 I was so nervous.
 REED
 You were?
 SUE
 Of course I was. I'd read all your
 papers on bioethics. Some of them two
 times just so I'd have something to
 say to you.
 Reed smiles softly, thinking back.
 REED
 You know, I bribed the projectionist
 ten bucks to keep it open late?
 SUE
 I gave him twenty.
 They laugh. Sue looks up to the stars. Quiet:
 SUE (CONT'D)
 I didn't want that night to end.
 Reed looks at her. Wrestles with a decision. Then quietly:
 REED
 Sue, you were right. It wasn't
 complicated. I just wasn't ready to
 be...to become...
 (a beat)
 You can be a little intimidating. 
 She knows. He trails off. Sue looks at him.
 REED (CONT'D)
 You always talked about how you liked
 the kind of man who could approach
 you...speak his mind. One who wasn't
 afraid to tell you what he wanted.
 SUE
 I did. I did, Reed...but I wanted
 you to be that man.
 Someone SHUSHES them. They slump down further. Closer.
 SUE (CONT'D)
 When I walked out, I waited ten
 minutes outside your door. Ten. 
 Waiting for you to come find me.
 REED
 Why didn't you say something?
 SUE
 That would have kinda defeated the
 purpose. And Reed...
 (closer, emotional)
 I'm saying it now.
 Their eyes lock. A heated beat. No more secrets. Their
 faces are close. A kiss is coming. Closer, closer. Sue
 disappears.
 SUE (CONT'D)
 (quiet, playful)
 Come find me.
 Reed tentatively leans into the kiss, and...
 SUE (O.S.) (CONT'D)
 That's my nose, genius... These are my
 lips.
 Reed's face is SQUEEZED on both sides by Sue's invisible
 hands. She pulls him into a KISS. Lips touch. Soft,
 tender. Stars twinkle. And we slowly DISSOLVE TO --
 EXT. KIRBY GALLERY - NIGHT
 Ben and Alicia step out together. The crowd quiets, turns. 
 A few whispers flutter. Alicia leans close to Ben, and slips
 her arm into his. The party goes back to normal.
 ALICIA
 Look around. I'll get us drinks. 
 They always let blind girls cut the
 line.
 She walks off. He watches her go. The way her hair moves. 
 The lines of her neck. The light on her skin. This woman is
 the most beautiful thing Ben has ever seen. He's falling
 hard.
 Ben steps through the crowd. The swanky guests give strained
 smiles, polite. Ben is starting to feel comfortable here. 
 He keeps his eyes on Alicia, who talks to guests.
 
 Ben hangs back, happy to watch her. A few patrons pass him,
 thinking he's just an inanimate statue.
 PATRON
 I don't know about this one. It lacks
 a certain...realism.
 Ben keeps his eyes on Alicia. He overhears two BOHEMIAN
 GIRLS, who assume he's a statue.
 BOHEMIAN GIRL #1
 She's always had a thing for runaways
 and strays, but this is ridiculous.
 BOHEMIAN GIRL #2
 I know. Did she really think these
 sculptures would sell?
 BOHEMIAN GIRL #1
 Like anybody would want this thing in
 their house. That girl's a one-woman
 charity.
 Ben just stands there, frozen. His eyes dart around the
 room, paranoid now. Aware of people staring, laughing. He
 glances at Alicia, who giggles at something else. Ten
 seconds ago, this would have been dreamy. Now it's damning. 
 We stay with Alicia, who cuts through the crowd, emerging
 where she left Ben. She has a PITCHER of wine in hand for
 him. But Ben is gone. She looks disappointed, hearing his
 heavy FOOTSTEPS get softer and softer in the distance. 
 THUNDER booms on the CUT TO --
 EXT./INT. DINER - NIGHT
 A pitstop in Queens. Heavy RAIN swims down windows. BEN
 sits at the COUNTER, with his hat pulled low, coat tight. 
 Nobody sits within four chairs of him. He sips coffee in a
 metal bowl. A long beat. Then...
 VICTOR (O.S.)
 This seat taken?
 Ben turns to see...VICTOR.
 BEN
 What are you doing here?
 VICTOR
 I'm worried about you.
 BEN
 About me? How sweet.
 VICTOR
 Come on. Let me buy you something to
 eat. Looks like you could use the
 company.
 Ben considers. A man deeply alone. A beat.
 INT. DINER - LATER
 Victor and Ben sit in a window booth. A waitress sets a
 foothigh stack of pancakes in front of Ben, removes huge
 plates he's just cleared. Victor's aware of the other
 customers in the diner staring at Ben. Ben burps: it rattles
 the plates.
 THE THING
 'Scuse me.
 VICTOR
 I know it can't be easy. Life hasn't
 changed that much for Reed, Sue and
 Johnny. At least they can go out in
 public. But for you? People staring.
 Whispering behind your back...
 THE THING
 If you're trying to cheer me up you're
 doing a helluva job --
 VICTOR
 I'm just saying, I know what it's like
 to lose something you love. To see it
 slip away, and know it's never coming
 back.
 The Thing shoves a huge piece of pie in his mouth.
 THE THING
 Reed's gonna fix me up --
 VICTOR
 For your sake I hope you're right. 
 I'm sorry if that sounds a little
 skeptical.
 THE THING
 Skeptical...?
 Ben doesn't trust him. But Victor is hitting pressure
 points.
 VICTOR
 Look, he's a brilliant man, we should
 trust he's working as hard as he can. 
 You're his best friend. So what
 possible reason could he have for
 taking his time?
 (a beat)
 I mean, other than getting close to
 Sue?
 Off The Thing: a seed of doubt has been planted. He can't
 help but find truth in the words. And we CUT TO --
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING - TRANSFORMATION LAB - NIGHT
 Reed and Sue return, laughing quietly, bodies close. Reed
 turns on the lights, and they flinch when they see...BEN. He
 sits waiting, scowling. They stop laughing immediately.
 BEN
 Yeah, I have that effect on people.
 The construction of the TRANSFORMATION CHAMBER is complete. 
 The Technicians are gone now.
 REED
 Ben --
 BEN
 Oh, you remember my name do you? You
 happen to remember what you swore to
 do with every breath in your body?
 REED
 We're working as hard as we can --
 BEN
 Yeah. I can tell. Victor was right.
 He motions to Reed and Sue together.
 REED
 Come on, this is nothing.
 Sue looks a little hurt.
 BEN
 Glad "nothing" could take you away
 from your work.
 REED
 Ben, I don't know if this thing'll
 change us back or make us worse. 
 I need you to be patient for a little
 while longe--
 He POKES his finger into Reed's chest, which INDENTS around
 it like the Pillsbury Doughboy. Ben pushes Reed back. Hard.
 BEN
 Look at me, Reed. Look at me!
 He grabs Reed's face, his fingers INDENTING the skin. He
 THROWS Reed back. Reed slams down to the ground.
 REED
 I am looking. That's why I can't make
 a mistake! I've got to get it right,
 and it's not right yet! We need to
 test this.
 Ben shakes his head, looking down at Reed.
 BEN
 I spent my whole life protecting you,
 from the schoolyard to the stars. For
 what? So you could play Twister with
 your girlfriend while I'm the freak of
 the week?
 Reed tries to stand, but Ben KNOCKS him back. Reed slams
 into the wall, and stays down this time.
 SUE
 Ben! Stop it! Or I'll stop it.
 She starts to raise her hands to throw force-fields.
 BEN
 Stay out of this Susie.
 As Ben turns to her, Reed takes this opportunity to WRAP Ben
 up like a python. They struggle. Ben runs back into a wall
 to shake Reed. Their faces are close, heated.
 BEN (CONT'D)
 Good thing you're flexible enough to
 watch your own back. 'Cause you're on
 your own now.
 Ben seems to relax and Reed lets go. Ben walks out. Sue
 comes to Reed's side. He's bleeding.
 REED
 I'm OK. Just go, go after him. Stop
 him.
 She heads out. Reed slowly stands. He looks at the
 transformation machine. It's not ready. But...Reed steps
 toward it. As he walks, his image goes grainy in --
 INT. VICTOR'S OFFICE - NIGHT
 Victor gets closer to his screens, watching Reed's every
 step. This is what Victor has been waiting for. His screens
 flicker with static -- he's too close, but he can't pull
 back. He sees: REED TURNS ON THE MACHINE. Hits a countdown. 
 And he grabs his UNIFORM...
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING - HALLWAY - NIGHT
 Sue hustles down the long hall. Ben turns a corner, passing
 the elevators, heading toward a FREIGHT ELEVATOR. She gets
 there too late. Doors close, going down.
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING - GROUND FLOOR - NIGHT
 Ben pounds across the lobby. He sees Johnny coming in.
 JOHNNY
 Christmas come early! Check it out!
 He holds up an ACTION FIGURE of BEN: a horribly bloated body
 topped by a tiny pinhead. Johnny pushes a button and --
 BEN ACTION FIGURE
 IT'S CLOBBERIN' TIME!
 WITH ONE ARM, Ben shoves Johnny into a wall. With his other
 hand, Ben grabs the toy and SMASHES it into the wall, inches
 from Johnny's head. The toy lodges into the plaster.
 JOHNNY
 Hey! That's a prototype!
 BEN
 Go back to the drawing board.
 He strides away.
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING - GROUND FLOOR - NIGHT
 DING. Sue speeds out of the elevator. No sign of Ben. She
 runs into...JOHNNY who shakes off the encounter.
 SUE
 Johnny? Did you see Ben?
 JOHNNY
 Yeah, for the last time, I hope. I'm
 done with this freak show. I'm moving
 back to the real world.
 SUE
 Is that what you call it? "Real"?
 JOHNNY
 At least it beats living in a lab like
 somebody's science project.
 This hits home. Sue is quiet. Johnny turns to go.
 SUE
 Johnny, slow down. Think. You know
 mom didn't raise us to --
 JOHNNY
 Look around, sis! She's not here. So
 you can stop talking to me like I'm
 your little boy --
 SUE
 As soon as you stop acting like one. 
 Come on, you're smarter than this. 
 You think those people out there care
 about you? You're just a fad to them.
 He pulls away from her, taking a step out the door.
 JOHNNY
 Let's try something new: you live
 your life. And I'll live mine.
 (beat)
 And just for the record: they LOVE
 me.
 He strides into the night, leaving Sue alone. A dark night. 
 The Fantastic Four is no more. The family is split apart.
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING - TRANSFORMATION LAB - NIGHT
 The transformation chamber is up and running. Numbers count
 down. The storm swirls in the chamber. Reed now wears the
 UNIFORM. He opens the door:
 HE'S GOING TO USE IT ON HIMSELF. HE IS FINALLY TAKING
 ACTION.
 INT. VICTOR'S OFFICE - NIGHT
 Victor sits enthralled. He leans forward, breathless.
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING - TRANSFORMATION LAB - NIGHT
 Reed gets closer. His heart races. So does Victor's. A
 moment of truth for both of them. REED STEPS INTO THE
 MACHINE.
 Reed looks up at the cosmic storm. He opens his arms, ready
 to risk his life. And...WHHHM! He JOLTS in JUMP-CUT-MOTION,
 RECONFIGURING, JERKING out of control, and we CUT TO --
 VICTOR'S OFFICE - NIGHT
 His screens GO BLACK. He looks out the window to see...a
 flash atop the BAXTER BUILDING. The tip of the Baxter glows. 
 The rest of its lights GO OUT, FLICKERING in a power surge.
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING - GROUND FLOOR - NIGHT
 Lights go haywire. Sue knows immediately...
 SUE
 Oh god, Reed.
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING - TRANSFORMATION LAB - NIGHT
 Lights flicker in darkness. The door rips open. Sue lunges
 inside. She sees through smoke and sparks...REED sways in
 the chamber. A beat. Did it work? Then...
 Reed SLUMPS TO THE GROUND. His eyes flutter back. Dead...? 
 His body is warped, twisted -- one half remains tense, hard,
 while the other half is loose, soft, almost melted.
 SUE
 What did you do, Reed? What did you
 do?
 INT. VICTOR'S OFFICE - NIGHT
 Victor watches every second on his monitors.
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING - TRANSFORMATION LAB - NIGHT
 Sue struggles to lift Reed -- half of his body is STRETCHED
 OUT, devoid of any semblance of bone structure. One side of
 his face looks like it's MELTING OFF.
 REED
 I can...make it work.
 SUE
 Reed, stop, you need to rest your --
 REED
 The power...I need...more power...to
 control...the storm --
 SUE
 You need a doctor.
 Reed loses consciousness. Sue carries him out.
 INT. VICTOR'S OFFICE - NIGHT
 Victor watches, his eyes narrow, looking at his hands.
 VICTOR
 More power...?
 He reaches out for his phone, and...his SPEAKERPHONE
 AUTOMATICALLY TURNS ON. His powers growing.
 VICTOR (TO PHONE) (CONT'D)
 Leonard. Bring me our lab rat.
 EXT. UNDER THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE - NIGHT
 Ben sits alone, looking at city lights. A man without a
 home. Without a family. A hard beat. HEADLIGHTS slash
 across Ben. He slowly turns, blinded in the lights of...a
 LIMO.
 LEONARD
 Ben! They need you back at the Baxter
 building. It's...Reed.
 Ben considers. Despite it all, he's a good friend. And a
 good man. As he gets into the car, we hear THROBBING MUSIC
 IN --
 INT. MANHATTAN NIGHT CLUB - NIGHT
 LOUD MUSIC and PULSATING LIGHTS. A young crowd dances and
 grinds to the beat. Among the colorful lights, STREAKS OF
 FLAME swirl around the ceiling. We follow them to:
 A BALCONY, where we see JOHNNY sitting in a cozy VIP section. 
 He's surrounded by "groupies" climbing over each other to get
 a look at his various parlour tricks.
 He leans closer to a YOUNG WOMAN. Closer. Candles around
 them start to melt. Beads of sweat drip down her face.
 JOHNNY
 What do you say we get out of here? 
 She pauses. And...a very LARGE MAN steps up.
 JOHNNY (CONT'D)
 This your boyfriend?
 The Boyfriend doesn't look too happy.
 BOYFRIEND
 Is that all you do? Bar tricks and
 stealing chicks...
 Johnny does one more trick...taps the guy's drink...igniting
 it into a burst of flame. The Boyfriend drops the glass,
 which SMASHES on the ground...catches the floor on fire.
 The boyfriend quickly moves in and stamps it out.
 GIRLFRIEND
 What are you doing?! You could have
 burned somebody!
 The boyfriend takes his girlfriend's hand, they start to walk
 off. She turns back for one last comment...
 GIRLFRIEND (CONT'D)
 You know, if I had your power I'd be
 doing something with it, not wasting
 my time doing cheap bar tricks,
 hitting on some other guy's girl.
 Johnny looks a little embarrassed. The couple leaves. 
 Johnny glances around. His FANS look down, away. He sees
 how quickly they can turn. The crowd parts slightly. He
 looks very alone.
 INT. TRANSFORMATION CHAMBER - NIGHT
 Leonard leads The Thing inside. The ominous chamber sits
 with its door open. Victor enters from the control station.
 VICTOR
 Ben, come in.
 BEN
 What is this? Where's Reed?
 VICTOR
 Where do you think? With Sue.
 Ben looks at the flickering lights. Suspicious. Victor
 turns to Leonard, who looks a little scared by this dark
 room.
 VICTOR (CONT'D)
 (quiet)
 I'll take it from here, Leonard.
 Leonard nods, all too eager to get the hell out of here.
 LEONARD
 Yes sir.
 Leonard disappears fast, as Victor turns back to Ben.
 BEN
 What do you want, Vic?
 VICTOR
 To help you. I've run every test
 known to man. And they all yield the
 same result: the machine is ready.
 Ben shakes his head, wanting to believe, but...
 BEN
 Reed said it'd be weeks till --
 VICTOR
 He also said we'd avoid that storm in
 space. And we know how that turned
 out.
 Ben nods. Reed was wrong before. Ben gets closer to the
 machine, drawn to it. He wants to believe, so badly.
 VICTOR (CONT'D)
 He couldn't generate enough power for
 the machine to reach critical mass. 
 Yet another mistake for "Mr.
 Fantastic."
 BEN
 And you can? Power it up?
 Victor stands in shadows, but we see the tiniest little SPARK
 around him. The lights...? Or his skin...?
 VICTOR
 Yes. I've found a new energy source.
 He keeps his arm behind his back -- his fingertips course
 with ELECTRICITY. It starts to build, sparking up his arm.
 VICTOR (CONT'D)
 Tell me...do you want to be Ben Grimm
 again?
 Ben keeps his eyes on the machine. His dream is alive.
 BEN
 Let's do it.
 INT. TRANSFORMATION CHAMBER - NIGHT
 The chamber doors open. Thing enters. He looks around this
 sterile box. An animal in a cage. Victor pushes a control;
 the doors of the chamber slowly close and seal. Thing shuts
 his eyes. He just wants to be Ben again.
 FROM THE CONTROLS: Victor initiates the transformation
 sequence. As lights go on inside the chamber, they dim in
 the lab. Energy pumps into the chamber. The storm swirls
 faster. Lights flicker...there's not enough power, until --
 -- Victor walks over...grabs hold of the machine with both
 hands...and WHHHM! A countdown begins in the control panels. 
 SLOW MOVE IN on the chamber, The Thing's face in the window. 
 The chamber activates. The storm strikes hard.
 The Thing opens his mouth, a beat, then he screams in agony. 
 Struggling violently inside. To escape? Extend the moment:
 Condensation obscures the chamber window: The Thing vanishes.
 EXT. MANHATTAN SKYLINE - NIGHT
 The city lights fill the sky, and give it a quiet, eerie
 glow. Suddenly, a BRIGHT FLASH emerges from the window of
 the Baxter Building. The rest of the city lights dim
 slightly.
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING LIVING QUARTERS - NIGHT
 Reed lies in bed, weak, recuperating. When the power surges,
 we MOVE in on him: he looks up in alarm, knowing that
 someone's using the chamber. He starts to get out of bed,
 straining to stand with every muscle left in his body.
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING - MEDICAL SUPPLY ROOM - SAME TIME
 Sue sifts through a cabinet full of medications. The lights
 dim. Power failure. She looks up...
 EXT. CLUB - NIGHT
 Johnny walks alone. A WAVE OF LIGHT spreads through the sky. 
 He looks up. His eyes adjust to the blast, as he realizes
 where it's coming from. He starts RUNNING toward the Baxter.
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING - REVERSION LAB - NIGHT
 INSIDE THE MACHINE, the RED CLOUD swirls with debris,
 crackling with light. The chamber rattles dangerously, as
 the power seems to SHAKE the very foundation of the building. 
 And then it's over. The light dies down...somewhat. It
 still pulses along with the chamber. The chamber door SLIDES
 OPEN.
 Beat. And...BEN GRIMM steps out. Not The Thing. No more
 rocks. BEN GRIMM. Naked, tired, but finally A NORMAL MAN. 
 He slips on his trench-coat -- now way too large. He
 collapses. He stares at his hands, his arms...it worked.
 BEN
 Oh my God... Th-thank you. THANK
 YOU...VIC?!
 Ben sees a SPARK in shadows. That spark is...
 VICTOR'S ARM. Victor steps forward, and reveals himself to
 Ben: ELECTRICITY PUMPS THROUGH HIS BODY. His skin is part
 flesh, part metal. Cheekbone exposed, steel tissue.
 HE IS DOOM.
 BEN (CONT'D)
 Vic... What the...?
 DOOM
 Everyone thought I was safe behind
 those shields...
 BEN
 Victor, the machine worked for me. It
 can work for you --
 DOOM
 It did, Ben. It worked perfectly. 
 Ben starts to realize...
 BEN
 You planned this...?
 Doom smiles, reaches out his hand -- ELECTRICITY builds from
 his shoulders, coursing down his arms to his fingertips.
 DOOM
 I've always wanted power. Now I've
 got an unlimited supply...
 BEN
 And no Thing to stand in your way. 
 DOOM smiles, nods, stronger than Ben now.
 DOOM
 Take a good look, Ben. This is what a
 man looks like who embraces his
 destiny.
 Doom clenches his fist and BLASTS Ben, sending him flying
 backwards across the room -- knocked unconscious.
 DOOM (CONT'D)
 One down, three to go.
 Suddenly, WHOOSH! The lab door flies open. Reed enters. 
 Doom steps back into the shadows.
 DOOM (CONT'D)
 Right on cue.
 Reed's eyes go wide. He sees Ben crumpled in the corner.
 REED
 Oh god Ben. Are you okay?
 (amazed)
 You did it, you really did it...
 DOOM
 No, Reed. I did.
 Reed slowly turns to see...DOOM. His body, his face.
 REED
 Victor...? What, what happened to
 you? What did you do to your --
 DOOM
 Exactly what I said I would: I built a
 better, stronger being. And
 outsmarted the great Reed Richards --
 REED
 Victor, this isn't the way to --
 DOOM
 (a dark smile)
 You always know best. So tell me. 
 What happens when you superheat
 rubber?
 Doom BLASTS an electrical BOLT at Reed, KNOCKING Reed through
 the huge window! Reed's body RUBBER-BANDS from the blast.
 EXT. BAXTER BUILDING - NIGHT
 Reed SLINKIES down the face of the building, skin rippling.
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING - REVERSION LAB - NIGHT
 Doom looks out the window, smiling at his old friend's fall.
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING - FRONT LOBBY - NIGHT
 DING! The elevator opens. Doom strides out. He passes our
 friend O'HOOLIHAN, who looks scared.
 O'HOOLIHAN
 Mr. Von Doom? Are you oka--
 Doom casually SWIPES, sending him through revolving doors.
 DOOM
 Never better, Jimmy. And it's Doctor
 Doom now.
 EXT. BAXTER BUILDING - NIGHT
 Reed MELTS down the sides of an AWNING, like a Salvador Dali
 watch. He tries to GRAB HOLD of window ledges, but he can't
 get a grip. His ARM streeetches, and SNAP! He falls like a
 SLINKY, out of control. Half his body loose, half hard.
 He drips to the sidewalk, where...Doom steps out. He catches
 Reed's face, holds it close.
 DOOM
 Why the long face?
 Doom whips Reed into the night. As Doom turns, people cower,
 horrified by his face. They clear out, and...
 Doom sees his REFLECTION in a window: scarred skin, metallic
 veins. A monster. Infuriated, he SHATTERS the window with
 an iron fist, and bounds into the night.
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING - LATER - NIGHT
 Smoke billows, windows are shattered. Sue races inside,
 seeing Doom's devastation. Silence, deadly silence. 
 Then...she sees a pile of WRECKAGE shift. BEN crawls out.
 SUE
 Ben?!
 She helps him out of the rubble. He is beaten, battered.
 JOHNNY (O.S.)
 Sue!
 Johnny comes running in. He sees the wreckage.
 JOHNNY (CONT'D)
 I'm sorry, sis, for leaving you guys --
 SUE
 No, I'm sorry, for pushing you out.
 He nods. A beat between them. He looks around, sees Ben.
 JOHNNY
 Jesus, Ben!
 (eyeing him)
 I go away, look what happens. You got
 a lot of explaining to do.
 He motions to the wreckage.
 BEN
 (struggling, weak)
 The machine works. And Vic's gone
 Mister Hyde on us --
 JOHNNY
 Really? With a name like Von Doom? 
 Never saw that one coming.
 Sue looks around. Only one question. Dead serious:
 SUE
 Where is Reed?
 BEN
 Victor must've taken him.
 INT. VON DOOM - CONFERENCE ROOM - NIGHT
 Doom sits at the head of the table in an eerie parallel to
 the opening scene. Those mysterious CRATES loom in shadows. 
 He wears a green HOOD, and METAL MASK over his scarred face. 
 Doom's eyes turn toward...the other end of the table.
 DOOM
 Chemistry 101, Part Two. What
 happens to rubber when it's super-
 cooled?
 We now see what he sees: Reed sits in a chair with TUBES
 INJECTED into his skin FREEZING HIM SOLID! Ultra-cold vapor
 coats him. Doom steps closer, a sadistic smile.
 Reed tries to move but can't even ball his hand into a fist.
 DOOM (CONT'D)
 Allow me.
 He PRESSES DOWN on one of Reed's fingers, which makes a
 horrific CRACKING SOUND. Reed's face twists with pain.
 DOOM (CONT'D)
 Painful...?
 Doom seems to enjoy every CRACK. He leans closer.
 DOOM (CONT'D)
 You don't know the meaning of the
 word.
 Doom lets up on Reed and reaches into a crate, and pulls out
 a military-issue ROCKET-LAUNCHER. He aims at the city
 skyline, locking onto his target: JOHNNY STORM.
 DOOM (CONT'D)
 But you will.
 Johnny's HEAT SIGNATURE glows. The screen flashes: TARGET
 ACQUIRED. Doom looks back at Reed, his launcher aimed
 casually over his shoulder.
 DOOM (CONT'D)
 Flame off.
 BOOOOM! He fires without looking! A MISSILE blasts into the
 sky. THE MISSILE LIGHTS UP THE DARK NIGHT beginning its wide
 turn towards its target.
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING
 Johnny, Ben, and Sue hear the missile being fired and turn to
 the window -- it BANKS, coming STRAIGHT for them. They move
 to --
 EXT. BAXTER BUILDING BALCONY - NIGHT
 Johnny rushes toward the edge, to get a good look at the
 missile streaking closer. As he moves, the missile SHIFTS
 slightly with HIS MOTION! His eyes narrow, thinking.
 He FLAMES ON a HAND. He waves his flaming hand, and the
 MISSILE locks onto the fire! Johnny darkens, realizing...
 JOHNNY
 Great. Heat-seeker.
 His mind races. He makes a decision, and steps up onto the
 ledge, hundreds of feet above the street.
 SUE
 What are you doing --
 JOHNNY
 Sis. Let me take care of you for
 once.
 SUE
 But Johnny...you can't fly.
 Johnny considers, a half-beat. He looks out. Under breath:
 JOHNNY
 Well then this'll be one hell of a
 basejump.
 Sue reaches out to stop him, but Johnny DIVES HEROICALLY OFF
 THE EDGE! He FLAMES ON! The missile follows his arc. As he
 drops, his clothes BURN OFF, revealing his UNIFORM.
 JOHNNY (CONT'D)
 (under breath)
 Come on...come on...come on...
 He falls lower, lower. And...he...BANKS! SWOOPS UP! 
 FLYING!
 JOHNNY (CONT'D)
 FLAME ON.
 Sue watches, with fear, and a hint of pride.
 BEN
 We need to help Reed --
 Sue shakes her head, sympathetic.
 SUE
 Ben, you got what we all wanted. 
 You need to stay here. It's too
 dangerous.
 She heads off. Ben watches her go, helpless.
 INT. BAXTER BUILDING - REVERSION LAB - NIGHT
 Ben steps back into this ravaged room. Through the shattered
 window, he sees Johnny's FLAMES streaking away. A hard beat.
 BEN
 What...what have I done?
 EXT. NEW YORK - NIGHT
 Johnny zigs and zags, but the missile takes every twist and
 turn, gaining on him, bearing down. Cars slow, stop. More
 people look up, scared, pointing at this stunning sight.
 INT. VON DOOM CONFERENCE ROOM - NIGHT
 Eerily silent. Reed tries to move, but he is FROZEN. He
 hears a footstep. But the room is EMPTY. No sign of Doom
 even. A beat. He hears a CREAK. Another CREAK, closer. 
 And...
 A FREEZING TUBE starts to SHIFT. It goes taut, clearly being
 manipulated by a hand -- an INVISIBLE HAND. Sue APPEARS next
 to Reed, tube in hand. She tries to stay calm.
 SUE
 What has he done to you?
 Reed's eyes shift to see...Doom emerge from the darkness.
 DOOM (O.S.)
 How romantic.
 SUE
 Victor, please --
 DOOM
 It's Doctor Doom to you.
 He steps closer. Electrodes course over his metal skin.
 SUE
 We know the machine works. It worked
 on Ben, it'll work on you. We can
 turn you back --
 DOOM
 Do you really think fate turned us
 into gods so we could refuse these
 gifts?
 She hardens, a little force field starts to emanate from her.
 SUE
 Victor. You always thought you were
 god.
 Doom has a hand behind his back, generating an energy blast.
 DOOM
 Sue please, let's not fight.
 SUE
 No, Victor... Let's.
 She HURLS a force-field at him. It CONNECTS, KNOCKING him
 back a half-step. But he simply shakes it off, and steps up. 
 Too powerful. He smiles. His arms CRACKLE with electricity.
 DOOM
 Susan...... You're fired.
 BOOM! He FIRES an ELECTRIC SHOCKWAVE that LAUNCHES her back. 
 She spirals through the air, crashing into the wall, THUDDING
 to the floor. As Doom stalks closer, Sue gathers her
 strength to...GO INVISIBLE.
 DOOM (CONT'D)
 Marco...
 A hanging beat. We see: a FAINT OUTLINE of Sue behind him.
 DOOM (CONT'D)
 Polo.
 He SPINS, GRABS her! Doom grips her neck, SLAMMING her to
 the ground beside Reed. She lays there, beaten, visible.
 In the distance behind Doom, city lights BLINK, fading in and
 out. Lights flutter softly here (like when Ben went through
 the machine). Reed looks up. Could it be...?
 EXT. EAST RIVER - NIGHT
 Johnny jets over the water with the missile only twenty feet
 behind him. He's running out of options, when he spots:
 A GARBAGE BARGE floating in the water ahead. Thinking fast,
 Johnny does a fly-by and HURLS a fireball at the barge. 
 VWOOSH! The flames ignite and spread quickly.
 He loops back toward the flaming barge as the missile closes
 in on him. Fifteen feet...ten... Just as it's about to hit -- 
 JOHNNY FLAMES OFF and falls toward the water. As he tumbles
 through the air, we CUT BACK TO --
 INT. VON DOOM CONFERENCE ROOM - NIGHT
 From their vantage point, they see the missile explode. 
 Flames dance. Sue's eyes darken, as Doom grips her neck.
 Reed tries desperately to move, but he is FROZEN. It takes
 every last ounce of strength to lift one finger, which makes
 a CRACCCKKKKING sound.
 DOOM
 One more down. Now it's just the
 scientist and his specimen.
 Sue and Reed lock eyes. Reed tries to move his mouth. He
 has something to tell her, struggling just to move his lips
 and get the words out.
 REED
 Sue. The only thing I ever knew
 without thinking was...
 (his lips fully freezing)
 I...love...
 He starts to say "you," but his lips FREEZE, mid-word. Sue
 whispers to him:
 SUE
 Me too, Reed.
 Doom steps toward Sue, about to deliver the final blow.
 DOOM
 (quiet, cruel)
 Did you say goodbye to your brother Johnny?
 It's time to end this!
 BOOOOM! An elevator DOOR FLIES INTO THE ROOM! SMASH!
 VOICE (O.S.)
 No, Vic...
 Reed recognizes the voice. So do we. Doom turns to see... 
 BEN GRIMM, AKA THE THING. Back in rocky, fighting form.
 BEN
 IT'S CLOBBERIN' TIME!
 Doom turns, just as --
 BAM! Ben HITS Doom harder than any living thing has ever
 been hit. The force sends Doom back through the air, toward
 the far wall, where he SMASHES into the massive "V"
 sculpture. It SNAPS, crashing onto him. A few sparks. Then
 nothing.
 Nothing at all. No more movement. Doom is dead.
 Ben turns to Reed.
 BEN (CONT'D)
 Damn, I've been wanting to do that.
 Reed manages the thinnest smile as Ben starts disconnecting
 the tubes from Reed.
 BEN (CONT'D)
 (Reed's words)
 Victor's "not that bad," huh? Just "a
 little larger than life"? Maybe
 you'll listen to me next time before --
 WHMM! The WRECKAGE shifts. They turn to see...Doom EMERGES. 
 He stands, power coursing. And he CHARGES at Ben! Ben
 charges back. And these two behemoths...
 SLAM INTO EACH OTHER, CRASHING THROUGH GLASS, INTO THIN AIR!!
 EXT. VON DOOM BUILDING - CONTINUOUS
 Doom and Ben PLUMMET, wrestling in mid-air. On the ground,
 PEOPLE scream and duck for cover. Doom and Ben SMASH through
 the large GLASS roof of a lower building across the street.
 INT. HOTEL - INDOOR POOL - CONTINUOUS
 BOOOOM! Doom and Ben, locked in combat, drop through the
 glass, landing in a large HOTEL POOL. People scream, run.
 INT. HOTEL - INDOOR POOL - NIGHT
 UNDERWATER: Doom and Ben LAND HARD. Their combined weight
 CRACKS the floor of the pool. A YOUNG BOY watches underwater
 through his MASK. Doom and Ben square off, but...
 The CRACKS OPEN WIDER! And they're PULLED toward the HOLE! 
 WHOOSH! The water is all sucked out of the hole. The boy
 holds tight to a ladder, as Ben and Doom crash down to --
 INT. HOTEL - HALLWAY - NIGHT
 A HOTEL GUEST sees water FLOOD into the hall. Roaring rapids
 head straight for him. He jams his key into the lock,
 turning desperately, just barely leaping out of the way as
 the wave carrying BEN and DOOM SMASHES through a window to --
 EXT. HOTEL - CONTINUOUS
 SMASH! Ben and Doom fly out the window, thrashing in the
 TEN THOUSAND-GALLON WATERFALL TO --
 EXT. NEW YORK CITY STREET - CONTINUOUS
 CRASH! Water floods the street. Doom and Ben land in a
 large GARBAGE TRUCK. The truck rocks back and forth, DENTING
 from the inside. Grunts, growls.
 CRASH! The truck suddenly STOPS. COP CARS SPEED CLOSER,
 sirens screaming. And --
 BOOM, A HUGE SHAPE explodes from the truck. SMASH! Ben
 lands on a CAR filled with two OLD LADIES -- his head cracks
 the WINDSHIELD.
 BEN
 Sorry, ladies.
 OLD LADY
 Stop the car!
 BEN
 Pull over. Hit the brakes!
 Doom steps out of the garbage truck, water
 flooding the street around him. COP CARS converge on Doom. 
 POLICE OFFICER
 This is the police. Put your hands up
 and step down from the vehicle!
 Doom turns his attention to the cops. His limbs SPARK with
 electricity, ready to fire at the cars.
 EXT./INT. CAR - CONTINUOUS
 Ben sees the cops and Doom. He knows the cops are dead meat. 
 He turns to the OLD LADY in the driver's seat.
 BEN
 Ladies, I'm gonna need to borrow your car.
 She nods and quickly gets out, shaking.
 OLD LADY
 The transmission sticks.
 BEN
 Not gonna be a problem!
 Ben LIFTS the car and THROWS it at Doom. WHMM! It FLIES
 through the air, and WHAM! Hits hard, knocking Doom back
 twenty feet! As Doom FLIES back, a BUS enters frame, and --
 EXT. NEW YORK CITY STREET - NIGHT
 BOOM! Doom SMASHES into the OUT OF SERVICE BUS! CRASH! 
 Windows shatter. The bus SLAMS into an ELECTRICITY POLE,
 snapping the pole. Doom steps out, unharmed.
 Ben CHARGES toward him. Doom grabs the broken ELECTRICITY
 POLE, FLIPS it into his hand, and wields the pole like a
 giant STUN-GUN! Electric sparks FLY through the air into -- 
 BEN! The BLAST of VOLTS launches him off his feet! He goes
 FLYING backward, ELECTROCUTED in mid-flight, and --
 WHOOMPF! Ben LANDS HARD, face down, CRATERING the street! 
 Water rushes into the crater. Ben lays there, incapacitated.
 EXT. NEW YORK CITY STREET - SAME TIME
 DOOM
 Goodbye, Ben.
 On the street, cars SCREAM to stops, people GASP. Doom
 strides up to Ben, and raises the ELECTRICITY POLE for the
 death-blow. Currents surge. Right before he swings down --
 VOICE (O.S.)
 I can't let you do that!
 Simple, strong. Doom turns to see...REED. Alone. Bruised
 and battered. Slowly stepping toward him. Doom smiles.
 DOOM
 Reed? I'll be right with you.
 He turns back to Ben, raises the pole, but...he CAN'T SWING
 DOWN! Something is HOLDING the pole in mid-air.
 Something invisible.
 DOOM (CONT'D)
 Hello Susan.
 She turns VISIBLE, holding back the pole with a FORCEFIELD. 
 Using her power, she FLINGS the pole from Doom's grip. It
 skids along the street. Reed helps Ben to his feet.
 Doom turns to these three wounded soldiers.
 DOOM (CONT'D)
 You three are pathetic!
 Doom steps toward them, but --
 VOICE (O.S.)
 You missed me.
 WHOOOSH! Johnny SWOOPS DOWN, hurling a FIREBALL like a
 flamethrower, KNOCKING Doom back.
 Johnny takes his place alongside the others. The four of
 them stand as one. Johnny turns to Thing.
 JOHNNY
 Had a little relapse, huh?
 Thing starts to retort, but Johnny gives a warm smile.
 JOHNNY (CONT'D)
 Welcome back.
 They turn to Doom, who stands with metal skin slightly singed
 and melted, making him look all the more menacing.
 DOOM
 This is gonna be fun. Aaargh!
 Electricity starts to course through his body. He stands at
 the foot of the crater Ben made. He THRUSTS down, grabbing a
 thick POWER CABLE, RIPPING it out of the street!
 He SNAPS the cable into two snaking, lashing strips. He
 holds tight, ABSORBING the power. Lights FLICKER and DIM in
 buildings around him. Windows BLOW! Doom GLOWS, amped up. 
 He LETS GO of the cables! The two deadly wires SNAKE out of
 control! PEDESTRIANS scatter, panic. Reed sees the wires
 SLASHING through the air. He makes a move:
 Reed STREEETCHES HIS ARMS, reaching for the deadly cables. 
 Doom FIRES superpowered ENERGY BOLTS. The electric charges
 surge through the air toward the Fantastic Four, but --
 Sue TOSSES her FORCE-FIELDS, exploding Doom's blasts in mid-
 flight. She keeps her hands up, BLOCKING blows like a prize
 fighter. One of Doom's BOLTS glances off her force-field
 and --
 SMASHES into a concrete stanchion of a BUILDING! The pillar
 starts to crumble, with PEOPLE huddled under the overhang! 
 They're about to be CRUSHED by the falling concrete! But -- 
 Suddenly, the concrete roof HOLDS STEADY...because...BEN is
 holding it up! He stands beside the stanchion, like Atlas
 holding the world. People run out, safe.
 ON THE STREET: Reed finally grabs both ends of the wire.
 Johnny FLIES toward him, and uses his flames to WELD the
 wires back together. Sparks fly. The cables start to FUSE. 
 Doom keeps FIRING. Sue struggles with her force-fields. The
 impact is too much. Her nose starts to bleed.
 SUE
 I can't hold it!
 Doom smiles. Reed sees her. She is about to drop her hands,
 vulnerable, but..............REED STRETCHES HIS WHOLE BODY! 
 He EXPANDS himself across the street, and GRABS a TREE, so he
 forms a WALL between Sue and Doom.
 Doom keeps FIRING his bolts. They SLAM into Reed's body,
 RUBBERBAND his skin, and DISTEND OUT his back without
 breaking. He strains, agonizing.
 REED
 Johnny, supernova!
 JOHNNY
 I thought we agreed that was bad!
 REED
 NOW!!! Ben!
 BEN
 Gotcha.
 Johnny charges toward Doom -- flames on his body starting
 build to a blinding white intensity, ENGULFING everything.
 Johnny GRABS DOOM.
 FLASH! Johnny explodes in a PULSE of BRIGHT WHITE LIGHT,
 which starts to HEAT UP everything surrounding it. Reed
 doesn't miss a beat. He's in total command now.
 REED
 Sue! Think you can contain it?!
 She concentrates. She sees Johnny holding onto Doom -- and
 the GROWING HEAT and LIGHT.
 Sue shuts her eyes. A GIANT FORCE FIELD EXPLODES FROM HER
 BODY. A massive WAVE OF ENERGY. It SWOOPS past a car, which
 WARPS, MELTS (half the car is not inside the force-field). 
 BEN
 (quiet, smiling)
 Flame on, kid.
 Thing turns to the crowd, extending his arm, blocking them.
 Sue's force-field ENVELOPS JOHNNY'S SUPERNOVA, containing it
 in a BRIGHT SPHERE OF ENERGY. The light increases, to the
 point that it's blinding. People look away.
 Finally, Johnny's supernova fades. He collapses to the
 ground, exhausted, smoking. Sue exhales and falls to her
 knees. Her force field fades. The light flickers out. As
 everyone's eyes adjust, we hear...THUD. THUD. And --
 DOOM steps through the smoke. Unharmed. His metallic body
 GLOWS WHITE, TRAILING MOLTEN METAL. Sue, Ben, Johnny look
 devastated. They can't beat him. He looks at Reed.
 DOOM
 Is that the best you can do? A
 little heat?
 Reed stays perfectly calm. He shakes his head.
 REED
 Time for your lesson – Chem 101.
 What happens when you rapidly cool hot
 metal?
 (to Ben)
 Ben!
 He KICKS OPEN the FIRE HYDRANT. The water GEYSERS UP! Ben
 kicks down with his foot, deflecting the water so it sprays
 toward Reed, who...TWISTS HIS TORSO so...
 The water CURLS around his chest, RACES down his arms, and
 SHOOTS right off his wrists toward Doom!
 Doom RUSHES TOWARD Reed, but the WATER FLIES OUT, DOUSING
 DOOM. GIANT CLOUDS OF STEAM fill the air from the cooling
 metal. DOOM screams. His shrieks finally fade to SILENCE. 
 The water stops, thick steam clouds roll, completely
 obscuring Doom from view. A beat. The steam clears to
 reveal:
 DOOM. A true statue now -- a hard, cold solid piece of
 METAL. Frozen forever. Reed, Sue, Ben, and Johnny -- The
 Fantastic Four -- exhale. They stand as one, in roiling
 smoke. A beat.
 BEN
 Whoa.
 (to Johnny)
 You done good, kid. Come on.
 Reed and Sue slowly lock eyes, thinking the same thing.
 REED
 Sue, you okay?
 SUE
 Yeah.
 Will they accept their mantle? Reed shrugs.
 They give weary smiles. A team. Sue gets close to Reed.
 JOHNNY
 Man, I love this job.
 BEN
 Job, huh?
 Sue looks at Reed. A long way from that conference room.
 REED
 Well, we do have the suits.
 As Reed and Sue kiss, people emerge, stepping out of hiding. The sun
 rises around them. The Fantastic Four step into the new dawn
 of a new day. And we slowly DISSOLVE TO --
 INT. CIRCLE LINE BOAT - BANQUET ROOM - DUSK
 Reed and Sue kiss on the deck of the Circle Line as it chugs
 around New York City.
 JOHNNY (O.S.)
 Dude, that's still my sister.
 A PARTY IN PROGRESS. Drinks, food, music. We see in the
 crowd a familiar faces: O'HOOLIHAN (cast on his arm),
 bartender ERNIE, others. JOHNNY and BEN stand behind Reed
 and Sue.
 Reed and Sue pull apart. Reed turns to Ben, excited.
 REED
 Ben, I've been crunching the numbers
 on the machine. I think if we can
 rework the power settings...
 BEN
 Forget it, egghead. I'm good as is.
 ALICIA (O.S.)
 That's my Benny.
 She hands Ben a big METAL MUG. Ben takes the mug. He
 CLINKS, but SHATTERS her glass.
 ALICIA (CONT'D)
 We're going to have to work on your
 touch.
 BEN
 I like the sound of that.
 Alicia gets close. A soft smile. Reed turns to Sue.
 REED
 Sue, can I talk to you for a second?
 Reed leads her out. Ben and Johnny swap a glance.
 EXT. CIRCLE LINE BOAT - DECK - DUSK
 A romantic view of the city-scape. Reed stands with Sue.
 REED
 I found a broken gasket, from space --
 SUE
 A gasket? Reed, we're at a party.
 He opens his hand, revealing a circular piece of metal, just
 about the size of......a RING. Sue slows down.
 REED
 If one of us were to wear it...
 She sees Johnny and Ben inside, watching -- in on a secret. 
 Reed looks her square in the eye. Unflinching.
 SUE
 Reed. What are you doing?
 Reed drops to his knees. His head stays eye-level, while his
 body drops. Sue gapes, so emotional she starts to DISAPPEAR.
 REED
 No more thinking, no more variables...
 Sue Storm...will you...
 (she's gone)
 Sue? Sue? You there?
 Dead silence. And then...
 THE RING DISAPPEARS. SUE IS WEARING IT.
 SUE (V.O.)
 Yes.
 Reed goes to kiss her.
 SUE (V.O.) (CONT'D)
 That's my nose, genius... These are my
 lips.
 Reed's face is SQUEEZED on both sides by Sue's invisible
 hands. She pulls him into a KISS and reappears.
 INSIDE: the party applauds. Ben, Johnny, and Alicia move
 through the crowd to join Reed and Sue. As they go --
 BEN
 No more cracks about how I look.
 JOHNNY
 Hey, I'm Mr. Sensitivity now.
 (weaving around bodies)
 Clear the way, wide load coming
 through.
 Ben glares, fists clenched. Johnny smiles, mischievous, as
 they hit the balcony. And he FLAMES ON, taking off into the
 air, blazing the NUMBER "FOUR" enclosed in a circle of flame
 (their future callsign), over the city skyline. The crowd
 oohs and aahs. Ben watches, unimpressed.
 BEN
 Showoff.
 People drink, laugh, dance. We slowly PULL BACK from the
 party, the boat, the city, and...CUT TO --
 EXT. HARBOR - DAY
 CLOSE ON: the MELTED FACE of DOOM. He is placed in a wooden
 crate. LEONARD oversees the operation, listening to his
 cell.
 As two workers move the heavy door in place -- a crackle of
 ELECTRICITY moves over Doom's body. Leonard's CELLPHONE goes
 STATICKY. His eyes narrow. Could it be...? And --
 SLAM. The door closes. We can read the destination through
 stenciled lettering: LATVERIA. And we pull back to reveal
 the box is on the deck of:
 A FREIGHTER SHIP. The ship pulls away, steaming into the
 horizon, as we...
 FADE OUT.
 THE END
Category:Transcripts
Category:20th Century Fox Transcripts