After several hours of applied mad sciences, Dr. Muskiday finally has a plan.
The macronanos have been feeding on Fairmount City’s emotions, growing stronger with every burst of anger, embarrassment, infatuation, and fear. Muskiday’s new device is designed to reverse the process — converting a macronano back into harmless micronanos while safely discharging all that stolen emotional energy.
There’s just one problem.
To test the thing, they need a macronano.
Fortunately, HoloClone Miss Match knows exactly how to bait the hook. A little romance. A little melodrama. And perhaps just a touch more enthusiasm than Dr. Muskiday was expecting.
Science demands sacrifice. Apparently, dignity is first on the list.
One Hot August
On Friday, I posted a wrap-up of all of the August exclusives — complete with previews of all the spicy selections. You can download all of them without becoming a Patreon backer here.
Transcript
Panel 1
Dr. Muskiday finishes tinkering on his device in front of a whiteboard that shows how the device works.
Macronano —> containment unit —> compression field emitter —> emotion output emitter
Muskiday: OK… I think we’re ready to test it out. Can you attract one of the macronanos?
Panel 2
HoloClone Miss Match: Musky, darling, this may be our last chance to consummate our love before the macronanos take over!
Panel 3
A macronano reacts as Holoclone Miss Match (continues off-panel): Take me, my love. I’m yours, body and soul!
Panel 4
The macronano enters the lab, and HoloClone Miss Match slams the door behind it.
HoloClone Miss Match: Ha-HA! You sure are gullible! I can’t believe you fell for that. GET ’IM MUSKY!
Panel 5
Dr. Muskiday is in the act of taking off his pants: …Huh??
The Week in Villainy: Taking stock of super-villains
Dr. Doom: The Doctor is IN.
Like many villains from the Golden or Silver Ages, the good doctor has seen his character flirt with campy disregard.
But in the recent Death of the Invisible Woman arc in the past four issues of Fantastic Four, he has re-asserted his play for alpha-male status among Marvel’s black capes.
After being used by a Susan-Richards-from-the-future to power a time-machine battery (the lifeless husk of a future-timeline-Galactus), Dr. Doom calmly fries the elder Invisible Woman into a charred husk.
To restore his honor.
Consider it restored, tin-nose.
Dr. Doom edges ahead to a nine on the VQ scale. Stormin’ Norman Osborn still has him beat on the big board, but it’s a big move for the Latverian leader.
This arc in FF was simply astounding. The concepts were tremendous and vigorous. The art was crisp and clean. The dialogue was clever and the plot was roller-coaster thrilling. I’ve added the Fantastic Four to my pull-list for the first time since the 1980s.
