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Preface[]

The Modern Age of Earth-7940 is comparable or on par with Earth-616. Much like on Earth-616, Reed Richards and his friends Ben Grimm, Sue Storm and her brother Johnny Storm went on an untested space flight and were exposed to cosmic rays Fantastic Four. [1]

However this reality is not a divergent reality from Earth-616, but an alternate reality that has discernible differences. For example instead of New York City there is New Amsterdam. Also in this reality, Galactus does not use a herald like he does in other realities.[2]

Things Change[]

After being exposed to cosmic rays and transformed into a Thing, Grimm returned to his apartment in New Amsterdam shortly after the formation of the Fantastic Four, while Mr. Fantastic sought to obtain the Baxter Building as their headquarters. The Thing was later confronted by his Earth-616 counterpart, who was attempting to travel back in time with a serum that would have cured the Thing at an earlier point in the evolution of his Thing form. Not believing his counterparts intent, Thing-7940 attack Thing-616 and a brawl broke out in the streets. Eventually Thing-616 overpowered his less experienced counterpart and administer the serum which caused Thing-7940 to revert back to his human form. Thinking that the changes would affect him once he returned to his own time, Thing-616 left in his Time Platform. However there, the Thing was informed by the Mister Fantastic of his home reality that his interactions in the past merely created a divergent reality.[1]

Without his powers, Ben quit the Fantastic Four and got a job tending bar. The Fantastic Four moved on, recruiting Spider-Man to take Ben's place on the team. While the Fantastic Four had many adventures, while Ben merely watched on the sidelines from the TV in his bar. In this reality, because the Thing was not part of the Fantastic Four, this also prevented the Human Torch from discovering and reviving the Sub-Mariner who in turn would revive Captain America. [note 1] Later still, this reality took a tragic turn when Galactus arrived to consume the Earth. The Fantastic Four, the Avengers, the X-Men, Doctor Strange, Sub-Mariner (his memory somehow restored at a later date), and the Hulk all fell in battle against the Galactus who succeeded in consuming Earth's life energies. Although the planet was decimated, much of the human race survived. This attack on Earth also revived the former Nazi known as the Red Skull.

Reviving the Nazis, Red Skull then took over what was left of the United States, making his strong hold in New Amsterdam. Ben joined those still free in forming a resistance movement providing aid to Galactus survivors while also trying to overthrow the Red Skull. This coincided with the return of the Thing from Earth-616 who had discovered that Ben's world was not a divergent of his own, but an alternate reality. Learning of the plight in this reality, the Thing agreed to help but was eventually captured by the Red Skull for interrogation. Ben Grimm then led a group of rebels in order to free the Thing from the Red Skull's stronghold. As Grimm and his soldiers were attacking the Thing manged to break free. In the ensuing clash with the Red Skull, the Skull attempted to use his Dust of Death on the Thing. The Thing blew the dust back into the Skull's face, killing the villain in the process. With the Skull's tyranny at an end, the Thing returned to his own reality, wishing Ben Grimm the best of luck in restoring his world.[2]

Residents

Notes

  • On Earth-616 the Human Torch revived the Sub-Mariner in Fantastic Four #4 which caused a chain reaction of events that led to the revival of Captain America in Avengers #4 and later the Red Skull in Tales of Suspense #79. But with the loss of the Thing on Earth-7940, the Torch never found the Sub-Mariner, and in turn Captain America was not revived, leading to the Red Skull being unopposed after Galactus ravaged the Earth.
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