![IMG_2320](https://berkeleyplacecomics.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/img_2320.jpg)
Three issues written by Adam “Empowered” Warren.
![IMG_2319](https://berkeleyplacecomics.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/img_2319.jpg)
A terrific arc about Thing, Things, and the first time the Congress of Reeds gets together.
![IMG_2322](https://berkeleyplacecomics.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/img_2322.jpg)
I thought Jonathan Hickman thought of this idea. Turns out, he didn’t.
![](https://earthsmightiestblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/image-12.jpeg)
Reed invents hypercaffeination during some all-night studying and lab work, while Ben falls asleep and accidentally triggers a machine that creates duplicates of him.
![](https://macmcentire.files.wordpress.com/2021/08/image-18.png)
The Things are duplicating too quickly to contain, so Reed sends Ben and his clones to a pocket dimension while he tries to figure out how to halt the process.
To help him figure it out, Reed calls upon a bunch of Reeds from other dimensions so that they can work together for a solution. They get to one, but in order to effectuate it, they have to remove Ben Grimm’s ability to transform at will.
It’s a fun story and a good way of re-establishing the “standard” Thing, who is trapped in a rocky body. Now that the status quo is back, Mark Waid can come aboard as series writer for what many consider to be one of the all-time best runs of the FF.
![](https://earthsmightiestblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/mark-waid-fantastic-four-promo.png)