Just as Peter and the others suspected, Kang had indeed banished the Fantastic Four to a doomsday era. However, it wasn't the mass extinction of the Late Cretaceous, but an even earlier one—the Triassic-Jurassic extinction event. It was an age where the supercontinent Pangea was splitting apart due to violent tectonic movements.
Essentially, their daily routine consisted of ensuring they had adequate oxygen and evading natural disasters. Reed had dismantled the Fantastic Four's Fantasticar to build an atmospheric extraction device, ensuring they could breathe air that met 21st-century standards. Johnny spent his time in the sky scouting for relatively safe zones, while the Thing carried the remains of the car as they forged ahead.
Then there was the Invisible Woman, whose task was to keep the entire team hidden. Kang's future army had gone so far as to cross space-time into this godforsaken place (godforsaken because birds didn't even exist yet) just to hunt them down. Without these persistent pursuers, Reed would have finished repairing the experimental time-travel device and returned to the 21st century long ago, despite the geographical obstacles.
Furthermore, they had to be extremely careful not to trigger any accidental events—including the killing of a single organism—that might set off a temporal paradox.
"But I don't get it, Reed. Why is there a difference?"
Johnny Storm, the famously dim-witted member of the team, asked this very important question. "Why do you say one minute that time travel creates a new universe, the next that it's a closed loop, and then another time that it causes a butterfly effect? Who can actually keep track of what's going to happen?"
"The point isn't how time itself operates, Johnny; the point is how you influence it. If you are within the timestream, you become part of a closed loop. If you are outside the timestream, you create a new timeline," Reed explained, before adding: "Do you understand now?"
"No... I'm still lost."
"Alright, put it this way: You go back to the past intending to kill your father before you are born. In reality, you cannot kill your father because you would cease to exist; that 'failed kill' timeline forms a loop. Meanwhile, the timeline where he is killed forms a parallel universe because you yourself no longer exist there."
Johnny nodded as if he understood, then countered: "What about Kang? How does he manage it?"
"He got himself a new father, so he could kill his original father and still survive. It's that simple."
No, no, no, I still don't get it. The Human Torch couldn't help but shake his head. Then, seeing a volcano erupting ahead, he immediately absorbed the escaping heat, turning the scalding lava into high-temperature rock emitting white steam.
Suddenly, they heard a wailing cry that sounded like Tom Cat echoing through the sky. A Canadian pervert in a skin-tight suit landed on his rear and immediately jumped up, clutching his backside as he trotted and hopped toward them. Holding his rear with one hand, he grinned happily. "Finally! Two hundred and eleven days! I finally found you guys!"
"It seems my signal transmitter worked."
Reed breathed a sigh of relief as he looked at the newcomer. "Mr. Wade Wilson, thank you very much for coming to our aid. Though I'm not sure why the Avengers chose you..."
"Oh, the Avengers are toast. They're all Kang's lackeys now."
Even Reed Richards couldn't help but let out a gasp of shock upon hearing that.
"They're what?!"
A few minutes later, after being fully briefed, Reed understood the situation. Unlike others, the Fantastic Four had dealt with Korvac in his entirety. They naturally knew how powerful the Cosmic Cube was and understood its true nature.
"If Kang holds the Cosmic Cube in 2013, it will be nearly impossible for us to defeat him in that year."
"Yeah, clearly the 'New Fantastic Four' knew that, which is why they sent me."
"New Fantastic Four?" The Human Torch leaned in curiously, looking at this guy whom he had never met but somehow found instinctively annoying. "Where did a New Fantastic Four come from?"
"It's a safeguard I had Spider-Man set up," Reed summarized simply. "The goal was that if we ever disappeared, the Baxter Building's resources would still be utilized to their maximum potential. Spider-Man was to assemble a New Fantastic Four to use our legacy—though I am quite surprised the plan proceeded smoothly even after Kang altered reality."
After summarizing, Reed followed up with a sharp question: "So, what are we supposed to do? If Spider-Man sent you to find us, it means he must have a plan, right?"
"Exactly! We're launching a multi-pronged assault! We're going to Kang's home in the 31st century and kicking his ass!"
Ignoring the Human Torch's wariness, Deadpool cheered and explained the vital strategy. However, he soon hit a snag. "But my teleportation belt can only send one person at a time—namely, me. So... technically, I can't take you guys back."
Peter's original plan hadn't actually relied on Deadpool bringing them back. Reed thought for just a moment and then began dismantling Deadpool's belt. He moved so fast that Deadpool didn't even notice at first. By the time a startled Deadpool could try to stop him, Reed had already reached a conclusion.
"This is usable. With a few minor modifications, your belt can repair the experimental time-travel device on our vehicle. Very ingenious work—where did you get this thing?"
"Off a very ugly version of Wade Wilson."
Reed decided not to press for details. He simply nodded and prepared to get to work. At the same time, however, he looked up at the sky. "Now we just have one problem left. Kang isn't going to just sit back and let us go. Buy me a few minutes, and I'll have this finished."
Watching the portals opening in the sky, Deadpool drew his long swords.
News that Deadpool had traversed time to rescue the Fantastic Four soon reached Kang in the 21st century. Kang stood up in a towering rage as he realized a very serious implication.
Reed Richards and his Fantastic Four could now appear at any point in time to launch a surprise attack. Furthermore, with their existing knowledge of the Cosmic Cube, Reed likely knew exactly how to use the thing.
"Enter maximum alert status immediately," Kang commanded coldly. "I want the total offensive against Kamar-Taj to begin at once."
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