…And TIME, the Rushing River…

Maybe it was getting to be old hat. Or perhaps Kang the Conqueror had not simply been boasting all those years when he had proclaimed himself the ‘Master of Time’. Or maybe, Grimm just no longer cared.

One moment he had been in Paris circa 1942, confronting Kang and the Elder of the Universe known as the Grandmaster after he had landed in the midst of their cosmic chess game between a contingent of the Mighty Avengers versus the Invaders. Grimm’s presence in the battle had upset the scales and while the Avengers had still won the contest, Captain America had died. Ben Grimm had been a bit concerned over that, however he knew through countless trips of trial and error through the Time Stream (not to mention endless lectures by Reed Richards on the subject), that the incident would not alter time as he knew it, but rather set up yet another divergent reality. As Ben Grimm, the Ever-Lovin’ Blue-eyed Thing and founding member of the Fantastic Four, he had encountered more than his share of divergence over the years. Most especially recently…

It had started with a plot by the Frightful Four; a re-hash of one of the Wingless Wizard’s old schemes really, but on a larger scale. Geiger had used his inventions and allies to enhance an old mind control device that brought out the dark side of the victims. The Thing had gone through it all before, and was still the logical guinea pig. Along with the Controller and the Puppet Master’s influence, the Wizard had twisted Grimm’s thinking, making him evil and sociopathic. It had in fact worked too well.

Grimm had gone on a rampage through Midtown Manhattan taking on the Human Torch, S.H.I.E.L.D., and a compliment of the New Warriors as well as a junior division of the X-Men. It had been a brawl to remember, and as if all of that had not been enough, the whole thing ended with a ‘bru-ha-hah’ between the Thing and the Incredible Hulk. Ben Grimm could not remember a better knock-down, drag-out between him and Big Green – in fact his memories were sketchy at best ever sense visiting Alicia in Florida – but he knew that they had caused some righteous damage to the city. In fact Grimm had done a few questionable things over the past few weeks of his mental conditioning. Murdering Maximus the Mad Inhuman for one, and trying to do the same to the FF’s new nanny, Debbie Bernard.

That had been the final straw that had sent him spinning through time. The bitch had tricked him into Dr. Doom’s Time Platform, sending him back to some random date. He had popped out to a point that Richards would have called a Nexus, because it seemed to draw travelers for one reason or another. There in old Egypt he had run into alternate versions of Dr. Strange, the West Coast Avengers, the Pharaoh Rama Tut, and even a younger team of the Fantastic Four. There had been problems, but all Grimm wanted was to get out, and knowing that anything he did would not change his own timeline in his state of mind, he did not hold back. He killed Moon Knight, probably crippled Hawkeye and trapped the ‘Wackos’ back in the past as he stole their Time Platform without regret…

Next stop was old Salem, in the midst of the Witch Trials. Another Nexus apparently, as there he met up with the Avengers; Vision, Scarlet Witch and Moon Dragon, along with Spider-Man and Dr. Doom. Together they fought the wizardry of Cotton Mather and his demonic master, the Dark Rider. They won of course, and near as Ben could tell little had been altered other than that he had jumped Doom, hitch-hiking on the Latverian monarch’s trip forward through time. A mistake that, as though he still had lingering effects of ruthlessness thanks to the Wizard, Doc Strange in Egypt and Moon Dragon in Salem had tried to ‘help’ him, doing little more than changing him from the rocky Thing back into soft Ben Grimm. The flesh and blood version gave Doom a short run, but Doom was just too powerful and eventually, literally kicked Grimm into the Time Stream once again, which dropped him then into France, 1942 in the middle of the Big One and the battle between the Avengers and the Invaders…

Elsewhen…

As the memories came flooding back, Ben Grimm staggered. He was still the Thing he saw, staring at his quivering rocky hands, but he felt oddly weak and light-headed. He could smell smoke drifting on a salty breeze and felt a light rain pelting his thick skin. Looking up into the dark, cloudy sky he could see dozens of balloons hovering against the towers of an all too familiar skyline, trailing cables holding the barrage balloons in place against another Blitz. He was in London then, rather across the Thames and up river from the city proper, and still in the Forties. Life during war time…

He tried to get his bearings shifting as silently as he could into the waiting shadows of the closest building. There were few lights on that he could see, and most of the city itself seemed dark and spectral against the gloomy night. He could see planes lined in a staggered formation not so far away, and buildings that looked to be hangers. An airport then, or more likely a military base. That could be good or bad, depending on the divergence. For all he knew he could be in some queer time line where the Nazis had won England early on, if not the world. Maybe he was in some nutty continuation of his last stop on his time trip, where Cap’s death changed the outcome of the war.

Grimm shrugged, edging along the shadows like a rat along the baseboard as he scanned the base. He rounded a corner of the building that he was following and saw the low tower that guided the planes, definitely English Spitfires now that he was closer, and still marked with the British red, white and blue shield under wing. Even better he saw finally the banners waving in the breeze from the tower’s wall; the British Union Jack as well as the Stars and Stripes of the USA. Grimm gave a long sigh of relief at the sight, happy that he would not be wading through a regiment of storm troopers as he tried to get home.

Which begged the next obvious question: how to get home? Grimm settled against the wall for a moment, keeping a wary eye open as he considered. He knew the Invaders were about, somewhere, depending on the exact date. For all he knew though, they might not even be in England. That was their theatre of operations during the war, but they did tend to get around in Namor’s funky flying submarine. But thinking on it, who in the Invaders could actually help him? Their line-up was astounding; Cap and Bucky, the original Human Torch and Toro, the Sub-Mariner, the speedster Spitfire, Union Jack, and a load of other heroes that came and went just like in the modern day Avengers. None of them knew diddly about time travel though.

Ben remembered that the FF had traveled back in the past and met the Invaders at one point, and then he almost immediately did a return trip to team up with the Liberty Legion. But again, who in that group could help? The Patriot, Blue Diamond, the Thin Man, Jack Frost, Miss America, the Whizzer and Red Raven were all scrappers, but aside from the Raven who was sort of a bird version of Namor, none of them were savvy on tech or magic that might get him home. Most every hero (or villain) that he could recall were simply men in masks, some with hyped up strength or agility, maybe some power but things did not really get to a cosmic scale until the FF debuted, which was still many decades away.

‘Do I wait?’ Grimm thought to himself, immediately dismissing that idea. He was in a divergent time line, he knew. The mere fact that he was here in WW2 had altered history, again. There had to be a reason that he was here, probably at another Nexus. It had drawn him from his aimless plunge through time, or…

“I send you back, where you belong!”

Kang had said that. A parting shot, and Ben knew that he was screwed. The conqueror was up to some manipulation, but what?

Reed Richards had speculated many times that Kang was somehow related to Doom. Maybe that was it? In fact, in one wild theory Reed had traced a family tree that had Doom becoming Kang becoming Rama Tut, then back to Kang and eventually Immortus. There was even some guy called the Scarlet Centurion thrown in for good measure, though where Reed had pulled that name from remained a mystery that he never wanted to divulge. Regardless, was that the answer?

Things did tend to get a bit strange when it came to history and past. Still, he was fairly certain that Victor Von Doom was alive and well during WW2, off in Latveria as a gypsy on the run. If he had reached the time when he had learned his magic, maybe that was the way home. It did not seem likely, but –

Movement snapped the Thing from his reveries as he saw a silhouette step from the shadows of a neighboring hanger. The thing had seen sentries patrolling in the distance, but the base seemed under-manned for some reason, and the shadow he saw now was definitely slinking along the wall, towards a door. Grimm drew closer, at first squinting into the dim and distance until his eyes suddenly went wide.

“Zemo,” he said aloud, flattening against the wall as the German scientist stopped and looked nervously about, clutching a small metal box closer to his chest. Grimm knew then and there that he was definitely in World War Two, as the Zemo that stood not a dozen yards away was not Helmut, the heir and son that lead the Thunderbolts, but Heinrich, the father. He was one of Nazi Germany’s top scientists and had invented the Nazi Death Ray as well as Adhesive X and a few other nasty surprises. He was also a major foe of Captain America, and the creep that had caused the death of…

Bucky Barnes…

And it was suddenly clear. Once again he thanked Hawkeye for forcing him to read the Avenger’s logs as it all came tumbling down and falling into place. He was indeed in London, or near enough, in the last few weeks before the famous D-Day Invasion. And it was a Nexus in time, or close enough for government work. Grimm knew that inside that hanger would be the final fight of one of histories greatest teams, as well as the greatest tragedy in a Living Legend’s life. One that would haunt him for years as an unsolved mystery until he traveled back into the past to find out the truth for himself.

Grimm smiled, looking about though knowing that he would see nothing. Still, he knew they were there somewhere, and if they were not too focused on Zemo then maybe…

“Hey!” he hissed, feeling the fool for talking to seemingly empty air as he made his way towards the door that Zemo had slipped through. If he was right, the Avengers were here, though intangible and invisible. Three of them; Goliath, Hawkeye and the Black Panther had traveled back into the past with Captain America so that Cap could once and for all put the ghost of Bucky Barnes to rest. It had been one of the Avengers more uneventful adventures, though heart-wrenching for Cap, forced to watch as Bucky died a fiery death and unable to save him, then fade away home.

(The true story appeared in Avengers #56 and continued into Avengers King-Sized Special #2 where the Scarlet Centurion pit the ‘New’ Avengers against the originals for his own ends ~ Curt)

But they were there he knew, and if he could just get their attention, then his troubles were over.

He could hear Zemo’s ranting even as he raced across the open space between the hangers. The buildings were quick and mobile, easily constructed or demolished as the case might be and built mainly from corrugated tin and plywood. Not pretty, but for war-torn Britain, efficient and necessary. Zemo’s words almost echoed and amplified as Grimm approached the door that Zemo had disappeared through.

“Bah! It is a meaningless fear. One worthy of a spineless old woman,” Zemo ranted unhindered as Grimm eased the door open a crack. The Thing saw the Nazi, his purple mask forever adhered to his face twisting with rage and madness as he waved a strange handgun at the small metallic box he had been carrying. “And first and forever, I am Baron Zemo… foremost of all Nazi agents, save only the Red Skull!” Zemo finally aimed, firing his ray gun into the confines of the box now sitting on the floor before him. “But, even the fame of the Red Skull shall soon pale beside my own… when I bring the Fuhrer his greatest prize…”

“The experimental Drone Plane before me!”

It was then that Grimm looked up and saw the plane in question. As he recalled it had been a new technology back then. An experimental plane that could be controlled by remote, or pre-programmed with a flight path, the idea being that it would be the harbinger of doom that would end the war and carry the Atomic Bomb to its far away targets. Zemo’s plan was to steal the plane for Germany of course, but Captain America and Bucky had ended that plot. Unfortunately, Zemo in his twisted glory had triggered the plane to explode when he saw defeat looming, and Bucky had paid the ultimate price while Cap had fallen into the river and a state of suspended animation that would last decades until he was found by the Avengers.

“Live, my hulking humanoid! Live…”

Ben Grimm looked back to the mad scientist as a strange and lumbering brute seemingly grew from the shallow confines of the box. It was huge and pink, oddly, and clad in metallic, gladiatorial armor. Some Wagnerian wet dream that would throw Freud into fits no doubt, but that was Zemo through and through. Grimm knew what was coming next, and hated himself that he could not get involved. He looked up even as the high window shattered…

DEATH BE NOT LIKELY!

By Curtis Fernlund

Greenwich, England
Spring, 1945

Even the Thing stepped back in surprise, if not awe as the window exploded in a shower of filmy glass shards. Two forms clad in red, white and blue came hurtling through the opening, leaping and twisting in athletic grace and form, plunging for Nazi and android alike.

“Captain America and Bucky!” Zemo shouted in shock.

“Right the first time, Zemo!” Cap replied even as he spun his leap into a kick, slamming hard into Zemo’s creation while his partner flipped to tackle the scientist head on.

“Here’s a face full of foot for your robot pal!” Cap shouted, as Bucky quipped.

“Face it, Ratzi! This is your last blitzkrieg for Adolf!” The Thing almost laughed, remembering simpler times when things appeared more black and white, cut and dried. You knew who the villains were back in the day.

Still, like most villains Zemo was hard headed and full of hot air. Bucky’s assault had driven the Baron to his ass, but at the feet of his android flunky who seemed unaffected by Cap’s attack. And the good Baron was still spouting propaganda–

“On the contrary, you young fool. It’s you who are finished… both of you! You sealed your dooms when you dared attack one who has an indestructible android to serve him!” Zemo pointed at his star-spangled foes, “Kill them, you lifeless, mindless monster! Kill them!”

Grimm watched as the creature lumbered forward, far faster than it looked for its girth and height. Fast as it was, Captain America and Bucky were faster however, as the brute’s first blow slammed into the wall with a resounding ‘SPKAK!’, Cap easily ducking the huge pink fist. Ben noted Cap’s manner was lighter back then as he joked and quipped to put Spider-Man to shame. Too, he and Bucky were amazing to watch as together they attacked the android without the slightest hesitation. While Cap waded in with a powerful left-handed roundhouse, the boy leapt right on the monster’s back, getting his arm around the massive throat as he hammered on the creature’s head. They were a well-oiled fighting machine, the legends of World War 2 and the pride of America at the time, taking the fight to the Axis’ doorstep.

But even legends can stumble, and Grimm watches as Cap turns to face Zemo steps forward, hoping to catch the star-spangled warrior unawares with a back shot–

“You, Captain America, I wish to finish off for myself!” Ben knew that there was no love lost between the two adversaries. It was bad luck really, but it was Captain America that had shattered a container of Adhesive X above the villain, forever adhering the purple mask to the Nazi’s face and head, an act that drove the then-questionably insane scientist over the final edge. “This gun has other uses besides enlarging robots, as you’ll discover!”

Zemo fired his ray gun, but too fast for the eye to follow, Captain America’s shield was in the path of the energy beam. “Not at the rate you’re going about it, Nazi!” Cap shouted over the ricochet of the blast. “And, just in case you’ve forgotten how hard my shield is…”

“This ought to jog your memory a bit!” As if by magic Cap slipped the shield from his arm and whipped it at the astounded Baron. The Thing winced as the whirling disk slammed full into Zemo’s chest, knocking the Nazi off his feet and sprawling him to the dusty concrete.

Unfortunately legends can fall, as Bucky diverts his attention from the android, thinking his partner in peril. Only for an instant, but that’s all it takes as the monster slams his fist a glancing blow into the boy, but still sending him tumbling across the room towards destiny…

Grimm stares down at the stunned Bucky Barnes, already shaking his head and trying to rise. Fate landed the boy right at the Thing’s feet, and Captain America thinking that Bucky is hurt, maybe dead throws caution to the wind and comes running. Ben sees Zemo scrambling for his gun even as Cap’s eyes grow wide to see the Thing standing over his partner.

“Holy Crow!” Bucky shouts, looking up to see Grimm above him. “Cap! Zemo’s got another one!”

“I see it, Buck!” Cap shouts, his arm swinging back to throw his shield at the new, monstrous threat. For a brief second, Grimm hoped that this was the world where the FF had met the Invaders, but his luck was running true to form. No dice.

“But one more, or a hundred more, it’ll take more than any Nazi and his robots to stop the spirit of America and freedom. High/low son!”

Ben dodged as the shield slammed into the wall beside him, or so he thought. Too late he realized that he was fighting the greatest fighter of all time, AND his partner. The shield was a distraction, and as Ben ducked and sidestepped, he was off-balance, and Bucky took advantage of that. The boy flipped and spun on his back, break-dancing forty years ahead of his time. His legs scissored up and out as he wind-milled on his shoulders until momentum and force drove a heel into Ben’s groin as the other foot hooked and caught him behind the knee and threw him on his rocky ass.

Bucky was on his feet with an easy flip, crouching defensively even as Cap ran to the boy’s side, shield again in hand and ready. “He’s uglier than the first one, Cap!” the boy smirked, taking a casual boxer’s stance.

“But no doubt just as deadly. Never underestimate your foe, Buck.” And as if to accentuate his point, Cap whirled about, bringing his shield to bear as Zemo fired again. “Zemo! He wasn’t unconscious!”

Ben saw the Nazi and his android ready for round two even as Cap surged forward. “Take the Golem, kid!” he ordered, knowing without a doubt that the boy would comply. “I got Zemo and his giant robot!” Grimm and Bucky both watched as the star-spangled soldier leapt, his shield at the fore. Zemo fired high in panic as Cap mocked him, stepping on the Nazi’s shoulder and propelling himself like a battering ram into the android. Zemo was screaming and cursing, firing wildly as Cap danced about the robot, hammering and kicking while his shield deflected both blow and blast.

“Wow,” Ben whispered in amazement, even as a red heeled boot slammed into his nose.

“So, you can talk, rock man?” the boy said with a cocky laugh. “Well, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!”

Grimm watched as the boy flipped up and over, then springing off the wall only to land on his shoulders as Ben struggled to his feet. He felt Bucky’s legs lock about his throat in an Aikido hold that would have probably snapped a normal man’s neck. Luckily, Ben was not quite normal. The boy’s palms slapped at the spot where Ben’s ears should have been, and he actually heard a pop of pressure and a slight ringing. The kid was good, and Grimm had to keep reminding himself that he was Captain America’s partner and protégé.

“Your hide’s tough, lumpy,” the boy said with a sneer, “but I bet your eyes aren’t.”

It took a moment to remember that this was war, and all was fair. Ben saw the kid’s fists flying towards his eyes, thumbs jutting–

“Enough a’ this shit.”

Ben reached up, his massive fists encompassing Bucky’s own red-gloved hands, his far greater strength stopping the boy’s jabs. He heard the kid gasp, apparently surprised at the ‘monster’s’ speed. It took every fiber of his will power not to crush the boy’s hands then and there. Instead he pulled Bucky from his hold and brought him out to dangle at arm’s length.

“Yer annoyin’ me, kid,” Grimm said, trying to sound tough, giving Bucky Barnes a shake.

“Annoy this, Ratzi!” The boy whipped his leg up and slammed his heel into Grimm’s face. Ben felt the force of the blow, just barely, but he stood unfazed. Bucky gaped.

“Gotta do better than that, son.”

Grimm glanced at Cap, watching as the one-day Avenger slashed his shield through Zemo’s gun, then spun and slammed hard into the android, causing it to stagger back a step. A quick shift of weight and he hit Zemo with a right hook square in the nose, dropping the Baron before flipping into a somersault and springing off the wall to land behind the robot. He drove the edge of his shield into the brute’s legs, driving it to his knees and then slammed the shield into the base of its neck. Ben heard the armor crack as the behemoth teetered and fell face first onto the stone floor. Not missing a beat, Cap then glanced to Bucky and tossed his shield at the Thing that held his partner.

Grimm eased his grip even as the boy planted his feet in his rocky chest and kicked away. The shield whistled past as Ben eased to the side, splanging off of the wall and arching back to its owner as the kid flipped backwards out of reach. The two stood together then, facing Grimm and ready to continue. Ben knew that there was no way that he could convince them that he was on their side. They had never heard of the Fantastic Four, or the Avengers.

“C’mon, guys,” Grimm whispered to the Avengers that he knew were there, invisible and watching. “Save my butt.”

“I don’t know what Nazi gods you’re praying to, monster,” Captain America said, “but even they won’t be enough to save you, or your master. While there’s breath left in this body, you Nazi’s will never win!”

And of course it was then that Zemo’s android reared up and swept the two Invaders aside with one massive arm. Ben watched as the partners rolled with the impact, Cap tumbling easily to a crouch while Bucky slammed up against the wall, too close to roll with the blow.

“Kill them!” Zemo shouted, his voice high and cracking as he scrambled for a wall of machinery and started hitting buttons, cranking wheels and pulling levers. The monster shambled forward as Cap spun to face the oncoming threat.

“Un-unh,” Ben grunted, charging forward and leaping. He slammed hard into the robot, his greater strength and momentum throwing the monster back though the flimsy wall of the hanger. Together they slammed to the tarmac without, Ben not wasting a second as he hammered again and again at the seemingly indestructible android.

The android fought back however, blow for blow with a strength to rival the Thing. They wrestled, rolling along the black top of the landing strips, each struggling for the upper hand. The Thing however was a fighter, maybe not in the same class of Captain America, but he could box, and wrestle, and he knew Judo as well. He knew the advantages of leverage, and while the android simply struck out blindly, his own blows were focused and directed. He kept pummeling as they tussled, every shot well placed, the force of his hammering fists directed to cripple at what would be a vital organ in a normal man. The android was humanoid after all, and Ben reasoned that Zemo had created the monster based on a human’s strengths as well as weaknesses.

After a while he heard the monster grunt. He heard cracking noises as he hammered at the creature’s ribs. He heard something pop as he dropped an elbow into the thing’s brow. It shook its head and appeared almost dazed, a sorry look of pain washing across its features as he drove his fist through the flesh of its stomach. Ben felt the fire of sparks and electricity wash up his arm, numbing it as the monstrosity finally quivered and fell still. He drove his good hand through the monster’s face for good measure, then finally settled back with a sigh of relief.

Breathing hard, actually sweating, Ben looked up as a shadow settled over him. Somewhere in the background he heard a siren start to blare. Beneath that he heard the roar of jet engines, but he ignored that as he looked up the pristine form of the giant that stood before him. He was dressed in grand robes of silk and satin, one arm hidden as he scooped his cloak up and off of the ground. His dark eyes appeared vacant, yet seemed to pierce the very soul as he stared, watching. Moonlight glistened off of the immense bald head, elongated and bloated from way too much information.

“Aw, crap…”

Ben Grimm stared up at Uatu, the Watcher, even as the gigantic alien stared back down at him. The alien was stoic and unblinking in consideration, and Grimm felt his stomach churn knowing that no good could come of this. In the back of his subconscious he heard the grinding of gears and the squeal of metal. The sound of the jet engine grew louder but he paid it no heed.

“What?” he said, standing before the Watcher. He knew that the alien was only supposed to appear in times of dire circumstance, and even then he was breaking the rules. The FF had met him first on the Moon when they had been battling the Red Ghost and his ‘Super Apes’. He had later appeared when Galactus had come to eat the Earth for the first time, and then countless times thereafter. Uatu was a rogue of sorts, always just a little too concerned for the Earth and its denizens, and he had been reprimanded by his peers for interfering many times. Of late he did not say much, but everyone knew that when he appeared, shit was gonna hit the fan.

The Watcher simply stared, glancing at the sound of the jet engine. Grimm turned and saw the Drone Plane easing out of the hanger on its tracks and picking up speed. It would pass right by him if left unimpeded, but he knew what was coming. On cue he heard the sound of the motorcycle.

As the plane trundled along towards fate, Ben saw Cap and Bucky on the old cycle. Captain America gunned the engine as his partner struggled to hang on, standing on the seat and reaching out to grab at the plane. Ben could not hear what they were saying, but he could imagine as it was ingrained in his head…

“We’re too late, Bucky! We have to go after it in another plane!” Cap was shouting.

“No! Don’t stop!” Bucky screamed, stretching for all he was worth. “I think I can reach it, Cap!”

“Fuck!”

Ben Grimm gave the Watcher a final dark glance as he picked up the bulk of the robot. He swung, spiraling once before flinging the dead weight into the path of the motorcycle.

“Bucky! Look out!”

Cap shouted, gunning the cycle’s engine, trying to jump the sudden obstacle but it was too late. The front tire of the motorcycle hit the bulk of the android spilling both Captain America and Bucky to sprawl onto the ramp of the plane’s ascent. To his credit, and fate, Bucky stretched, trying to the last to grab the Drone, but things had changed.

Grimm turned, charging up the ramp and brushing past the Watcher without pause. He knew what he had to do. Things had changed, and somehow all of his stops throughout time had been leading up to this moment. He was no Reed Richards, but he knew…

The death of Moon Knight. Stranding the West Coast Avengers in the past…

The madness of the Salem Witch Trials. He had changed Spider-Man then, and God knows what else…

Killing Cap in 1942…

Maximus…

It was all connected somehow, and leading to this. History – HIS history was changing. Cap and Bucky would survive, but how would that effect the outcome of the war?

Ben Grimm shook his head as he charged up the ramp for all he was worth. He ran full tilt, cursing as the Drone Plane roared past.

He leapt…

He heard metal crumple and crunch as he grabbed hold, trying desperately to get a grip. He could see the sparks of the fuse as it burned, Zemo’s failsafe meant to destroy both the Allies’ hope and his greatest foes. A bomb, just as history said. But Ben was not Bucky. He was the Thing, rock hard and fancy free. He could handle any Nazi bomb…

Light.

Heat.

He felt the plane disintegrating in his grip, breaking apart in a glorious flare of brilliance, the sound deafening as he screamed in sudden agony…

“Nooooo!”

The water was cold. The darkness comforting, soothing as he drifted down…

Down…

Down.

NEXT ISSUE: Well, there will be no next issue, but look for the Thing to pop up somewhere in the pages of Fourth Reich. Who has been manipulating Ben thoughout time, directing his adventures towards some future goal? The Watcher? Kang? Or someone else? All will be made clear sooner than you think. Stay alert, put out that light and Buy Bonds!