Fantastic Four Annual #23
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeFantastic Four Annual #23 carries a double load of historical weight: it is the opening chapter of the 1990 'Days of Future Present' crossover — a direct sequel to the seminal 'Days of Future Past' storyline from Uncanny X-Men #141–142 — and it simultaneously delivers the first appearance of Kosmos, the female, evolved form of the Beyonder after her Cosmic Cube phase. The Ahab debut in this same issue planted a future-dystopia antagonist whose implied connection to present-day characters (Rory Campbell) kept readers speculating for years. Together, these three narrative events — a new crossover, a new villain, and a dramatic rebirth of one of Marvel's most powerful beings — make this annual a genuine hinge point between the late-'80s Secret Wars era and the cosmic storytelling that would intensify through Infinity Gauntlet and beyond.
In "When Franklin Comes Marchin' Home," a cosmic upheaval reshapes the fabric of reality when Kosmos, a new entity born from the fusion of the Beyonder and Molecular Man within the Cosmic Cube, awakens to a universe both vast and unfamiliar. Guided by Kubik—another evolved cosmic being who sees himself as her mentor—Kosmos begins a journey through the stars, setting the stage for a story that redefines what it means to be a force of creation. Written by Len Kaminski and brought to life with bold, dynamic art by Greg Capullo, this 1990 annual features a striking cover by John Byrne.
When a future version of Franklin Richards suddenly appears in the present, his arrival throws the current Fantastic Four into disarray. Struggling to reconcile the changes he's made to their lives, the team must grapple with a boy who remembers a past that no longer exists—and a future that may never be.
In "Beyond and Back," a newly awakened cosmic entity named Kosmos emerges from the shattered remnants of the Cosmic Cube, forged from the fusion of the Beyonder and Molecular Man. Guided by Kubik—another evolved being born from a cosmic cube—she begins a journey through the vastness of the universe, where she’s introduced to wonders beyond imagination.
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Walt Simonson, then the regular writer of the Fantastic Four monthly title, co-wrote the lead story with Bob Harras, with Jackson (Butch) Guice on pencils and Geof Isherwood on inks; the cover was supplied by John Byrne. The back-up Kosmos story — 'Beyond and Back' — was scripted by Len Kaminski and drawn by an early Greg Capullo, years before Capullo's rise to Batman fame at DC. Editor Ralph Macchio and editor-in-chief Tom DeFalco oversaw the package, which was structured as a 64-page, squarebound anthology combining three distinct stories: the Days of Future Present opener, a Doctor Doom–perspective Volcana tale, and the cosmic Kubik/Kosmos travelogue.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Ahab (identified as possibly the future version of Dr. Rory Campbell), the mutant-hunting harpoon-wielding antagonist who drives the Days of Future Present crossover.
- First appearance of Kosmos: the Beyonder, having merged with Molecule Man into a Cosmic Cube in Fantastic Four #319, re-emerges in this issue in female form as the newly evolved cosmic being Kosmos.
- Opening chapter ('Part 1') of the 'Days of Future Present' event, a four-part crossover running through the 1990 annuals of Fantastic Four, New Mutants, X-Factor, and Uncanny X-Men, written collectively by Walt Simonson, Louise Simonson, and Chris Claremont.
- The crossover is a thematic sequel to 'Days of Future Past' (Uncanny X-Men #141–142, 1981), centered on an adult future Franklin Richards arriving in the present and his connection to Rachel Summers.
- Three distinct stories are collected in this 64-page annual: (1) the lead Days of Future Present chapter by Simonson/Harras/Guice; (2) a Volcana-focused second story viewed through Doctor Doom's perspective, by James Brock/Mark McKenna; (3) 'Beyond and Back,' the Kosmos debut, by Len Kaminski/Greg Capullo.
- The cover was drawn by John Byrne, who had previously defined the Fantastic Four in the 1980s as writer-artist on the monthly title.
- The Kosmos back-up story functions as a guided 'tour of the Marvel Universe,' with Kubik escorting the newly born Kosmos past cosmic entities including Galactus, Eternity, the Living Tribunal, Mephisto, Thanos, the Celestials, the Watchers, and many others.
- The issue was released on May 8, 1990, with a July 1990 cover date, and has since been made available digitally on the Marvel Unlimited platform as a Kindle edition.
Cast · 40 characters
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Reprints
Reprinted in X-Men: Days of Future Present #[nn] (1991), Die Fantastischen Vier #34 (1992), Fantastici Quattro #110 (1994), Fantastici Quattro #113 (1994), X-Men - Rescapé du futur #[nn] (1994), Essential X-Men #10 (2012), Fantastic Four by John Byrne Omnibus #2 (2013), X-Men: Days of Future Past #[nn] (2014), Fantastic Four Epic Collection #20 (2014), Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars: Battleworld #[8] (2015), X-Men: X-Tinction Agenda Omnibus #[nn] (2024), Star Magazine #41
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