February 2008
Reed Richards crouched beside the latest prototype of HERBIE, making fine adjustments to the robot's sensor array while snow fell steadily outside the Baxter Foundation's Manhattan windows. The Highly Engineered Robot Built for Intelligent Emergency response had evolved considerably since Reed's first grief-stricken designs after 9/11, growing from a simple rescue concept into something approaching artificial consciousness.
HERBIE emitted a series of quick beeps, his optical sensor blinking red as he detected irregularities in Reed's calibrations.
"You're right, there is something off with the sensors," Reed said with a slight smile, understanding HERBIE's warning. The robot had developed an almost obsessive attention to detail over the years, communicating through a complex system of beeps, chirps, and light patterns that the team had learned to interpret perfectly.
HERBIE responded with a satisfied trill and wheeled over to the computer terminal, interfacing directly to display the optimal adjustment parameters on the monitor.
Across the lab, Sue looked up from her genetic sequencing display, her blonde hair pulled back in the practical ponytail she wore when deep in research. At twenty-five, she'd completed her PhD in genetics and was halfway through her second doctorate in biochemistry, all while building a life with Reed in their shared apartment near Columbia.
The Baxter Foundation had grown far beyond Reed's initial vision when he and Ben had started it five years ago. What began as a small research consultancy had evolved into a truly interdisciplinary research institute, tackling problems across dozens of scientific fields. Reed's natural curiosity and analytical mind had led them into everything from advanced materials science and biomedical engineering to environmental technology, structural engineering, computer systems, energy research, and even agricultural innovations. Their approach was simple: find problems that mattered, apply rigorous scientific methodology, and develop practical solutions that actually helped people.
"Reed, you need to see this," Sue called from her workstation, where she'd been analyzing bacterial adaptation to extreme environments. "These little guys are adapting way faster than they should be."
"HERBIE, help us out here," Reed said, standing up from his calibrations.
HERBIE wheeled over to Sue's workstation, interfacing directly with her computer. A series of rapid beeps and chirps filled the air as he processed the information, then caused the monitor to display adaptation rate comparisons.
Reed walked over, still feeling that familiar flutter when Sue looked up at him. Four and a half years together, and she still had that effect on him. "What exactly are we looking at?"
Sue pointed to several data clusters. "Temperature resistance, low-oxygen efficiency - they're developing these traits in days instead of generations."
"That's incredible," Reed said, studying the patterns. They'd started this research for the EPA, trying to develop biological solutions for contaminated sites. "If we can replicate this, we could clean up environmental disasters that everyone's written off as permanent."
"Antarctic research stations, deep sea operations, maybe even atmospheric work," Sue added, her excitement building.
HERBIE's optical sensor flashed blue - his happy color - followed by enthusiastic chirps as he pulled up environmental databases on the screen.
Reed nodded, his mind already racing. The Baxter Foundation had built its reputation on solving real problems. Their communication systems were saving lives in emergency situations. The materials they'd developed were making buildings safer and protecting first responders. His medical imaging work was helping doctors catch diseases earlier.
But space travel? That felt like another lifetime. After his NASA project crashed and burned, Reed had deliberately stayed earthbound. Practical problems with practical solutions. Space exploration was too much like his father's all-consuming obsessions, too risky for the stable life he was building with Sue.
"Think about disaster relief," Reed continued, scrolling through Sue's data. "Contaminated water in refugee camps, oil spill cleanup, chemical accident remediation."
"The UN's been asking for exactly this kind of breakthrough," Sue said. "Their climate adaptation people would go crazy for this."
HERBIE whistled approvingly and wheeled to a terminal, displaying success probability statistics.
Reed smiled at HERBIE's predictable enthusiasm. The robot had developed real personality over the years - obsessive about data, fiercely protective of both Reed and Sue, and apparently programmed for smugness. Not the golden retriever Reed had once loved, but something uniquely valuable.
The foundation's success had given Reed something unexpected: genuine satisfaction. He published meaningful research, developed technology that saved lives, and worked every day with the woman he loved. Sue's genetics work meshed perfectly with his materials science, creating entirely new approaches to old problems.
It was ironic that his biggest professional wins had come after he'd given up on the stars. The boy who'd dreamed of Mars had become a man who fixed problems on Earth - and found he was okay with that.
HERBIE suddenly let out a concerned warble, his sensors focused on Reed. The robot's lights flickered amber as he detected elevated stress indicators.
"I'm fine, HERBIE. Just thinking."
HERBIE beeped skeptically and displayed Reed's vitals on the monitor - elevated heart rate, stress markers climbing.
Sue laughed. "Even your robot knows when you're spiraling."
"HERBIE's an advanced AI," Reed protested. "He's got sophisticated analytical capabilities."
HERBIE chirped smugly, his lights flashing in a pattern that clearly sided with Sue.
Before Reed could argue with his own robot, Ben's voice echoed from the lab entrance. "Reed! Sue! Drop everything and get over here. You gotta see this."
Reed and Sue turned to see Ben practically running into the lab, his usual calm completely gone. His work clothes were covered in metal shavings, but his attention was locked on the wall-mounted TV.
"What's got you all wound up?" Sue asked, following Ben.
"Just broke on the news," Ben said, grabbing the remote. "There's some guy in Metropolis who's... just watch this."
The screen flickered to life, showing helicopter footage of downtown Metropolis. Reed's breath caught as he watched a figure in blue and red step calmly in front of a speeding sedan, stopping it dead with his bare hands while the front end crumpled around him like paper.
"What the hell?" Sue breathed. "Did he just stop a car with his body?"
"Thing hit him at full speed," Ben said, his voice full of amazement. "He didn't even budge."
Reed moved closer to the screen, transfixed. The footage was uncut, live coverage. This wasn't CGI or some elaborate hoax. "This is actually happening," he said, more to himself than anyone else.
The camera angle shifted, showing the same figure now confronting three armed men who had stumbled out of the wreckage. Reed watched, mesmerized, as the being calmly faced down automatic weapons fire - the bullets simply bouncing off his chest and face like they were hitting steel.
"Look at that," Sue said, leaning in. "Those are real bullets and they're not even scratching him."
"The impact resistance alone..." Reed trailed off, his mind spinning. "What kind of material properties would allow for that level of durability while maintaining flexibility?"
The news anchor's voice cut through: "What you're seeing is footage from a bank robbery that turned into something extraordinary. Three armed suspects attempted to flee the scene when this mysterious figure intervened. Witnesses describe him as wearing a blue suit with a red cape and what appears to be an 'S' symbol on his chest."
The footage now showed the figure rising into the air, cape billowing behind him as he soared over the city skyline.
Ben whistled low. "I've seen classified stuff that's decades ahead of public tech. This makes all of it look like stone tools."
Reed couldn't tear his eyes away. His scientific mind was cataloging impossibilities: stopping a speeding car through pure physical resistance, complete invulnerability to small arms fire, sustained flight without any visible propulsion system. "How is any of this possible?"
They spent the day glued to the coverage, taking shifts when deadlines demanded attention. But Reed kept getting pulled back, filling notebook pages with calculations and theories. Each new piece of footage revealed fresh impossibilities - the precision control needed to stop a car without killing the occupants, the material science defying bulletproof skin, the aerodynamics of unaided human flight.
"You're obsessing," Sue said during a quiet moment, finding Reed sketching impact force calculations and flight dynamics.
Reed looked up from his notebook, realizing he'd covered three pages without thinking about it. "Sue, what we're watching... it's rewriting everything we thought we knew about physics, about biology, about what's possible."
"Yeah, and you look like a kid at Christmas," she said with a knowing smile.
"Because this is incredible!" Reed's excitement was building. "If even half of what we're seeing is real, then we need to completely rethink our understanding of... well, everything."
Ben nodded grimly. "Question is, where the hell did he come from?"
"That's what I want to know," Reed said, his voice full of wonder. "Because if there's one, there might be others. And if there are others..."
"Then we're not alone," Sue finished quietly.
Reed felt something stirring in his chest that had been dormant for years - the same excitement he'd felt as a child, staring up at the stars with his father, dreaming of what might be out there. "We're not alone."
Three weeks after Superman's first appearance, Reed and Sue sat on their couch watching Lois Lane's exclusive interview with the Man of Steel. The coffee table was covered in takeout containers and Reed's notebooks - they'd been glued to Superman coverage for hours.
Let's start with the question everyone's asking. Who are you, and why are you here?"
"I'm a visitor from another world. A planet called Krypton, which was destroyed when I was an infant. My parents sent me to Earth to survive, but also because they believed I could help make a difference here."
Sue nearly choked on her coffee. "He just... said it. Like it's nothing."
Reed couldn't look away from the screen. "Three weeks and I still can't believe this is real."
"So you're an alien. Yet you look completely human."
"Kryptonians were remarkably similar to humans in appearance. Though our biology interacts differently with Earth's yellow sun, giving me abilities beyond normal human limits."
"Speaking of those abilities - flight, strength, speed - are there limits?"
"Yes. Though I'm still learning about them myself. The important thing isn't what I can do, but how I choose to use these abilities."
"Still learning his limits," Sue muttered. "That's terrifying."
"Which brings us to the obvious question - why help us? With your powers, you could do anything. Rule the world, if you wanted to."
"I was raised by human parents - good people who taught me that power isn't about control or dominance. It's about responsibility. About using what you have to help others."
Reed shook his head slowly. "All that power, and he's helping old ladies cross the street."
"And what does Superman stand for in this better world?"
"Truth. Justice."
"The American way?"
"A better tomorrow for everyone, not just one nation. The problems we face - climate change, poverty, injustice - they don't stop at borders. Neither should hope."
Reed felt something he hadn't felt in years - that old excitement from childhood, staring at the stars with his father.
The next morning, they sat over coffee watching President Ellis at his podium.
"My fellow Americans, today we face a new reality. The emergence of Superman represents both unprecedented opportunities and unique challenges. His interview last night demonstrated both his extraordinary abilities and his stated commitment to helping humanity. Such power requires both trust and verification - a balance we must strike together as we move forward into this new era."
Reed grabbed the remote, turning up the volume.
"In recent months, our world has changed dramatically. We've seen things we once thought impossible. The disappearance of Tony Stark has left us questioning our security. Reports from Gotham speak of a vigilante bringing justice to darkened streets. Scientists tell us humanity itself might be evolving in ways we're only beginning to understand."
"Tony Stark's still missing," Sue said quietly. "It's been weeks."
"Superman's arrival makes one thing clear: we are not alone in the universe. But more than that, we are entering an age of wonders - and potential dangers. As your President, I am committed to ensuring America leads the way in this new era."
Reed muted the TV and stared at the screen. "We're not alone."
Sue watched him get that look - the same one he'd had as a kid when his father showed him star charts. "Reed..."
"If he's real..." Reed stood up, started pacing. "If beings like Superman exist, if they can travel between worlds..."
"You're thinking about space again."
"I'm thinking about everything." Reed ran his hands through his hair. "Sue, this changes everything. Not just what we know about physics, but our place in the universe."
Sue could see where this was heading. "And you want to be ready for it."
Reed went to his desk, pulled out a drawer he hadn't opened in months. Old notebooks, spacecraft designs, propulsion theories - everything from his failed NASA days.
"What if we did it right this time?" Reed spread the papers across the desk. "Not just Mars. If Superman's people could send him here as a baby across who knows how many light years..."
Sue looked at the old sketches. "These are from your NASA days."
"But we're not the same people who built those," Reed said, his voice picking up energy. "Your bio-adaptation work, Ben's structural engineering, HERBIE's navigation systems. We could actually make this work."
"Reed." Sue touched his arm. "This is your life's work. I know that. But starting over from scratch..."
"I've been thinking about this for weeks," Reed said. "Ever since that first footage. We have the foundation now. Real experience."
Sue studied his face. She'd known since they first met that space was where Reed's heart lived. "You're serious about this."
Reed looked at her, really looked at her. "Sue, I know I failed before. I know the risks. But I also know this is what I'm supposed to be doing." His voice grew quieter. "Do you believe in me?"
Sue was quiet for a moment, seeing the vulnerability in his eyes. The fear that she might say no. That she might not trust him with their future again.
"Yes," she said simply. "I believe in you."
—
May 25th, 2008 - Baxter Foundation Offices, Manhattan
Reed stared at the whiteboard covered in propulsion calculations, his coffee growing cold as he worked through the math for the hundredth time. After his NASA project had crashed and burned five years ago, he'd sworn off space travel research. But Superman's existence had changed everything. If beings could travel between worlds, then Reed was going to figure out how humans could do it too, just with a completely different approach this time.
"Reed, Ben, get in here!" Sue's voice carried from the break room, urgent in a way that made both men look up immediately.
Ben set down his structural reports and followed Reed toward Sue's voice. "What's going on?"
They found Sue standing in front of the television, remote in hand, staring at the screen.
"You need to see this," she said without looking away. "Superman just fought some kind of cyborg in Metropolis. The whole downtown's trashed."
The screen showed aerial footage of the aftermath. Massive holes punched through streets, buildings with entire floors missing, emergency vehicles everywhere. Reed studied the damage patterns, noting the way concrete had been melted and fused in ways that didn't look like conventional weapons.
"They're saying it was called Metallo," Sue said, flipping channels to find more coverage. "John Corbin, some Army vet who got wounded overseas. LuthorCorp supposedly helped him with his injuries but actually turned him into this." She gestured at the screen showing a chrome humanoid figure. "Cybernetic body powered by radioactive alien materials."
"Jesus, look at the size of that thing," Ben said as footage showed Metallo next to normal cars for scale.
"Gets worse," Sue continued, reading the news crawl. "The radiation exposure apparently drove him completely insane. Started killing LuthorCorp executives, including Lionel Luthor himself."
Reed watched footage of Metallo moving through what looked like LuthorCorp's boardroom, the camera shaking from whoever was filming. "Guy's hunting specific people. This isn't random."
"Says here he went after his own family too," Sue said, her voice quieter. "Killed his ex-wife Sarah, took his daughter hostage in the boardroom."
"Shit," Ben muttered. "The radiation must've completely fried his brain."
The screen switched to what looked like security footage from inside LuthorCorp's boardroom. Metallo was standing over bodies, his chrome form towering over a small girl cowering near an overturned conference table. Then Superman crashed through the windows in a blur of red and blue.
"Look at that," Reed said, watching Superman immediately position himself between Metallo and the child. "He's not even attacking first. Just protecting the kid."
The footage was chaotic, showing brief glimpses of their fight as they crashed through walls and floors. But even in the shaky camera work, Reed could see Metallo's systems were already failing. Sparks cascaded from damaged joints, and his movements were becoming increasingly erratic.
"The cyborg's breaking down," Sue observed, watching Metallo stagger after taking a hit. "Those systems weren't built to handle that kind of stress."
The footage cut to an exterior shot showing Superman carrying Metallo up into the night sky, the chrome figure's body now glowing ominously bright. Even from street level, they could see parts of his chest starting to warp and melt.
"Those cores in his chest are going critical," Reed said, watching the energy readings displayed on screen. "Superman's getting him away from populated areas."
The news cut to grainy footage from someone's phone showing two figures high above the city, barely visible specks against the stars. Then the entire screen lit up white as the explosion turned night briefly into day.
"Damn," Ben said. "Superman carried that thing into space before it blew. Probably saved the whole city."
Reed rewound the footage to the earlier building evacuation. "Look here, during the crisis. There's someone else helping get people out."
"That's..." Ben squinted at the dark figure helping evacuate civilians from the building. "Is that the Gotham vigilante? The one people keep talking about but no one's ever proven exists?"
"The Batman urban legend?" Sue asked, looking closer. "I thought that was just conspiracy theories and blurry photos."
"Well, if it is him, he's real," Reed said, studying the footage. "And apparently working with Superman. First confirmed sighting outside of Gotham."
"Working with Superman, apparently," Sue replied. She flipped to another channel where the news was covering multiple stories. "Wait, look at this. They're saying there was another incident last night in Malibu. Two experimental prototypes malfunctioned at Stark Industries, destroyed their arc reactor facility."
The screen showed aerial footage of a smoking building complex, emergency vehicles surrounding what looked like a massive crater where the reactor had been.
"Stark Industries?" Reed looked up sharply. "Tony's been working on something like this?"
"You know him?" Sue asked.
"We met him at MIT our junior year," Reed said, his eyes fixed on the destruction footage. "Tony had already graduated but came back to throw this legendary toga party. Ben stayed friends with his roommate Rhodey."
"Rhodey's a good guy," Ben added. "Air Force pilot now. Always said Tony had potential if he ever got serious about the work."
"Well, looks like he got serious," Sue said, studying the crater where the reactor had been. "This is some serious tech to cause this much damage."
Reed nodded, analyzing the destruction patterns with the same intensity he brought to his own research. "That's a controlled detonation, not an accident. Someone knew exactly how to overload that reactor."
"Of course you'd immediately start analyzing it," Ben said with a grin.
The news switched to reporter Christine Everhart:"Sources confirm the armored figure has been identified as technology connected to Stark Industries, though officials have not confirmed whether this represents a new military contract or private development."
"Armored figure?" Sue raised an eyebrow. "What armored figure?"
Before Reed could respond, the broadcast cut to breaking news: "We're going live now to a Stark Industries press conference, where CEO Tony Stark is expected to address the speculation surrounding his company's involvement in today's events."
Reed leaned forward as Tony appeared on screen. He looked older than the guy who used to crash their study sessions, but that was definitely the same cocky grin.
"Thank you. Been a while since I was in front of you. I figure I'll stick to the cards this time."Tony held up note cards, but Reed could already tell he wasn't going to use them.
"He's not sticking to those cards," Reed said.
"There's been speculation that I was involved in the events that occurred on the freeway and the rooftop..."
A reporter interrupted:"I'm sorry, Mr. Stark, but do you honestly expect us to believe that that was a bodyguard in a suit that conveniently appeared, despite the fact that you..."
"Oh boy," Reed muttered. "Here we go."
"I know that it's confusing. It is one thing to question the official story, and another thing entirely to make wild accusations, or insinuate that I'm a superhero."
"I never said you were a superhero."
"Didn't? Well, good, because that would be outlandish and fantastic. I'm just not the hero type. Clearly. With this laundry list of character defects, all the mistakes I've made, largely public."
"He's totally going off script," Sue said.
"Yeah, that's Tony for you," Reed replied. "Give him a microphone and he can't help himself."
Tony looked down at the cards, then back up at the cameras. Reed knew that look.
"Oh shit," Reed said. "He's going to—"
"The truth is... I am Iron Man."
Chaos erupted on screen. Reed just stared.
"Holy shit," Ben said. "He actually did it."
"That's either genius or completely insane," Reed said, watching Tony handle the media frenzy like he was enjoying every second. "Knowing Tony, probably both."
"So what do you think?" Sue asked.
Reed looked at the Iron Man footage they were showing. "The tech's impressive. That kind of miniaturized power source? That's serious engineering." He paused. "But the design's got issues. Too much weight distribution in the wrong places, power routing could be way more efficient."
"You think you could do better?" Ben asked with a grin.
"Different," Reed said. "Tony always goes for the flashy stuff first. I'd probably focus on making it actually work long-term." He nodded at the screen where Superman footage was playing. "Especially with everything else that's out there now."
Sue shook her head. "I can't believe this. Tony Stark just told the world he's Iron Man."
"And he's been working with Superman," Ben added. "What the hell is happening?"
Reed stared at the TV. Three people with powers, working together. No government oversight, no official backing. Just... doing it.
"Everything just changed," he said quietly.
"Yeah," Sue said. "The whole world just got a lot more complicated."
Reed's phone rang. Colonel James Rhodes, U.S. Air Force.
"Well, that's timing," Ben said.
Reed answered, putting it on speaker. "Dr. Richards."
"Doctor, this is Colonel Rhodes, U.S. Air Force. I apologize for calling so late, but the events of today have accelerated several discussions at the highest levels. Your work with the Baxter Foundation has come to our attention."
Reed exchanged glances with Sue and Ben. "What kind of discussions?"
"The kind that happen when alien technology starts falling from the sky and private citizens build flying suits of armor. We need people who think outside conventional parameters." Rhodes paused. "Tony Stark mentioned you might be someone worth talking to."
"Tony recommended me?" Reed felt a mix of surprise and warmth. After all these years, Tony still remembered their college friendship.
"Among others. Would you be available for a meeting tomorrow? There are projects that could benefit from your interdisciplinary approach, and frankly, today's events have made certain capabilities a national priority."
Reed looked at his partners. Ben nodded encouragingly. Sue gestured for him to continue.
"What kind of projects?" Reed asked.
"Support technologies for enhanced individuals. Advanced materials. Communication systems that work under extreme conditions. The kind of research that might help the next time something like today happens."
Reed felt something click into place. "You mean helping people like Superman and Iron Man do their jobs better."
"Among other applications, yes. Are you interested?"
Reed looked at the whiteboard in the next room, covered with his new approach to space travel research. Then at the television, where footage of Superman carrying Metallo into space played on loop.
"Very interested," he said.
After hanging up, the three of them sat quietly for a moment.
"Government contracts," Ben said finally. "That's a big step."
"As long as we maintain control over our research direction," Sue said. "I don't want to become just another defense contractor churning out weapons."
Reed nodded. "We won't. But think about what we just saw people with extraordinary abilities working together to protect everyone. If we can develop technology that supports that, helps make them more effective..." He gestured at his space research. "And maybe it'll help us figure out how to join them out there someday."
"You really think we'll make it to space?" Sue asked.
Reed looked at the screen, where Superman was visible as a tiny figure against the star field before the explosion that had ended Metallo. "If he can travel between worlds, then we can figure out how to follow. Just need to be smarter about it this time."
Ben grinned. "So we're really doing this? Building tech for superheroes while trying to become space explorers?"
"Why not?" Reed said, energy building in his voice. "Six months ago, aliens and powered armor were science fiction. Now they're on the evening news." He stood up, already thinking about tomorrow's meeting. "The world just got a lot bigger. Time to make sure we're ready for it."