Fantastic Four (1996 series) #13

Dr. Doom's multiple trips back in time to save Earth from Galactus has weakened the dimensional walls separating their Earth from parallel worlds. The adjacent universe containing the Wildstorm characters have been merged with the ones of this dimension.

Rick Jones watches a military recruitment video while walking around New York. It highlights the heroic efforts of the WildC.A.T.S. (Gorgon, Giant Man, Grifter, Void, Zealot, and Warblade) and S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Black Knights squad (Dane Whitman, Karnak, and others) fighting back against the combined Daemonite and Skrull invaders. The United States is a country in a state of perpetual war. Others have stepped forward to take their place. They have been under regular attacks since the European campaign that united Skrulls, Daemonites, and Dr. Doom. With Europe under their control, they set their sights on America. They have only been able to stave off the attacks with a constant supply of new troops. Recruits are battle-ready in mere days due to Reed Richards' Scanner-Teach devices that injects all military knowledge directly into their minds.

At the Baxter Building, the Fantastic Four (Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Maul, and Burnout) return from the Negative Zone. They have once again failed to locate the missing Thing (Ben Grimm) but have made a startling discovery. Before they are able to close the portal, Annihilus and Defile make their way through and try to kill them to prevent disclosing their discovery. Working at as team, they are able to send both of them back into the Negative Zone and close the portal.

Richards contacts S.H.I.E.L.D. and learns from John Lynch that Nick Fury was killed by Dr. Doom while on a covert mission. Richards pushes that to the side for now and requests that Lynch call in all the superteams (Avengers, Stormwatch, Wetworks, and WildC.A.T.S.) He claims he found a way to win the war.

Once all teams have been contacted, Lynch instructs Agent Priscilla Kitaen (Voodoo) to update him on the status of three missing heroes: Iron Man, Mr. Majestic, and Captain America. She informs Lynch that Majestic is en route, Iron Man was last seen in Yugoslavia, and she spoke to Cap when she contacted the Avengers. Lynch corrects her: not Spartan who is the current Captain America, the original one. Steve Rogers took up the Nomad identity and went AWOL.

Rick discusses the situation with his friend Edmund Chang (Grunge). They decide to enlist in the military to do their part to defend their country.

Elsewhere in the Negative Zone, Thing encounters another person that has become stranded in that dimension.

Story continued in AVENGERS Vol.2 #13