Bets she got offered a discount on the ice cream?

I *like* your young Val.

She's smart enough to enjoy her childhood, which is a very good sign.

Johnny may have been referring to Ben, of course.

As I am sure someone noted already, Doom used his own variant of a time machine (which sends people to alternate realities that are at the specified point in history, thus avoiding the Grandfather paradox neatly) to send the Fantastic guys to Blackbeard's time; and Blackbeard turned out to be Ben Grimm!

You realize, of course, that Sue locked in the Indy movies for Movie Night when they got back?

Starfire feels Lyja's pain on this.

I have mixed some odd items, as well, but always with a theme in mind.

Lyja's themes are, to state the obvious, *alien*.

And cravings can be fun anyway..

Not just little Torches..

*Green* little torches that can shape shift whenever they're flamed on then keep the form when extinguished until next time they light up!

"Somehow" my asterix! The settings for hell were already well known to Reed Richards.

He'd seen Doom's math back when young Victor was making a communal chair to make contact with and hopefully save his mother's soul from Mephisto's realm, way back in Doom's origin story!

That equation was reversed once when they went after Ben, meaning Reed left the recreated original equation lying around. He's a compulsive inventor, fer cryin' out loud!

Addendum: Matt Murdock's practice did, in fact, find a lot of use for the widescreen and DVD player.

It was used in the waiting room and taken to court for recorded testimony as well as for the playing of video wills.

Matt is nothing if not merciful to the overly visual.

Selene: I guess it really *is* your turn.

*pause all around*

Ben: Here, kid, get some mango juice.

Sue: Ben, do you have any *idea* how sweet that mango juice is?

Ben: Yep. That's why I'm giving it to him. I mean, it just sank in yesterday, kin you imagine how many calories he burns, literally? You could feed the kid Candy Land and he wouldn't gain an ounce of flab!

*another pause, then a sneeze*

Reed: Whatever. *heading to the door* I have to relight all the pilot lights in the building. Be back soon.

Selene's personality is a bit hard to pin down, as she is influenced by her powers before this, to say nothing of having to experience all the memories of her victims when she devours their life essence.

I daresay that this take on her could be correct, once she recovered from her previous life. The entire business of living and life-eating for century upon century may be repressed or only accessed as needed, in point of fact.

Great girls night out story.

Good goin, R-Man. Keep on keepin on.

Nice freakin chapter.

This was a good read.

The reason Johnny has never been an Avenger is THEY HAVE STANDARDS, DAMMIT! Should be fun. Looking forward to it.