WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Fantastic Four #25 by Dan Slott, R.B. Silva and Jesus Aburtov, on sale now.
Omega-level mutants are among the most powerful forces in the entire Marvel Universe. However, in Fantastic Four #25, one notable mutant just lost that seemingly limitless power: Franklin Richards.
The son of Reed and Sue Richards, Franklin is one of the single most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe. He was born a mutant, but thanks to his parents' exposure to cosmic radiation, Franklin's reality-warping powers developed on a galactic scale. It's even been revealed he will be one of the last to survive the current incarnation of the Marvel Universe, serving as a peer and confidant to figures such as Galactus.
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But things have taken a turn since the Fantastic Four returned to the universe following the events of Secret Wars. After spending years from their perspective traveling the galaxy and restarting the multiverse, he ended up losing much of his inherent strength. After confronting the Griever at the End of All Things, Franklin's powers were largely depleted. Reed tried to restore his powers to their full capability, but he couldn't find a workaround.
In Fantastic Four/X-Men, Franklin and his sister Valeria turned to Doctor Doom for a potential solution. It turns out that in his attempt to keep Franklin away from mutant conflicts by using a device to hide his genetic make-up, Reed may have even helped facilitate the loss of Franklin's powers. Franklin has also recently embraced his mutant-status, finding a second home on Krakoa and immersing himself in mutant culture.
But Franklin loses everything in Fantastic Four #25. When a mysterious cosmic-level threat attacked the Earth seeking some unknown power, the Fantastic Four engaged it in battle. Franklin uses the last of his power to attack the creature -- earning its respect for being the first person to ever even distract him with an attack. Without any more power, Franklin was forced to flee the battle or risk becoming collateral damage. He tried to find back-up by rushing through a Krakoa Gate, but Franklin can no longer go through the gate. It seems that when his powers burned out, it also took out his X-Gene.
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The issue ends with a broken-hearted Franklin returning home and destroying all of his new mutant merchandise and memorabilia in a fit of grief and rage. It's a genuinely tragic moment for Franklin, whose powers have often been the source of major debate across the Marvel Universe. But now, they appear to be gone, at least for now. It's entirely possible that Franklin has his powers restored naturally, or perhaps by the machinations of someone like Beast or even Mister Sinister, who has expressed a desire to get ahold of his DNA to experiment with.
But with his powers entirely burnt out, Franklin will likely take a back-seat on Fantastic Four missions, and will no longer be able to access Krakoa. Franklin has recently been defining himself as a brilliant and experienced young hero. Now, all that is gone, and he's just a normal person -- something Franklin has never really been. One of the most powerful mutants alive just had their abilities clipped, and it may end up impacting the entire future of the Marvel Universe.
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