Episode:Trial by Fire

This article is written from the Real World perspective

◄ "Trial by Fire" ►
Series	Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes
Release Date	September 2, 2006
Episode Number	3
Writer	Christopher Yost (Story Editor) Bob Forward
50 images

Ronan the Accuser arrives on Earth to put Jonathan Storm on trial for crimes against the Kree Empire. The Fantastic Four find themselves helpless against the technologically superior aliens who use the team's own memories to judge them all. (Series Premiere)

Story

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It's nighttime in New York City.

Johnny Storm races his car through the city streets kicking up trash in his wake. Behind the wheel, he complains that he is like a magnet for giant alien robots.

Behind him in the sky, a alien robot follows him. It projects some kind of beam down onto the ground behind the car.

Johnny looks back and complains that now the alien robots have lasers. The robot extends several legs from its underside.

Johnny shifts down and races forward. He squeals around a corner but the robot stays close behind. When the robot's beam nears, Johnny starts swerving around the road clearly having fun.

Reed Richards contacts Johnny saying he will be there soon. He flies the Fantasticar away from the Baxter Building towards Johnny. He warns the young man not to attack the robot but to wait for back-up.

Johnny races down an alley sarcastically saying he would never attack it. The robot lowers in the alley blocking the car's path. Johnny opens up the roof and yells "Flame on."

His entire body lights on fire and he floats out of the car. It continues racing forward while Human Torch smiles.

The car slams into the robot's legs then crashes behind into the wall behind it. The explosion engulfs the robot.

Meanwhile, the Fantasticar continues to fly over the city. Susan Storm complains that this is his third car this month. Reed tries to understand this since he has explained to Johnny about his theories on the robots.

Thing chimes in saying that they lost Johnny's attention when they asked him not to do something. Sue suggests they save Johnny before complaining about him.

Human Torch flies up taunting the robot on fire. It then fires its beam at him, who blocks it with his arm.

Monitoring, Reed orders Human Torch not to attack.

Ignoring him, Human Torch fires a blast at the robot destroying it. It crashes to a roof and powers down.

The Fantasticar lands on the roof and the three disembark. They look around at the flaming debris around them. Human Torch yells out in excitement at how cool the explosion was, then asks what Reed was trying to tell him.

The three scowl at their hotheaded teammate.

Just then Human Torch's body starts to sparkle and he disappears. Sue cries out to Johnny. She runs over to his position but he is gone.

Sue turns around yelling at Reed who said that it would not hurt Johnny. Reed stretches over with his scanner noting that his scans of the robot indicated no signs of weapons.

She yells that it just vaporized her brother. Reed disagrees saying that there are signs of a wormhole rather than vaporization, and he thinks he can track it.

She gets mad that he only thinks he can track it. Reed corrects himself saying that he could most likely track it. He theorizes that Johnny was taken to another galaxy. Thing sighs.

When she thinks about her baby brother being so far away, Sue faints. Reed extends his hand large enough to keep her from falling. Thing jokes about never being cheered up by Reed.

Reed quickly states that it is possible Johnny is alive and well, just far away. Thing points out that she won't like that explanation when she gets up. Reed puts her in the Fantasticar, closes the hatch, and agrees.

Reed suggest postponing their appearance at the Children's Hospital Fundraiser and he will call on their way back to the Baxter Building.

Thing volunteers to go, for the kids, then notes that Reed has the hard job. Reed replies that he needs to find Johnny, but Thing corrects him saying that he needs to keep Sue from tying him in knots.

Thing slaps him on the arm and leaps down into the street. When a car blares its horn at him, he yells at it.

Elsewhere, Human Torch struggles up in pain. He stands and finds himself in a dark area with a bright light shining down on him. He feels his neck and finds a collar on it, joking that he didn't put a dog collar on.

He grabs it and tries to take it off. Just then a loud voice calls to him. He lets go of the collar thinking it is somehow his sister.

Just then the lights turn on and he is blinded. He shields his eyes until they adjust. He looks around and finds himself at the bottom of an arena filled with an audience of blue creatures. They are chanting and yelling angrily.

Human Torch jokes that they are oversized Smurfs.

Sitting atop a large pillar is a cloaked figure with a hammer who introduces himself as Ronan the Accuser. Human Torch jokes that he is Angry Smurf.

Ronan orders him to be silent. He charges Torch with crimes against the Kree Kree Empire. He tells the human to prepare for judgement.

Human Torch decides he doesn't want to be judged and lights up. He flies up but hits the roof and bounces back. Just then the collar activates and his flames dissipate. Ronan holds up his hammer towards him.

Human Torch lands back in the arena kicking up a large cloud of dust when he lands. He stands as the crowd cheers his humiliation. He once again calls Ronan the Angry Smurf.

At the hospital charity event, a man welcomes the crowd and begins to introduce the Fantastic Four. However, a woman interrupts and whispers into his ear. He once again addresses the crowd saying that three members have been called away on an emergency but introduces Thing.

The crowd cheers as he makes his way out. However, his overly broad arms break the doorway and the crowd stops. Thing fixes his large suit and stomps towards the stage. The crowd sits there shocked.

Thing approaches the podium and, getting flustered, apologizes for the door. He tells them that Reed prepared a speech and goes to get the notes in his pocket.

However, his hands rip open the pocket and the cards spill out. He bends over to grab them but the back of his suit rips open.

Thing tries to pick up the cards but his fingers are too big to grab them. He manages to pile them up then stands, causing his pants to rip open. The crowd struggles to hold back laughter while Thing looks exasperated.

Back at the Baxter Building, Mister Fantastic and Invisible Woman are in the lab. Mister Fantastic is at a console calibrating to trace the path of the energy signature.

When he starts to admire the wormhole, Invisible Woman glares at him and he apologizes. She demands to know where her brother is. He tries to explain that Johnny could be anywhere in the universe.

She once again demands to know where Johnny is. He gets back to work and the room fills with holograms. H.E.R.B.I.E. reads and locates the energy signature. Mister Fantastic looks at the readings and notes that Johnny is in Central Park.

Deep within the park, electricity suddenly arcs out from somewhere. Then a large ball of energy forms then enlarges, destroying everything in its path. It stops and becomes a large sphere.

Back in the arena, Ronan informs Human Torch that they have returned to Earth. He explains that Kree law allows a person to be executed on their home planet.

Human Torch agrees saying he has places to be. He tries to explain that he is an important person and cannot be abducted by aliens. He stops when he realizes that Ronan means to kill him.

Above the city, the Fantasticar races towards the park. Helicopters fly around the area while reporters and police officers stand nearby. The police hold back the crowds of people forming at barriers.

In the Fantasticar, Mister Fantastic calls out to Invisible Woman asking her to wait. He informs her that the energy signature is like nothing he has seen before.

Floating alongside, she asks if her brother is in the sphere. Mister Fantastic claims that he is according to his instruments.

She then forms a bubble in her hand and throws it at the dome. The blast strikes the dome but does nothing.

Mister Fantastic is fascinated by the energy signature, noting that it is off his scales. Invisible Woman decides to try harder and her eyes glow.

Inside, Human Torch wonders what this is all about. He hears some kind of banging and wonders what that noise is. Ronan explains that his teammates are trying to get to him, but warns that their unique abilities are no match for Kree technology.

Ronan orders the trial to proceed. Human Torch wonders if he gets a lawyer, causing the crowd to jeer him. Ronan lifts his hammer and a mere tap causes a large boom to silence the crowd.

Ronan states that the laws of Hala mean the accused can name any representative. Human Torch interrupts saying he wants Reed Richards. Ronan taps his staff agreeing.

Meanwhile, Invisible Woman continues to blast the dome. The crowd below watch, but her attacks continue to do nothing.

The Fantasticar floats over to the dome blocking her. Invisible Woman floats to it ordering Mister Fantastic to move. He explains that they need to proceed carefully since they know nothing of the dome.

However, he is suddenly engulfed in light and disappears just as Human Torch did. She calls out to him.

Inside, a platform moves into position and Mister Fantastic materializes on it. Down below, Human Torch quickly explains that aliens want to kill him for reasons he doesn't know and he is the lawyer.

Mister Fantastic looks around is amazed that the alien race is quite similar to that of the Romans, though their technology is far superior to theirs. He looks over at Ronan.

Human Torch stops him noting that he will be exterminated and begs for help. Mister Fantastic addresses Ronan asking what his client is accused of. Ronan says that the charges will be brought forth in time, then demands two witnesses for the accused's defense.

Outside, Invisible Woman continues pounding at the dome.

Meanwhile at the charity event, Thing is now juggling some children. The audience cheers him on. He puts them down and tells the audience that he needs to go.

Suddenly, he is engulfed in light and disappears. Thinking it a trick, the audience cheers.

Invisible Woman gets out of breath and stops. She says she will not give up, then also disappears in a flash of light.

Another platform moves into position and Invisible Woman and Thing materialize on it. They look around and she sees her brother below, glad that he is alive. He says he is at the moment.

Human Torch then pokes fun at Thing's tattered tuxedo. Thing rips it off, revealing a spray-painted 4 symbol on his chest, the notes that Human Torch is in trouble as usual.

He asks who he needs to hit first. Mister Fantastic stops him saying that this is a trial and suggests they play by the rules. He once more requests that Ronan state the charges against Jonathan Storm.

Ronan taps his hammer and presents the charges. One of the panels of the roof changes to a video. Ronan explains that eleven Earth weeks earlier the Kree Sentry 459 had attempted contact but was destroyed without provocation. The audience gasps.

The video shows it scanning the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building before Human Torch flew to it. It cuts to another shot showing a fireball destroying it.

Human Torch reasons that it was big and ugly and he thought it was trying to break in somewhere.

Ronan introduces Kree Sentry 521 and the video shows Human Torch on the street. He lit up and again destroyed it. The audience again gasps.

Human Torch says that it was sneaking up behind him. He then smiles at what he feels is a cool move. Thing and Invisible Woman glare down at him.

Ronan brings up Kree Sentry 714 and shows the flaming sentry and flying Human Torch from just before the trial. Ronan explains that it was using a simple scanning laser when Human Torch destroyed it.

Human Torch responds that by that point he had just gotten into the habit of destroying them.

Quotes

"I must be some kind of magnet for giant alien robots."

-Johnny Storm, first line of series

"Johnny, we're on our way. ETA twenty-two point three seconds. Wait for back-up. Do not attack. Repeat, do not attack the robot."
"Attack? Me? Never."

-Reed Richards, first lines, and Johnny Storm

"Flame on!"

-Johnny Storm, first use of the catchphrase

"Ugh, that's his third car this month."
"I don't understand it. I've explained to him my theory about these..."
"It's Johnny. You lost him at 'don't'."
"How about we save Johnny now and complain about him later?"

-Susan Storm, first lines, Reed Richards, and Thing, first lines

"You said it wouldn't hurt him."
"My scans of the robot showed no signs of weaponry."
"No weapons!? It just vaporized my brother."
"Hmm, no. Not vaporized. Transported. I'm getting residual wormhole readings. I think I can track it."
"Think!? You think!?"
"I mean, I most likely can track it. From what I gather, Johnny's been taken to another galaxy."
"My baby brother, taken to...another galaxy?"

-Susan Storm and Reed Richards

"Nice one, stretch. Remind me to never have you cheer me up."
"I didn't mean to imply...I mean it's wholly possible he's alive and well, just in another galaxy."
"Right. All I know is when she wakes up try to have a better answer than that."
"I see your point."

-Thing and Reed Richards

"Hey! I'm landing here."

-Thing, quoting Midnight Cowboy

"Jonathan Spencer Storm."
"Sis? Man, you sound horrible."

-Ronan, first line, and Human Torch

"Whoa, the Smurfs got big."

-Human Torch

"I am Ronan the Accuser."
"Uh, are you Angry Smurf?"
"SILENCE! You have been charged with high crimes against the Kree Empire. Prepare to be judged."

-Ronan and Human Torch

"Um, hi. He he. Yeah, sorry about the door. Yeah, um. Okay. Reed prepared a speech." [Drops cards and tries to get them] "Stupid fat fingers. Anything for the kids." [Stands] "And there goes the pants."

-Thing

"So where is he."
"Susan, you have to understand. Johnny could be anywhere in the universe. He..."
"Where. Is. My. Brother!?"

-Invisible Woman and Mister Fantastic

"Energy reading matched and located."
"Looks like he's in...Central Park."

-H.E.R.B.I.E. and Mister Fantastic

"We have returned to Earth. Under Kree law, you have the right to be terminated on your home planet."
"Good, because I've got places to be. I'm an important person. I can't just be abducted by crazy aliens...Terminated?"

-Ronan and Human Torch

"Fascinating, this energy...the readings are off the scale."
"I'll show you off the scale."

-Mister Fantastic and Invisible Woman

"Let the trial of the accused proceed."

-Ronan

"Reed! Here's the short version. Aliens want to wipe me out. Don't know why. Trail. You're my lawyer. Go!"

-Human Torch

"Johnny, you're alive."
"Yeah, for the moment."

-Invisible Woman and Human Torch

"Love what you've done with your tux there, Benjy."
"I see Stretch found you, Matchstick, and you're in trouble as usual. Who do you want me to hit first?"

-Human Torch and Thing

"Behold, the accused's crimes against the Kree Empire. Eleven Earth weeks ago Kree Sentry 459 was destroyed without provocation."
"It was big and ugly. I thought it was trying to break in."
"Sentry 521."
"It snuck up behind me. But you have to admit that it was a pretty sweet move."
"Sentry 714. Using a simple scanning laser."
"Look, by that time it was kind of a habit."

-Ronan and Human Torch

Trivia

• Thing references the famous Midnight Cowboy line "I'm walking here."
• Brian Dobson (Thing) and Michael Dobson (Ronan) are brothers.
• While there is no Angry Smurf, there is a Grouchy Smurf, who was voiced by Michael Bell.

Continuity

• Ronan's humiliation here leads him to team up with the Skrulls in "Revenge of the Skrulls".
• The Supreme Intelligence reappears in "Contest of Champions" when he tries to help Ronan cheat in his fight against Thing.
• Only appearance of the Kree people other than Ronan and the Supreme Intelligence.
• The Skrull would appear in "My Neighbor was a Skrull".

Goofs

• When Johnny downshifts the gauge implies it shows RPMs, but moves down when it should go up.
• The density of the Kree crowd is not consistent.

Background

While this is the first episode to air it is set as the third episode and third to be produced.

Many of the shots from the opening titles are taken from this episode. The clips include the Sentry extending its legs, Ronan leaping into battle, Mister Fantastic wrapping around the creatures, Thing juggling the children, Invisible Woman throwing a bubble, Human Torch shooting fire, the Sentry exploding, and Thing throwing a punch.

Reaction

"Stu" of Marvel Animation Age noted that buzz for the series was mostly positive. He enjoyed the anime-style look of the series with the animation and designs. Though he did not some problems with the lip syncing. He thought the backgrounds were as pretty as Spider-Man: The New Animated Series and X-Men: Evolution. He loved the voice cast, particularly Brian Dobson as Thing, though noted that Human Torch came off as a Chris Evans impression (who played the character in the films). He praised the team dynamics. For the episode itself, he did not think it worked well as a pilot but rather threw the audience into the middle of the story. While he liked the fight scene, he didn't think Ronan was particularly interesting. Though he liked the tease of the Skrulls. He did not think the episode was anything amazing, it did leave him with high hopes for the series. "It’s true – the episode is no On Leather Wings, "Night of the Lizard" or Iron Man's "The Beast Within". But it could've been a hell of a lot worse. The future looks bright however, and I for one, can't wait to see Dr. Doom's glorious return to TV next week. Stick around everyone – I truly believe the best is yet to come!"

"Screw On Head" of Marvel Animation Age felt the episode had a solid plot but was bogged down by stiff animation. He enjoyed the episode feeling it was well-written and enjoyed the characterizations. He enjoyed Susan despite not being too fond of her elsewhere. He felt Ronan worked as a villain even though he was cliched. He noted that the animation was more anime-inspired than then airing series Justice League Unlimited and Teen Titans and felt it was less than full animation. He did not feel that the episode was well directed as it should have been lacking finesse. He thought it was difficult to properly follow the action and disliked the editing. He didn't think it worked as a pilot but showed potential for the series. He did enjoy the tease of the Kree-Skrull War as it indicated forward thinking on behalf of the writers. "If future episodes are written as well as this one, and are animated with just a tinge more fluidity and finesse, this series could easily become the best-animated adaptation of the Fantastic Four fans have ever received!"

"Arsenal" of Marvel Animation Age felt the trial episode was common of superhero shows that the show did little different with. He did note that unlike other shows Johnny was guilty, which interested him. He liked that audiences were asked to accept a hero who was imperfect and flawed. He thought the characters needed more development, but felt the show understood why people liked the characters. He did think it worked fine as a series premiere despite not having the usual introductions. He claimed the animation looked great at some times and awkward at others, like the lips not always being synched. "However, the creative staff obviously understands these characters on more than a superficial level. It gets who they are and how they interact. That is the most important thing and the bedrock any successful FF show will rest on. Now it just needs to be communicated to the audience better."

Jim Harvey of Marvel Animation Age thought the series had the basics for a good adaptation and the animation provided a vivid look for the characters. He noted that since this wasn't the pilot that it missed on crucial character development as audiences where thrown into the middle of the action. He felt was fun though generic. It hit enough of the right notes to make it enjoyable. He liked that it was self contained but hinted at future stories. He claimed it was better than most other "hero on trial" stories. He felt that Thing and Human Torch were perfect and enjoyable, though thought that Mister Fantastic and Invisible Woman were off. Harvey claimed that he was not as smart as he was supposed to be and she was too bland. He claimed that the series was enjoyable overall and the characters fit the anime style. He praised the mix of computer and traditional animation. "While this episode was a tad generic, it was still handled well and showed that there's a lot of promise for this new series. It's a very worthy addition to the animated Marvel collection, and worth catching on Saturday nights."

Dan Iverson of IGN gave the episode a 3.5 Awful rating. He said that the voice actors were really bad claiming that Reed didn't carry the genius he should, Susan sounded like a stereotypical strong female from any other show, Johnny was annoying, and Thing's would have to grow on audiences. He felt the anime animation style was awkward but would attract younger audiences, complaining about several stylistic choices like the pointy chins. He did not like that this was the first episode aired when it was not the original pilot and featured no introductions. He did like that it featured humor and the family element. "But is the show any fun at all? Yes, it is... for children. For kids who already love this style of cartoons, this show is much better than most anything else that you are going to find out there. But for us adults who enjoy comics, this is a big disappoint. Maybe the stories will get better, and maybe the characters may start to feel more natural, but for now we suggest that you don't bother unless you are under 13 years old." [1]

The episode has a 9.0 on TV.com and 6.3 on the Internet Movie Database.

External Links

• Marvel
• Marvel Animation Age
• TV.com
• Internet Movie Database
• Marvel Database