Appearing in "The Last Word!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
Other Characters:
- She-Hulk (Only in flashback)
Locations:
- New York City
- Delaware
- Wilmington
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "The Last Word!"
A woman is trying to reach the Baxter Building headquarters of the Fantastic Four in a complete panic, fearful that she will be captured by her pursuers. Just before she can reach the fabled headquarters of the world's greatest adventurers she is confronted by a woman in a dark alley and screams for help. While up in the living quarters of the Baxter Building the Thing is trying to watch television when he is interrupted by the Human Torch who prankishly sets fire to the couch. After Ben accidentally throws the couch down the elevator shaft trying to toss it at the Torch, Johnny departs, telling Ben that he just remembered that a panicked woman had called in and should be on her way shortly. Flying outside, Johnny happens to spot a woman being carried into an ambulance by stretcher. Johnny brushes it off when he sees a more attractive woman heading into Central Park and decides to follow after her. Meanwhile, Ben comes out of the Baxter Building not finding the woman he was supposed to meet. Regaining conciousness from her stretcher, the woman calls out to Grimm warning him of the danger posed by someone calling himself the Word.
Meanwhile, Johnny has followed the attractive blonde into Central Park and tries to impress her by creating a heart out of flames. When this doesn't work, Johnny flames off and tries his usual charm, but the woman simply brushes him off and goes off into Central Park alone, despite Johnny's warnings that it might not be safe at night. Johnny gives up and heads back to the Baxter Building where Ben is looking through SHIELD intel about the Word. When the file pulls up a picture of the Word and his daughter Ultima, Johnny recognizes her as the woman from the park. Looking into the file deeper they learn how the Word once ran a religious cult which was eventually quashed by the She-Hulk. Suddenly they are contacted by SHIELD director Nick Fury, who informs them that the Word has gone back on his promise to give up on his religious cult and has set up a new one while using a mining operation in Delaware as a front. Fury tells them that he had sent agents in to investigate and none of them have come back. When Nick asks Ben and Johnny to investigate they agree to go and check it out.
Soon the pair are driving through the Delaware countryside unaware that the Word is already aware of their approach. Suddenly they are ambushed by traps rigged into the road, wrecking their ride. After fighting off these mechanized defenses they are then attacked by Ultima, whose superior strength rivals that of the Thing. Thanks to a gas that is being pumped into the area, both the Torch and the Thing are easily knocked out and taken prisoner. They wake up in the den belonging to the Word and find themselves wearing identical outfits and that they have placed a human looking mask over the Thing's face. The Word explains to them that he plans to make a world where everyone is treated equal. He begins by explaining that he was the editor of a dictionary company until he learned the secret meaning of words. To this end, he began working as a disc jockey, becoming an instant sensation. After driving the radio station into bankruptcy, the Word then started his cult. It was at this point he was able to use his words to make his daughter Ultima the peak of perfection, however this was short lived as his daughter was crippled battling the She-Hulk and he was legally orderded to disassemble his cult. However the Word refused to give up on his mission and was able to use his command of language to make his daughter move again.
Slapped with collars that inject a drug into their system that weakens their strength, powers and will power, the Thing and Torch are forced to toil in the mine the Word has set up. There they find the missing SHIELD agents and are shocked that they have been brainwashed into accepting this way of life. The two begin working in the mine until the initial dose of the drug begins to wear off, giving Ben enough strength to cause a partial collapse of the mine and forcing the Word to order an evacuation. Once outside, Johnny puts all of his efforts into going nova so he can burn all the drug out of his system and destroy his bonds. Succeeding, he then frees the Thing. While the Torch handles the Word's private army, the Thing and Ultima battle it out. The Word watches on yelling encouragements to his daughter. Getting fed up of the Word's constant talking, the Thing knocks him out with a single punch. Without her father's words of encouragement, Ultima loses her powers and suddenly becomes crippled again.
With the Word defeated people begin becoming freed from his control and SHIELD operatives arrive on the scene. The Word, having been thoroughly defeated realized that in trying to find a perfect world he ended up destroying the life of the one he wanted to protect: his daughter.
Notes
Continuity Notes
- The Word and Ultima's battle against the She-Hulk was chronicles in Savage She-Hulk #9-10.