Baxter Building (Fantastic Four)

[Super Chick]

LOCATION: 42nd Street & Madison Avenue, New York City (Manhattan) ⁽²⁾

OWNERSHIP: Reed Richards (formerly Walter Collins)

OCCUPANTS: Reed Richards, Sue Storm-Richards, Johnny Storm, Benjamin Grimm

SUPPORT CREW: n/a

BLUEPRINTS:

Larger version: cutawayview.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/baxtercutaway-new.jpg


DESCRIPTION OF FACILITIES:
At thirty-five stories, each floor is 24 feet (7.3 m) ⁽¹⁾, making this structure equivalent in height to a 105 story building. For the purposes of this location, we will focus on the Fantastic Four's headquarters on the top six⁽³⁾ floors (including the rooftop).

The building's steel frame construction utilized the first application of "K bracing" in the world and is one of the strongest structures of its kind. Reed Richards has applied for many land-use zone variations to allow massive reconstruction of the top five floors for the installation of a heavily-silenced silo, with a muffled rocket. (1)

The design of the headquarters of the Fantastic Four is along strictly utilitarian lines, except for apartments and public areas. All aspects of the design are constantly being improved, including security. For example, windows are 2 ft (0.61 m) thick composites of various glasses and plastics which are mirrored on the outside. Solid, armored, exterior walls are also mirror-clad and are indistinguishable from transparent sections. ⁽¹⁾

The top five sections of the Baxter Building are completely airtight; all doors are airlocks. Complete environmental support (including atmosphere) is provided by the area between elevators 2, 3, and 4 on all floors. The building's steel-alloy framework is rigid enough to be stood on one corner and not collapse (It was suggested that the Baxter Building did not collapse under its own weight due to the use of tactile telekinesis by Gladiator of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard. Reed himself stated that even with the reinforced structure, it should not be possible otherwise). ⁽¹⁾ A special elevator will take the team to their floors, with use of an activator in their belts.⁽³⁾

The buffer-zone is the interface between the top five floors and the lower levels. It provides a rapid-disconnect between upper and lower segments of the building. It contains an array of large oil-rams to dampen any oscillations between the five upper levels and the base of the building. The buffer-zone contains some support equipment for the upper levels, but mostly it is the "mechanical floor," which provides heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and elevator support equipment for the lower 30 stories. ⁽¹⁾

Still, problems continue. Occasionally either the Thing or a foe will be driven down through the building, tearing a shaft through floor after floor. Battles occur on the outer walls of the building. Explosions are a common occurrence, and no insurance company will write a policy on any organization maintaining offices in the Baxter Building.⁽²⁾

FEATURES OF THE BAXTER BUILDING⁽³⁾

• Ammo Room - ammunition is stored in it's own room on the 35th floor
• Armory - a combined weapon collection and trophy room is on the 35th floor
• Biological Research Lab - located on the 32nd floor
• Chemistry Lab - located on the 32nd floor
• Computer Room - the computer room is on the 34th floor of the building
• Conference Room - a conference room containing the Fantastic Fours files is located on the 33rd floor
• Dining Room - located on the 30th floor
• Electronics Lab - located on the 32nd floor
• Fantasticar Hangar - the Fantasticar hangar is on the 37th floor (roof) of the building; like all the vehicle hangars, it is accessible from rooftop elevators, and from the maintenance shop below
• Fantasticopter Hangar - the Fantasti-copter hangar is on the 37th floor of the building; like all the vehicle hangars, it is accessible from rooftop elevators, and from the maintenance shop below
• Gymnasium - the gymnasium is on the 31st floor of the building
• Hidden Elevator - a concealed elevator runs up one corner of the building it is only accessible via an invisible beam device contained in the belt buckles of Fantastic Four member uniforms
• Living Quarters - the four-team members living quarters are on the 35th floor of the building
• Map Room - a room containing a giant map of the world is located on the 33rd floor
• Missile Monitoring Room - the flight control room for the Passenger Missile is located on the 33rd floor
• Missile Ready Room - the Passenger Missile ready room lies between the Missile Monitoring room and the missile silo
• Missile Silo - the Fantastic Four's Long-Range ICBM Type Passenger Missile is housed in a silo running up one of the corners of the building. At its base is a launchpad, and it is shielded from the rest of the building by a thick anti-vibration wall. The exhaust is channeled down pipes to expend its heat in the river.
• Projection Room - a room with a projector and closed-circuit TV controls is located on the 36th floor
• Observatory - an astronomical observatory is situated on top of the building
• Photo Analysis Lab - the only laboratory not located on the 32nd floor is this large room under the observatory for analyzing photographic data
• Pogo Orbit Plane Hangar - the Pogo Orbit Plane hangar is located at one of the top corners of the building
• Projection Room - a theater on the 33rd floor
• Radio Sending and Receiving Room - a radio studio located on the 31st floor
• Reception Room - a comfortable lobby on the 30th floor where the Fantastic Four host visitors
• Recreation Room - located on the 31st floor, above the Reception Room
• Pogo Orbit Plane Hangar - the Pogo Orbit Plane hangar is located at one of the top corners of the building
• Storage and Supply Rooms - located on the 34th floor
• Telestar - continental, local and closed-circuit TV monitor room
• TV Studio - a fully operational television studio located on the 31st floor
• Vehicle Maintenance Shops - located on the 34th floor of the building beneath each vehicle's hangar

THE SURROUNDING AREA: The Baxter Building is located about six city blocks from the United Nations Building ^(1), one block from NY Public Library, and just across the street from Grand Central Station in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. This makes them strictly in the city amid other skyscrapers and metropolitan centers of the city and therefore no "grounds" of their own.

SUPPORTING CHARACTERS: One of the most well-known people to work in the building is mailman, Willie Lumpkin, who has his daily rounds in the building.⁽³⁾


Source(s) of information:
(1) - Wikipedia
(2) - Marvel.com
(3) - Comic Vine