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Ben losing Alicia felt like another step in bringing him back to his original "monster" status. I was all for that. 

Now if Johnny and Alicia would have ACTUALLY gotten married... that's a different story. I feel that dynamic would have changed Johnny's character too much (imho). 

Personally, I think Alicia was a much more interesting character after Ben left. Johnny was already maturing after the Tommy Hanson incident and Alicia didn't have to sit around and be reassuring all of the time. She was finally shining as a world-class artist. I'm not sure how much more anything would have changed had they gotten married.

Plus, that path would have opened the door for She-hulk to stay on, Ben to remain relevant in his own title, and still be connected to the FF.

Unless, of course, Alicia was being controlled the whole time by the Puppet Master.

In case you can't tell, I want my FFForever!

I would've had no problem with Ben going back to "monster" status. It's just that Johnny pretty much had his pick of anyone. Anywhere. I'm sure we've all known people like that in our real lives. 

He should've stayed far, far away from her. But no...he chose to be a dick. The fact that Ben was going to end their relationship is irrelevant, as Johnny didn't know that at the time.  

At least, that's how I saw/see it.  

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Alicia made choices here too.

Johnny was there when Ben elected to stay on Battleworld. He also knew he might return home some day; be it an hour, a day, a week, or a year. 

To this reader, Alicia was forbidden fruit and...see below... 

Yep, and Johnny should've put the brakes on things from the get-go.

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Because Johnny owed more loyalty to his sister's husband's college friend that abandoned his girlfriend not long after she suffered a vicious attack at the Baxter building (her hair was still short)?

C'mon. 2 adults made a decision. Johnny clearly felt guilt over hurting Ben but Alicia immediately put Ben in his place (the slap during the wraith war). And Ben also made mistakes. Including continuing a relationship with Alicia that obviously couldn't be intimate. Which is why he went to her place to break up with her and let her find a fulfilling relationship. She just already had.

In all the years I'd been reading Fantastic Four, I'd never even dream of trivializing the relationship between Ben and Johnny as his sister's husband's college friend that abandoned his girlfriend. To me, they're friends, family...brothers. 

All the other things you've mentioned are secondary and take a back seat to the point that Johnny should've said no. 

In My Humble Opinion.    

Yes. And he cast her aside pretty quickly. I believe he even called her "a chippie," which is another term for a prostitute or promiscuous young woman. 

Which she may very well have been, as she also wound up involved with Colossus.