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Quote1 Perhaps for the first time within memory... I have found something... something worth protecting! Quote2
Silver Surfer (Norrin Radd)

Appearing in "If This Be Doomsday!"

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Other Characters:

  • Phil (First appearance)

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Synopsis for "If This Be Doomsday!"

Brief Summary:
Galactus has come to eat the Earth. The Watcher unsuccessfully tries to reason with him. The Fantastic Four cannot physically defeat him. However, the Watcher has a plan and sends the Human Torch on a secret mission. The Silver Surfer meets Alicia Masters and she convinces him that the Earth is worth saving. The Surfer races to stop Galactus.

Fantastic Four Vol 1 49 001

Detailed Summary:
With Galactus on Earth, the Watcher tries to appeal to the planet eater to leave Earth alone, when diplomacy doesn't work Johnny and Thing try to attack Galactus to no effect. the Watcher tells them to return to their base and he will contact them shortly.

Meanwhile, the Silver Surfer slowly gains consciousness from the Thing's punch and falls through the skylight of Alicia Master's apartment. Sensing a wounded and lonely being, Alicia offers the Silver Surfer her sympathy and assistance. Galactus continues to assemble his planet devouring device and the Watcher explains to the Fantastic Four what will happen to the Earth if Galactus succeeds. The Watcher explains that there is a device aboard Galactus' ship that he will need the Human Torch to collect. While back at Alicia's apartment, Alicia learns of the Surfer's mission on Earth and appeals to him to turn against his master and help save the Earth. He is hesitant at first, but is starting to feel pity for the humans.

When the Fantastic Four begin attacking Galactus' almost completed device, the planet eater sends his robot Punisher to keep them out of his way while he repairs the device. With this distraction and delay, the Watcher uses a device to boost Johnny's powers to a degree that will allow him to travel to Galactus' ship and retrieve the weapon they need to defeat him. Finally, Alicia convinces the Surfer to help save the Earth and, to the surprise of the Watcher, sets off to confront Galactus.

Notes

  • The portions of this story that pertain to Galactus are retold from a different perspective in Marvels #3.
  • The Silver Surfer's lack of humanity in this story is revealed to be due to the manipulations of Galactus who suppressed the memories of his past as well as his ability to feel emotions. This was hinted at in Silver Surfer #1. It is further explained that this was necessary on the part of Galactus when the Surfer's homeworld of Zenn-La was destroyed by the Other, as depicted in Silver Surfer (Vol. 3) #130. Galactus erased those memories and submerged it then fabricated a hoax to make it look as though Zenn-La still existed.
  • To date the origins of the Punisher are unknown. It has been explained as both a mechanical and organic construct in Iron Man #109 and Silver Surfer (Vol. 3) #17. The Punisher robot returns in Fantastic Four #74 when Galactus returns to Earth to reign in the Silver Surfer.
  • The worldship of Galactus is later referred to a Taa II, as first stated in Super-Villain Classics #1. Taa is the name of the homeworld of Galactus first seen in Thor #163.
  • This is the first time that the Watcher openly violates his oath of non-interference. This has been the case since the Watchers accidentally caused the mass extinction of the Prosilicans when they provided them with nuclear technology, as seen in Tales of Suspense #53 and expanded upon in Original Sin #0.

Trivia

  • The hands of Galactus used on this cover art were subsequently used on the Target novelisation of Doctor Who - The Three Doctors (1974).

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