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Quote1 Methinks he hath a grim and troubled mien! Quote2
Thor Odinson

Appearing in "The Good, The Bad and the Uncanny!"

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Synopsis for "The Good, The Bad and the Uncanny!"

Brief Summary:
Loki is determined to defeat his brother Thor. He looks for someone that he can use to accomplish this. He comes across the Silver Surfer and tests his abilities. Loki tricks the Surfer into thinking that Thor is Asgard's enemy. He agrees to help the Surfer escape Galactus' barrier if he helps defeat Thor. Surfer attacks Thor, but soon realizes that Loki may have not been telling him the truth. When Loki realizes that the Surfer was becoming wise, he sends him back to Earth before his scheme could be revealed.

Silver Surfer Vol 1 4 - 01

Detailed Summary:
Loki broods in his lair, angry that Thor continues to thwart his nefarious plans. He decides to go to the Cavern of Shadows to find someone with enough power to defeat his brother. While there, he discovers the Silver Surfer and learns about his past and present. He realizes that the Surfer is someone that he could deceive into doing his bidding. Eager to bring his plan into motion, he rushes through Asgard and crosses path with the Warriors Three. Confident of his impending success, he gloats to the three and warns them that Thor will soon be gone forever. They quickly rush to Thor to warn him, setting him on edge and getting him to prepare for war.

Meanwhile the Silver Surfer seeks refuge amongst nature and the wild animals, eager to escape the violence of man. This respite is short-lived though, as Loki appears and quickly attacks him. He wants to test the Surfer’s mettle and determine truly how powerful he is, but the Surfer refuses to fight back. It’s only when Loki threatens the humans that the Surfer begins to react. During their battle, Loki realizes that he has found his tool to defeat Thor and he stops the fight as quickly as he started it. Loki tells the Surfer that his power is needed to save Asgard from Thor. If the Surfer helps, then he will free him from Galactus’ barrier. Upon hearing this promise, the Surfer agrees to Loki’s request.

Sure enough, traveling with Loki to Asgard on the Bifrost by-passes Galactus’ barrier and allows the Silver Surfer to escape Earth. Upon entering Asgard, Loki quickly disappears so that his fellow Asgardians will not suspect the Surfer’s true mission: to vanquish Thor. The Surfer first meets Heimdall at the Golden Gates and is allowed to pass, since he does not seem to be a threat. He then enters Thor’s castle and interrupts their feast by challenging him to a fight. The Warriors Three leap at the Surfer for his threat, but Thor stops them and encourages everyone to eat first before any challenges begin. The Surfer agrees to Thor’s request and is fascinated how so many people seem to be loyal to someone that is supposed to be evil.

As they eat, they watch the gladiators do battle and Loki secretly arrives in his astral form. He puts dark suspicions into the Surfer’s mind and forces a gladiator to hurl is sword at him. This causes the Silver Surfer to lash out in anger and attack the Asgardians, which also brings Thor into the fight. Word is sent to Odin of the battle, but he is not worried since he can sense that both combatants are pure of heart. He believes no harm will come to them and decides to go to bed.

The two trade blows, but the Silver Surfer (with Loki’s power added to his own) is too much for Thor to handle. Balder and Sif rush to protect Thor and once again the Surfer is surprised by the loyalty that Thor commands. He starts to doubt Loki’s story and intentions. Before he can explain everything to Thor, Loki transports him back to Earth and back to his banishment.

Appearing in "The Terror of Tim Boo Ba"

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Synopsis for "The Terror of Tim Boo Ba"

Alien warlord Tim Boo Ba is master of all he surveys but is wiped out in a torrential flood when an Earth boy's mother drips water on the small scale model that is Tim Boo Ba's home planet.

Solicit Synopsis

Just picture this – the sensational sky-rider of the spaceways battling the mighty Thor! You’d expect it to be great, but – it’s even greater!

Notes

"The Good, The Bad and the Uncanny!"[]

  • Norrin Radd offered to become Galactus' herald if he spared Zenn-La and thus he was transformed into the Silver Surfer. [1]
  • The Silver Surfer betrayed Galactus to save the Earth and thus was imprisoned on Earth as punishment. [2]
  • Mephisto attempted to steal the Silver Surfer's soul by capturing and threatening Shalla-Bal. [3]

"The Terror of Tim Boo Ba"[]

  • Recreation of the original The Terror of Tim Boo Ba story, but with the Watcher as the host. [4]

Trivia

"The Good, The Bad and the Uncanny!"[]

  • The "Who Speaks for the Surfer?" letter column has letters published from: Tom Brown, Gary Anderson, D. D. Toman, Doug Fratz, Dennis Lien, Brian Carlson, and Evan Katten.
  • It is disputed that this book is a "low distribution" issue. Some price guides have listed it as such. Roy Thomas, who worked at Marvel Comics at the time has no recall of a low distribution or the urban myth of a truckload of Silver Surfer Vol 1 4's being "hijacked" prior to the issue's distribution.
  • In a TwoMorrows interview in Jack Kirby Collector Vol 1 18 (January, 1998), artist John Buscema notes that he intentionally broke from the traditional Marvel/Jack Kirby style in this particular issue. Although writer/editor Stan Lee did not appreciate the work at the time of its publication, Buscema noted in the interview that Lee later shared with Buscema that the writer/editor believed that this particular issue was the "the greatest thing you and I ever turned out!"

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