Silver Surfer vol. 3 #125

Title: “The Heart of the Beast”

Plotter: Glenn Greenberg

Scripter: JM DeMatteis

Penciller: Ron Garney

Inker: Bob Wiacek

Colors: Tom Smith

Editor: Jaye Gardener

The Silver Surfer, without access to his emotions, doesn’t feel the joy he used to as he heats up descending into the Earth’s atmosphere. Something seems to be calling him and a curiosity/obsession/longing draws him closer to it. As Surfer descends into the atmosphere, seven fighter jets come in behind him. Surfer had thought that they would attack him again, but instead they fly on to something he figures they must consider a greater threat. He wonders if it is the same anomaly that drew him there… an unusual energy reading… a flux in the quantum field unlike anything in his prior experience. Though his soul is as dead as Zenn-La, his mind is alive. Surfer had thought that returning to the place where his heart once came back to life might help him, but as he follows the jets he surveys the destruction and with icy detachment wonders what could have caused it. He decides to ask and appears behind a police officer holding a radio. The cop tells the cop on the other end to hold on for a minute when he turns and sees Surfer. Surfer asks if the destruction around them was caused by a natural disaster or if humans have found a new way to destroy themselves. The cop tells Surfer that it was “one o’ you” that did it. He says that families were there having fun when he dropped out of the sky. He asks Surfer if he knows how many people are going to go to the hospital because of his friend. Surfer turns when he hears a loud booming. The cop says that is the big guns, but that he knows that they don’t stand a chance. Surfer says that is interesting. The cop calls Surfer heartless and inhuman. Surfer flies off conceding the point. Surfer flies into the air and sees where the fighting is occurring among the trees. Surfer wonders if the cop was associating him to any super powered being or if it is one specifically that Surfer has had past links with.

Surfer flies closer and sees the Hulk being fired on by the jets. Surfer notes that Hulk seems larger than before and that his muscles are more distorted. He sees that Hulk’s child like confusion has been replaced by a malignant rage. Surfer reflects on his past association with the Hulk as a misunderstood monster, but then realizes that Hulk is not misconstrued on this occasion. He wonders what pushed Hulk over the edge. Hulk says that he warned them to leave him alone, but that they wouldn’t listen. Hulk leaps into the air and smashes through one of the jets. Hulk says that it is the same old tricks over and over again, but that they have never managed to do anything but make him madder and madder. He says that right now he is ticked. Hulk watches the pilot parachute to safety and wonders if they will be smart enough to leave him alone now. Another jet fires at Hulk. Hulk decides that the time for his restraint is over. He is about to leap into the air, but instead he is stunned when he feels a chill run down his spine as the Silver Surfer puts his hand on Hulk’s shoulder and says that he wishes to speak with Hulk. Hulk turns and seeing the Surfer guesses that Dr. Strange sent him. Surfer says that no one sent him. He says that he was drawn there by an unusual energy flux, and that he now sees that it emanates from Hulk. Hulk leaps at Surfer, but Surfer dodges and says that he doesn’t understand. He asks if they weren’t friends once. Hulk says that was lifetimes ago and that whoever he was back then is dead and buried. Hulk grabs a giant tree and quickly swings it knocking Surfer into the distance. Somewhere deep inside Hulk a small voice curses him for doing this. He recalls that Surfer has always stood for hope, and that hope is something that Hulk has rarely known in his life. Hulk sees more jets coming at him. He throws the tree at the jets, but Surfer destroys it before it reaches the jets. Surfer tells Hulk that he doesn’t judge him for what he has done, but that he does question the intelligence of it. He asks what the point of further provocation of the humans is. Hulk asks if Surfer is protecting them. Surfer says that he disintegrated the tree just as he could have disintegrated Hulk. Hulk asks if that is a threat. Surfer says that it was an observation. He tells Hulk to hold his wrath and think. Surfer says that they have been allies and friends. He agrees that it was lifetimes ago, but asks if that should negate the bond they once shared. Surfer says that Hulk seems as detached from his former self as he is from his. He says that intrigues him. He says that maybe they can learn from one another, but Hulk just says that he is warning Surfer to get out of his face right now. Surfer says that examining the quantum-flux at close range increases the bafflement. He says that the energy seems to have its own dimension. Hulk hits Surfer off his board and asks why he won’t listen to him. Surfer flies through the air and muses to himself that perhaps he should have listened.

Hulk dives into Surfer and Surfer allows himself to be tackled in order to study the dimensional energy waves and the Hulk’s rage. He concludes that the energy is beyond his current capacity to analyze, but that the rage is more easily understood. Surfer blasts Hulk and says that if he had a sense of humor he would be amused. He says that he has been forced into becoming a being of cold logic and that Hulk seems to be stripped of all reason. He says that Hulk is out of control, and that he must be stopped. The jet retreat as Surfer cuts loose on the Hulk. Hulk grabs Surfer’s ankle and says that he doesn’t go down that easy. He swings Surfer around by the leg slamming him into things and says that he is going to kill Surfer for turning on him. Surfer’s board hits Hulk in the back of the head and says that he doesn’t think so. Surfer says that he hasn’t turned against Hulk and that he is trying to help him. He says that unlike his own condition that Hulk’s condition is curable. Surfer tells Hulk to restrain himself, but Hulk says that he doesn’t want Surfer’s help. Surfer says that he will have it desired or not. Surfer reminds Hulk that he once drove the gamma radiation from his body and transformed him back into Bruce Banner. Surfer says that he will do it again for the sake of the man he once was and for the Hulk’s sake as well. Surfer blasts Hulk, but Hulk should that Surfer is killing him. Surfer says that the pain will be brief and asks what it weighs against the resurrection of his soul. Surfer says that it is time for Banner to live again. Hulk calls Surfer an arrogant idiot. He says that he told Surfer before that Banner was dead and buried, but that he wouldn’t listen. He says that he can’t change back into Banner because there is no Banner for him to turn back into. Hulk hits the ground and Surfer is sent flying from the shockwave. Hulk leaps away.

Surfer knows that Hulk is right or his cure would have worked. He concludes that Banner is dead, but wonders how one could die while the other lives. He feels a flicker inside him that he once would have called sorrow, but it fades. He decides that the monster is gone and needs to be retrieved. He also surveys the fire and thinks about the damage it could cause. Surfer ascends over the forest and rains down cosmic energy on the fire putting it out. He then takes off after Hulk. His mind drifts back to Zenn-La and Shalla-Bal. He thinks about the joy of those days though he is unmoved by it.

Surfer flies toward Hulk who is sitting at the Grand Canyon. Hulk gives no indication that he even sees Surfer. He sits unmoving and brooding. Surfer pauses and ponders just leaving Hulk alone, but decides not to. Surfer tells Hulk that he understands his dilemma, and that he too has lost a valuable component of himself. He offers Hulk his friendship. Surfer says that it is logical and that they are two sides of the same coin. Surfer hovers before Hulk and says that “perhaps with time”, but gets no further as Hulk leaps at Surfer and tackles him to the ground. Hulk stomps over and over on Surfer’s head and tells him not to talk to him about time. He says that he doesn’t have any time and that he is dying. He shouts that he can’t survive without Banner. Surfer creates a shield around himself. Hulk pounds and pounds on the shield and says that with each hour he can feel himself fading away. Surfer says that he understands now. He blasts Hulk off and says that it is fear of the grave that drives Hulk’s madness. Hulk is driven back into a canyon wall. Surfer says that it is a foolish terror and tells Hulk that the energy that he consists of will become a part of everything. He tells Hulk not to fear death and that it is more wondrous than he could dream. Hulk scowls at Surfer letting him know that his response is neither comforting nor welcome. Hulk leaps away angry, disgusted, and afraid. Surfer thinks about going after him, but decides that it would be unwise. He realizes that he cannot affect the Hulk’s limited perspective. Surfer wonders if his responses to Hulk were lacking compassion. Dr. Strange flies onto the scene. He tells Surfer that if it is any consolation that Hulk gave him a hard time too. Strange says that for all of Hulk’s faults that he has been Strange’s friend for many years. He says that he can’t sit idly by while the Hulk suffers. He asks Surfer if he can. Surfer tells Strange that he is a man of profound compassion. Strange says that is quite a compliment coming from a soul who cares so passionately and deeply. Surfer says that he thinks Strange has him confused with someone else.

Power Cosmic rating: 8 out of 10

A pretty cool follow up to Dr. Strange’s encounter with the Hulk in Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #450. It’s always cool to see the Defenders re-uniting in anyway. I’ve never really understood this “emotionless” aspect of Surfer. He reasons that the fire would cause damage so he puts it out… but why? If he doesn’t care why does he bother? To me this is one of the things that keeps Surfer from having a book that will maintain. People need to be able to relate to their hero. They can relate to the Surfer’s loss and sacrifice, but I don’t think it’s possible for humans to imagine what it would be like to be emotionless. Even people depressed feel sad. They always feel something… feeling nothing is too alien. Garney does a really nice job with the Hulk. I looked at his issue before Byrne and Garney relaunched the Hulk and it gave me hope… of course then the issues came out. 4 out of 5 for the art.

Title: “Home for the Holidays”

Writer: James Felder

Penciller: Bryan Hitch

Inker: Thibert/Hitch

Colors: Tom Smith

Editor: Jaye Gardner

Snow falls in the South Bronx as the holidays arrive. Three men kick in a door and find the young woman they were looking for. The woman leaps out the window and grabs the fire escape, but the fire escape is slippery and she falls. Silver Surfer stops her fall as she lands on his board. Surfer tells her to be still and that the board will stop her from falling. The woman asks Surfer what he is and asks if she is dead. Bullets fly at the woman as Surfer tells her that she isn’t dead and that he won’t let the bullets reach her. Surfer says that they wish to hurt her. The woman says that they do and tells Surfer to get them out of there. Surfer flies off. The men ask if that was a helicopter and that the light was too bright to see.

The woman laughs as they fly along. Surfer tells her to be careful and that the winds are fierce. The woman says that this reminds her of when her father used to take her driving through the empty city during the holidays in his Ford convertible. Surfer asks if he can return her to her father. The woman says no, but asks him to keep flying. She tells Surfer that her father is dead, and that she doesn’t think her mother would want to see her tonight. She says that Surfer probably wouldn’t understand and that humans can be pretty crummy sometimes. She guesses that Surfer wouldn’t know about families. The fireworks of New Years Eve start going off and the woman delights. Surfer says that he had a family once, but that all his people are dead by the being that he once served. He says that he is alone in the universe. The woman didn’t hear Surfer because of the fireworks, but Surfer says that it is nothing now. She thanks Surfer and says that this is the most fun she has had since her father died. She says that holidays are so depressing. She asks Surfer if he is an angel or a ghost. Surfer says that he is neither. He says that he must continue on his mission alone and asks the woman where he can leave her. The woman says that she knows a place.

The woman and Surfer arrive and Surfer asks what this place is. The woman tells him that it is the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. She picks up a brick in front of the place and smashes the glass door. Inside she sees Wakandan violets and says that they were her mother’s favorites. She says that her mother put them on her father’s grave. She says that her father used to say that these gardens were the closest thing to Heaven and adds that he proposed to her mother there. Surfer says that she speaks of her father so much and asks what happened to him. The woman quietly says that she killed him. She says that he was a saint, but that as he sunk deeper and deeper into the bottle that he started to beat her mother. She says that she was trying to play it tough and hit him hard in the head. She says that he didn’t get up. She says that she was young so they put her in an institute. She says that she never heard from her mother after they took her out of the court. She says that she doesn’t blame her mother for hating her. She says that she just broke out of there and that those were cops shooting at them. She asks Surfer if he hates her or forgives her. Surfer doesn’t answer and she shouts at him. She says that she doesn’t know why she is telling him all this. She asks why he doesn’t answer and asks how he could be so cold. Surfer tells the woman that he has to take her to the authorities. He says that there are consequences to taking human life. The woman says that she wouldn’t have told him if she knew he was going to turn her in. She says that she thought he was her friend. Surfer says that he was the herald of Galactus and that he was his herald of death for billions and billions of souls. The woman says that she thought that was all crackpot stuff and asks if that is true. She asks if he isn’t freaked out by that and that he is worse than Hitler. Surfer says that he is not human and has not been for millennia. She asks why he bothered to save her and why he cares if she killed him. Surfer says that it is too late for him to know regret or forgiveness, but that she is mortal and that things are within her grasp that are beyond him even though he can touch the very ends of the universe. He tells her to be thankful that she is part of a world that is denied to him forever because of decisions he made long ago. The woman asks Surfer to take her to one more place.

She climbs into a window and promises that she will be back. She calls out to her mother. She finds her and tells her mother that she knows she is the last person that she wants to see, but that she wanted to say that she is sorry for everything. The mother tells Faith that she has been trying to work up the nerve to make amends to her. She says that it is a miracle and asks how she got there. Faith hugs her mother and says that she wouldn’t believe her. She says that someone taught her a lesson about forgiveness and doing what is right. She says that she has to go back to the institute. Her mother says that she can’t go, and that she doesn’t want to let her go again. She says that she is all she has left. Faith says that it is okay and that she can visit her. Faith looks and sees that Surfer left. Her mother asks her who is gone, but Faith says that it is no one and wishes her mother a Happy New Years. Her mother says that it is.

Power Cosmic rating: 6.5 out of 10

Review and pictures by The Leader

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