Silver Surfer #86: Review

Nov 1993

Ron Marz, Andy Smith

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Story Name:

Friends & foes

Review & Comments

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Silver Surfer #86 Review by Rob Johnson (May 20, 2023)

This is Blood And Thunder part 2.

We'll find out what brings Adam Warlock and Pip here in part 3 in Warlock Chronicles #6, and then the conflict with Warlock will continue in part 4 in Warlock & Infinity Watch #23. Then it'll be Thor vs the whole Infinity Watch in part 5 in Th#469. And we'll follow Sif and Beta Ray Bill in part 6 next issue.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Silver Surfer #86 Synopsis by Rob Johnson

Story continued from THOR #468.

Before he was dragged into Infinity Crusade Silver Surfer and Beta Ray Bill teamed up against Tyrant in #82. At the end Bill told him about Thor's madness and Surfer promised to help him. Which is why SS has tracked BRB here and turned up at the end of Thor #468 to stop Thor killing him.

The Asgardian tells Surfer to wait his turn while he finishes off the alien who unjustly bears part of his power. Norrin Radd realises that what Bill told him was true and he tries to persuade Thor to accompany him to Asgard where Odin will be able to cure him. But the Thunder God interprets this as Surfer being just another of his 'friends' who is conspiring against him with his father. He accuses SS of wanting to take him back to Asgard as a prisoner, but he will return there as a free man to destroy the place. Meanwhile he has struck Surfer down with his hammer Mjolnir.

But all this chat has allowed Beta Ray Bill time to recover somewhat and he now hits the Thunder God from behind with *his* hammer Stormbreaker. The 2 'Thors' close for hand-to-hand combat but SS zooms in on his cosmic surfboard to pull the Asgardian away. However after a few more blows from Mjolnir it's BRB's turn at the bat again. Thor reminds him how he beat him decisively in Th#468 and #461 but Bill is not cowed, and their hammers clash. They fight again and this time it is Thor who falls, presumably after going several rounds with 2 such powerful adversaries.

The Thunder God asks someone for aid, and Bill tells Norrin that Thor has an imaginary Valkyrie companion/lover who inflames his paranoia. Surfer thinks this makes it even more important to get him to Odin, until Bill explains how the All-Father would be forced to punish him for this Warrior Madness with eternal banishment. Meanwhile the Asgardian is asking the Valkyrie to help defeat his foes, but she protests that she's 'only' a Shield Maiden and not in his league (besides *she* knows she's not real even if he doesn't). So she urges him to get rid of these foes who stand between him and his righteous vengeance, and between him and his true love herself.

Declaring his mantra that he is free and obeys only his own mind the Thunder God blasts Beta Ray Bill with energy from Mjolnir and turns on Silver Surfer, who commands his board to take Bill to safety even though it leaves him at a disadvantage against Thor. Then it's Mjolnir vs the Power Cosmic.

Meanwhile the board delivers Bill to Sif who is now torn. Part of her wants to help SS subdue Thor so he can help her love. The other part wants to save her friend Bill who is only in this state because she asked for his help. She decides to use the Norn Stones to teleport him to Asgard to be healed.

Silver Surfer isn't faring well against the angry Thunder God when his board returns and slams into Thor's back. SS climbs aboard and now the contest is more even. They take it into space where Surfer is able to evade the hurled hammer, but Thor equally doges Cosmic blasts. Then Thor gets in a blow which sends Surfer falling down to the surface of a barren planet. However when the Asgardian drops down to his fallen foe he's faced with 2 more figures - Adam Warlock and the teleporter Pip The Troll (in a cowboy outfit) of the Infinity Watch.

Story continued in WARLOCK CHRONICLES #6.

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