Remember how Thanos got turned to stone and Jim Starlin never really dealt with that when he brought the Mad Titan back?
Well, turns out he was waiting for Silver Surfer’s 50th issue.
The above was the last page of #49. Then in #50…
We find out Thanos’ statue is now a living golem.
Much of this issue is Norrin Ladd fighting the stone husk that used to house Thanos’ body. Turns out, Death loved him enough to release him from that body and give him a new one. Now the old one is like a puppet/toy he can use to beat up Silver Surfer. It’s also a lot of flashbacks to Surfer’s life as young Norrin Radd.
We learn his father commit suicide and, soon after, Galactus came to consume his planet. This is used to kind of explain why Norrin was willing to give up his love for Shalla Bal and his life on Zenn-La. The memories are induced by Thanos’ death-given powers.
Surfer manages to literally break Thanos into pieces, but just when he thought he’d won…
…The Mad Titan re-assembles.
Thanos reveals that Galactus did not, after all, take Surfer’s soul (as we had been told last issue). It was Norrin’s own trauma that enabled him to become Silver Surfer and help Galactus to destroy planets to soothe his hunger.
At the end of the issue, Surfer races to Earth and crash-lands inside the Sanctum Sanctorum of Doctor Strange.
Great issues. One of the best of Thanos, and you can find that whole list here.
Next: Infinity Gauntlet.
The days when an embossed cover was greeted enthusiastically, as opposed to groans of gimmickry! A memorable lead in to Infinity Gauntlet! We’ll not see its like again!
Too true.