First we get a little development of the coming next Kree/Skrull war. It’s fine stuff, but it’s not worth recapping)–although the racial element is neat.
The Skrulls are an offshoot race from Kree, but they’re green not blue. Interestingly, though, the Kree Supreme Intelligence is green here.
After this, we rejoin Surfer and Mantis and see that the Elder Obliterator, who was defeated last issue by Silver Surfer and Mantis, has decided to rat out his elder buddies and tell Mantis and Surfer about their big, Galactus-killing plans. Which are, frankly, pretty petty. Obliterator reveals that time existed before our universe. The Elders are as old as our universe, but Galactus, it turns out, is the sole survivor of the prior universe, which collapsed and then exploded into the new universe we’re living in now. The Elders want to kill him because he’s older than them.
The Elders also believe that if they kill Galactus there will be another implosion/big bang, and apparently they’re looking forward this because…I don’t really get why. They’re already immensely powerful—I don’t see how another big bang makes them more powerful.
This is all pretty weak logic. I was fine with them just wanting to kill Galactus because he’s a threat—I didn’t need all this.
In the end, Obliterator tells Surfer that the Elders are going to meet on Earth since Galactus has sworn off eating Earth so they’re sure he won’t catch them there.
This is the first weak issue of Englehart/Rogers’ run. It is nice to see Surfer and Mantis being romantic though.
Yes, it is cute to see Norrin and Mantis bickering as a couple. Mantis should keep the green skin-shade, as it does something for her. ( or, “that one”. ) I had been waiting since 1973 for someone to tell her to drop the “third person” lingo, as, by now, it seems like she’s just doing it to annoy everybody. Fun fact about Mantis: her first occupation was as a Hanoi hooker!! That’s actually how the Swordsman met her, which naturally led to her becoming…….here it is, drumroll……..an Avenger!!!! Just in case anybody really wants to know the TRUE origin of Galactus, well, that can be found, in depth, in the pages of “The Mighty Thor” #169, ( 1969 ) by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby…………..who oughtta know!!!! Right-???!!!