SILVER SURFER
VOLUME 1

At the end of Silver Surfer Vol. 1 Issue #18 (published in 1970 and written by Stan Lee), the Silver Surfer, still trapped on earth for betraying Galactus and still feared and hated by all of society, declared revenge on the human race.  This is a continuation of that series.

Click here to go to the Silver Surfer Volume 1 Homepage

Issue #26 - "Terminal Ferocity" Part 8

The booming voice of Galactus rang out across his ship, eventually reaching the ears of Axiom.

"Herald, Prepare yourself! I will soon leave this planet, and you must begin your search for a new planet for me to devour!"

Axiom had only just completed another intense period of study. He raised his head from the terminal and replied, "the balance will be served, my master!" The blue-skinned, faceless herald rose from his seat and headed for the nearest exit.

As the great ship began its journey out of Legis Tahrn's former home system, Axiom floated in the void. He looked back at the floating debris that had once been his world. The memories of his life still remained, but somehow they had become trivial: A life that had simply been a precursor to his new existence. As the herald of Galactus his real life had just begun.

He turned from the newly formed asteroid belt, and looked out towards the stars. After a few seconds of taking in the view, he drew the quantum lash from his belt and coiled it in his hand. He picked a star at random, and took off at Superluminal speed.

The Silver Surfer turned and took one last look at the Earth. A world which had freed him from his servitude to Galactus, and the world which in turn had served as his prison for the last cycle. Finally he was free of the suspicious humans, always ready to fight before understanding. No longer would he have to endure their prejudices.

And yet, as he looked around, he realized that there was one more duty to perform. Despite his contempt for the alien, Terminus had locked the Surfer into a bargain. In return for freeing Norrin Radd of the barrier around the earth, Terminus had demanded that the Surfer lead him to Galactus.

The two prepared to leave!

From within the bowels of his enormous craft, Terminus monitored the movements of his newly acquired guide. The Silver Surfer would lead him to the demon-lord of legend, who centuries ago had granted his race great power. Legend foretold that one day his race would be led back to the demon, and that they would claim the rest of his power.

Today the prophecy was being fulfilled.

As the Silver Surfer readied himself to leave, Terminus had contacted a dozen thousand other members of his species, all with power equal to his. In just a few cycles they would rendezvous before the Great Devourer, and claim their birthright.

And then, let the universe beware.

The Silver Surfer once more used his long-neglected ability to locate his former master, to be sure of his trajectory. Galactus had begun to move, but at a speed which should not affect the journey's path. He called back towards Terminus. "Terminus! Prepare yourself! I leave now!"

Without a second's pause he began to accelerate towards his master. In almost no time, he was approaching the speed of light, and after a few seconds he surpassed it, shifting into Hyperspace.

His cosmic senses kicked in at that point, making him aware of Terminus' ship following behind. Aware, too, of Galactus, who appeared as a warm spike on the horizon of his senses.

It was only after shifting into Hyperspace that Norrin Radd became aware of the other spikes - thousands of beings scattered across the cosmos, each as powerful as the one who followed him now, and each converging on the same point: His destination.

"Once again I see that I have been deceived," mused the Surfer as he sped towards Galactus. "My former master would have no trouble defeating the likes of Terminus, but I fear that the entities now speeding towards him would prove more than even he could handle!" Only one recourse remained: outpace the aliens, and reach Galactus first. Only then could the Devourer be warned of the impending attack!

Terminus' ship simply lost all contact with Norrin Radd at that point. Even at several times the speed of light, the Surfer was able to accelerate to the point where the ship's scanners could no longer detect him. Terminus knew what had happened, but cared little. The prophecy remained! Even forewarned the demon-lord stood no chance against his race.

At a speed, which only a few beings in the universe could have attained, the Silver Surfer approached Galactus' ship. Once he was within a few thousand kilometers he began to decelerate, until he came to a relative stop only a few hundred meters from the massive craft.

At first the Surfer considered calling his master, but before he acted the ships hatch began to open, and the Devourer of Worlds strode forth. He eyed the Silver Surfer as a parent might glare at an errant child. At length he spoke.

"You have escaped your prison, former herald, and yet here you are to face judgement yet again. Why do you risk my wrath by approaching me?"

"Galactus, I have come to warn you of an impending attack!" began the Surfer.

"The Devourer of Worlds needs no warning from ones such as you! Return to your prison, Silver Surfer, or I shall destroy you where you stand!"

"I come to aid you, Galactus. I had hoped that even you would show gratitude to lesser beings. Perhaps I was wrong. Nevertheless I intend to stay."

Galactus stared down at the gleaming Zenn-Lavian for several seconds, then began to walk back into his ship. "As I said, Silver Surfer. If you stay, you will perish." He paused for a second as the hatch began to close, issuing a final command.

"Axiom, dispense with the heretic."

The Surfer had little time to digest Galactus' words before the sting of Axiom's quantum lash caught him across the back.

Norrin Radd stumbled forward, almost losing his balance. Never before had he felt such pain! Even Mephisto's hellish flame had not affected him so! Rather than risk another attack, he flew upwards, turning around after some time to see his attacker.

Below him, a blue-skinned humanoid floated in space, garbed in some sort of metallic costume. His long white hair drifted in the cosmic wind, surrounding a featureless face. In his right hand he held a whip of some sort, which glowed pink with Power Cosmic.

"Axiom?" spoke the Surfer, finally comprehending the last words of Galactus. "So, my former master has taken another herald. And it seems that Earth does not hold the monopoly on prejudiced attacks!"

"I know who you are, Silver Surfer," replied Axiom, "and it is not my place to judge. The Master has commanded your death, so it shall be done!"

"You know of me, herald, but you have never faced me! I truly doubt that your power rivals mine! But we need not fight! An army of alien beings approaches, and we must prepare to defend ourselves!"

"You'll not sway me from my path, heretic! The time for talking is done! The balance will be served!" With that, Axiom launched himself at the Surfer, and Norrin Radd was not ready for the speed with which the herald attacked. Before he could even react, Axiom was upon him, and was attempting to wrap the lash around his throat!

The Silver Surfer had no need to breathe, and so could not be strangled. However, the power of the lash as it touched his gleaming skin was causing him immense pain! Quickly the Surfer grabbed Axiom's wrist, and forced it upward away from him. Confidant that the lash was a safe distance away, Norrin Radd lifted his feet, and let his board shoot out from under them. It made its way behind the Surfer, and shot upwards.

"Your strength is not sufficient to keep me at bay forever, Silver Surfer!" cried Axiom, as the two struggled, motionless, in space.

"Perhaps you are right, herald," replied the Surfer, and as he spoke, the board completed its loop above them, flying down from behind Axiom, and catching him in the small of the back! The Surfer continued, "but I have found that brute strength is seldom enough to win out in a battle!"

Axiom, clearly in pain from the assault, released his grip on the Surfer. He flew back as Norrin Radd mounted his board once again, and looped his lash back into a defensive position. "You will catch me unawares only once, Surfer! Let the battle begin in earnest!"

Axiom's fist clenched tight around the looped whip, and it began to glow brighter. As his opponent moved in, he released the lash, bringing it down across the skyrider's chest! Norrin Radd's knees buckled beneath him with the pain, and as he looked down he saw the inconceivable: The lash had opened up a tear in his silver skin! Never before had he seen such a weapon, let alone been at the receiving end of its attack!

Dismayed by Axiom's clear advantage at close range, the Surfer decided to adopt another tactic. As Axiom threw back his arm to strike again, Norrin pulled back several hundred meters, and raised both arms. "I have no wish to harm you, Axiom. You have been a worthy opponent, and shall serve your master well. But this battle must end now!"

The Silver Surfer's outstretched arms suddenly began to glow with the same pink energy of Axiom's lash. After a split second, the pent up energy released itself in an enormous wave of Power Cosmic, enveloping Axiom's form. When the beam subsided, Axiom's body floated still, unconscious.

Once more the Silver Surfer turned to Galactus' ship. "Hear me, Galactus! Terminus and his kin will arrive any second, and you must be prepared! They are possessors of great power, and could…"

The Surfer's plea was cut short by the sudden appearance of a great ship in the distance, not unlike the one which the Surfer had just outran. The first of the Termini had arrived!

Issue #27 - "Terminal Ferocity" Part 9

The Surfer looked from Galactus' ship, to the newly arrived Terminus, to the unconscious body of Axiom. Against one of the aliens he might triumph, but Norrin knew that many more would soon arrive. It was pertinent, then, to gain an ally.

Hurriedly he flew over to Axiom, and knelt over his body. The herald's dark blue skin was still hot from the Surfer's assault, but it was clear that Axiom had not sustained any permanent damage. Norrin placed an open hand on his former opponent’s brow and, like an intravenous feed, brought Axiom back to health.

At length the herald's featureless face rose.

"What . . . what has happened?" Recognition slowly crept into Axiom's voice. "Silver Surfer! Thou has healed me despite my attempts to take thy life?"

"I need your help, Axiom," replied the Surfer. "Galactus will not listen to me, and this time his arrogance may prove his undoing! We must protect him from these aliens!"

"Dost thou truly believe that any alien could pose a threat to Galactus?" asked a bewildered Axiom.

"Normally, herald, I would scoff at the very thought. Today, however, I believe there is a very great chance of Galactus' defeat. Despite my efforts, however, he continues to ignore the threat. I fear that it will be up to us to save him from destruction!"

Axiom looked back at Galactus' ship, then turned towards the first Terminus, and gripped his lash. "Then let the battle begin!"

Axiom launched himself at Terminus, who had just ventured out of the ship. His lash-hand was pulled back ready to strike, glowing bright pink with the power cosmic. As he advanced, the armored alien sent bolts of cosmic energy hurtling in his direction, but Axiom's speed and reflexes were too great. He dodged each blast until he was atop the alien, then struck with his quantum lash.

As powerful as Terminus' armor was, it could not withstand a weapon of Galactus' making. With superhuman strength and speed, Axiom tore the armor open, and attacked the now unprotected Terminus.

The Surfer watched as Axiom charged the invader, and shielded his eyes when the two clashed, as the energy outpour from the fight was enormous. He had made his decision to join the fray, when suddenly he was struck from behind by another bolt of energy! He spun around and faced his attacker - another Terminus had arrived!

The Surfer wasted no time; he raised his arms and began firing beams of power cosmic at the newly arrived ship. The great armored form of the second Terminus emerged from the craft, seemingly oblivious to the Surfer's onslaught, and raised his lance. The Surfer knew all too well what was coming, and swerved to one side at lightning speed as the energy bolts soared towards him.

Norrin continued his barrage of cosmic energy, preferring a long-distance attack to Axiom's more "up-close and personal" mode of combat. His cosmic senses could still detect the herald behind him, and the Surfer could tell that Axiom was winning his battle.

After several seconds, enough of the Surfer's attacks had contacted that his enemy fell back, releasing the lance and lying motionless. The Skyrider turned back to Galactus' ship, and called out to his former master.

"Galactus! I implore you! Prepare yourself! We cannot hold off these aliens forever! More will arrive soon! You must--"

Another energy bolt struck the Surfer before he could finish his plea. In the distance he could make out his attacker, standing at the open portal of another ship. Behind it, yet another ship appeared, then two more appeared on the other side of Axiom.

"This," thought the Silver Surfer, "is getting out of hand!"

Mighty Galactus sat in the bowels of his ship, watching the happenings outside on a huge wall-mounted monitor. He watched Axiom battle the first alien to a standstill, and suppressed a smile. "I have chosen well," he thought to himself. "This will be a good herald."

He looked over to the Silver Surfer. Norrin Radd could not have known that Galactus would never order his death. He had set Axiom the challenge purely to test the power of his new herald. Nor would Axiom know that Galactus did not expect him to defeat the Surfer in battle. The new herald was powerful, but the Devourer of Worlds would never again create a herald of the Silver Surfer's magnitude.

When the next four aliens arrived, Galactus almost leaned forward in his seat. For a minute or two it looked like both of his allies would fall, but suddenly the tide of battle changed, and once again the two stood amongst fallen bodies.

Before either of the two cosmic powerhouses could recover, however, another ship appeared. Then another, and another. Galactus furrowed his brow. There were several dozen of these aliens out there now, and he was not about to lose his newest herald so quickly.

It was time to end this war.

The Silver Surfer stood atop his board, surveying the army of aliens around him. At his back, hovering in space, was Axiom, a newfound ally. Almost a dozen of the attacking Termini lay still, either dead or unconscious. Almost a hundred more, however, had only just arrived, and were ready to fight.

"What chance do we have against an army of beings as powerful as this?" asked Axiom of the Surfer. "Powerful beings we are, but neither thee nor I possess this much power!"

The Surfer nodded to himself. "If Galactus does not appear soon, we shall both perish. I can only hope that his twisted sense of loyalty leads him to protect his newest herald."

Suddenly the hatch of Galactus' ship began to open, and all heads turned towards the massive craft. At length, the form of Galactus emerged, and raised both hands.

"Let this battle stop now!" commanded the Great Devourer.

A ripple of unrest spread through the crowd of aliens. The Surfer could hear such comments as "It's him!" and "So the rumors were true!" Finally the whispers stopped, and one of the aliens ventured forth from the gathering.

"Demon-Lord Galactus! The time has come for the clan of Terminus to take what is rightfully theirs! Bestow unto us the remainder of your power, or we will take it by force!"

The corner of Galactus' mouth almost turned upwards at that, and he looked past the alien towards the Surfer and Axiom. "Herald! Return to my ship. Silver Surfer, I suggest you follow him."

As the two raced past Galactus toward the open hatch, the Devourer outstretched a hand towards the alien who had spoken. There was a great "whooshing" sound, and the speaker's lifeless husk floated away.

"Know that the power of Galactus is not yours to take, Terminus! Leave now, or risk my wrath!"

The aliens looked at their fallen comrade, but there was no fear on their faces. The Surfer watched from behind his former master, and saw several of the aliens's moved toward each other at the back of the army. As they touched, their armor seemed to melt and conjoin. Within seconds a large group of the aliens had "merged" and where they had stood was a massive version of Terminus! As he moved through the crowd towards Galactus, more and more of the aliens merged into his form, until there were no individuals left, and the two faced each other eye to eye!

Neither moved for many seconds, until the great Terminus spoke.

"NOW, GALACTUS . . . GIVE ME WHAT I CAME FOR, OR DIE!"

To be concluded...

Thank you for reading these two chapters of our Silver Surfer Volume 1 series!  And check out the Silver Surfer Volume 1 Picture Gallery with pictures of characters in the series!  Please send comments below or e-mail cpufeedback@yahoo.com.  You can also e-mail the author at mhamilton@bunge.com.au. 

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