Synopsis / Summary / Plot
Silver Surfer/Warlock: Resurrection #4 Synopsis by
Rob Johnson
The Infinity Watch have been helping Silver Surfer find the soul of his beloved Shalla Bal. Last issue they discovered that Mephisto had her in Hell. But the demon defeated Surfer and 4 of the Watch and has them imprisoned in stone. Now only Adam Warlock stands against him.
Mephisto's realm is an extension of his soul and obeys his every whim (like forming the stone prison). But Warlock's Soul Gem gives him mastery over all souls, seemingly even the demon's. So now both figures have transformed to giant-size to exchange blasts overhead. A ricocheting blasts knocks the Watch's prison off its perch into the depths of Hades. Drax swears to smash them free but Surfer warns him that the force necessary might kill the others. Moondragon says she'll protect them telekinetically and Drax succeeds. But they can still only stand and watch the real conflict.
Mephisto has conjured up a maze where he can appear from any wall to strike at his foe. Adam's Gem pierces the veil of illusion enabling him to hit the true devil with his staff. Mephisto takes on a more Satanic form but this only allows Warlock to shed any inhibitions he had about blasting the previous (slightly) more human guise. And the devil drops the Gem holding Shalla's spirit. Norrin Radd flies to catch it on his Surfboard but is buffeted by a wave of astral energy from the combat. Mephisto has taken on his spiny reptilian form (as in Ann Nocenti & John Romita's run on Daredevil).
Drax catches the Shalla Gem but an earthquake makes him drop it. Then it's Pip's turn to save the day until a crumbling mountain threatens to engulf him and Surfer. Pip teleports himself and the gem to Drax, Gamora and Moondragon, and then teleports them all to (relative) safety as the stone tower they are on is blasted apart.
Silver Surfer emerges from the mountain of rubble to find Mephisto in his standard guise claiming that Warlock defeated him and forced a promise to let them all including Shalla Bal go free. He says the others left a while ago. The devil dosen't know why they abandoned Norrin Radd but suggests the enigmatic warrior might have an ulterior motive for joining this quest (as SS suspected in #1). Possibly Warlock intends to keep Shalla imprisoned to make Surfer do his bidding. Norrin leaps on his board and exits very angry.
Surfer tracks the Infinity Watch to the planet where they left Shalla Bal's body in #2. We hear Adam saying that it had been imperative that they leave immediately to reunite her soul with her body before it dies (as mentioned last issue). But SS arrives not ready to listen to reason. He brushes aside Drax and Gamora to attack AW. Until Moondragon brings whole Shalla to him.
But the lovers can't stay together. Shalla Bal must return to being Queen of Zenn-La. And an intergalactic treaty between Kree, Skrulls and Shi'Ar to keep the planet neutral depends on Surfer staying away. So after 1 last kiss Pip teleports her to Zenn-La and SS flies off alone, owing Warlock a favour to be repaid at a later date.