Synopsis
Last issue Silver Surfer and Nova helped Galactus defeat the In-Betweener, with extra aid from Invisible Woman, Mr Fantastic and their young son Franklin Richards plus 5 Elders Of The Universe with Soul Gems and Lord Chaos & Master Order.
But Big G displays his gratitude by telling his Herald Nova (Frankie Raye) that he's hungry and she'd better find him a planet to eat pronto. Norrin Radd tries to object but Frankie tells him it's OK. Her thoughts tell us she doesn't want Galan to realise that she and his former Herald Surfer have fallen in love, unless he already does. And Norrin's thoughts tell us that he believes Galactus means to keep them apart, but he doesn't have to obey his former boss anymore. But 1st he agrees to take the Richards family back to Earth. And the Elders use the Soul Gems to take them far away, before G recalls that *they* tried to kill him earlier (#7-10). The Devourer says his vengeance can wait, so the other chars leave him.
While the Heralds see to their tasks we turn to interstellar pirate captain Reptyl (last seen in #12 killing and eating another Elder Contemplator) in his base hidden in the Coalsack Nebula. The reptilian Reptyl hates humanoids because on most planets they out-evolved reptiles, but strangely his crew are all humanoid. However he takes his anger out on them at any opportunity. Like now when someone tells him the system can't identify 2 approaching chars because they are too bright, and he beats up the messenger. He claims that no-one (but themselves presumably) should be able to find their way through the Coal Sack's 'mazes'. A minion named Clumsy Foulup (also last seen in #12) foolishly reminds him that Nova and Silver Surfer succeeded (in #11-12). But another pirate says that the strangers are burning their way straight through the Sack's 'tendrils'. Reptyl orders the base's weapons fired, but it only slows them down. And then ...
... Firelord (Pyreus Kril) burns his way through the base wall accompanied by Eros (Starfox) demanding to know where pirate Nebula is. Eros explains he's after her to find out the truth of her claim (in Avengers #257-259) to be the granddaughter of his dead brother Thanos. Firelord wants revenge because she destroyed his homeworld Xandar (Av#260). Reptyl protests that she's not here - he doesn't like competitors, especially humanoid ones. Eros tries to use his superpower to affect the pleasure centres of the brain, but finds it doesn't work on reptilians. Foulup wants to know if Firelord is related to the equally-fiery Nova and is told that they were both recreated by Galactus to be his Heralds. Upon learning that Nova had been here with SS Firelord claims that he wants revenge on the Surfer too, and he explains why.
After Galactus dismissed Norrin Radd from his employ (FF#50) he wanted another Herald and chose Pyreus Kril's friend the Xandarian Gabriel Lan and turned him into Air-Walker (as told by Firelord in Thor #306). Air-Walker later died and Kril sought out Galactus to learn how. In return Big G made him into Firelord. Now that he's free of G (as of Thor #228) he's decided he blames Silver Surfer for leaving Galactus in the 1st place. And he hates SS more than Nebula.
Reptyl says he'll tell them where to find Surfer in exchange for a vow from the duo to never bother his gang again. Firelord eagerly agrees but Eros wants them to concentrate on their common enemy Nebula. Reptyl is just enjoying setting 2 humanoids against each other.
Meanwhile Surfer has finished his taxi service and tracks down Nova. She greets him with her pet name for him Silverado. She asks him how serious he is about their relationship. He reminds her that his 1st love was Shalla-Bal but she chose her duties as Empress of their world Zenn-La over him. Then Mantis freed him from his passionless Zenn-Lavian upbringing, but she died (or so he thinks). Then he met Frankie with her carefree warmth and he couldn't wait to get back to her. She seems to accept that's the best she can hope for.
But for now she must lead Galactus to the nearby world Naja. Norrin objects that it has life, and doesn't like Nova's counter-argument that it's an obscure world that no-one will miss and it's just right for her master. And they've recently learned (#9) that he is as vital to this universe as Death and Eternity. *His* life is worth more than life on any world.
But before they can come to blows over this Surfer is blasted by Firelord. While the 2 battle Eros uses his power to persuade Nova to stay out of it. During the fight Surfer learns why Pyreus has got it in for him. He rejects guilt for Gabriel Lan's fate. He himself was justified in abandoning Galactus on moral grounds. Kril says he too didn't like what he had to do for G but he honoured the agreement he made with him (as Norrin Radd should have done). But SS has been absorbing some of the flame Pyreus has been throwing at him. Now as Firelord sucks in more of the ambient energy of space to power his flame Surfer sends back his accumulated energy and overloads his foe, snuffing out his flame.
But Eros' influence had caused Frankie Raye to watch the fight without the 'prejudice' of her love. And now, as he describes it, fire calls to fire - and Nova flies in to rekindle Firelord's flame. Norrin is gobsmacked.
During the fight SS learned that Reptyl had sent them here to find him. However Eros says that before that Galactus had directed them to Reptyl.
And Norrin doesn't know that Eros is keeping him from reacting in a rage.
Characters:
Plus: Clumsy Foulup, Elders Of The Universe, Nova (
Frankie Raye), Reptyl.