Synopsis / Summary / Plot
Last issue we saw (or we think we did) Thanos use the Infinity Gauntlet to kill all the heroes ranged against him except Silver Surfer who he kept to record his godly deeds in the holy book of Thanos. And Mistress Death now fawns at his side. Now Norrin Radd records what he has seen.
We see the graveyard of all the heroes. Thanos went on to add the Kree, Skrulls and Shi'ar to his subservient empire, to join the constant stream of new deaths for Death. Even Norrin's home planet Zenn-La has fallen, and the Surfer is just glad he doesn't know what befell his love Shalla Bal. The Titan took revenge on Earth by changing its orbit to induce an Ice Age, but he keeps some places warm to feed the mortuaries.
Finally the powerless SS cracks and refuses to write any more. He tries to provoke the Mad God into killing him but Thanos says he keeps him to keep reminding himself of the past. We see shambling skeletons of some of the heroes, but they cannot speak to remind him. Surfer still refuses so Thanos exhibits his power by turning him into a jester, a ballet dancer, a Shakespearian actor and a clown, forcing him to enact the roles. Then back to Silver Surfer again.
Norrin pretends to be broken to Thanos' will. But as he dallies with his consort Death, Thanos lets go of Surfer's leash and Norrin slips away and throws himself from the upraised palace to the jagged rocks of Necronos below. Thanos immediately teleports to the broken body and breaks it even more before using his power to heal it and bring Norrin back to life. But to stop him killing himself again Thanos restores the Power Cosmic which will make Surfer invulnerable.
But this was Silver Surfer's cunning plan., Now he can attack the villain. Supremely confidant in his god-status Thanos allows a battle to take place. They both continually fire blasts at each other until we lose sight of them in the coruscating energy ...
... and then Adam Warlock wakes Surfer up. This issue and last were a dream of the fate of the universe if they don't stop Thanos. And Warlock at last sends him streaking to where the heroes are fighting Thanos, to make the move that should win the battle.