Synopsis / Summary / Plot
Last issue Thanos sent Silver Surfer into a strange realm which a being named Virtual Reality called the Hall Of Absolutes. VR accompanied him as he was shown the memories from his past that stood out in his mind. And then all was black. Now VR leaves him saying that it was his own memories that led him here, now he must find his own way back.
Surfer uses his Power Cosmic to shatter his way through a wall, but that just gets him into a corridor. He provides his own light and begins to explore. After various dead ends he at last enters a room with 3 more doorways in front of him. And out of them walk what seem to be his fellow Defenders Dr Strange, Hulk and Sub-Mariner complaining that he deserted them. But Norrin Radd doesn't understand because Hulk and Subby were killed by Thanos (Infinity Gauntlet #4) and Strange is on Earth monitoring the battle (IG#3).
Whatever, they attack him and tell him to admit his errors. SS says he's tried to atone for his past misdeeds (mainly helping Galactus eat inhabited planets) and blasts back at them. Then they rip off their faces to reveal ghoulish cadavers who claim to be Denial, Doubt and Guilt. And he will never be free of them.
VR returns and Surfer finds himself shackled. He says that the chains are created by his denial, doubt and guilt. And Norrin must free *himself*. So saying he and the 3 ghouls leave with the cryptic remark "Search (within) yourself for the answer".
Surfer strains against his bonds to no avail. Then his dead mother appears. (As with the Defenders we are seeing the elements of his past from last issue.) He says he thought it was his fault that she committed suicide when he was a boy. But she tells him it was just between her and his father, and she produces a key and unlocks 1 of his chains. His equally-suicidal father appears next. Norrin also blames himself for that (with some justification, see #50) but daddy uses another key. The 3rd visitor is Shalla-Bal and she forgives him for pushing her away and leaving her. There goes another lock. His lovers Mantis and Nova (Frankie Raye) are last to forgive him. And Mantis confides that she didn't really die (#9).
But there's 1 chain left and no more 'ghosts' to visit him (unless Thanos counts). He realises that the only 1 left to forgive him is himself. He reaches inside his chest and extracts a last key, and he's free.
Then he finds himself with Virtual Reality again in the Hall Of Absolutes. But it is no longer stark black and white because he's learned to see in shades of grey. Now that his trial is over VR sends him back to reality, and he arrives on his board once more near Adam Warlock floating in space.
But like last issue we end with 1 more unconnected page. This time we see a spaceship crashed in the Blue Area Of The Moon. And someone stumbles from it who had been left for dead.