Random Happenstance

I should be cleaning up right now, but...

...hell, the mess isn't going anywhere. And I need to do a serious house-cleaning Friday anyway, so I may as well hold off. Besides, it would take like two Jarvis's, a Wong, and at least half an Alfred, to make a dent on the mess around here.

I was just looking for the above panel, but the rest of the issue grabbed my attention: Silver Surfer #60, "Finale and Prelude" Written by Ron Marz, pencils by Ron Lim, inks by Jim Sanders III. Coming directly off the end of Infinity Gauntlet, Adam Warlock now has the Gauntlet and the power of God; and has just returned the Surfer, Dr. Strange, and Thor to Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum. They aren't thrilled about leaving Warlock with the power, but can't really do anything about it, either; and the 50% of the universe killed by Thanos is restored, so there's that.

Thor, who was Eric Masterson at the time, is left to mumble his farewells and split; and Strange and the Surfer both wonder what's up with him. Although Strange offers to let him hang out, the Surfer is determined to destroy Thanos' monument to Death and himself, and takes off to space; leaving Strange and Wong to clean up.

I'd have to look, but it took the Surfer several issues to even get back to the monument. (The big fight in Infinity Gauntlet #4 took place there. Great issue if you missed it!) This issue, he gets sidetracked by the return of Midnight Son. Who?

Well, he doesn't know either, but he's no relation to the supernatural themed Midnight Sons like Ghost Rider or Blade. He was actually a kung-fu master, killed in battle with Shang-Chi, Master of Kung-Fu. Then the alien Kree took his body and reanimated it for use as a weapon against the Silver Surfer. Kung-fu versus the power cosmic isn't a great matchup, but the Surfer has too much restraint to incinerate the Son on the spot.

The Midnight Son was a mute...kung-fu master...cool featureless costume, hmm. He was also disfigured, which now makes me think Shang-Chi killed Snake-Eyes. He didn't remember his identity or his past, but when he sees the Surfer again he remembers him, and communicates with him the only way he can. Unfortunately, you can only kick the Silver Surfer in the head so many times before he gets pissed, and in this case, hits you with the base of the Lunar Module.

Before the fight gets even more out of hand, it's broken up by Black Bolt and the Inhumans, who were living on the Blue Area of the Moon at the time. Since Black Bolt can't speak in the traditional sense either (his voice being so powerful, his whisper could shatter a mountain) he identifies with Midnight Son, and through Karnak offers him a home with the Inhumans. Which I think is the last we see of him.

Come to think of it, there was a brief period around the early 90's when the Inhumans were used as a dumping ground for misguided superpowered non-mutant misfits. I know there was another in the original New Warriors, a Star-something. (Looked it up, it was the Star-Thief, who I thought was an Adam Warlock villain...) The trouble is, everyone that likes the Inhumans likes the old Lee/Kirby Fantastic Four appearances, and nobody's read the last appearance they made. Just for example, and I liked both series even though they don't fit together, the excellent Paul Jenkins/Jae Lee limited doesn't segueway at all into the one with Jose Ladronn art.

Anyway, Midnight Son might make a good C-list character for Annihilation. Picked up Starlord #2 today, that series continues to bring it, and there might be some job openings on Starlord's team now, hint-hint...