"The End" Week: Silver Surfer #146!

Often, the final issue of a comic isn't as dramatic as all that: this may have been the last in a pretty lengthy run, but it's not like it was the end of the Silver Surfer. In fact, the letters page even has a teaser for the upcoming Galactus the Devourer mini-series. I liked that one. This issue, though...

Eh, it's pretty much fluff: Firelord, former herald of Galactus, and ostensibly a hero even though he's used as a villain in every other appearance, is chilling with the animals in the small nation of "Kakistia." Which is about to have their first nuclear bomb test...right where Firelord's sitting. (You would think they might clear out the bigger animals, but I'm more curious why the animals weren't really afraid of the guy with the head on fire.) Unharmed but pissed over the destruction, Firelord predictably starts wrecking up the country.

Meanwhile, the Silver Surfer is enjoying the sunrise (and other things, hey-o!) with his new girlfriend, Alicia Masters. The blind sculptress and former love of the Thing, there had been something between them probably ever since they first met in the original Galactus trilogy, and their relationship was my favorite part of the book at that time. Of course, it was back-pedaled later, because apparently some people can't stand the idea of Alicia not being with the Thing. Which is a load. (And it makes soooooo much more sense than Alicia and Johnny Storm, and I didn't even really have a problem with them as a couple, either.)

As you'd expect, the Surfer ends up having to go take care of Firelord, first with his words, then blasting. Firelord smashes the Surfer's board; then the scientist in charge of the bomb test offers herself to take responsibility. The Surfer warns, if Firelord kills her, he and the heroes of earth won't stop until he's punished. Firelord seemingly incinerates her; but only "plants an image in her mind, Surfer--of the paradise her bomb destroyed!" The Surfer finds that a little drastic...but doesn't reverse it, either. Repairing his board, he muses to Alicia:

From Silver Surfer #146, "Fire in the Sky" (The cover title is "The Fury of Firelord!" which I believe is contractually obligated in every Firelord appearance.) Plot by Tom DeFalco, script by Glenn Greenberg, pencils by Denys Cowan, inks by John Floyd. Man, I've wanted to re-read the last year or two of the book; J.M. DeMatteis had some good issues there; but I think he was off the title before the end.

There's a Postal Service of Ownership statement in this one, line C of Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation averaged 46,142; with actual number of copies of single issue closest to filing date (around November 1998) being 43,567.