Earth #552
Space (near where the Earth once orbited)
The Exiles are aboard the finest production-model orbiter available from the 2099 A.D. reality, according to Spider-Man. Morph (in Chewbacca form) is doubtful and makes fun of Spider-Man’s background. He comments to Miguel that it’s the same place where if things go wrong you end up with webs shooting out of your butt. Miguel, keeping his focus on piloting, reminds Morph the webs don’t come out of his butt.
Blink voices her concerns that things feel wrong. They stare out of the ship’s windows at the vastness of space. All around them are chunks of the planet they would normally call home. On some large pieces buildings are still intact.
Heather comes through on the Tallus and tells Sabretooth their objective is 300 kilometers ahead, just past the chunk of Himalayas. She tells him she doesn’t have many details from the reality index, but does know whom they’re supposed to save.
Sabretooth tells Spider-Man the target is straight ahead. He also advises him to be cautious because something doesn’t seem right. As they fly past the remnants of the Four Freedom Plaza someone tells him he can say that again. They roll up on a fierce battle between five Superguardians, the Silver Surfer and some giant rock creature. The one known as Guardian takes a massive blast to the chest.
Spider-Man doesn’t recognize anybody and asks if anyone else does. Blink says she knows a few of them, the Imperial Guard members. She explains they fought alongside them in a different reality on one of their first missions. Blink points out the stone giant and informs everyone that that’s the guy they have to rescue. Blink doesn’t know who the silver guy on the surfboard is so Power Princess obliges. She tells everyone that he is the Silver Surfer, herald of Galactus and wielder of the power cosmic. She explains she once worked at Project: Pegasus and studied beings such as the Surfer. She tells them he’s classified as a planetary threat.
As the Exiles discuss their situation, the battle outside rages on. Silver Surfer guts Smasher with his board and then grabs Starbolt around the neck. He begins choking him. Starbolt grasps weakly at the Surfer’s arms. Neutron attempts an attack from behind, to which the Silver Surfer spins Starbolt around so both Guardians are in front of one another. The Surfer lets loose a blast of energy from his hands, disintegrating Star’s head and punch a hole through Neutron’s midsection in the process.
Gladiator tells his wife, Manta, the only other surviving Guardian, to summon reinforcements. She doesn’t want to leave and places her hand on his exposed chest. Gladiator tells her his death is not the one to worry about and demands that she leave. Manta takes off at the maximum speed the depths of space will allow her.
This leaves Gladiator and the Surfer alone. The lifeless bodies of Neutron and Starbolt float nearby. Gladiator, regardless of whether Silver Surfer can hear his thoughtcasts, calls him a traitor and warns him that he will not fail. He brings his fist forward with all his might. He is surprised to see the Surfer catch his fist mid-strike. With a gleam in his eye and a wicked grin on his face the Surfer calls his board back to him. Gladiator doesn’t turn in time and is sliced in two just below the sternum. A look of surprise remains fixed on his face.
The Exiles are shocked at the savagery they witness before them. Blink wants Spider-Man to hurry. He warns her that the ship isn’t armed. She tells him she’ll think of something, to just hurry.
Silver Surfer approaches the stone giant and demands what once was promised to him. The stone giant is undeterred. He tells him he will not give the “holiest of holies” to the man who tricked him and tried to kill him. The Surfer tells him he will take the secrets from his corpse then. He fires blasts from both his hands directed at the giant’s head. Out of nowhere the top of Freedom Plaza appears, taking the brunt of the attack. The Surfer demands to know how he did that.
Blink teleports back to the ship, happy at what she accomplished. Sabretooth tells her not to stop and to keep throwing whatever she can at him. Blink tells him she’s on it and reminds Spider-Man to keep the ship out of the Surfer’s view. Blink suddenly goes frigid and a voice enters her head asking for forgiveness, but that it has need of her. The Exiles try to get Blink to snap out of it, but she won’t move. A teleportation hole appears in front of the ship and they are swallowed up.
The Surfer wants to know if the giant had been hiding that talent from him. The giant tells him he hid nothing from him, and is now paying the price for it. He tells the Surfer he will not repeat his mistakes. From his left side the Exile’s ship appears out of a pink vortex. The Exiles are very confused and want to know what Blink is doing. As the ship is mere seconds away from ramming the Silver Surfer the Exiles are blinked away. The ship slams into him and is crushed in the process. The Surfer is barely fazed and calls for his board. It is teleported away mere feet from its owner. Before the Surfer has time to realize what’s happening, he too is teleported away... to the planet Saturn. He declares things to be far from over.
The Exiles find themselves teleported to what looks like an alien jungle. Blink is levitating above them still transfixed by whatever took control of her. Blood comes streaming down from her nostrils. She mutters something about “too far” and then falls to the ground. Sabretooth heads over to check on her and Power Princess voices her questions once more, “...where are we?” Morph tells her it couldn’t be too far since Blink’s maximum range is usually no more than 100 miles.
The stone giant appears in front of them. He tells the Exiles that he took control of Blink and used her to get rid of the Silver Surfer. He asks if she is ok and Longshot tells him she’ll live. The stone giant shows a hint of smile before collapsing onto the ground himself (Morph hops out of the way in Humpty Dumpty form).
The Exiles are left to wonder “what next”. Sabretooth informs them the Tallus went dead ever since the giant showed up. Longshot suggests he may be able to help. Sabretooth sarcastically asks, “With what? A lucky guess?” Longshot lets them know that luck isn’t his only gift. He explains that by touching some things he can read its history and purpose. Spider-Man interjects with the scientific term for that type of power, psychometry.
Just as Spider-Man is chalking it up to mumbo-jumbo Longshot places his hands on the giant. His body jerks back in a spasm and he is sent hurtling away. Spider-Man catches him with a web line and brings him back over. Longshot, leaning against Spider-Man’s leg, tells them it worked. He points over at the unconscious head of the stone giant and tells them his name is Galactus!
Power Princess can’t believe that that’s the destroyer of worlds (Morph turns into the Galactus we all know and love). Longshot corrects her. In this universe he is the restorer of worlds.
flashback
Longshot explains the history of this reality. There exists some sort of affliction that turns worlds lifeless and sterile. This Galactus uses his powers to restore those worlds. He had been doing it for eons, traveling in his world ship, which Spider-Man explains they’re on. Galactus realized he was losing ground to the affliction and was wasting too much time searching for worlds. He met a scientist named Norrin Radd from the world Zenn-la who proposed a solution. Galactus gave him the cosmic power so that he could search for the affected planets much quicker. He also promised to pass on the secrets to restoring worlds to Radd one day.
It turned out Norrin Radd struck this deal in the hopes of tricking Galactus into restoring his own homeworld. Radd had been a military scientist and had inadvertently destroyed his planet with one of his inventions. Galactus refused because he only restored planets that were decimated by the cosmic blight. Radd decided to seek revenge by destroying those who worshipped Galactus and then going after the big guy himself. The Shi’Ar sent their best heroes to put an end to the Surfer, which is when they showed up, Longshot finishes. Morph whispers into Longshot’s ear that he wants to know what Power Princess’s bra has to say.
present
Even with the history lesson the Exiles have no idea what to do. They bounce questions off each other, but get nowhere. Blink comes to, putting her hand to her aching head. She explains she couldn’t stop him and that he sent the Surfer much further than she could have.
A bright light falls upon the Exiles and they look up at its source. Manta, hearing Blink’s words, informs them that no matter the distance the Surfer will return. She tells them they need to get Galactus to safety. Sabretooth asks who she is and she introduces herself and explains she’s a member of the Shi’ar Superguardians. She tells them Gladiator sent her to get help. Blink wants to know if they arrived. Yes, she replies, the Majestrix counts Galactus as her top priority.
Manta tells them the battle cruiser she brought with her was not meant to go up against the Surfer, but to tow them back to Imperial Center. Morph cracks a joke and Manta tells him to show some respect, as it is the throne world of their empress.
Manta sends out a communication signal to Lilandra letting her know they’re on their way. Lilandra is pleased to hear this. She also thanks the Exiles for their help in rescuing Galactus. She would like to offer them a chance to get revenge for the destruction of their homeworld, Earth.
hundreds of miles away
An outstretched arm beckons toward the bright light in the distance. The Surfer’s board plummets toward the planet. A large red cloud begins to form on Saturn's surface. A bright light can be seen at its epicenter. Firing back out at great speed into the depths of space is a figure on a surfboard. It is the Silver Surfer and he is furious!
