Issue(s): Silver Surfer #32
Cover Date: Dec 89
Title: "A choice of Dooms"
Credits:
Jim Valentino - Writer
Ron Frenz - Penciler
Joe Sinnott - Inker
Craig Anderson - Editor

Review/plot:
Jim Valentino writes two issues between the Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin runs of Silver Surfer. This is Jim Valentino's first work on a Marvel universe book (he'd previously been the writer/artist on some What If stories, and prior to that worked at smaller publishers, notably with his normalman series). Art is by Ron Frenz, allowing for a classic Kirbyesque interpretation of the Surfer.

This issue pits the Silver Surfer against his perennial foe Mephisto, but the issue is really a retrospective showcasing a couple of obscure Marvel alien races as well as the Surfer's previous foes and friends.

He's first tricked into destroying a "brobdingnagian" space refinery...

...run by the alien race called the Pheragots, who have appeared previously (by publication date) in the alternate future Hercules mini-series.

After his attack, the Surfer lands on planet Ryas, home to the Druffs, seen first in Fantastic Four #37 and then in Avengers #94.

Surfer is tricked into fighting the Druffs, too, but soon recovers and realizes he's been losing control. But after that he's confronted by illusions of his old foes.

The fight with them isn't so exciting so i'll move on to when the Pheragots catch up with the Surfer and analyze him, telling him that he's got Hlavac's Disease.

This disease is a sentient virus that Mephisto is helping to infect the Surfer. The crazed Surfer rejects the Pheragots' help but he does take their advice and search for the planet Aedi, said to have a radioactive ore that will cure Hlavac's Disease. When he gets there he's contacted by the Aedians (these guys are not pre-existing aliens). They offer him the energy of their planet, even though it would mean killing them. The Surfer refuses.

Thinking that he's dying, he thinks back to the heroes he encountered on Earth...

...and remembers yoga that he learned from Dr. Strange.

This allows him to expel the Hlavac virus, which he subsequently encompasses in crystal to prevent it from ever infecting anyone again. He then sets off to repair the damage he's done, leaving behind a frustrated Mephisto that the Surfer never knew was involved.

Not really anything special, but not bad for a fill-in type story.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References:

• Dr. Doom stole the power cosmic from the Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four #57.
  
• There are no footnotes for the other villains, but the Abomination fought the Surfer in the original Silver Surfer #12.
  
• The Flying Dutchman (aka Ghost) fought him in the original Silver Surfer #8-9.
  
• The In-Betweener appeared in the current Silver Surfer #15-18.
  
• And just to not leave out the Super-Skrull, who has been appearing regularly in this book, i'll note that he first resurfaced in Silver Surfer annual #1.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A