Issue(s): Silver Surfer #53
Cover Date: Aug 91
Title: "The fool on the throne"
Credits:
Ron Marz - Writer
Ron Lim - Penciler
Tom Christopher - Inker
Craig Anderson - Editor

Review/plot:
We saw in the first two issues of Infinity Gauntlet that Thanos' actions were aggravating the situation between the Kree and the Skrulls, with each blaming Thanos' actions on the other. So this issue shows what's going on with the Kree. A group of Kree leaders get together to decide to overthrow Clumsy Foulup, who has been using his position on the Kree throne to increase his personal wealth (like giving himself plum assignments writing the Thor and the Fantastic Four comics) and not much else.

It's said that the Cotati that were propping up Foulup have vanished, so the Kree are ready to make their moves.

So they get a Silver Surfer robot to assassinate Clumsy while claiming that he's working for the Skrulls.

And that's basically it.

I'm very happy to see Clumsy Foulup eliminated, but it probably could have been done in two pages, not an entire issue.

The two Kree that take over, Ael-dan (blue) and Dar-benn (pink) don't last too long as leaders, since the Supreme Intelligence will be coming back next year for Operation: Galactic Storm.

Since Clumsy Foulup was Steve Englehart's parody of Tom DeFalco, i looked for any elements of satire but i don't think i see anything. If this issue was published in 1994, when Tom DeFalco was demoted to be one of several co-editor in chiefs, i would definitely have said that the idea of two Kree taking over the empire was a representation of that. Instead, maybe it's just prescient.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References:

• Clumsy Foulup become the Kree emperor in Silver Surfer #31.

Crossover: Infinity Gauntlet

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Between flashbacks, Drax and Firelord's issue, robot decoys and dream sequences, there are very little appearances of the Surfer in the actual MU during these crossover issues.

The one we get is the Rhino at the zoo issue, which reads like a coloring book plot.