Issue(s): Silver Surfer annual #4
Cover Date: 1991
Title: "The price of paradise / First love / Dawning"
Credits:
Ron Marz - Writer
Ron Lim / Steven Carr / Dale Eaglesham - Penciler
Ralph Cabrera / John Beatty / Pat Redding - Inker
Craig Anderson - Editor

Review/plot:
The Guardians of the Galaxy have jumped further into the future, chasing Korvac's energy. But they are still not back in their home timeline, and in fact they haven't jumped all that far, because it is still the 26th century, putting us not too far away from Dargo-Thor's timeline.

You'll notice that the Silver Surfer has the quantum bands that, in the present day, are worn by Quasar. This was the Surfer's status in the Guardians of the Galaxy book as well (although this takes place before that begins). The Surfer has found himself drawn to a planet run by a man named Marshach, who has powers that will turn out to be the Korvac powers (which ultimately came from Galactus, which is why the Surfer is drawn there). For once, the powers are being used for good, to create a paradise for the people of Marshach's world.

When the Guardians arrive, Marshach detects them and worries that they are coming to expose his peaceful planet. So the Silver Surfer flies out to keep them away. However, Starhawk is able to trace the Surfer's energy signature backwards to find Marshach's planet. The Surfer tries to fight the Guardians, and (as Starhawk says), is not willing to listen to reason.

The explosions from their battle wind up killing some innocent children. This causes Marshach to act, resurrecting the children and capturing the Guardians and draining their energy. But the Surfer convinces Marshach that what he is doing is wrong. And Marshach relents, and when he hears the source of his power he releases it even though it means the death of his wife and, eventually, himself. Unfortunately, all the heroes stand around with their thumbs up their butts while this is happening, and the energy escapes again.

The Guardians jump ahead to the future while the Surfer stays to watch Marshach and his wife age to death.

Until the embarrassing ineffectiveness of the heroes at the end, this chapter, with Ron Marz writing and nice art from Ron Lim, is better than the previous two portions of the Korvac Quest, even though it follows the same formula.

However, Ron Marz destroys the goodwill he built up in me after that story by following it with a Starfox story that shows that he uses his pleasure power to seduce women. This is in direct contradiction to Starfox's earlier claims that he does not do that, and this story is therefore what turns Starfox into a creepy date rapist, something that will be explored in Dan Slott's She-Hulk.

The woman that is not interested in him is Synthia Naip, from X-Factor: Prisoner of Love, although there's no footnote for that, despite it being a pretty obscure story. Synthia gets rid of Starfox by showing him her true form.

Without the lines with Starfox admitting that he gives women a "little help" in becoming attracted to him, this story would be a harmless if bizarre little non-story. Instead, that exchange kind of ruins the character.

The final story focuses on Midnight. It's mostly a recap of his history framed with him being repaired by Kree scientists. He winds up waking up and escaping their control.

Quality Rating: C-

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Continues directly from Thor annual #16 from the point of view of the Guardians of the Galaxy, although it's a time travel story. I don't have a problem with Starfox taking some time out for some R&R between appearances in the main Silver Surfer series.

References:

• This annual opens with scenes from the Silver Surfer's origin from Fantastic Four #48-50 and Silver Surfer #1.
  
• Synthia Naip mentions knowing another hero, a reference to Beast from X-Factor: Prisoner of Love.
  
• Midnight was first seen in Special Marvel Edition #16.
  
• He appeared among the Legion of the Unliving in Avengers #131 and has memories of that appearance, which confirms that it was really him and not a construct created by Immortus.
  
• In Silver Surfer #29-30, he was turned into a cyborg by the Kree and sent to fight the Silver Surfer.

Crossover: Korvac Quest

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Quality rating is missing. How does C- sound?

That's exactly what i had, it was just hidden by some broken code. Thanks!

Yes, Marz's turning Starfox into a rapist was horrible. I can't believe he was allowed to do that in a BACKUP STORY. But like with the Tony-Stark-sleeping-with-Crimson-Dynamo's-girlfriend-in-his-body story, I guess nobody checked the backups and fill-ins too carefully.
That wasn't the only problem I had with the backup story, though. I hadn't read Prisoner of Love when I first picked up the Annual and I couldn't make sense out of the story AT ALL because the events of Prisoner of Love weren't properly recapped. And there wasn't even a footnote so I could pick up the story I missed if I wanted to.

Personally, I justify the Starfox story by pushing it ahead over a decade and tying it into the Starfox story from Dan Slott's SHE-HULK. We learn there that there was a period where Eros' mind was damaged due to tampering by Thanos, causing him to engage in out-of-character behaviour.

As far as I'm concerned, this story takes place during that period, and that is why Eros was using his powers inappropriately here. As far as I can see, there is nothing in this story that requires it to take place anywhere near its publication date.

I don't think the intention was to make Star Fox a rapist. Maybe Marz thought of his powers more as super-charisma rather than mind control? He should've thought it through though.

Tony sleeping with the girlfriend the Crimson Dynamo is just horrible, but you have a similar scene in Revenge of the Nerds. For some reason people just didn't seem to realize what a terrible thing they had their heroes do. (The real creepy thing: Rape by deception wouldn't be criminalized until about 20 years after this story was released.)