Fantastic Four #72
Where Soars the Silver Surfer!
Ben, Johnny and Crystal are lamenting about the fate of the Fantastic Four now that Reed and Sue have left the group when they are warned by the Watcher that the Silver Surfer intends to attack humanity. While on a train bound for a new home for Reed and Sue, Reed reiterates that this is the best choice so Sue is not put at risk while she is pregnant.
Meanwhile the Surfer, having seen nothing but bigotry, hatred, greed, and oppression while travelling the Earth, decides to attack humanity in hopes that they will unite together and forget their differences in order to try and stop him. This brings him into combat with both the Thing and the Human Torch. The army prepares to launch a special missile to deal with the Surfer while the Watcher stops the train that the Richards are riding on and asks Reed to aid his friends in stopping the Surfer. Leaving Sue behind, Reed is transported by the Watcher to the Baxter building where he meets Johnny and the two travel to where the Thing is battling the Surfer alone.
At that moment the military launches their special Sonic Shark missile, Reed and Johnny chase after the Surfer in the Pogo plane, when the Surfer is hit with the missile that starts to drain his cosmic energies. The Thing knocks the missile into orbit before it can explode and kill the Surfer and the weakened and humbled Surfer realizes the errors of his ways. He bids farewell to the Fantastic Four to continue his journey to find his place on the Earth.
Recurring Characters
Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Girl, Human Torch, Thing), Crystal, The Watcher, Silver Surfer, Lieutenant General Fredericks
Continuity Notes
The Watcher breaks his vow of non-interference again, the last time being Fantastic Four #48-50 when he assisted the Fantastic Four in defeating Galactus. Per Tales of Suspense #53 and Original Sin #0, the Watchers maintain a vow of non-interference after the accident were responsible for the Prosilicans using Watcher gained technology to bring about their self-annihilation.
The Watcher mentions a being that can only described as "all-powerful," and whose "only weapon... is love!" He could be referring to the One-Above-All, a god-like entity who is believed by many to have created all existence. The One-Above-All has said these same exact words about himself in Ultimates 2 #100.
