Appearing in "Mantis"
Featured Characters:
- ⏴ Silver Surfer (Norrin Radd) ⏵ (Main story and flashback)
Supporting Characters:
- ⏴ Mantis Brandt ⏵ (Main story and flashback) (Only in recap)
Antagonists:
- Elders of the Universe
- Grandmaster (En Dwi Gast)
- Collector (Taneleer Tivan)
- Runner (Gilpetperdon)
- Ego (Egros)
- Champion (Tryco Slatterus)
- Possessor (Kamo Tharnn)
- Gardener (Ord Zyonz)
- Contemplator (Tath Ki)
- Astronomer (Seginn Gallio) (First appearance)
- Trader (Cort Zo Tinnus) (First appearance)
- Obliterator (Maht Pacle) (First appearance)
- Kree Empire
- Skrull Empire
- Ripan (First appearance)
- Emperor Kylor (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Shalla Bal (Mentioned)
- Avengers (Only in recap)
- Captain Marvel (Monica Rambeau) (Vision or hallucination)
- Captain America (Steve Rogers) (Vision or hallucination)
- Thor Odinson (Only in recap)
- Black Knight (Dane Whitman) (Vision or hallucination)
- Iron Man (Tony Stark) (Only in recap)
- Hawkeye (Clint Barton) (Only in recap)
- She-Hulk (Jen Walters) (Vision or hallucination)
- Swordsman (Jacques DuQuesne) (Only in recap)
- Vision (Only in recap)
- Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) (Only in recap)
- Defenders (Mentioned)
- Galactus (Galan) (Mentioned)
- Avengers West Coast (Mentioned)
- Wonder Man (Vision or hallucination)
- Mockingbird (Vision or hallucination)
- Moon Knight (Vision or hallucination)
- Death (Vision or hallucination)
- Libra (Gustav Brandt) (Only in recap)
- Rama-Tut (Only in recap)
- Kang (Only in recap)
- Priests of Pama (Only in recap)
- Moondragon (Heather Douglas) (Only in recap)
- Immortus (Only in recap)
- Swordsman (Cotati) (Only in recap)
- Mantis' child (First appearance) (Only in flashback) (Shadow only) (Unnamed)
- Captain Tar-Rell (Mentioned)
- Ambassador Ptakr (Mentioned)
- Jemiah the Analyzer (Cameo)
- Michael Korvac (Mentioned)
Races and Species:
- Zenn-Lavians (Main story and flashback)
- Homo sapiens (Main story and recap)
- Asgardians (Only in recap)
- Kree (Main story and recap)
- Cotati (Only in recap)
- Cotati-Human Hybrids (First appearance) (Only in flashback)
- Alien Races (Unnamed)
- Skrulls
- Celestials (Cameo)
- Planet (Genius Loci)
- Ego's Anti-bodies
Locations:
- Earth-616
- Unnamed Planet
- Milky Way Galaxy
- Deneb Star System
- Zenn-La (Mentioned)
- Panamint (First appearance) (Only in flashback)
- Sol Star System
- Deneb Star System
- Large Magellanic Cloud
- Andromeda Galaxy
- Tarakar (First appearance; unnamed)
Items:
- Power Cosmic (Main story and flashback)
Vehicles:
- Silver Surfer's Surfboard (Main story and flashback)
- Kree Deep Cruiser (Mentioned)
Events:
- Avengers/Defenders War (Mentioned)
Synopsis for "Mantis"
Brief Summary:
Mantis helps the Silver Surfer recover from his wounds and reveals to him that she is the one that has been guiding him to investigate the Elders' plans from the beginning. Meanwhile, the Kree's Supreme Intelligence discovers that the Skrulls have lost their shape-shifting powers and the Skrulls are being visited by a Celestial. Mantis leads the Silver Surfer to the Elders' hideout, where they over hear their plans to kill Galactus. However, before they can continue, Ego alerts them to the presence of the Silver Surfer and Mantis. They attack the two, but the Surfer and Mantis are able to escape.

Detailed Summary:
The Silver Surfer is brought back from the brink of death by Mantis, following his run in with the Runner. Revived, the Surfer learns of the Mantis' origins, her connection over plants, and how she played a part in alerting the Surfer of her former comrades, the Avengers, peril at the hands of the Grandmaster, the Collector, and Death. She tells the Surfer that she is aware of the Elders of the Universe's plan and that it has grave repercussions on the rest of the universe. The two then speed off into space in search of the Elders' current location.
While on the Kree homeworld of Kree-Lar, the Supreme Intelligence has correctly deduced that the Skrulls have lost their shape changing abilities and that they can use this to turn their age old war to their advantage. While on a Skrull world in the Andromeda galaxy, rivaling ruler of the Skrulls, Kylor, is informed of their Zenn-Lavian ambassador's mass suicide to prevent this truth from leaking out. He and his agent are shocked by the sudden arrival of the Celestial known as Jemiah the Analyzer. The arrival of a Celestial marks that a significant change may be coming soon to the Skrull empire.
Elsewhere in the universe, the Surfer and Mantis have tracked down the Elders of the Universe who have all gathered on a single planet to meet. There the two unlikely companions find the Grandmaster, Collector, Possessor, Astronomer, Trader, Obliterator, Contemplator, Gardner, Runner and the Champion all having a meeting. The Grandmaster tells all gathered that their plan to gain immortality by tricking Death has been a success and that they can initiate the next part of their plan, destroying the oldest being in the universe: Galactus.
However, before the Grandmaster can explain his plot further, Ego (who is also an Elder, and the "host planet" for their meeting) becomes aware of Mantis and the Silver Surfer's presence on himself. The Surfer and Mantis fight off Ego and the Elder's attacks and make for a quick get away. After sharing a kiss with Mantis, they both resolve to try and stop the Elders plot.
Solicit Synopsis
Notes
- The Silver Surfer and Mantis first met during the Avengers/Defenders War. [1]
- Mantis helped the Silver Surfer heal from his injuries battling the Runner. [2]
- The Silver Surfer was banished to Earth for betraying Galactus. [3]
- The Silver found a way to escape Earth with the help of the Thing and the Fantastic Four. [4]
- Shalla-Bal told the Silver Surfer that she needed to put Zenn-La before him. [5]
- The continuity gap between the Silver Surfer leaving Zenn-La [5] and arriving back on Earth [6] is fixed with a short flashback scene on page six of this issue.
- The Runner failed to kill the Silver Surfer during their previous battle. [2]
- The Champion was defeated by the Silver Surfer while he was still on Earth. [4]
- The Silver Surfer battled a reincarnated Korvac in the Avengers battle against the Grandmaster. [7]
- Grandmaster says that the Elders are the oldest living beings in the universe other than Galactus, and that their races were the first to appear in the universe. Obliterator says in Silver Surfer (Vol. 3) #6 that he and other Elders are about 5.5 billion years old.
Trivia
- As reported by Marvel: this issue was the fourth best-selling direct sales title for the publisher during the month that it was released, just behind Uncanny X-Men #222, Punisher (Vol. 2) #3, and X-Factor #21. [8]
See Also
Recommended Reading
- Essential Series: Silver Surfer #2
- Epic Collection: Silver Surfer Vol 1 3
The story references:
- Avengers #115 to Avengers #118 and Defenders #8 to Defenders #11 - The Avengers/Defenders War
- Silver Surfer (Vol. 3) #1 - The Silver Surfer escaping Earth
- Silver Surfer (Vol. 3) #2 - The Silver Surfer and Shalla Bal moving apart
- West Coast Avengers Annual #2 and Avengers Annual #16 - The Avengers battling the Grandmaster in the Realm of Death
- Silver Surfer (Vol. 3) #3 - The Runner defeating the Silver Surfer
- Avengers #123 and Avengers #124 - Mantis' origin
- Avengers #121 - Mantis meeting the Swordsman
- Giant-Size Avengers #2 - The death of the Swordsman
- Avengers #135 - Mantis' connection to Moondragon
- Giant-Size Avengers #4 - Mantis' marriage to the Cotati
- Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions #1 to Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions #3 - The Grandmaster's schemes involving Death
Links and References
- Bibliomancer (12 Jun 2015) Essential Silver Surfer: Silver Surfer Vol 1 4: Mantis The Bibliomancer. Retrieved on 30 Aug 2021.
- Derman, Matt (10 September 2015) 1987 And All That: Silver Surfer Vol 1 1-6 CBR.com. Retrieved on 21 Feb 2021.
- Englehart, Steve Silver Surfer 1-20 Steve Englehart: Books, Film, Comics, Games.... Retrieved on 21 Feb 2021.
- Grand Comics Database Silver Surfer Vol 1 4 Grand Comics Database. Retrieved on 9 Mar 2021.
- Shayer, Jason (21 October 2010) 1987 - Silver Surfer Marvel Comics of the 1980s. Retrieved on 21 Feb 2021.