Fantastic Four #49
If This Be Doomsday!
With Galactus on Earth, the Watcher tries to appeal to the planet eater to leave Earth alone, when diplomacy doesn't work Johnny and Thing try to attack Galactus to no effect. the Watcher tells them to return to their base and he will contact them shortly.
Meanwhile, the Silver Surfer slowly gains consciousness from the Thing's punch and falls through the skylight of Alicia Master's apartment. Sensing a wounded and lonely being, Alicia offers the Silver Surfer her sympathy and assistance. Galactus continues to assemble his planet devouring device and the Watcher explains to the Fantastic Four what will happen to the Earth if Galactus succeeds. The Watcher explains that there is a device aboard Galactus' ship that he will need the Human Torch to collect. While back at Alicia's apartment, Alicia learns of the Surfer's mission on Earth and appeals to him to turn against his master and help save the Earth. He is hesitant at first, but is starting to feel pity for the humans.
When the Fantastic Four begin attacking Galactus' almost completed device, the planet eater sends his cyborg Punisher to keep them out of his way while he repairs the device. With this distraction and delay, the Watcher uses a device to boost Johnny's powers to a degree that will allow him to travel to Galactus' ship and retrieve the weapon they need to defeat him. Finally, Alicia convinces the Surfer to help save the Earth and, to the surprise of the Watcher, sets off to confront Galactus.
Recurring Characters
Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Girl, Human Torch, Thing), Silver Surfer, Alicia Masters, The Watcher, Galactus, Punisher
Continuity Notes
The portions of this story that pertain to Galactus are retold from a different perspective in Marvels #3.
The Silver Surfer's lack of humanity in this story is revealed to due to the manipulations of Galactus who suppressed the memories of his past as well as his ability to feel emotions. This was explained in Silver Surfer #1. It is further explained that this was necessary on the part of Galactus when the Surfer's homeworld of Zenn-La was destroyed by the Other, as depicted in Silver Surfer (vol. 3) #130. Galactus erased those memories and submerged it then fabricated a hoax to make it look as though Zenn-La still existed.
To date the origins of the Punisher are unknown. It has been explained as both a mechanical and organic construct in Iron Man #109 and Silver Surfer (vol. 3) #17.
The worldship of Galactus is later referred to a Taa II, as first stated in Super-Villain Classics #1. Taa is the name of the home world of Galactus first seen in Thor #163.
This is the first time that the Watcher openly violates his oath of non-interference. This has been the case since the Watchers accidentally caused the mass extinction of the Prosilicans when they provided them with nuclear technology, as seen in Tales of Suspense #53 and expanded upon in Original Sin #0.
