The appearance of the Silver Surfer had placed everyone who knew the truth under immense pressure.
One disaster after another seemed to fall upon Earth.
The crisis with the Inhumans had only recently been resolved, and now an alien had arrived.
No matter how people felt about it, the problem was already urgent.
Soon, various forces began investigating the Silver Surfer's movements and motives.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
Nick Fury sat behind his desk with a deep frown.
As the agency responsible for handling extraordinary and superhuman matters, the Silver Surfer incident naturally fell under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s jurisdiction.
Unfortunately, the organization had just undergone a massive internal purge. The agency was still in a fragile stage of rebuilding.
Under such circumstances, they simply did not have enough manpower to handle a threat of this scale.
"Coulson."
Nick Fury called for his trusted subordinate.
"I need you to contact the Avengers. We must respond to the Silver Surfer."
As he spoke, Fury rubbed his temple in frustration.
"If we do nothing about this… our next budget review…"
He did not finish the sentence.
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s current reputation was already in terrible shape.
Despite receiving the highest level of funding and resources, the organization had allowed Hydra to infiltrate its ranks. Worse, when the world actually needed help, S.H.I.E.L.D. had little to show for it.
Frankly speaking, even Fury himself might have shut the agency down under those circumstances.
Fortunately, the Avengers, though independent, were still considered by the council to be loosely connected to S.H.I.E.L.D.
Coulson hesitated before speaking.
"Director… that might be difficult. After the Black Bolt and Hydra incidents, the Avengers don't trust us anymore. If I appear in front of Tony Stark right now…"
He paused.
"I might get thrown out. Or worse."
He was not exaggerating. It was not that he refused the mission. It was simply a very unpleasant one.
Fury stared at him with his single eye, his expression unchanged.
After a long moment, Coulson sighed and clenched his teeth.
"Alright. I'll try. I'll do my best to complete the task."
Only then did Fury look away and return to the documents on his desk.
Just as Coulson reached the door, Fury's voice sounded again.
"Not your best. You must succeed."
"Damn it."
After leaving the office, Coulson muttered under his breath.
He admired Fury and was loyal to him, but this assignment felt like a trap.
Still, he was an employee.
There was no refusing it.
Tony Stark…
Coulson considered the problem carefully.
Stark would be the hardest to persuade. If it were Captain America, things would be easier. Even if Steve Rogers had complaints about S.H.I.E.L.D., he would still step forward when the world needed help.
But Iron Man?
Tony Stark was not someone who tolerated that kind of manipulation.
Most likely…
Coulson would be kicked out, and Stark would investigate the situation on his own terms.
Looking back at Fury's office, Coulson let out a long sigh.
Stark Tower
Coulson eventually arrived at Stark Tower and met Tony Stark.
Tony greeted him with a polite smile.
Although relations between the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. had become strained, Tony and Coulson still maintained a decent personal relationship. That was exactly why Fury had sent him.
"So, Coulson," Tony said casually, "what brings you here?"
"If this is about S.H.I.E.L.D.'s internal problems, we should probably skip that conversation."
Since the falling-out with the agency, neither Tony nor the other Avengers had maintained much contact with S.H.I.E.L.D.
Even during the Hydra crisis, Tony had stayed largely uninvolved.
Coulson laughed awkwardly.
That reaction alone told Tony everything he needed to know.
"I have a few things to deal with," Tony said, standing up. "Pepper, please see our guest out."
He was already preparing to leave.
"Tony."
Coulson's voice stopped him.
"I came to you because you're the only one I can ask. I know the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. aren't on good terms right now, but this isn't about personal grudges."
"Earth is facing a serious threat. Humanity needs your help."
Tony paused.
He had already guessed Coulson's reason for coming. However, his own information sources were confidential, so he could not reveal what he knew.
"You have five minutes," Tony said.
Coulson sighed with relief and quickly explained everything about the Silver Surfer.
When he finished, he nervously prepared himself. He rehearsed arguments in his mind, expecting Tony to reject the request.
But Tony simply glanced at him.
"So that's what this is about," Tony said calmly.
"I'm already investigating the Silver Surfer. He has caused a lot of trouble. His movements are unpredictable, and I've been trying to determine his objective."
Tony paused briefly.
"I didn't realize he came from outer space."
Coulson's eyes lit up.
It sounded like Tony was not entirely opposed to cooperating.
"In S.H.I.E.L.D., we have significant resources that could help…"
Tony raised a hand to stop him before he could finish.
"I know about the situation now. I'll continue my investigation. If I find something, I'll deal with it."
"That's all for today."
He turned and walked away without waiting for another word.
Coulson stood there with a complicated expression.
He had expected this.
Still, at least Tony Stark was already involved.
That was something.
Meanwhile, Tony walked down the hallway and snorted quietly.
Nick Fury really was clever.
Trying to use the Avengers' reputation to rebuild S.H.I.E.L.D.'s standing.
But why would Tony cooperate with that plan?
He believed Earth needed an organization similar to S.H.I.E.L.D.
But that organization did not necessarily need Nick Fury.
And it certainly did not need the name S.H.I.E.L.D.
Trying to use him?
Not a chance.
Still, the Silver Surfer was a difficult opponent.
Reports from around the world indicated that several superheroes had already encountered the mysterious alien.
The results were discouraging.
Every encounter had ended in defeat.
Tony was still deep in thought when his phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Tony," Nolan's voice came through the line. "Is your Iron Legion ready to move?"
Tony's heartbeat quickened.
"You found him?"
There was only one reason Nolan would call him right now.
The Silver Surfer.
Sure enough, Nolan continued.
"His movements seem chaotic at first glance, but there's actually a pattern. He's not wandering randomly. He has a clear objective."
Tony narrowed his eyes.
"My Iron Legion has been ready for a long time."
Satisfied with the answer, Nolan hung up.
In front of him floated a massive 3D holographic display.
The screen showed the Silver Surfer's movement path reconstructed from multiple sightings.
Nolan's expression turned cold.
This time, he had prepared everything carefully.
The Silver Surfer?
Let's see what you can really do.
Soon afterward, Nolan contacted multiple groups.
The Avengers.
Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm.
Several other superheroes.
They all gathered at a military base outside New York.
An aging Army general with graying hair listened as Nolan explained the operation.
"So you're suggesting we abandon the other locations?"
The general's face darkened.
According to Nolan's analysis map, the Silver Surfer would attack three more locations before reaching New York.
Yet Nolan's plan ignored those places entirely.
Facing the general's questioning, Nolan nodded without hesitation.
"Yes. We must abandon those three sites."
"Of course, I've already notified local authorities to begin evacuating civilians."
"We're doing this so we can prepare properly and guarantee we capture the Silver Surfer."
The general was not the only one dissatisfied.
Johnny Storm immediately stood up.
"Nolan Lock, you're my brother-in-law, but I still have to say this. Do you realize how powerful the force gathered here is?"
He gestured around the room.
The Army general present could mobilize large sections of the military.
Ben Grimm and the Hulk were both present. Either one could bring down a skyscraper through sheer strength.
Johnny and his sister Susan were also there, and their powers were formidable.
Tony Stark and several other heroes had joined as well.
With a lineup like this, Nolan still wanted to abandon three locations?
Why?
Many others looked toward Nolan with similar dissatisfaction. They respected him, but they felt he was being overly cautious.
Tony frowned.
"Nolan, I understand your reasoning. Preparing more thoroughly could give us an advantage."
"But every time the Silver Surfer moves, it causes massive destruction. Maybe we should abandon Xilan and intercept him at the next city instead."
Xilan was the next location marked on the map. It was already too late to stop that attack, which was why Tony did not mention it earlier.
But Nolan shook his head.
"The Silver Surfer is extremely powerful."
"No matter how powerful he is," the general replied, "he can't possibly defeat this many heroes."
Nolan smiled slightly.
Then he looked at Johnny.
"Johnny, why don't you explain his abilities to everyone?"
Johnny stood reluctantly.
Not long ago, he had managed to catch up with the Silver Surfer.
The result had been humiliating.
It was the most frustrating fight he had experienced since becoming the Human Torch.
"The Silver Surfer has some kind of spatial movement ability," Johnny said.
"Though he didn't use it directly in combat."
"But the board he rides can absorb energy."
Johnny hesitated before continuing.
"When we fought… I lost my powers."
"What?"
The room erupted in shock.
That possibility had never crossed their minds.
The Silver Surfer could steal abilities?
Johnny glanced at Nolan before clarifying.
"Well, not exactly steal them."
"According to Nolan's explanation, contact with him caused my cellular activity to spike dramatically. That temporarily shut down my powers."
Nolan continued the explanation.
"We don't know the limitations of this ability."
"What we do know is that he can neutralize powers and may possess some form of energy transmission or spatial manipulation."
He paused briefly.
"If I'm not mistaken, the military has already attempted to attack him."
The general nodded.
"That's correct. We launched a missile."
"But just before impact, we lost contact with it."
"That doesn't prove much. There could be many explanations. He might have disabled the missile's system, or the missile simply malfunctioned."
"Even if he can block a missile, what does that prove?"
The general's tone carried clear confidence.
A missile was just a conventional weapon.
Maybe he could stop one.
But could he stop ten?
Even if missiles were useless, could he survive a nuclear strike?
Then Nolan spoke again.
"I believe he probably can."
The room fell silent.
"Or more accurately," Nolan added calmly, "the being behind him definitely can."
"What do you mean?" the general demanded.
Was there someone else behind the Silver Surfer?
Was this the beginning of an interstellar war?
Nolan played several recorded videos of the Silver Surfer's encounters.
Because Earth's defense satellites constantly monitored unusual activity, there were many recordings available.
He pointed out several key details.
"Look at his movement pattern."
"At first glance, his attacks seem random. That's why no one could track him."
"He doesn't target strategic buildings or specific facilities."
"But geographically, his path forms a clear trajectory. It looks almost like he's collecting samples."
"The missing landmass in the affected areas supports that idea."
Nolan zoomed in on the footage.
"Another important point. Every time something is absorbed, the Silver Surfer uses the board beneath his feet."
"That suggests the ability does not belong to him. It belongs to the board."
"So where does the board's power come from?"
Nolan folded his arms.
"I have reason to believe there is a far more powerful force behind him."
The room fell into stunned silence.
The Silver Surfer was only the advance scout?
If the scout was this terrifying, what kind of entity commanded him?
Once everyone had calmed down, Nolan revealed the rest of his plan.
"We must capture him."
"And we must do it before he has time to react."
"If we fail, everything we do here could become meaningless."
One opportunity.
That was all they would get.
The room grew quiet.
If that was the case, extreme caution was not unreasonable at all.
At the same time, in Xilan, another figure had appeared.
Victor Von Doom.
Behind his metal mask, a confident smile spread across his face.
The Silver Surfer…
What an interesting potential ally.
Victor did not know the alien's true purpose, but that did not concern him.
If the Silver Surfer was willing to cooperate, many of Victor's plans would become far easier.
After all, Victor considered himself the most intelligent man in the world.
No one else had managed to locate the Silver Surfer.
But he had.
And that would be the foundation of their partnership.
Two powerful minds working together.
What could be better?