Silver Surfer # 50 1991 NM-

Silver Surfer # 50 (Volume 3, June 1991), a prelude to the Infinity Gauntlet event, details the Silver Surfer's desperate race to warn Earth's heroes about the threat Thanos poses to the universe, while Thanos forces him to confront a deeply buried, traumatic secret from his past. The issue explores themes of morality, regret, and the nature of Norrin Radd's nobility. 

"Deeply Buried Secrets!"

The issue opens with the Silver Surfer plummeting toward Earth's moon after being blasted by the animated, stone form of Thanos's original body. The real, omnipotent Thanos, now possessing all six Infinity Gems on his left glove (though not yet called the "Infinity Gauntlet" in this issue), manipulates the encounter remotely to emotionally torment the Surfer and delay his warning to Earth. 

During the mental and physical battle, Thanos uses his power to force the Surfer to relive deeply suppressed memories from his past on Zenn-La. The core of this trauma is the memory of his father, Jartran Radd, who committed suicide. 

• The Revelation: When Jartran died, the young Norrin Radd appeared stoic and unforgiving, a reaction Thanos highlights to question the Surfer's claims of being noble and righteous. Thanos suggests that Norrin's inability to forgive his own father was a character flaw that was not altered by Galactus's tampering, leading the Surfer to a crisis of conscience.
• The Outcome: The psychological assault leaves the Surfer both physically and mentally broken. He manages to destroy the stone golem and continues his journey, but the encounter leaves him questioning his own moral compass. The issue ends with the weary Surfer crashing through the skylight of Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum on Earth, finally able to deliver the warning that leads directly into the start of the Infinity Gauntlet miniseries. 

Silver Surfer #50, a "Giant Size 50th Issue Anniversary Spectacular" with a popular silver foil embossed cover, was created by the following team: 

• Writer: Jim Starlin (with Ron Marz co-writing the main story)
• Artist: Ron Lim
• Colorist: Tom Christopher
• Cover Artist: Ron Lim