I: Feature Story: "Now Strikes the Ghost!"

Pages: 20

Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: John Buscema
Inks: Dan Adkins
Letters: Sam Rosen

First Appearance: Joost van Straaten/Flying Dutchman

Villain: Mephisto, Flying Dutchman

Guest Appearance: Shalla Bal

Synopsis: Mephisto is bitterly angry that he cannot claim the Silver Surfer's soul, so he violently lashes out at the target of his disaffection. Still, he worries that if he kills the noble Surfer, he will never be able to win the prize he so covets. He turns his attentions to an amateur magicion and uses him to establish a conduit to reach the Flying Dutchman. He reminisces about the history of Joost van Straaten, a sea captain whose soul he corrupted and now holds in his thrall throughout time. Mephisto grants the ghost of van Straaten incredible new power to use against the Silver Surfer in order to reclaim his soul.

The Surfer senses that Mephisto is about to attack and is greeted by a vision of Shalla Bal, which seems connected to dreams that the young woman is having on Zenn-La.

The ghost of the sea captain, on the command of Mephisto, uses his "nether-blast" weapon on the magician who helped summon him, slaying him in cold blood. Mephisto gives the Dutchman his own flying galley, from which he soars over Manhattan and launches random blasts from above, creating much mayhem. His mission: the slay the Silver Surfer.

(Continued in SS #9.)

--synopsis by Gormuu

Issues Reprinted
Silver Surfer #7-18

Click on cover image to learn more about each issue.