Warning: contains spoilers for What If...Galactus Transformed Moon Knight? #1!The Silver Surfer has a powerful new team, and it proves Marvel needs to bring back the Annihilators. In What If…Galactus Transformed Moon Knight? #1, the planet-killer gives the Power Cosmic to the Fist of Khonshu. As Moon Knight adjusts to life as a herald, he encounters the Silver Surfer, who has put together what might be one of Marvel’s most powerful teams–and makes the case for the Annihilator’s return.

Alex Segura is also writing The Question: All Along the Watchtower for DC Comics.

What If…Galactus Transformed Moon Knight? #1 is written by Alex Segura and drawn by Scot Eaton and Chris Campana. No sooner than Galactus gives Moon Knight the Power Cosmic than the Silver Surfer makes his presence known. The Surfer is accompanied by three former Heralds of Galactus: Nova (Frankie Raye), Terrax and Firelord. The former heralds are still nursing a grudge against Galactus, and take their anger out on Moon Knight. The four former heralds hit Moon Knight with all their power, and the pain for the cosmically powered hero is almost too much to bear.

The Silver Surfer's New Team Might Be One of Marvel's Most Powerful

Galactus' Former Heralds Are Not to be Crossed

The Silver Surfer’s new team is much like himself: former heralds of Galactus brought together to try and topple the planet eater. To be a herald of Galactus is to have awesome power at one’s fingertips, but it also forces one to carry a heavy moral load. Galactus’ heralds lead him to planets to consume, many of which are inhabited. Galactus’ heralds are responsible for so much death and carnage across the cosmos, and some, like the SIlver Surfer, come to their senses and rebel against their master. In this alternate timeline, they have come together as a team.

As seen in What If…Galactus Transformed Moon Knight? #1, the Silver Surfer’s team, which is never named, is quite powerful. Like Moon Knight, the Surfer’s new squad is charged with the Power Cosmic. It becomes four on one, and the Fist of Khonshu is able to hold his own, but the power of the Surfer’s team is too much, forcing Moon Knight to use strategies they cannot prepare for. The former heralds are no match for Galactus, but they manage to weaken him long enough for Moon Knight to make him bleed.

The Silver Surfer's First Team, the Annihilators, Explained

The Annihilators Kept Marvel's Cosmic Side Safe for Years

Brought together by Cosmo, the telepathic space dog, the Annihilators keep the Marvel Universe’s cosmic side safe.

This is not the Silver Surfer’s first time leading a team, however. In the late 2000s/early 2010s, the Surfer led the Annihilators, a squad of ultra-powerful cosmic heroes. The Annihilator’s hip was drawn from various empires and races of the Marvel Universe (see table below). First coming together in 2011’s The Thanos Imperative: Devastation, the team would star in two different miniseries as well as play a major role in 2014’s Thanos: The Infinity Revelation. Brought together by Cosmo, the telepathic space dog, the Annihilators keep the Marvel Universe’s cosmic side safe.

Seeing the Silver Surfer lead a team of heralds against first Moon Knight and then, Galactus recalls the Annihilators’ glory days, and makes the case for their return. What If…Galactus Transformed Moon Knight? #1 shows the Silver Surfer as a capable leader, able to keep the other three former heralds in line. The makeup of the personalities of the Annihilators was just as volatile, and the Surfer handled them with grace as well. Cosmo knew the Silver Surfer had leadership potential, and this one-shot reinforces that belief.

The Annihilators Need to Make A Comeback

The Silver Surfer Has the Potential to Be a Great Leader

The cosmic side of the Marvel Universe has changed even more since the Annihilator’s heyday, and their return would be most welcome. The Skrull and the Kree, long enemies, have made peace at long last. This has had massive ramifications for Marvel’s cosmic side, and watching the Annihilators adjust to the new status quo would make for compelling stories. The Silver Surfer continues to soar down the spaceways of the Marvel Universe alone, but the potential to be a great leader lives deep in him, as seen in his time with the Annihilators.

What If...Galactus Transformed Moon Knight #1 is on sale now from Marvel Comics!