The Surfer Must Kill! Mephisto has given the Silver Surfer an ultimatum: Destroy SHIELD, or lose Shalla-Bal forever. Knowing that Mephisto has hidden Shalla-Bal somewhere on Earth, the Surfer searches the Earth to try and find her, a search which turns up empty. Meanwhile, Mephisto secretly replaces a secretary at SHIELD with Shalla-Bal in the hopes that the Surfer will kill her along with the rest of SHIELD.
The Surfer, knowing that he has no other choice, travels to SHIELD headquarters and attacks, resolving to only destroy the SHIELD base and not take any lives. Meanwhile, SHIELD has been given Z-Gas, by Tony Stark, as a means of counter attacking the Surfer. When the Surfer refuses to kill any SHIELD agents, they are able to defeat him with the Z-Gas and lock him up in a cell.
Mephisto appears and shows the Surfer that he had Shalla-Bal there all the time, realizing that Mephisto had planned on making him kill his beloved, the Surfer believes that Mephisto had violated their agreement. The Surfer breaks loose and attacks Mephisto, who sends Shalla-Bal back to Zenn-La. After a brief battle with the Surfer, Mephisto makes his retreat, and the Surfer makes his escape as he is doused with more Z-Gas. Although he escapes outside of Earth's atmosphere, the Surfer eventually falls victim to the gas and crashes in the Hidden Land of the Inhumans.
