| “ | I am not a god. I have never created life... but I have lived. That is enough. So I will fight to preserve that same opportunity -- to love, to dream, to soar among the stars -- for all those yet to come. Many lives will be lost in the battle ahead -- but their efforts will ensure that some remain to remember their deeds. And, like the gods, they will truly live forever... even after they are gone. | „ |
| ~ The Silver Surfer. |
| “ | No matter what my fate, I face it without qualm! For I have learned from the humans how glorious it can be to have a cause worth dying for. | „ |
| ~ Silver Surfer. |
The Silver Surfer (real name Norrin Radd) is a fictional character and superhero from the Marvel Comics universe, being a major supporting character in the Fantastic Four franchise and the titular main protagonist of the Silver Surfer comics.
He was a resident of the planet Zenn-La until he chose to become the former Herald of Galactus, who tasked him with finding planets to devour to maintain his energy. The Surfer rebelled against his master in order to protect Earth - as punishment he was stripped of his title as Herald but kept his cosmic powers, which he now uses them to fight against powerful villains from across the universe. Since his debut as a hero of the Marvel universe, he is an ally of the Fantastic Four, and has been a member of the Defenders, the Annihilators, Titans Three, Secret Defenders, and the God Squad.
He was created by the late Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Fantastic Four # 48 in March of 1966.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Norrin is the son of Jartran and Elmar Radd, and was born on the planet Zenn-La, which held people who were advanced humanoid that had advanced technology. Norrin was named after a revered scientist named Norrin Konn, who was responsible for raising Zenn-La from his barbarism, to its advanced utopia.
Elmar killed herself due to being ill-suited to the stifling environment, but Jartran continued to raise Norrin as a intellectual youth, and encouraged him to seek knowledge and to advance. Despite this, Jartran would later commit suicide after being accused of idea theft, but he had another lover and fathered a son named Fennan. Norrin would grow up into a relentless person, who longed for challenge and struggle, and studied for the ancient past.
Becoming the Surfer[]
His life changed forever when Galactus invaded Zenn-La, and intended to consume the planet until Norrin offered to become his herald. Galactus agreed, transforming Norrin into the Silver Surfer, and became his servant to seek out new worlds for him to sate his hunger.
Radd served Galactus for decades (most likely 100 years), and enjoyed exploring the universe despite aiding a cosmic being to destroy planets. The destruction of the first inhabited planet nearly drove the Surfer mad, but Galactus altered his mind, submerging his emotions, and suppressing his past memories. As a result, Radd became more willing to lead Galactus to worlds, coming across Massikron, Elynore-143, Draven-Barr, and eventually Earth.
During his service of Galactus, Silver Surfer encountered the planet Klyntar, and was attacked by the planets inhabitants - symbiotes. The symbiotes attempted to imprison the herald, but he managed to break free and escape, and later sacrificed the world Joot, which was conquered by the symbiote Imperium. As a result of leading Galactus to the conquered world, the symbiotes garnered hatred for the Silver Surfer.
Going to Earth[]
The Silver Surfer located Earth for Galactus despite Uatu the Watcher attempting to ward him off, and caused widespread panic and fought the Fantastic Four. During his time on Earth, the Surfer met Alicia Masters, who pleaded with him to spare humanity from his master. The Surfer eventually turned on Galactus due to his emotions stirring up due to Alicia, and fought him long enough for the Fantastic Four and Uatu to secure the Ultimate Nullifier. After losing the nullifier, Galactus was forced to withdraw; however, he punished the Surfer by trapping him on Earth.
Unable to leave the planet due to a cosmic barrier created by Galactus, the Surfer became a wanderer. After having a skirmish with the Thing over Alicia, the Surfer befriended Doctor Doom. However, he was betrayed by the villain, who imprisoned the Surfer and stole his cosmic power for himself. The Surfer eventually got his powers back after Doctor Doom collided with Galactus' barrier, and continued his journey to understand humanity. He became increasingly pessimistic about humanity, and tried to befriend the Hulk, but was driven away by the monster's anger. Next, the Surfer gave the Mad Thinker's computer, Quadimodo, a humanoid form out of a pity. However, he was forced to petrify his creation after it proved to be criminally insane, much to his sadness.
Convinced that humanity was a savage race, the Surfer decided to attack them until he was stopped by the United States Military. The military struck him down with a draining "Sonic Shark" missile based on technology developed by Reed Richards, and the Surfer humbled himself and continued to wander. The Surfer was shown the errors of his ways by the Fantastic Four, and they helped him resist attempts by Galactus to regain his services.
The Silver Surfer also battled Badoon, Loki, Mephisto, Doomsday Man, Yarro Gort, Warlock Prime, the Abomination, and the Flying Dutchman. In addition, the Surfer would reunite with Shalla-Bal, who was used as an unwilling pawn by Mephisto and Yarro Gort, and the two would always be separated. During this time, Psycho-Man influenced the Surfer's aggression, causing him to battle Spider-Man, Human Torch, S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Inhumans. However, when Doctor Doom temporarily usurped Galactus' powers, the Surfer helped the heroes defeat him.
The Defenders[]
Silver Surfer co-founded the Titans Three with Namor the Sub-Mariner and the Hulk to save the world from dangerous weather technology, but it would disband when Hulk and Namor joined the Defenders with the Doctor Strange. The Surfer was invited to join the group, but he couldn't since he was recovering from being harmed by the Galactus' barrier.
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers[]
The Power Cosmic: The Silver Surfer possesses the Power Cosmic, which is the core from which his other abilities manifest from. This power was granted to him by Galactus, and amplified during Annihilation.
- Energy Manipulation: The absorption of electromagnetic energy is the base of the Surfer's life and power. The Surfer has complete control of the four fundamental forces of the universe, reaching nearly any effect he desires. As a result, the Surfer can absorb, manipulate and discharge energy blasts of the entire electromagnetic spectrum at incredible levels surpassing Nova with the Nova Force and Quasar, and with sufficient destructive force to destroy planets. Currently, at maximum, his beams are capable of almost killing Ravenous, equaling Thanos, and hurting Thor in Asgardian armor. Additional abilities include erecting force fields, phasing through solid matter, trans dimensional travel, bestowing limited cosmic powers to others, telepathically reading minds, casting illusions, and empathically influencing human emotion and sensation. The Surfer also possesses the ability to suppress or absorb the powers of other mutants/beings, making them temporarily or permanently unable to use them, like he did once with the Hulk. He can heal living beings, even if they are near-death. He cannot, however, raise the dead.
- Matter Manipulation: The Silver Surfer can rearrange matter to create other objects of importance by rearranging molecules. He can also change the state of matter, such as changing solids into gas. Transmutation helps the Surfer escape traps and prisons, and can also be used to make an enemy's weapons inactive.
- Godlike Strength: The Surfer possesses enormous superhuman strength. Though the exact magnitude remains vague, he has often been shown to fight evenly with people who can lift far in excess of 1000 tons. He can also use the Power Cosmic to increase his strength to huge levels.
- Invulnerability: The Silver Surfer's silvery "skin" was designed to easily withstand the rigors of deep-space travel, and thus far, it has proven to be virtually indestructible. Among things that include simple blunt force, like withstanding a punch from She-Hulk without flinching back when the She-Hulk's power level was still just class 75, and not far above class 100 as it is today. The Silver Surfer can withstand even the most extreme conditions, like the crushing pressures of a black hole. He is not bothered by the friction associated with atmospheric re-entry, and has withstood plunges into stars and supernovas unharmed. He also routinely weathers the stresses associated with high-speed travel through space and hyperspace.
- Flight Speed: Prior to his upgrade, the Silver Surfer was one of the fastest beings in the universe, but was greatly outmatched by the Runner of the Elders of the Universe. Currently, he is faster than Beta Ray Bill and Nova. The Silver Surfer can travel at speeds faster than light. He can enter the Hyperspace when he exceeds the speed of light, although he is also able to accelerate and achieve faster than light speeds without accessing hyperspace (since he was deprived from his space-time travelling powers, and to enter hyperspace does not automatically cause time travel). Finally, his mind and body can be used at these speeds as well, making the Surfer extremely reactive and agile.
- Cosmic Senses: The Silver Surfer has certain cosmic-energy enhanced perceptions which enable him, through concentration, to become aware of the patterns of energy anywhere in the world. These abilities allow him far-ranging vision (in space he can see people clearly over a light year away), the ability to see sub-atomic particles, superhuman hearing, the ability to detect fields, traces, and concentrations of pure forms of energy and discern their natures.
Quotes[]
| “ | The Ravenous creature has surpassed the limits of my indulgence. Let his downfall serve as warning. Galactus is and ever will be. | „ |
| ~ Silver Surfer. |
| “ | The Silver Surfer will fight with his friends! | „ |
| ~ Silver Surfer helping the Defenders. |
| “ | Perhaps for the first time within memory... I have found something... something worth protecting! | „ |
| ~ Silver Surfer. |
| “ | No matter what my fate, I face it without qualm! For I have learned from the humans how glorious it can be to have a cause worth dying for! | „ |
| ~ Silver Surfer. |
| “ | Master? Galactus had been my master! You -- are but -- a flea! | „ |
| ~ Silver Surfer to Doctor Doom. |
| “ | For the longest time, I was only going to places I had been before. Kree space. The Negative Zone. The Milky Way. Thanks to you, I have ventured into new frontiers again. I have traveled so far in your company, sometimes it is hard to imagine the person I was before I met you. | „ |
| ~ Silver Surfer to Dawn Greenwood. |
In other Media[]
Film[]
- Silver Surfer appears as a titular protagonist in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, in which he was portrayed by Doug Jones (who also played The Faun in Pan's Labyrinth, Abe Sapien in the Hellboy films and The Asset in The Shape of Water), and voiced by Laurence Fishburne (who also portrayed Morpheus in The Matrix trilogy and the Bowery King in the John Wick films).
Television[]
- In the 1960s Fantastic Four animated series, he was voiced by the late Vic Perrin.
- In the 1990s Fantastic Four animated series, he was voiced by the late Robin Sachs in the first season, then Edward Albert.
- In the 1998 Silver Surfer animated series, he was voiced by Paul Essiembre.
- In The Super Hero Squad Show, he was voiced by Mikey Kelley.
- Kelly also voiced the character in Marvel Super Hero Squad: The Video Game and Marvel Super Hero Squad Online.
- In Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H., he was voiced by Brent Spiner.
Video Games[]
- In Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, he was voiced by Chris Cox, who also voiced Captain Atom in the DC Animated Universe, James Sullivan in Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault, James Gordon in Batman: Assault on Arkham, Hawkeye in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, and The Terminator in Mortal Kombat 11.
- In Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer video game, he was voiced by Brian Bloom, who also voiced Adam "Kane" Marcus in the Kane & Lynch video games, Matt Horner in the StarCraft series, Yuri in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Keegan Russ in Call of Duty: Ghosts, Nick Reyes in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, and William "B.J." Blazkowicz in MachineGames Wolfenstein series.
- In Lego Marvel Super Heroes, he was voiced by James Arnold Taylor, who voiced Obi-Wan Kenobi and Plo Koon in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels, Johnny Test in the titular series, and Ratchet in the Ratchet & Clank series.
Gallery[]
Images[]
Videos[]
Trivia[]
- Ranked 41st on IGN's "Top 100 Comic Heroes" list in 2011.
- Ranked 47th greatest comic book character of all time by Wizard magazine.
- He was considered by the Galadorian Spaceknight Ikon to be an Alpha Plus, and the Nova Corps consider him to be a potential universal-level threat.
- He didn't participate in the Civil War due to him fighting in the Annihilation Wave.
- Silver Surfer appeared in Episode 179 of the Popular Webseries Death Battle where he Fought against DC Comics Martian Manhunter, and won.
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