The Silver Surfer
The Silver Surfer is a notable character from Marvel Comics, originally introduced as the herald of Galactus, a cosmic entity that consumes planets to survive. This character, once a young astronomer named Norrin Radd from the planet Zenn-La, sacrificed his own happiness to save his home world by serving Galactus. The graphic novel titled *The Silver Surfer*, published in 1978, is recognized as one of the earliest stand-alone graphic novels. It reimagines the classic Galactus Trilogy story from *Fantastic Four* and is the final collaboration between creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
In this narrative, the Silver Surfer grapples with his role as a harbinger of destruction while developing a profound affection for humanity. He defies Galactus after realizing Earth's potential, leading to his imprisonment and a journey of self-discovery amid themes of free will, sacrifice, and the duality of human nature. The novel is also accompanied by striking illustrations from Kirby, which highlight both the cosmic scale of the story and the emotional struggles of its characters. Overall, *The Silver Surfer* serves as a poignant exploration of sacrifice and the quest for meaning within a vast universe.
The Silver Surfer
AUTHOR: Lee, Stan
ARTIST: Jack Kirby (illustrator); Joe Sinnott (inker); John Costanza (letterer); Glynis Wein (colorist); Earl Norem (cover artist)
PUBLISHER: Marvel Comics; Simon & Schuster
FIRST BOOK PUBLICATION: 1978
Publication History
One of the earliest stand-alone graphic novels, The Silver Surfer, often subtitled The Ultimate Cosmic Experience, was published by Marvel Comics in conjunction with Simon & Schuster in 1978. It was part of a series of graphic novels known as the Fireside Books, which reprinted various Marvel Comics stories in color. Other examples include Origins of Marvel Comics (1974) and Son of Origins of Marvel Comics (1975). These volumes made classic Marvel superhero tales available and affordable, as in many cases the original comics were already selling for collectors’ prices.
As a graphic novel, The Silver Surfer is unique in that it contains no reprinted material. It is also notable for being the last collaborative effort of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. It was published in 1978 in both hardback and paperback formats, then reissued in 1995 as a limited hardcover run of 750 copies, each with a certificate of authenticity and special embossed silver binding. It was reissued again in 1997, this time as a paperback, with new cover artwork by Comicraft’s John Roshell.
Plot
The Silver Surfer is a reimagining of the groundbreaking Galactus Trilogy story line, originally published in Fantastic Four, issues 48-50 (1966), also by Kirby and Lee. The title character is the herald of the all-powerful Galactus, a godlike being who feeds off the energy of planets to survive. The Silver Surfer’s job as herald is to find planets teeming with enough energy to satiate Galactus’s hunger. Once a young astronomer named Norrin Radd, the Surfer had struck a bargain with Galactus to save his own world, promising to become Galactus’s herald if his home planet of Zenn-La was spared. Radd gave up his life, his happiness, and his first love, Shalla-Bal, in order to find worlds for Galactus to eat.
The Surfer comes across Earth and finds it suitable for Galactus, but something about the inhabitants of the planet touches a chord within his conscience. He tries to talk Galactus out of eating Earth, arguing that humans have sentience and great potential. Galactus, who sees humans as nothing more than ants, is appalled that his herald would dare question him. The Surfer rebels and even tries to use his “power cosmic” against his creator. As punishment, Galactus imprisons the Surfer on Earth, preventing him from roaming the Galaxy.
Once on Earth, the Silver Surfer tries to fit in at first by changing his appearance to that of an ordinary human being. He finds people’s use of money and other trinkets to be odd, and wants to learn their customs and ways. Although the Surfer believes that humanity has great potential, he encounters only suspicion and violence, and eventually gives up his disguise.
Meanwhile, Galactus is upset that he cannot bend the Surfer to his will. Having believed himself to be above petty emotion, he soon finds that having emotions is not a pleasant experience, but he cannot dismiss the Surfer’s betrayal. With the help of his creation, the Master of Guile, he begins to devise a plan to bring the Surfer back into service. They create Ardina in order to set a trap for the Surfer.
The first time the Surfer sees Ardina, he is smitten. She shows him the freedom of wandering the universe, which he had forsaken to save the human race. While moved, the Silver Surfer still cannot ignore the fact that Galactus would destroy billions of people. Ardina shows the Surfer the worst that humanity has to offer, including war, cruelty, and mental illness. This does not change his conviction that humanity is worth saving.
The Master of Guile tries to convince Galactus to follow his baser instincts and simply kill the Silver Surfer. Galactus is appalled by the emotional response he experiences at the Master of Guile’s suggestion and destroys him. Meanwhile, the Silver Surfer and Ardina find themselves in the backyard of Sam and Beth Kemperer, who invite them into the house. While Ardina and the Surfer explain the gravity of the threat facing Earth, the Kemperers show the aliens kindness and hospitality, despite knowing just how much danger they and the rest of the humanity are in.
Ardina continues to try to persuade the Silver Surfer to go back to Galactus and give up his quest to save Earth. He tries to break through Galactus’s barrier beyond Earth into space, but he cannot. Galactus brings Ardina back to his ship and realizes that she has failed in her mission. She also admits that she has fallen in love with the Silver Surfer. Galactus, puzzled by the concept of love, gives Ardina one more chance to persuade the Surfer of the futility of defying his will.
Back on Earth, the Surfer is again met with suspicion and violence. The various military troops with which he comes into contact all want to take him prisoner or use him as a weapon for their own gain. He nearly gets drained of his powers by members of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), who want to capture him before the KGB does, but Ardina intervenes.
In one last act of love, Ardina transports the Surfer to safety. He tries to persuade her that she has free will even though Galactus created her. This is to no avail, however, and Galactus destroys Ardina in front of him. While the Silver Surfer is heartbroken, this act of destruction does not break his will; when Galactus asks him again to abandon his quest to save the Earth, he refuses to give in and asks to be put to death. Finally, Galactus says that if the Surfer decides to serve him again, he will spare Earth. The story ends with the Surfer flying into Galactus’s palm, which then closes upon him.
Characters
•The Silver Surfer, a.k.a. Norrin Radd, is the herald of Galactus. His purpose is to surf the universe to find planets on which Galactus can feed. An extremely powerful being, he is virtually indestructible, having been bestowed by his maker with the power cosmic. Once known as Norrin Radd, he sacrificed himself to become Galactus’s herald to save his own world, Zenn-La, from destruction.
•Galactus is the Silver Surfer’s master, an all-powerful being of godlike proportions who needs the life essence of planets to survive. After he feeds on a planet, only a barren husk is left.
•Ardina is the female creation of Galactus, designed to break the Surfer’s heart and persuade him to serve Galactus once more. Instead, she falls in the love with the Silver Surfer, and he falls in love with her as well.
•The Master of Guile is created from the darkest part of Galactus’s own psyche. He shows Galactus various ways in which he can bend the Surfer to his will. Ultimately, Galactus is disgusted with his creation and destroys him.
•Sam and Beth Kemperer are a couple who befriend the Silver Surfer and Ardina. Their purpose in the story is to demonstrate that not all of humanity is destructive or suspicious of those who are different.
Artistic Style
The book was illustrated by Kirby, perhaps the most famous comic book artist in history, also known as the “King of Comics.” He co-created some of the most famous characters in sequential art, including Captain America, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men. Kirby’s work is known for its detail and unique stylistic elements. While much of the artwork does not have the majesty or detail of some of Kirby’s other work, such as Tales of Asgard (1960’s), The Eternals (1970’s), and New Gods (1970’s), there are moments of glimmering brilliance. In particular, the panels portraying Galactus’s ship and the cosmic universe are breathtaking.
The artwork is enhanced by Joe Sinnot’s inks and Glynis Wein’s colors, which add to Kirby’s already fine detail. Ardina’s golden hues contrast nicely with the Silver Surfer. Kirby does a good job of showing the Silver Surfer’s emotional turmoil and pain, providing an effective counterpoint to Galactus’s impassive mask. Some full-page spreads showcase Kirby’s airy and detailed style, such as the opening sequence art of the Silver Surfer and Galactus, which draws the reader in by illustrating the majestic power of Galactus and the grace of the Surfer. It also evinces the brilliance of the coloring, while later, the Master of Guile’s dark hues indicate the darkness of his creator’s mind. The images have a sharper contrast than previous and later artistic renditions of the character, particularly in the shading, but artist John Buscema’s work on the 1968 Silver Surfer comics series still stands as the more emotional of the two portrayals. Nevertheless, as the last collaboration of Kirby and Lee, The Silver Surfer is a fine testament to the power of their creative partnership.
Themes
The Silver Surfer graphic novel asks serious questions about free will and the right to exercise it, as well as the value of humanity and its potential to move beyond violence and suspicion. Like Lee and Kirby’s work on The X-Men, The Silver Surfer brings into focus questions of prejudice and racism, in this case against an alien being. However, there are glimmers of hope within the human race, which is what the Silver Surfer sees and what he fights for. Sam and Beth Kemperer represent the positive side of humanity, accepting the Surfer and wanting to learn more about his world.
The graphic novel is also an allegory about slavery and the right to choose one’s own destiny. The Silver Surfer, Ardina, and the Master of Guile are all slaves created by Galactus to serve him without question. Only the Master of Guile truly fulfills this purpose, but Galactus is disgusted by his suggestions and destroys him. Despite being an entity who is supposed to be above emotion, Galactus is upset that the Silver Surfer refuses to bend to his will, and this feeling is a new and unpleasant experience for him.
The other major theme is sacrifice. The Silver Surfer is a Christlike character who is willing to give up his life for the sake of others. Even though he seems to be hounded by hatred and violence, he gives of himself freely, believing in the potential for greatness within humanity.
Impact
The Silver Surfer was a milestone in graphic novel publishing when it appeared in 1978. It was one of the first all-original graphic novels, a self-contained story with no reprinted material, and is now considered the template for publishing original material in book form. Marvel Comics and other publishers, including DC Comics, would go on to publish many original graphic novels during the 1980’s and 1990’s.
Lee published a number of other stand-alone graphic novels that centered on the Silver Surfer, including Silver Surfer: Judgment Day (1988), for which he teamed up with artist Buscema; Silver Surfer: Parable (1988), with French artist Moebius; and Marvel Comics Presents the Enslavers (also known as Silver Surfer: The Enslavers, 1990) with Keith Pollard.
Films
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Directed by Tim Story. Twentieth Century Fox, 2007. While there is no film adaptation of The Silver Surfer: The Ultimate Cosmic Experience, this film contains elements of the Silver Surfer’s comic book story line, including the famous Galactus Trilogy from the Fantastic Four comics. However, the film did little to stay true to any of the graphic novel or comic book stories.
Television Series
Fantastic Four. Directed by Tom Tataranowicz. Marvel Entertainment/Saban Entertainment, 1994-1996. This animated Fox series included the two-part episode “The Silver Surfer and the Coming of Galactus,” which adapted the Galactus Trilogy from the comics.
Silver Surfer. Directed by Tony Pastor, Jr. Marvel Enterprises, 1998-1999. This thirteen-episode series aired on Fox in 1998. Known for its excellent animation and storytelling, it incorporated none of the comic’s stories except that of the Surfer’s origin.
Further Reading
Lee, Stan. The First Startling Saga of the Silver Surfer: The Coming of Galactus (1992).
‗‗‗‗‗‗‗. Silver Surfer: Judgment Day (1988).
Lee, Stan, and John Buscema. The Silver Surfer Omnibus, Volume 1 (2007).
Lee, Stan, Paul Jenkins, and Jacob Chabot. Stan Lee Meets the Silver Surfer (2007).
Lee, Stan, and Moebius. Silver Surfer: Parable (1988).
Starlin, Jim. The Silver Surfer: Rebirth of Thanos (2006).
Bibliography
Gabilliet, Jean-Paul. “Cultural and Mythical Aspects of a Superhero: The Silver Surfer, 1968-1970.” Journal of Popular Culture 28, no. 2 (Fall, 1994): 203-213.
Hatfield, Charles. “The Galactus Trilogy: An Appreciation.” In Collected Jack Kirby Collector, edited by John Morrow. Volume 1. Raleigh, N.C.: Two-Morrows, 2004.
Oropeza, B. J. “The God-Man Revisited: Christology Through the Blank Eyes of the Silver Surfer.” In The Gospel According to Superheroes: Religion and Popular Culture, edited by B. J. Oropeza. New York: Peter Lang, 2005.
Van Hise, James, and Hal Schuster. Silver Surfer: An Analysis of Issues 1-9. Canoga Park, Calif.: Psi Fi Press, 1987.
Weiner, Robert G. An Annotated Guide to Comics, Prose Novels, Children’s Books, Articles, Criticism, and Reference Works, 1965-2005. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2008.