The Silver Surfer made an impact on the MCU last year, and now they are returning in a breathtaking new series. An integral character in The Fantastic Four mythos, the Silver Surfer has become a Marvel icon in their own right. Generations of fans have been drawn to the Surfer’s mix of trippy visuals and heavy philosophical themes.
There have been attempts to bring the Silver Surfer to life outside the comics medium, after being featured in numerous solo books. He starred in a cartoon airing on Fox Kids in the late 1990s. Firmly set in the cosmic side of the Marvel Universe, the cartoon helped introduce the Surfer to a wider audience. Then, in 2007, 20th Century Fox released Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer. A sequel to 2005’s The Fantastic Four, the film was a critical and commercial bomb at the box office.
Finally, The Fantastic Four made their MCU debut in last year’s First Steps. Once again, the Surfer factored into the movie, but this time Marvel gender-flipped the character, instead making Shalla Bal, the lover of the original Silver Surfer, the new herald of Galactus. This move was met with controversy by fans, but it is important to note First Steps was set in an alternate universe. Regardless, she left a big impression, and now she is returning in a new book, and ScreenRant is pleased to bring fans an exclusive first look.
Fans Will Get to Learn More About the MCU’s Silver Surfer in a New One-Shot
First Foes Shows Off Shalla Bal’s Awesome Powers
As previously reported here on ScreenRant and other comic book news outlets, The Fantastic Four: First Foes: Shalla Bal #1, written by Charles Soule and drawn by Mark Buckingham, will dive into the background of this incarnation of the Silver Surfer. Marvel’s solicitation for the book reads as follows:
THE ORIGINS OF SHALLA-BAL! Years ago, in order to save her planet, astronomer Shalla-Bal gave up her freedom to become the sustenance-seeking Herald of the intergalactic Devourer of Worlds, Galactus ! Now, for the first time, learn the secrets of her transformation, her journey and the horrifying decisions that she had to make!
As with other First Foes books, Shalla Bal is set on Earth-828, where First Steps took place.
Marvel has provided ScreenRant with exclusive, unlettered preview pages, shared here. Although the pages do not provide a precise context, Buckingham’s art nails the mixture of power and empathy the Silver Surfer embodied in First Steps. In the first two pages, the Surfer seemingly makes a connection with a young woman on a distant planet, while in the final set, she unveils her awesome powers on an alien race, who are presumably set to be devoured by Galactus.
The Fantastic Four’s MCU Debut Was a Long Time Coming
Fans had clamored for The Fantastic Four to join the MCU for years, after a series of duds and missteps at 20th Century Fox. Many felt the Fox films, while managing to convey the family dynamic of the team, lacked the grandeur and scope worthy of The Fantastic Four. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby rewrote the rules of superhero comics during their 1960s run on The Fantastic Four, yet the movies failed to get that across to audiences.
Stan Lee and Jack Kirby rewrote the rules of superhero comics during their 1960s run on The Fantastic Four, yet the movies failed to get that across to audiences.
Likewise, fans were let down by the villains of the Fox Fantastic Four films. Doctor Doom, arguably the greatest villain in comic history, was underwhelming, and a joke compared to the source material. Rise of the Silver Surfer failed to communicate the sheer power and menace of Galactus, instead leaning into the 2000s Ultimate Universe version. The Silver Surfer was perhaps the highlight of the film, but he was unable to salvage it.
The Silver Surfer’s MCU Return is a Cause for Celebration
The MCU took a major creative swing gender-flipping the Silver Surfer, and it paid off in First Steps. The Surfer is one of Marvel’s most complex and layered characters: he possesses god-like powers and an inquisitive nature. The Silver Surfer fights a constant battle with guilt and regret. In the comics, he nurses a broken heart, lamenting he cannot be with Shall Bal. The MCU version captured a great deal of this nuance, making her the best film version of the Surfer yet.
Yet the MCU’s Silver Surfer remains an enigma, with a backstory just begging to be explored, and writer Charles Soule and artist Mark Buckingham are taking fans on a trip into her past, exploring the motivations that led her to betray Galactus in First Steps There is no word on whether this incarnation of the Silver Surfer will return in future MCU outings, making this one-shot all the more imperative for fans.
Fantastic Four: First Foes: Shalla Bal #1 is on sale July 8 from Marvel Comics!