Who Is Silver Surfer? The Official Marvel Guide

Comics

Norrin Radd's life began on Zenn-La, a planet known for its utopian qualities. Though Norrin fell in love with Shalla-Bal, he craved adventures in a world with no place for them. That all changed when Galactus showed up, looking to feast on the planet. In an effort to save his people, Radd offered himself up as a bargaining chip. He would serve as Galactus' Herald if Zenn-La would be spared. The Devourer agreed to the deal, transforming Radd into the Silver Surfer by imbuing him with the Power Cosmic. The Silver Surfer was still serving his master when he made his debut in FANTASTIC FOUR (1961) #48-50. During that classic story, the Sentinel of the Spaceways came upon Earth and considered it an excellent source of nutrients for the big guy. After signaling Galactus, Silver Surfer got sucker punched by the Thing and fell into the apartment of Alicia Masters. Through her, he experienced the goodness of humanity and later attempted to convince Galactus they should leave the planet unharmed. When master would not listen, servant lashed out, severing their tie for a long time.