Marvel has officially revealed the shocking identity of its newSilver Surfer.For 60 years, the Silver Surfer has traversed the Marvel Universe, righting wrongs and defending the helpless. Yet now,his journey is seemingly coming to an end, but a new Silver Surfer emerges inDeath of the Silver Surfer#5.
Marvel released solicitations for its October-shipping titles, includingDeath of the Silver Surfer#5, which will be written by Grek Pak and drawn by Sumit Kumar. Marvel’s solicitation reads:
• The Silver Surfer is dead.
• Long live the Silver Surfer.
Marvel also shared a first look at Dike Ruan’s cover, which features a woman version of the Surfer, who seemingly matches the appearance of Kelly Koh, a new person in the Surfer’s life.
The Silver Surfer’s Long and Strange Trip Through the Marvel Universe is Coming to an End
The Silver Surfer’s Debut Was a High Point of Comics' Silver Age
The Marvel Age of Comics was in full swing when the Silver Surfer made his debut, and his arrival signaled the publisher was here for the long haul. Marvel prided itself on its iconoclastic approach to superheroes, and the Silver Surfer may have embodied this aesthetic better than any other characters that sprung from Stan and Jack’s fertile imaginations.
Marvel prided itself on its iconoclastic approach to superheroes, and the Silver Surfer may have embodied this aesthetic better than any other characters that sprung from Stan and Jack’s fertile imaginations.
The Silver Surfer’s arc throughout Marvel history is one of the publisher’s best. Beginning as a herald of the planet-eater Galactus, the Surfer was later exiled to Earth for a while because he questioned his master. Living among people, the Surfer rediscovered his humanity, becoming one of the planet’s greatest heroes.
Now, the Surfer’s long ride is coming to an end inDeath of the Silver Surfer,but the book also sets up the character’s bright future. 60 years after making his debut, Norrin Radd might finally have a chance at peace, but it appears to have a high price: his life.
Marvel Is Introducing a New Silver Surfer, But How Do They Get The Power?
And Will the New Silver Surfer Live Up to Norrin Radd’s Legacy?
The Silver Surfer is too great a character to go to waste, however, and Marvel realizes this, bringing in a new and exciting version to take Norrin Radd’s place. Kelly Koh, introduced inDeath of the Silver Surfer,is an anti-alien government agent who is tasked with stopping the Surfer.
Marvel has not revealed exactly how Koh will presumably become the new Silver Surfer, or if she will even take the name, but Ruan’s cover makes a strong case that it will be her. The character on Ruan’s cover looks a lot like Kelly Koh, matching her hair and build. The only difference is she is covered in all silver.
The New Silver Surfer Is Sure to Stir Up Controversy
The MCU Is About to Debut a Similar Silver Surfer
It is worth noting that therise of a new female Silver Surfercomes right as a similar character debuts inFantastic Four: First Steps.Recasting the Surfer as a woman drew ire from a segment of fans, but Marvel defended the move by stating the film was set in an “alternate universe,” one with a female Silver Surfer.
Kelly Koh’s transformation into the next Silver Surfer is another example of comics bringing themselves in line with the movies, another controversial practice. Only time will tell if the new femaleSilver Surferwill transcend the legacy of her predecessor, Norrin Radd, and blaze her own path across the Marvel Universe.
Death of the Silver Surfer#5 is on sale this October from Marvel Comics!
