| “ | All that you know, is at an end. | „ |
| ~ Silver Surfer |
Norrin Radd, also known as the Silver Surfer, is the titular deuteragonist of the 2007 Marvel superhero film Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, the second and final installment in Tim Story's Fantastic Four film series. He is a humanoid alien with metallic skin who serves the cosmic entity Galactus in destroying planets to save his homeworld.
He was portrayed by Doug Jones and voiced by Laurence Fishburne, who also played Jimmy Jump in King of New York, Thrax in Osmosis Jones, Baines in Armored, Omar in Ride Along, Sade in Standoff and Bill Foster in Ant-Man and the Wasp.
Biography[]
One day, Galactus, a massive eldritch entity that feeds on worlds, reached a planet, prepare to consume it. However, one of the planet's people named Norrin Radd offered his servitude as his herald in exchange for his planet and loved ones' safety. Galactus granted Radd cosmic powers, transforming him into the Silver Surfer. With his new abilities. Radd helped Galactus seek out planets for to devour. He would go weeks ahead of Galactus to prepare for the planet's destruction by drilling holes to it's cores.
The Silver Surfer later found Earth and began preparing it for Galactus. As he enters Earth's atmosphere, his cosmic powers causes massive, molecular fluctuations and causes deep craters at locations across the Earth. He approaches New York City where the Fantastic Four pursue him. Once Johnny the Human Torch confronts the Surfer, he drags Johnny into the upper atmosphere and drops him back toward Earth. The surfer then summons his master to come eat the planet.
The Surfer's movements around the globe bring him past Latveria, where the cosmic energy frees Victor von Doom from his metal statue. Doom traces the Surfer to the Arctic, making him an offer to join forces. But the Surfer refuses, causing Doom to attack him. The Surfer blasts him through the ice and the cosmic energy of the blast heals Doom's body.
Eventually, the superheroes and government realizes that the Surfer is going to be at the Black Forst in Germany. Learning that the Surfer's board is the source of his power, the group creates a pulse generator that will separate him from the board. While setting up the device, Sue is confronted by the Surfer, during which he reveals his status as the servant to the destroyer of worlds. The military shoots on the Surfer, which distracts him and allows the four to fire the pulse, separating the Surfer from his board.
The military imprisons the Surfer in Siberia and forbids the Fantastic Four from interacting with him, while they interogate him for information. Sue sneaks into the surfer’s cell and learns more about the Surfer. He tells her about his master was known by the people of his world as Galactus, who must feed on life-bearing planets to survive. He also says his board is a beacon, which summons Galactus.
Doom steals the board from the compound and the Fantastic Four pursue him with the help of the Surfer. In Shanghai, where the battle begins, Sue gets mortally wounded and he heals her. They eventually get Doom of the board, but Galactus has already arrived. The Surfer regains the control of his board, restores his power. He flies into Galactus and implodes, apparently destroying himself and Galactus.
Later, the Surfer's motionless body is seen drifting through space. His eyes open, with the board following close by before quickly returning to the Surfer, implying that he and Galactus survived.
Gallery[]
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Trivia[]
- In the comics, Norrin Radd agrees to be Galactus' herald in return for the safety of his home-world, Zenn-La, and the woman he loved, Shalla-Bal.
- In the comics, Silver Surfer forms a friendship with Alicia Masters.
- His leitmotif was written to be more dark, psychological and introspective compared to the Fantastic Four’s leitmotif to reflect his mysterious background.
- He originally had less screentime before the filmmakers realized that he was enlarged in the poster.
- Doug Jones was originally going to provide the Surfer’s voice as well as acting but his voice was dubbed over by Laurence Fishburne.
- The scene where he defeats Galactus was made during post production.
- He was originally going to say “Come to me, my board” but was cut for being too obvious.
- In an earlier draft of Don Payne’s script, the Surfer would have flown to Mexico and the rain turns into chunks of gold.
- One of the filmmakers’ biggest challenges is picking on how the Surfer would look like. They eventually picked a mirror design.
- Weta was hired to provide his visual effects because Tim Story and Fox enjoyed their work for Gollum, King Kong and I, Robot.
