| For Jubilee, see Silver Surfer |
Shalla-Bal is a Zenn-Lavian who became the powerful herald of Galactus known as Silver Surfer in exchange for Zenn-La being spared from destruction. After delivering a warning of Galactus' arrival to the people of Earth, she and her master were met by the Fantastic Four, leading to the discovery that the infant Franklin Richards held the Power Cosmic and would be a worthy successor to Galactus. Silver Surfer was tasked with abducting Richards, though she got temporarily trapped in a neutron star in her first attempt, and in her second, she sabotaged the Fantastic Four's plan to use Teleportation Bridges to teleport Earth away from her master. She was ultimately swayed out of her objective by Human Torch, who appealed to her with the recordings of the many worlds she allowed Galactus to devour. In the Battle of New York, Silver Surfer betrayed Galactus by forcing him through a portal alongside herself, stranding them both at the edge of the universe.
Biography[]
Attack on Zenn-La[]
Shalla-Bal smiles at her daughter
- "So give up the child. If he was older, he would do it himself. Like I did."
- ―Silver Surfer to Johnny Storm[src]
Shalla-Bal was a scientist or astronomer from the planet Zenn-La. Shalla-Bal was walking across a beach with her daughter when Galactus' ship appeared, about to consume the planet. Shalla-Bal, desperate to save the planet and her daughter, offered herself to Galactus as a scout.
Shalla-Bal receives a surfboard and becomes the Silver Surfer
She walked to the rocky edge of the beach and a beam from Galactus' ship lifted Shalla-Bal into the air. The beam placed her upon a metal surfboard and her skin was coated by a shiny chrome-like material. Henceforth, she became known as the Silver Surfer. The inhabitants of Zenn-La were incredibly thankful for her sacrifice and sent messages in their native language across the stars, hoping to reach her.[1]
Heralding Galactus[]
Silver Surfer was given the job of scouting out planets for her master Galactus to consume. Among the planets she heralded were DA-773 and four other planets in the Proxima Delphi System, Saigas, and Polaris.[1]
Scouting Earth[]
Shalla-Bal announces that Earth is marked for death by Galactus
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After some time, Shalla-Bal arrived on the planet Earth, where she caused an atmospheric anomaly, alerting the Fantastic Four. She announced her arrival to the people of Earth in New York City. She was confronted by the Fantastic Four and asked whether they were the protectors of the planet. Shalla-Bal told the people of Earth to brace themselves as their world had been marked for death before leaving the planet. Before the Surfer could escape the atmosphere, Fantastic Four member Johnny Storm, chased after her and grabbed her board. Shalla-Bal said something to the Human Torch in her native language before leaving him at the edge of the Earth’s atmosphere.[1]
Visit of the Fantastic Four[]
Shalla-Bal leads the Fantastic Four to Galactus
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When the Fantastic Four discovered and travelled to Galactus' ship, Shalla-Bal was the one to meet them as they were sucked into the ship. She phased through the ship to tell them that they should not have come before telling them to follow her. Johnny Storm asked the meaning of what she had told him previously. She explained it translated to “Die with your own”. Johnny asked her a second question, whether the board was part of her body, and Shalla-Bal left before answering.[1]
Chasing the Four[]
Shalla-Bal in the Excelsior
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After the Fantastic Four refused Galactus’s offer to give up the child, he forced Sue to enter into labor unnaturally early. The Human Torch disconnected the feeding tubes of the world eater and Shalla-Bal chased after him before being smashed through the walls by Thing. While the Fantastic Four attempted to escape the ship, she attacked Grimm and Johnny before Sue temporarily held her in place, allowing the Four to escape. Shalla-Bal soon broke free of Storm's powers and reached her hand into Sue’s abdomen, attempting to grab the fetus, but the ship of the Four accelerated, leaving the Surfer behind. Moments later, Shalla-Bal caught up with the Four’s ship, Excelsior. Johnny Storm begun shooting at her with beams from the ship’s guns but due to the curvature of light in the wormhole they were in, the beams curved wildly, making it incredibly difficult for the beams to reach the Surfer. The Four tricked the Surfer into being sucked by a neutron star and the Four made their escape. Shalla-Bal returned to Galactus without the child and apologised to her master. Galactus reiterated his plan to take Storm's child for himself and Shalla-Bal breifly protested, not wishing to hunt a child. Galactus telekinetically lifted her and causes her physical anguish before letting go and ordering her to bring him the child.[1]
Preventing Earth's Escape[]
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Shalla-Bal reached Earth just as the Fantastic Four prepared to teleport the Earth to another solar system, delaying Galactus. During the initiation sequence, Silver Surfer begun destroying the teleportation structures. Surfing to the primary structure in New York, Shalla-Bal was confronted by Johnny Storm about the messages being sent from deep space by her species. Storm reminded Shalla-Bal of how she begun serving Galactus. He played audio recordings of the dying screams of citizens of planets Galactus had destroyed. These recordings overwhelmed Shalla-Bal and Storm listed off the names of the planets that she had caused the destruction of. Shalla-Bal, sobbing, surfed into the Atmosphere. Storm followed her and asked whether Galactus would take him, rather than Franklin. Shalla-Bal told that it would be advisable to give up the child, and if he was fully grown, he would choose to do it himself.[1]
Sacrifice[]
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Galactus arrived to Earth on-foot, as he wished to retrieve the Richards' child unharmed. The Four planned to lure him into the primary teleportation structure by using Franklin as bait. This plan failed, however, when Galactus discovered that the Child had been replaced by a dummy. Sue Storm, desperate to save Earth and her child, used her powers at a level never seen before, to force Galactus into the teleportation device. Galactus was able to narrowly escape. With very little time left until the bridge would close, Johnny Storm decided he would sacrifice himself to save the Earth. As Storm flew toward Galactus, he was hit out of the way by the Surfer, who sacrificed herself to stop Galactus. She used her full power to force Galactus into the bridge. The teleportation device's window closed and both Shalla-Bal and Galactus were trapped in the far-reaches of the universe with no way to return.[1]
Personality[]
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Shalla-Bal aka the Silver Surfer appears a cold and emotionless being albeit bearing no malice, cruelty, or spite when she arrives on Earth to forewarn the inhabitants that their end is nigh. She simply delivers a message while speaking with a subtle undertone of apology and the submission of accepting what she deems is inevitable, advising the people of Earth to do the same by suggesting they use what time they have left to make peace with what is coming.
The Surfer loyally serves Galactus because her service spares her own world from destruction, as she offered herself to the Devourer, to find and locate new worlds for him to consume, in exchange for the safety of her world, her people, and especially her daughter. Though she served faithfully, the Surfer does not take pleasure or pride in what she does, only the hollow self-assurance of preserving all she holds dear. As a result, Shalla-Bal has hardened herself, forced herself not to engage emotionally with other worlds or other beings in a vain and ultimately selfish attempt to ease her guilty conscience. This goes as far as attempting to obey her master's order to capture the Richards' unborn baby though she later briefly protests pursuing an innocent child only to be cowed back into obedience by Galactus. She even urges Johnny that they should give up the baby, stating if he was grown he'd make the same choice that she did.
However, upon hearing he messages from her people and being confronted by Johnny Storm, along with the dying screams of the inhabitants whose worlds were destroyed because she found them for Galactus, Shalla-Bal can endure her guilt no longer and ultimately sacrifices herself to stop Galactus from taking another innocent world.
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers[]
- Power Cosmic: Shalla-Bal was imbued with a fraction of the Power Cosmic by Galactus, granting her an array of powers that are beyond even those of most enhanced humans.
- Superhuman Strength: To be added
- Superhuman Durability: Bal's entire body is sheathed in a silvery, impervious metallic coating. This silver body make her incredible durable, as shown when she was thrown into lava without any harm to her body. She was able to resist being hit by Excelsior's energy cannons and even the lethal effects of being inside a neutron star.
- Superhuman Speed: To be added
- Superhuman Agility: Bal incredible agility, balance, flexibility, equilibrium and bodily coordination allow her to maneuver in her surfboard with ease as she dodge incoming attacks.
- Superhuman Stamina: To be added
- Superhuman Reflexes: To be added
- Flight: Shalla-Bal is able to move through both air and space, on her surfboard. As a being of cosmic power, she is also capable of achieving interstellar travel as well. Her flight is capable of going past light speed as she is able to pursue the Fantastic Four.
- Self-Sustenance: Shalla-Bal is capable of surviving in the vacuum of space unaided. She does not need air, and does not appear to need food, water, or sleep to survive.
- Intangibility: Bal has the ability to phase through solid objects or living beings, being unharmed by explosion and even able to escape a black hole. She was also able to enter Excelsior and phase her hand through Sue Storm's belly.
- Cosmic Energy Manipulation: Having been bestowed a fraction of the Power Cosmic, Bal is able to manipulate cosmic energy. She generated powerful blasts of energy to destroy Reed's teleportation devices when returning to earth.
Abilities[]
To be added
Equipment[]
- Silver Surfer's Surfboard: To be added
Relationships[]
Family[]
Allies[]
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Enemies[]
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Trivia[]
- In the comics, Shalla-Bal was the lover of the original Silver Surfer, Norrin Radd, who was imbued with the Power Cosmic in order to keep her and their planet safe from Galactus.
- In the Earth X comic series taking place on Earth-9997, Shalla-Bal was given similar powers to the Silver Surfer.
Behind the Scenes[]
- Silver Surfer in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the second live-action incarnation of the character, following an incarnation portrayed by Doug Jones and voiced by Laurence Fishburne. It is also the first live action incarnation of Shalla-Bal.
- Despite her eagerness to work with Matt Shakman, Julia Garner was initially confused over who Shalla-Bal was because she knew Silver Surfer was male and was unsure she would get the part because her meeting with Shakman involved talking a lot about the 60s until Shakman called her to tell her she had been cast. Garner got to know more about Silver Surfer when she signed on to The Fantastic Four: First Steps and read a lot of Fantastic Four and Silver Surfer comics before filming. She was taught by some of her surfer friends from London how to incorporate some elegant surfing moves to her performance despite her fear of the ocean.[3]
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