Most Marvel fans are familiar with the world-ending relationship between Galactus and the Silver Surfer, but everything that’s been outwardly shown in the comics has, for the most part, been a lie. And the truth is one of Marvel's biggest secrets, with the death of Galactus confirming the shocking truth of the Silver Surfer’s real purpose.
Galactus (originally Galan) was plagued with the grim task of maintaining balance in the cosmos by consuming planets to satiate a never-ending hunger. While this is Galactus’ cosmic task, he doesn’t do it alone. Throughout his time as the Devourer of Worlds, Galactus has recruited a number of heralds to scout planets fit for consumption, with the most iconic being the Silver Surfer. Norrin Radd became a herald of Galactus after offering himself up as tribute for the sake of his planet and its people, agreeing to aid in the condemnation of countless worlds to protect his own. But little did anyone know... that wasn’t all he was signing up for.
The Silver Surfer Was Always Meant to Kill Galactus
In the six-issue miniseries Galactus the Devourer by Louise Simonson, Jon J. Muth, and Bill Sienkiewicz, Galactus’ hunger overcomes him, making him addicted to consuming planets, thereby putting the entire cosmos in danger. So in order to save the galaxy and put an end to the seemingly senseless deaths of trillions, the Silver Surfer works against Galactus, and the former-herald’s efforts result in Galactus’ death. While the series itself was an interesting look at what Marvel’s heroes would do if Galactus did become an unreasonable monster of Lovecraftian proportions, what was even more interesting is the fact that Galactus knew it was going to happen.
The series revealed that Galactus foresaw himself succumbing to the endless hunger, and he knew at that point he’d need to be stopped. And that is exactly where the Silver Surfer came in. When Galactus chose Norrin as his herald, he did so because he knew that Norrin was nobel enough to eventually stand against him when he inevitably became ‘Galactus the Devourer.' Not only is this revelation mind-blowing, but it also completely reframes the events of the Silver Surfer’s first Marvel Comics appearance.
Galactus Chose Silver Surfer Because He Could Kill Him
n perhaps Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s most iconic Fantastic Four storyline, “The Coming of Galactus!”, the Silver Surfer turns on Galactus to save the Earth from his consumption. And as one would expect, this angered the Devourer of Worlds greatly, though not greatly enough for Galactus to kill him. The Silver Surfer’s punishment was that he was to remain on Earth for a time, but he still kept the Power Cosmic Galactus first granted him, along with the iconic surfboard. Essentially, it seemed as though Galactus wasn’t mad that the Silver Surfer turned on him, but that he did so too early–which is why Galactus didn’t really punish him for his treachery (as he still needed the Silver Surfer to stop him in the future).
Based on everything that has been presented within Marvel Comics about Galactus and the Silver Surfer, it always seemed as though the Surfer was simply one of many heralds of Galactus before turning over a new leaf and becoming a hero–but this series proves that he was a hero all along, and that is why Galactus chose him to be his herald in the first place, as the Silver Surfer’s true purpose was never to help Galactus live, but to ensure that (at the right time) the Devourer of Worlds would die.