How can you make the Silver Surfer significant again?

[Docker2.0]

Dude has been around for over 40 years, had his own cartoon, appeared in a movie and has had a ongoing, albeit not consistantly but.........nevertheless. I refuse to believe that this guy can't be used significantly by Marvel. What would be some of your suggestions on how to make him a major player in the Marvel Universe?

[Docker2.0]

Ok, my first thing would be make him a part of the Avengers. Not to be bound on Earth but like.............a reserve member. The JLA has a watchtower where they just call members out and such, why not have a segment of the Avengers that deal with cosmics? I say SS, Adam Warlock, Quasar(Wendell of course), Starlord, Gamora and Moondragon would make a great team. Second, give him a consistant on going. Let Loeb, JMS, or Brubaker have him for at least a 12 issue run and make him significant. Dude is a pacifist with the power to do almost anything. You can have great writing with him. But that's just my thoughts.

[Anubis]

The Surfer was never really Significant. Putting him on the Avengers would be as bad as Sentry on the Avengers. Let Grant Morrison write an ongoing. That should do it.

[Docker2.0]

That's the thing Anubis. He's in space................he's not really part of the MU if you know what I'm saying. Ok, look at the JLU. They have Superman, MM and GL on their team and those guys are arguebly cosmic characters. In the MU they have some powerful bad guys that can give the characters a run for their money. Plus SS holds back a lot cuase he doesn't want to hurt anyone. It's not like he will kill anyone. But I was saying, have him be a reserve member of the Avengers, someone they call on. And I guess lead a universal Avengers team. Kind of like he was in the Fantastic Four:the end mini. That team was powerful cuase they had Thor, SS and Vision. But they didn't really stay on Earth, they were more of a universal team. To me, it's just something to build him up. Look at Ms. Marvel. Before her mini came out last year, she was very abstract. Now she's a major player in the MU. Heck, she's leading the Avengers and is being compared to WW, which is very significant becuase when talking about Marvel's leading lady, her name never really came up. It was always a 3 horse race out of Sue, Storm and Jean.

[Anubis]

Ms. Marvel and SS are at two completely different spectrum's of the power scale. Sure, making Ms. Marvel significant was easy. She's not exactly that powerful anymore, and therefore fits on an Earth based team. The Surfer, on the other hand, if forced to participate in Marvel Earth's kinda threats, would inevitably be left jobbing to everybody from Ultron to the effin' Wrecking Crew. I mean, arguably the best run Avengers ever had had the Mighty Thor getting his ass kicked left and right. It just doesnt work. Truth is, one could make the same argument about Supes, MM, and GL with the JLA, but I gotta tell you, they do take on bigger threats than the Avengers usually do. An old weapon created by a fallen pantheon of science Gods the size of a small sun comes to destroy the world, you might need Supes, MM, GL, Angels, God, and six billion superhumans to take it down. Not so much for an invasion by Skrulls in the middle of a war with the Kree, with the fate of Earth in the middle.

But I suppose it could work, but you'd really have to up the ante on threats, and have somebody writing it that can produce something better than ninjas.

[Docker2.0]

Well, that's why I said be a reserve member. Ok, for instance..... the Annihilation Sagas.....a cosmic Avengers team can handle that. They could be reserves for the Earth team but mostly take care of galactic threats. And while I do agree that with the SS on their team, the threats would have to be bigger, but they have the Sentry as well who is arguably on SS level.

[Anubis]

Yeah, and he really shouldn't be on the team.

[shapeshifter]

make him go crazy, then send him off to another planet where he will be forced to fight in gladiator style arenas, then bring him back to earth for some revenge.

[JackRembrandt]

I thought the Requiem story was pretty significant in it's quality. I know it's not considered 616-canon, but it was the last great Surfer story that I read.

[Docker2.0]

Yeah it was a great read. If JMS or Loeb took over and writing a ongoing for him, making him more involved with Earth matters, but yet still remain a cosmic character, he could be very significant.

[Docker2.0]

make him go crazy, then send him off to another planet where he will be forced to fight in gladiator style arenas, then bring him back to earth for some revenge.

:dry:

[TheCorpulent1]

Put the Silver Surfer back on the Defenders, alongside Dr. Strange, the Sentry, and all the other characters that are way too powerful to be members of any other team. Let them face threats that are up to snuff for their collective power. Write it like Grant Morrison wrote JLA. Problem solved.

[ssj wolverine]

You can make SS significant again by stop having him job to beings that he shouldn't be losing to. Pacifist heroes are boring heroes. I don't recall Surfer ever showing his full potential. I mean really letting go.

[TheCorpulent1]

Read Annihilation. He manages to kill a being Galactus lost to.

[Docker2.0]

Put the Silver Surfer back on the Defenders, alongside Dr. Strange, the Sentry, and all the other characters that are way too powerful to be members of any other team. Let them face threats that are up to snuff for their collective power. Write it like Grant Morrison wrote JLA. Problem solved.

Wow Corp. That was actually............pretty good. Why didn't I think of it that quickly? :huh:

Why were the Defenders ever put together or disbanded in the first place?

[TheCorpulent1]

Strange put them together to fight hugely powerful threats that no one else could handle. Which is exactly what I'm suggesting they get back together for.

I don't know why they disbanded. They were never really a team in the sense of the Avengers. Other members like Nighthawk and Valkyrie formed a more stable team, but Strange only called together the big guns like the Surfer, Hulk, and Namor when it was necessary.

[VICTORVONDOOMX]

The Surfer was never really Significant. Putting him on the Avengers would be as bad as Sentry on the Avengers. Let Grant Morrison write an ongoing. That should do it.

Let's just keep Grant Morrison the Hell away from Norrin, shall we? The LAST thing I need is for it to be "revealed" that Shalla Bal was really just his beard and that since then, he's been secretly in love with Galactus.

"Norrin and Galen sittin' in a tree, F-U-C"... well, you get the picture.

I like Corp's idea. But I'm also not so sure that I buy the idea that the Surfer's NOT relavant. He's relevant, just too big to use in smaller, character-driven stories. I'd like to see one 4 to 6 issue mini annually where the Surfer or both him and G are shown in truly cosmic-level adventures. It's hard to maintain "the universe is over!" style adventures indefinitly in an ongoing.

[yenaled]

Reading Annihilation will make him significant.

[Sloth7d]

If the Avengers faced threats like Kang, Doom, Thanos, Celestials, Onslaught, and the Void more often it would make sense to have him on the team. But Surfers more of a Fantastic Four reservist. In fact, I think it's kind of strange that the Ff faces more dangerous threats than Marvel's premere team does.

[Anubis]

Yeah, I read it, and the tie ins. He didn't exactly do much. Except revert back to being Galactis' b***h.

[Captain Useless]

This idea has been in my mind for a long time.
First issue of the new silver surfer ongoing:
The cover show...Silver Surfer with a fanny pack.

Everybody will be like "Hey, is that a fanny pack?!" and istantly buy the issue.

[Not Jake]

Let's just keep Grant Morrison the Hell away from Norrin, shall we? The LAST thing I need is for it to be "revealed" that Shalla Bal was really just his beard and that since then, he's been secretly in love with Galactus.

"Norrin and Galen sittin' in a tree, F-U-C"... well, you get the picture

What? Why would Morrison do that:huh: Besides seeing what Morrison has done with another ridiculously powerful character in All-Star Superman, I think he'd be great on SS.

Anyway, I think JMS' recent mini helped give some modern-day relevancy to the guy.

[VICTORVONDOOMX]

Reading Annihilation will make him significant.

Excellent answer.

[TheCorpulent1]

Yeah, I read it, and the tie ins. He didn't exactly do much. Except revert back to being Galactis' b***h.
I was a bit disappointed in that, myself. I didn't understand it at all. He spent all those years ostensibly atoning for the morally questionable stuff he'd done under Galactus, yet at the first sign of trouble he decides to hop back under Galactus' wing and agree to do all those morally questionable things again? Why? Galactus has never wanted for heralds, so it's obviously not because he thinks Galactus needs him or anything. Seemed like a reversion to the old status quo just for nostalgia's sake more than anything else.

[November Rain]

The surfer needs an edge....

personally i would like to see him and uatu working with one another to prevent 'What Ifs' from occurring which makes him pretty damn significant in keeping this 616 timeline as it should be and also makes him deal with anything and everything and makes him incredibly important underneath it all but on the surface and to everyone else, he really doesn't seem to do much.

[TheCorpulent1]

Yeah, and they should throw in a quirky robot and a deadbeat ancestor for sidekicks, and have him visit major landmarks in Marvel history. That'd be really awesome. :)

[yahman]

Id have a Day of Vengeance esq miniseries where the Surfer went on a rampage killing all the Cosmic Dead weight in the Marvel universe. I get rid of everyone from Collector to the Watchers. Allthough many would argue that he isn't up to the task, i say invent some plot device that would allow him to succeed. Then just have him as the Universes most powerful entity, who can act all profound and mysterious when someone needs a fillin storyline. He could be the Marvel universes Doctor Manhattan. Obviously keep Badass characters like Nova, Adam Warlock and Drax, just get rid of all the God wannabees like Galactus and the Celestials.

[TheCorpulent1]

That's probably the worst idea I've ever heard.

[Docker2.0]

I was a bit disappointed in that, myself. I didn't understand it at all. He spent all those years ostensibly atoning for the morally questionable stuff he'd done under Galactus, yet at the first sign of trouble he decides to hop back under Galactus' wing and agree to do all those morally questionable things again? Why? Galactus has never wanted for heralds, so it's obviously not because he thinks Galactus needs him or anything. Seemed like a reversion to the old status quo just for nostalgia's sake more than anything else.

I think the only reason they made him go back was becuase there was a movie coming out at the time.

[yahman]

That's probably the worst idea I've ever heard.

LOL.

I wasn't taking it that seriously. Im not really that keen on uber cosmic marvel, but i know youre not too keen on Sci-fi explanaitions of Gods and Superman so its natural that are oppions conflict.Obviously my oppinions are better, but you are still entitled to yours !!

Marvel can keep its cosmic scid marks for all i care. There not affecting me

[chris moore]

Have his powers adjusted as a result of an altercation with Tenebrous and Aegis during such that his connection to the power cosmic (or ability to tap it) is greatly reduced or interferred with. The greater the exertion of his power, the more readily he is depleted and he has to seek out a more direct source of the power cosmic - this makes him almost Galactus like, whereby he depends on the power to live and must actively seek it out a lot of the time. Being on the Avengers then would make sense because he would have to restrain his abilites except in times of dire need, and would have a support network to help him come to terms with it and get him through tougher times. Plus there's the continuing sub plot of seeking to return him to his former glory because noble beings of his power level are sorely needed in the wake of the Wave etc.

[chris moore]

One thing I dont understand about the ultimate version is how did he get the power cosmic such that he was mistaken for a freakin' star, yet was supposedly created by the bloody psycho man who needed a machine to brainwash people and had no physical abilites? Was anything more of the SS explained during the last couple issues of that arc? Cos I got bored as hell after the Psychoman showed up and only skimmed the next issue in the store

[Anubis]

I have no idea what you're talking about.

[yahman]

Have his powers adjusted as a result of an altercation with Tenebrous and Aegis during such that his connection to the power cosmic (or ability to tap it) is greatly reduced or interferred with. The greater the exertion of his power, the more readily he is depleted and he has to seek out a more direct source of the power cosmic - this makes him almost Galactus like, whereby he depends on the power to live and must actively seek it out a lot of the time. Being on the Avengers then would make sense because he would have to restrain his abilites except in times of dire need, and would have a support network to help him come to terms with it and get him through tougher times. Plus there's the continuing sub plot of seeking to return him to his former glory because noble beings of his power level are sorely needed in the wake of the Wave etc.

Having a character who basically has the power of God, is never a good thing for a Team book, (unless written by Warren Ellis). It doesn't matter how de-powered he is, he's still going to have the ability to transmute his opponents. Consequently having him on the team restricts immensely upon 'suspense' elements.

For example;

Avengers; 'Of my god here comes Ultron .... Oh wait, theres no need to panic ! the Surfers turned him into an ipod. God aren't you feeling rather 3rd wheelish ?

[shapeshifter]

is his existence linked to galactus's? I know his origin, but what I'm getting at is, if Galactus were to become sick, and near death would it affect him at all? It might be kind of cool if he had to go on a quest throughout space and time to ry and save galactus, and deal with the moral implications of that.
either that or we can have a five book mini series where he has to mud wrestle with thanos.

[TheCorpulent1]

No, Galactus' power level doesn't affect the Surfer's. They're both linked to the Power Cosmic, which is the energy that makes the whole universe tick. It's not generated by Galactus or anything.

[shapeshifter]

gotcha. thanks
well so much for that.
who's up for the mud wrestling story?

or how about this.
Surfer begins to realize how hollow and lonesome it is being a being of such power, and longs for a normal life. So he uses the power cosmic to hide himself from himself. he masks his appearance, and hides his memory in a pocket of his subconscious. He wakes up on some random planet and starts living a "normal" life amused by these strange stories of a "silver man" that flys through the cosmos. Then in 5 years when Marvel has another huge event, he can be brought back. Maybe by then people will have missed him.

[Docker2.0]

One thing I dont understand about the ultimate version is how did he get the power cosmic such that he was mistaken for a freakin' star, yet was supposedly created by the bloody psycho man who needed a machine to brainwash people and had no physical abilites? Was anything more of the SS explained during the last couple issues of that arc? Cos I got bored as hell after the Psychoman showed up and only skimmed the next issue in the store

:huh:

[TheCorpulent1]

gotcha. thanks
well so much for that.
who's up for the mud wrestling story?

or how about this.
Surfer begins to realize how hollow and lonesome it is being a being of such power, and longs for a normal life. So he uses the power cosmic to hide himself from himself. he masks his appearance, and hides his memory in a pocket of his subconscious. He wakes up on some random planet and starts living a "normal" life amused by these strange stories of a "silver man" that flys through the cosmos. Then in 5 years when Marvel has another huge event, he can be brought back. Maybe by then people will have missed him.
Do you watch Doctor Who, by any chance?

[shapeshifter]

Do you watch Doctor Who, by any chance?
at least i didn't say he used a fob watch.

[TheCorpulent1]

I read that bit about the "pocket of his subconscious" as "pocketwatch" without even realizing it the first time. :)

[shapeshifter]

not a tough connection to make.
I was defiantly influenced by the Doctor when I wrote that.

[chris moore]

:huh:

The origin of the Ultimate Silver Surfer - he was linked to the Psycho man rathr than Galactus. Galactus seemed to model his harbingers after Radd, but it hasnt been said he was created by Galactus. So I want to know how he became the Silver Surfer and got the power cosmic

[Docker2.0]

Where did you read that at?

[lowly marvelite]

Oh, I'd say the Surfer is pretty signigicant. He's only Marvel's most powerful superhero...perhaps you mean, how can Marvel make the Surfer's role in the Marvel universe more significant. That's a toughie. Norrin is always holding back because he doesn't want to revisit his old days as intergalactic thumb cruncher...not to mention, he is enormously powerful. Its hard to find too many bad guys that can go toe to toe with the ultra herald (Thanos, Annihilus and a few others in that league...). He needs something that causes him to change his values and I mean drastically, because right now Marvel could just as easily put the Surfer in a glass box labeled "break only in case of intergalactic emergency". He needs to reach the same place Thor is at in his life-he's "no longer holding back...". The Surfer needs to do the same. I mean DC has Superman and they don't allow his level of power to get in the way of his story. Granted, the Surfer is more powerful than the man of steel, which, again, makes it difficult. I suppose too, Marvel needs to know people want to see more of the Surfer and I guess they'll get creative and figure out a way to make his role more prominent again...

[Anubis]

God you're an annoying f**K.

[LouFerignoDemon]

Read Annihilation. He manages to kill a being Galactus lost to.

Misleading!! He sacrifices himself to cause a cascade event that would end up in the destruction of two Galactus level beings.

Strange put them together to fight hugely powerful threats that no one else could handle. Which is exactly what I'm suggesting they get back together for.

I don't know why they disbanded. They were never really a team in the sense of the Avengers. Other members like Nighthawk and Valkyrie formed a more stable team, but Strange only called together the big guns like the Surfer, Hulk, and Namor when it was necessary.

See, I liked how the Defenders were like that. Each one of them were smug idiotic jerks that didn't want to deal with one another, but did by choice or by force, and ended up saving stuff. Sure, it gets old, but not in mini format!! Strange doesn't want to be on a team unless he's written by Bendis, then apparently he does this 180 degree character shift that makes him all touchy feely. "I feel bad about Civil War and not participating, and Bill Foster died. ...What do you mean I've inadvertantly caused deaths of dozens if not hundreds before, and didn't care then, because it served the universal good?"

I was a bit disappointed in that, myself. I didn't understand it at all. He spent all those years ostensibly atoning for the morally questionable stuff he'd done under Galactus, yet at the first sign of trouble he decides to hop back under Galactus' wing and agree to do all those morally questionable things again? Why? Galactus has never wanted for heralds, so it's obviously not because he thinks Galactus needs him or anything. Seemed like a reversion to the old status quo just for nostalgia's sake more than anything else.

He wasn't exactly atoning for what he did for Galactus, as much as doing what good he could for beings, as that was his nature. He constantly felt bad, but always justified it as they would've been dead if he didn't. Which is why he did it again, knowing of the Annihilation Wave, that Galactus, more than ever, needed help to survive, and the universe, in turn, would as well.

That, and Galactus told him he was like, the best herald ever. :o

"Lolz! Surfer, BFF!! :heart: "

Have his powers adjusted as a result of an altercation with Tenebrous and Aegis during such that his connection to the power cosmic (or ability to tap it) is greatly reduced or interferred with. The greater the exertion of his power, the more readily he is depleted and he has to seek out a more direct source of the power cosmic - this makes him almost Galactus like, whereby he depends on the power to live and must actively seek it out a lot of the time. Being on the Avengers then would make sense because he would have to restrain his abilites except in times of dire need, and would have a support network to help him come to terms with it and get him through tougher times. Plus there's the continuing sub plot of seeking to return him to his former glory because noble beings of his power level are sorely needed in the wake of the Wave etc.

Why would Galactus repower him with a problem?



Here's my suggestion, make him a Galactus herald, and attack Epoch for Galactus, reigniting Gravity.


And then just have him continue having the universe fear him, because they know the end is coming.

The end of Sakkar!! >: D They did think him the worldbreaker, originally. Would make sense he just leads Galactus there.

[IFryKids]

First of all, in the current scheme of things, I think putting him back at Galactus' side is a mistake if the intent is to make him significant. That doesn't allow for allow for a lot of wiggle room, though I think it works for the time being. Sometime down the road I could see him splitting from him via some large-scale story arc, probably taking place primarily in Nova, mainly because that's the only cosmic ongoing right now. If and when that happens, I think thats the chance for him to make his mark again. Hell, make it an arc that takes place in several books, and raise the scales with involvement from the Eternals and/or Celestials. I don't know what the exact story would be, but I could see something working from those pieces.

[LouFerignoDemon]

Well, as the Surfer stands, he's well liked enough around the cosmos (apparently), that nobody minds his constantly trying to help around the universe, which has been his ongoing task for a long time now.

Placing him at Galactus' side, puts him at odds with the universe, giving him plenty to do. As he doesn't ONLY spend his time looking for planets, and still embellishes in exploration, as he did last time he was with the OG.

[IFryKids]

The problem with that is that because he doesn't have his own series, we don't have much of a chance to see him partaking in any exploration. Since he's with Galactus, the only time we'll really see him is if there's another Annihilation-type event, or when Galactus is a threat, like in Fantastic Four.

Yeah, he really needs his own ongoing again. Keep him at Galactus' side for the first year or two, with the overall story about what you just said, him being at odds with the universe. There's a lot of story to be told there, and it would be great with the right writer.

[lowly marvelite]

LOL.

I wasn't taking it that seriously. Im not really that keen on uber cosmic marvel, but i know youre not too keen on Sci-fi explanaitions of Gods and Superman so its natural that are oppions conflict.Obviously my oppinions are better, but you are still entitled to yours !!

Marvel can keep its cosmic scid marks for all i care. There not affecting me
I do believe the original skid mark was, and still the king, Superman.

[SuperMonkey]

have a Surfer-centred storyline in FF, another mini and eventually an ongoing :up: