Summary
In Marvel Comics’ far-flung 2099 universe, a new version of theSilver Surfertravels across the cosmos carrying on the legacy of the original hero, only not in the same way fans might come to expect. Operating in the grey area between being a merciful god-like being and a soul-stealing villain,Silver Surfer 2099’s origin is far darker than the first Silver Surfer’s— a backstory revealed in his official comic book debut.
A character introduced in 1966’sThe Fantastic Four #48by Jack Kirby,theoriginal Silver Surferwas an astronomer named Norrin Raddwho, after the omnipotent being known as Galactus came to his planet of Zenn-La looking for a snack, made a deal to become his new Power Cosmic-imbued herald, saving his world but damning others in his mission to keep Galactus satiated.
Flash-forward to the year 2099, and in the latest issue ofAnnihilation 2099, a new Silver Surfer is birthed, with thisnext iteration of this iconic characternot answering to Galactusbut the devil himself, Mephisto.
Silver Surfer’s Ultimate Form Finally Made Him More Powerful Than Galactus
When Silver Surfer finally found a way to kill Galactus, he had to become something even worse to keep the universe from collapsing.
Silver Surfer 2099 Works for Mephisto and Gathers Souls for Him
Annihilation 2099 #4- 2024 (Steve Orlando, Ario Anindito, and Dale Eaglesham)
Jonah Marlo of Earth was a man who “dedicated his life to those with less” and did everything he could to help them by delivering food and water and providing shelter for anyone in need. Yet for all the good he did in his life, Jonah was diagnosed with cancer and, on his deathbed, was visited by Mephisto. Making a deal that turned him immortal,Jonah is transformed into the fieryHerald of Mephistoand is tasked with hunting “the next soul to tempt for Mephisto,”acting as an incredibly dark remix of the original Silver Surfer’s similar mission.
Mirroring Norrin Radd’s search for the countless sacrifices needed to appease Galactus, Silver Surfer 2099 does the same thing for the being who rules over him, just with a hellish twist that fits Mephisto’s brand of evil perfectly. Though the original Silver Surfer assisted in destroying entire planets and civilizations,Jonah visiting countless desperate people in an attempt to trick them into damning themselves for all eternity is objectively more insidiousand destructive on a completely different level, making Silver Surfer 2099’s origin stand apart from the original’s in a morbid and exponentially more wicked way.
Silver Surfer 2099 Tricks People Into Giving up Their Souls
Even more tragic, Mephisto, in his cruelty, doesn’t punish Surfer for defying him at one point but instead allows Jonah to live with the guilt of fooling countless beings into giving up their souls, damning them to a shared fate in Hell. While the original Silver Surfer will always be the peak cosmic hero in the Marvel Universeregardless of who rides the board, the fact thatSilver Surfer 2099has a similarly dark but exponentially more depressing origin is the perfect way to introduce a new version of the character that pays homage to who came before.
