Silver Surfer (TV series)

Silver Surfer, also known as Silver Surfer: The Animated Series, is an animated television series based on the Marvel Comics superhero created by Jack Kirby. The series aired for one season on the Fox Kids Network in 1998.

Overview
Blending cel and computer animation, the series is rendered in the style of Silver Surfer co-creator Jack Kirby.

While inspired by various Silver Surfer comic book stories, the series alters the original mythos in some key ways. The most notable change is the removal of the Fantastic Four from The Galactus Trilogy, the story that serves as the foundation for the first three episodes of the series. In this version, the Silver Surfer, who has had the memories of Norrin Radd partially restored to him by Thanos, protects Earth from the hunger of Galactus because it reminds him of Zenn-La.

Many other characters from Marvel's cosmic stable appear in the series, including The Watcher, Ego the Living Planet, Pip the Troll, Drax the Destroyer, and Adam Warlock. Most of the characters featured in the series differ from their printed-page incarnations. For instance, Thanos serves Lady Chaos rather than Death and Adam Warlock is an alien supersoldier designed to fight the Kree.

The series utilizes a serialized storytelling approach. As with many Silver Surfer comic book stories, episodes tackle a range of social and political issues, including imperialism, slavery, non-violence, and environmental degradation.

The series was cancelled after one season. Eight episodes were written for the second season before production was shut down. According to series creator Larry Brody, the cancellation was the result of a legal dispute between Marvel and Saban Entertainment.

Critical reception
Some viewers praise the series for its stylish and intricate mix of animation, as well as for evoking Jack Kirby's designs. Others criticize the lack of complex characterization and the verbose, repetitive monologues of the main character.

Cast
In first broadcast in 1998, Zenn-La is depicted as a major centre of enlightenment and learning in the universe. Conflicting aliens go there in order to learn about living in peace and tolerance &mdash; the antagonistic Krees and Skrulls being a good example. When the Silver Surfer, a native of Zenn-La, breaks his bargain with Galactus, the latter retaliates by sending the planet to an unknown part of the galaxy. Thus, much of the series is about the Surfer trying to find Zenn-La and being reunited with Shalla-Bal.

The Silver Surfer is the Herald of Galactus for a very short time (episode wise). He is replaced by Nova (Frankie Raye) after the young girl somehow teleports onto his ship after Galactus and Silver Surfer part ways. Both heralds have regular appearances on the show and even team up at times.

Due to the Fox's broadcast standards, Thanos is depicted as a worshipper of a female personification of chaos (referred to as Lady Chaos) rather than Death.

Pip the Troll is the close companion of Silver Surfer, whom he follows on his quest to find Surfer's treasured homeworld Zenn-La.

In "The Planet of Dr. Moreaux", the Kree enslaved the Silver Surfer and had him work alongside Pip the Troll's kind until they revolted and escaped. In "The Forever War", Adam Warlock is seen fighting the Kree in a space anomaly when the Supreme Intelligence sends the Silver Surfer to get him. If there was a Season Two, an episode called "Rebirth" would have the Silver Surfer trying to stop the Kree-Skrull War.

Beta Ray Bill debuts in the episode "Innervisions", voiced by Karl Pruner. This version of the character along with the rest of his species shared a group dream using a special "dream weaver" from Zenn-La. When the Surfer came to alert them that Thanos was approaching, he convinced Beta Ray Bill to end the group dream and save the planet using all of the dream weaver's power to trick Thanos into believing he had succeeded in destroying the planet.

In this version, Nova's a mutant with the power to find anything she seeks. She is given her herald powers by Galactus when he chooses her as his herald in place of the Silver Surfer. She also mentions that her name is Frankie Raye.

Gamora is featured in the episode "Radical Justice".

Nebula appears in the two-part episode "Learning Curve" voiced by Jennifer Dale. Nebula, like many before her, wants to gain knowledge from The Universal Library (Home of the Watchers). Because the motive of her search for knowledge is greed, she devolves into a creature known as a viral (a blob-like creature full of knowledge, but unable to act on it). The Silver Surfer needs help from the virals in order to penetrate a force field covering Zenn-La. After doing so, the Surfer has to help Zenn-La leave a dimension belonging to a being known as The Soul Hunter. During the escape, The Silver Surfer fails to save Shalla-Bal, for which he blames Nebula. He starts to blast her, but she is protected by Thanos' energy field (in the new history of the universe, Thanos is a peace seeker and resident of Zenn-La). One of the energy blasts penetrates the field, restoring Nebula to her humanoid form, and she takes her leave. Her final scripted appearance has her attempting a journey to Galactus' ship, because of the knowledge she recalled from her time as a viral. Unfortunately, no further scripts were written to explain this. Like many characters, Nebula was to make another appearance on the second season of the series. Eight episode scripts were written, but were never produced.

Mentor also appears in the episode "Learning Curve". He is Thanos' brother, rather than Starfox, due to a typographical error in the script. Drax also appears in the episode "Learning Curve". He is an android and a companion of Mentor.

Voice actors from X-Men
Several cast members of The Silver Surfer were also a part of the cast of the X-Men animated series from around the same period:
 * Alison Sealy-Smith (Storm)
 * Norm Spencer (Cyclops)
 * Cedric Smith (Professor X)
 * Dennis Akayama (Iceman)
 * Alyson Court (Jubilee)
 * Don Francks (Sabretooth)
 * Jennifer Dale (Mystique)
 * Lally Cadeau	(Dr. Moira MacTaggert)
 * James Blendick (Apocalypse)
 * Camilla Scott (Lilandra Neramani)
 * Marc Strange (Forge)
 * David Hemblen (Magneto)
 * Lawrence Bayne (Cable)
 * Rick Bennett (Juggernaut)
 * Christopher Britton (Mister Sinister)
 * Robert Bockstael (Ka-Zar)
 * Len Doncheff (Omega Red)
 * John Neville (Major Domo)
 * Tracey Moore (Emma Frost)

Uatu also made a cameo appearance in the X-Men animated series, in the episode "Dark Phoenix" part 3. The Kree ruler also appeared in the X-Men during the Dark Phoenix's last episode when Lilandra consults with two other empires the Kree and the Skrull (Queen) on Jean Grey's final outcome.

The Supreme Intelligence appeared in an episode of X-Men, also voiced by David Hemblen. He and the Skrull Empress are consulted by Shi'ar Majestrix Lilandra Neramani about the fate of the Dark Phoenix.

DVD releases
In the U.K. the complete series on two discs were to be released by Liberation Entertainment on July 28, 2008 however because of the closure of the U.K. division of Liberation Entertainment the release was cancelled. The rights have now been picked up by Clear Vision LTD who released the set on May 11, 2009.

All 13 episodes are available on Netflix Instant and Marvel's website.