Episode #3 - The Origin Of The Silver Surfer, Part Three
Original Airdate February 14th 1998

When Galactus threatens earth, it's more than the Surfer can take. His awareness of his true identity returns--and the Silver Surfer rebels.

Credits
Written By: Larry Brody
Directed By: Roy Allen Smith, Tom McLaughlin
Music Composed By: Shuki Levy and Kussa Mahchi

Review: This animated series has ambition, and it certainly does not speak down to its audience. It is refreshing to see a character like the Silver Surfer (an admittedly silly idea at face value—he’s a chrome guy on a surfboard) taken so seriously. Later the series would take itself too seriously and stop being fun. In the final episode of the opening trilogy, it is an asset.

This is one of the best episodes in the series. The voice acting is as good as it ever got for the Silver Surfer and Galactus. Their rapport is angry and engaging. Frankie Raye (the girl who would become Nova) has some of her better punch lines. Later, her jokes staled. (I especially like her zinger suggesting Surfer would stumble off of his board less if he tried a 12-step plan.)

Two episodes of rising action finally pay off as Surfer does something besides talk to himself. He fights, he emotes and, most importantly, he engages the audience. It is often difficult for people to relate to an omnipowerful character like Silver Surfer, but he can be empathized with here.

The creative team’s ideas stick better this time around. I especially like the idea of Frankie Ray being a low-grade mutant whose power is to innately find what she is looking for. Also, Galactus’s kiss-off to Surfer (he can never return to Zenn-La) is well played.

Galactus is arguably the series all-star. In the final scene, he proved what a magnificent bastard he is.

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