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Shalla-Bal

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Shalla-Bal is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, the immortal Empress of Zenn-La and the lover of Norrin Radd, the Silver Surfer, who becomes the Herald of Galactus in exchange for his planet being spared, separating the lovers for eternity.

Shalla-Bal
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceThe Silver Surfer #1 (August 1968)
Created by
In-story information
SpeciesZenn-Lavian
Notable aliasesHelena

Shalla-Bal / Silver Surfer will make her live-action debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025), played by Julia Garner.

Publication history

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The character first appeared in The Silver Surfer #1 (August 1968), created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema.[1]

Shalla-Bal is depicted as the love interest of Norrin Radd.[2]

In a 1975 storyline in Fantastic Four, Shalla-Bal was trapped in the form of a Latverian peasant girl named Helena by Mephisto, and marrying Doctor Doom, until a 1982 Silver Surfer one-shot he discovers this deception and frees her from Mephisto's trap.[3]

In the 2016 Silver Surfer series, Shalla-Bal begins a campaign to spread the culture of Zenn La across the universe as the Keeper of the Great Truth, and in the conclusion of the series Silver Surfer is forced to erase their culture from existence so that even they could not remember it.[4]

Fictional character biography

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Shalla-Bal is the Empress of her utopian planet, Zenn-La (in the Deneb System, Milky Way Galaxy), and is the lover of Norrin Radd. When the planet-eating Galactus comes to their planet, Norrin Radd volunteers to become his herald in exchange for sparing Zenn-La. Norrin Radd is given the Power Cosmic and becomes the Silver Surfer, thus separating him from Shalla-Bal for a long time.[a]

Eventually, the Silver Surfer rebels against Galactus, who traps him on the planet Earth as punishment by putting up an energy barrier that the Silver Surfer cannot get through. The demon Mephisto who desires to defeat the Surfer and steal his noble soul, senses the anguish of this separation within him, and uses Shalla-Bal as a pawn in his conflict with the Surfer.[5] As part of a conspiracy, Mephisto replaces the consciousness of Shalla-Bal so that she believes herself to be a regular citizen of Latveria named Helena, and Doctor Doom organizes a false marriage celebration with her to make the Surfer fight the Fantastic Four.[6]

Meanwhile, Galactus consumes the life energies and ecosphere of Zenn-La because of Silver Surfer's betrayal, but spares the lives of its people by warning them of his coming beforehand, allowing them to return to the lifeless husk afterwards. When Mister Fantastic frees the Surfer from his imprisonment, he returns to Zenn-La to find it in this state and learns that Shalla-Bal was abducted by Mephisto. The Surfer understands the conspiracy and returns to Latveria to find Shalla-Bal, imprisoning himself once again on Earth. The Surfer bestows a portion of his Power Cosmic to Shalla-Bal while Mephisto is sending her back to her planet and she is able to use this power to restore the life on Zenn-La.[7] Shalla-Bal is thus accepted as an Empress by her people.[8] However the responsibilities of her office make Shalla-Bal refuse marriage with the Surfer when he eventually breaks free from Earth for good, and he tells her that their romance is over.[9] She is later held hostage by the Elders, but is rescued by the Silver Surfer.[10]

Shalla-Bal later meets the Kree leader Nenora.[11] Shalla asks the Surfer to protect Zenn-La from the Obliterator.[12] Shalla allies with the Skrull Empress S'byll against the Kree, after which the Cotati inform her that Nenora is a disguised Skrull. Shalla is captured by Nenora's Kree Sentry, but freed by the Cotati. She tells S'byll and the Surfer about Nenora's true nature, and is returned to Zenn-La by the Silver Surfer.[13]

Shalla-Bal is later taken captive by the Enslavers, and is then reunited with the Surfer.[14] Shalla is seen in flashback telling Norrin Radd about his father's suicide.[15] She is seen in flashback again at her first meeting with Norrin when they are children.[16] Shalla-Bal is later abducted with the planet Zenn-La by the Great One. Shalla is briefly reunited with the Silver Surfer, but disintegrates along with the Great One's pocket universe.[17] The Silver Surfer later returns her to life after her soul was imprisoned by Mephisto.[18]

After years of rejection, Shalla-Bal once became romantically involved with Fennan Radd, a man who claimed to be the Silver Surfer's half-brother by his father. Fennan claimed to have been born after Norrin's mother Elmar committed suicide.[19]

Powers and abilities

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As a member of the race of aliens known as Zenn-Lavians, Shalla-Bal has an extraordinarily long life span. Hence, Shalla-Bal has lived for centuries although she is still physically a young woman.

Shalla-Bal was once able to restore life to Zenn-La's ecosphere due to a fragment of the Silver Surfer's power cosmic that he placed within her. Apparently, she can still cause plant life to grow wherever she walks.

Other versions

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Earth X

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In the Earth X reality, Franklin Richards as the new Galactus bestowed on Shalla-Bal the same powers as Silver Surfer enabling her to be with Silver Surfer as the second Silver Surfer. She died in battle against the Celestials leaving Silver Surfer devastated.[20]

After Silver Surfer sacrificed his life so that Mar-Vell can wield the Power Cosmic, he was reunited with Shalla-Bal in the Realm of the Dead.[21]

What If

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Shalla-Bal was featured in different What If stories:

  • In "What If Silver Surfer Had Not Escaped Earth", Mephisto tormented Silver Surfer with an illusion of Shalla-Bal.[22]
  • In "What If Norrin Radd Had Not Volunteered to Become the Silver Surfer", Shalla-Bal and Norrin Radd escaped in a shuttle from the exploding Zenn-La[23]
  • In "What If Galactus Had Turned the Silver Surfer Back Into Norrin Radd", Shalla-Bal was transformed into Starglow by Galactus after he returned to Zenn-La after he also stripped Silver Surfer of his powers. In addition, he also strips Shalla-Bal of her memories of Norrin Radd.[24]
  • In "What If Silver Surfer Possessed the Infinity Gauntlet", Shalla-Bal stole the Infinity Gauntlet from Thanos. When Silver Surfer gave Shalla-Bal a portion of the Infinity Gauntlet's powers, they fought each other before realizing that the Infinity Gauntlet corrupts minds. While it appeared that Shalla-Bal and Silver Surfer died when the Infinity Gauntlet was destroyed, they actually transported themselves to an uninhabited planet which became their new home.[25]

In other media

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Television

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Film

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Guitarist Joe Satriani recorded an instrumental rock song named "Back to Shalla-Bal" on his 1989 album Flying in a Blue Dream.

Australian rock group Swoop recorded a song named "Shalla Bal (Ballad(e) of the Silver Surfer)" on their 1995 album The Woxo Principle.

Notes

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  1. ^ As recounted in Silver Surfer #1.

References

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  1. ^ DeFalco, Tom; Sanderson, Peter; Brevoort, Tom; Teitelbaum, Michael; Wallace, Daniel; Darling, Andrew; Forbeck, Matt; Cowsill, Alan; Bray, Adam (2019). The Marvel Encyclopedia. DK Publishing. p. 321. ISBN 978-1-4654-7890-0.
  2. ^ Terror, Jude (August 10, 2019). "Sexy Time with Shalla-Bal in Silver Surfer: Black #3 [Preview]". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved August 10, 2019.
  3. ^ Cronin, Brian (November 29, 2018). "Provide Some Answers: Will the Real Shalla-Bal Please Stand Up?". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  4. ^ Lealos, Shawn S. (February 1, 2021). "How Silver Surfer's Wife Returned to Become His Worst Enemy". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  5. ^ Silver Surfer #3. Marvel Comics.
  6. ^ Fantastic Four #155-157. Marvel Comics.
  7. ^ Silver Surfer (vol. 2) #1. Marvel Comics.
  8. ^ Silver Surfer (vol. 3) #2. Marvel Comics.
  9. ^ Silver Surfer (vol. 3) #7. Marvel Comics.
  10. ^ Silver Surfer (vol. 3) #8-9. Marvel Comics.
  11. ^ Silver Surfer (vol. 3) #20. Marvel Comics.
  12. ^ Silver Surfer (vol. 3) #21. Marvel Comics.
  13. ^ Silver Surfer (vol. 3) #25-31. Marvel Comics.
  14. ^ Silver Surfer: The Enslavers. Marvel Comics.
  15. ^ Silver Surfer (vol. 3) #50. Marvel Comics.
  16. ^ Silver Surfer (vol. 3) #57. Marvel Comics.
  17. ^ Silver Surfer: Homecoming. Marvel Comics.
  18. ^ Silver Surfer/Warlock: Resurrection #1-4. Marvel Comics.
  19. ^ Silver Surfer (vol. 3) #101. Marvel COmics.
  20. ^ Earth X #12. Marvel Comics.
  21. ^ Universe X #11. Marvel Comics.
  22. ^ What If #22. Marvel Comics.
  23. ^ What If #34. Marvel Comics.
  24. ^ What If #37. Marvel Comics.
  25. ^ What If #49. Marvel Comics.
  26. ^ Kroll, Justin (April 3, 2024). "'The Fantastic Four': Julia Garner Joins Marvel Studios Movie As A Shalla-Bal Version Of Silver Surfer". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 3, 2024. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  27. ^ O'Neill, Shane (April 3, 2024). "Who Is Shalla-Bal: The Fantastic Four Movie's Silver Surfer Replacement, Explained". Looper. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
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