A woman who sold herself into service to save her own world, and now finds the next one for the thing she serves.
Shalla-Bal is an alien from the utopian planet Zenn-La who agreed to become Galactus’s metallic skinned herald in exchange for him sparing her world. She travels on a board through space, looking for planets for him to feed on.
The trade is the character. She saved one world by agreeing to find him others, and she has been keeping that bargain ever since. Julia Garner plays her almost without expression, which makes the few moments when something moves behind it count.
Show detailsThe other Silver Surfer
In the comics the herald from Zenn-La is Norrin Radd, and Shalla-Bal is the woman he leaves behind. First Steps combines them. The 2007 film Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer used Norrin Radd, and is in this catalogue as a separate entry in a separate universe.