1) Silver Surfer
Silver Surfer over Green Lantern? Really? Yes, really. While Green Lantern is probably the most iconic of the cosmic comic book heroes out there, the likes of Hal Jordan and John Stewart are often tied to Earth. Silver Surfer, on the other hand, is a pure, unadulterated sci-fi superhero.
Originally an alien astronomer named Norrin Radd, the Surfer was chosen by Galactus to act as one of his Heralds. Wielding a tiny portion of the Power Cosmic, Radd gained his new body and a super-speeding surfboard with which to travel around the universe, picking out the tastiest planets for Galactus to feed on. Eventually, thanks to the Fantastic Four, Surfer turned against Galactus and became a hero.
Yet another creation of Jack Kirby, Silver Surfer is a terrific character whatever way you look at him. Visually, he’s amazing, as his unique design made him instantly iconic. More than that, though, Surfer is a lone, tragic soul, always attempting to do enough good to atone for his terrible actions under Galactus’ massive thumb. It’s for these reasons that he has to be crowned the greatest cosmic hero.
Published: May 5, 2017 08:50 pm