What is the first appearance of the Silver Surfer?
Published Sep 14, 2026 · Updated Oct 10, 2026 · 1 min read
Short answerThe Silver Surfer first appeared in Fantastic Four #48, cover-dated March 1966, the first part of the Galactus Trilogy by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby; Galactus makes his first (partial) appearance in the same issue. Kirby added the Surfer to the story unasked, as a herald for Galactus. The Surfer's own series began with Silver Surfer #1 in August 1968, with art by John Buscema.
Fantastic Four #48
The Galactus Trilogy (#48–50) is the high point of the Lee–Kirby run. The Surfer appears on the last pages of #48, Galactus fully in #49, and the Surfer's rebellion and exile to Earth close #50. Lee later said he did not know who the silver figure was when Kirby's pages arrived.
The 1968 series
Silver Surfer #1 (August 1968) was an oversized 25-cent book with a 39-page origin by Lee and Buscema — Norrin Radd of Zenn-La — plus a Watcher backup. The series ran 18 issues to September 1970; Kirby drew the last. It is one of the most collected Silver Age runs because every issue is a Lee–Buscema story and the run is short enough to complete.
| Issue | Cover date | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Silver Surfer #1 | August 1968 | Origin; first issue |
| Silver Surfer #3 | December 1968 | First appearance of Mephisto |
| Silver Surfer #4 | February 1969 | Thor cover; considered the scarcest issue of the run |
| Silver Surfer #14 | March 1970 | Spider-Man crossover |
| Silver Surfer #18 | September 1970 | Last issue; Kirby art |
In the store
The run is well represented: #1 CGC 6.5, #1 CGC 6.0, #1 CBCS 8.5 with a verified signature, #3 CGC 8.0, #3 CGC 8.5 and #4 CGC 8.0. See Silver Surfer (1968): collecting the run, First appearance of Mephisto and the Silver Surfer character page.
Written by the Rare Comics Collectors grading team. Spotted an error or have a question this guide does not answer? Tell us.
