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The Silver Surfer was the herald of Galactus, an entity that lived by eating planets. In the comics he was a giant with a cool purple hat, not a vague cloud, like in the movie.
Why earth is saved from the "All-Powerful" Galactus by the Silver Surfer
In the movie, the Silver Surfer just sort of clenches his fists and does some CGI explosions to save the world. That was never the original story. The original story was a lesson that the Silver Surfer had to learn about mankind. His observations of man's inhumanity to man originally gave him no hesitation to allow Galactus to devour earth.
Alicia Masters pleads with the Silver Surfer - "Perhaps we not as powerful as your Galactus -- but we have hearts -- we have souls -- we live -- breathe -- feel! Can't you see that? Are you as blind as I?"
It was Alicia Masters (above) who taught the Silver Surfer the value of life on earth. No mention at all is made to this in the movie. The lessons he learns from her about art, beauty and the value of the soul were what made him stand up to Galactus. This was not a battle fought by strength, but by reason. As The Watcher (another character left out of the movie) said to Sue Richards in the original story (left out of the movie), " All-Powerful? There is only one who deserves that name! And his only weapon -- is love!"