Silver Surfer Is Tragic, But Marvel’s Most Depressing Story Belongs To a Hero You Don’t Remember

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The Silver Surfer’s story in Marvel Comics is notably tragic and utterly depressing, as he was forced to give up his humanity and serve a world-devouring cosmic monster to save his planet. Norrin Radd is directly responsible for the deaths of countless life forms across the universe, and that’s something he’s going to have to live with for the rest of his life. However, as tragic as Silver Surfer’s story is, he doesn’t have the most depressing storyline in Marvel Comics, as that honor goes to an X-Men hero who no one remembers (literally).

The tragic hero in question is named Xabi aka ForgetMeNot, and he was introduced in X-Men: Legacy #300 by Simon Spurrier, Mike Carey, Christos N. Gage, Tan Eng Huat, Steve Kurth, and Rafa Sandoval. In this comic, ForgetMeNot encounters a human girl trying to break into the X-Mansion, as she believes she will feel more at home with mutants after suffering permanent facial scars. This high school-aged girl is trapped in the X-Mansion’s security system, and ForgetMeNot tells her that she needs to relax and let go of her desire to break in if she hopes to be released.

In the meantime, ForgetMeNot tells this girl his entire history with the X-Men, as well as how he, too, tried to throw his life away in the hopes of getting a fresh start. ForgetMeNot explains that he is a mutant with the power to be forgotten immediately after he’s out of sight. His ‘unmemorability’ doesn’t just extend to people ForgetMeNot encounters, but also gives him the added abilities of telepathic and technological undetectability. ForgetMeNot is invisible to psychics, he isn’t registered by advanced weapons’ targeting systems, and people forget he exists the second they look away from him.

ForgetMeNot’s Backstory is Heartbreakingly Tragic, but Has a Happy Ending

ForgetMeNot Finds Value in the Mutant Power He Once Thought was a Curse

As ForgetMeNot shares with the girl he’s trying to help, he once wanted to make a drastic life change as well – one that nearly cost him his life. When he joined the X-Men, the only person who remembered that ForgetMeNot actually existed was Professor X, who put a ‘telepathic alarm’ in his own mind that reminded him of ForgetMeNot’s existence every hour. Once Professor X died, however, no one in the world remembered that ForgetMeNot existed, and Xabi fell into a deep depression.

ForgetMeNot was unable to form any meaningful relationships, the other mutants he considered family members didn’t know he existed, and the one person who did know he was alive was dead. So, ForgetMeNot sought out a mutant named Omega who had the power to steal other mutants’ powers, as he wanted this ‘curse’ lifted once and for all. However, there’s a chance that Omega would accidentally kill him during this process, but ForgetMeNot didn’t care, as he didn’t see any reason to stay alive.

But, after speaking with Omega, ForgetMeNot realized that he could use his powers for good, as villains would never see him coming. Sure, he wouldn’t be remembered for his acts of heroism, but ForgetMeNot decided that didn’t matter. ForgetMeNot shared that revelation with the girl trapped in the X-Mansion’s security, and once she was freed, she had a more optimistic outlook on life, even though she forgot the person who helped her through her crisis. From that point on, ForgetMeNot remained in the background of the X-Men’s greatest adventures, silently saving the day while everyone remained unaware of his existence.

ForgetMeNot’s Depressing Life Doesn’t Make Silver Surfer’s Life Any Less Tragic

ForgetMeNot May Be Cursed with Permanent Loneliness, but Silver Surfer Still Has it Pretty Rough

While his outlook on his powers improved during the events of his origin story, it can’t be denied that ForgetMeNot’s life is heartbreakingly depressing. He’s invisible to everyone, forgotten moments after speaking with another person, and cursed to exist in a state of permanent loneliness for the rest of his life. ForgetMeNot’s strength shines through despite the existential horror of his powers, but his life is still incredibly sad. In fact, it’s fair to say that ForgetMeNot’s life is even more depressing than Silver Surfer’s – though that doesn’t discount Norinn Radd’s pain.

Sure, Silver Surfer has the ability to form new relationships and grow from his tragic past, but the trauma he experienced will be with him forever. Silver Surfer abandoned his world to save it, only to travel the cosmos dooming other planets in exchange. Then, when he finally stood up to Galactus and helped save Earth, his home planet was devoured by Galactus in retaliation, meaning all of it was essentially for nothing.

Silver Surfer’s life is, indeed, incredibly depressing, but it’s hard to argue that his story is more tragic than that of ForgetMeNot. ForgetMeNot simply doesn’t exist to the vast majority of the Marvel Universe, and unlike the Silver Surfer, he never had any meaningful relationships with anyone, and he knows that he never will. So, while Silver Surfer is tragic, Marvel’s most depressing storyline belongs to a member of the X-Men who literally no one can remember.

“}]] 1 X-Men member is more tragic than the Silver Surfer.  Read More