On July 25, Marvel's first family, the Fantastic Four, is finally getting the MCU treatment and hitting the big screens. You know? Again. For the fourth time. Actually, if you count the schmaltzy one from 1994 that wasn't released and hasn't met a $5 Walmart bin it doesn't like, it's five times.
When anyone thinks of the Fantastic Four, one villain comes up immediately, followed by two others not far behind. Doctor Doom is one of comic book history's most menacing and potent supervillains. It was delirium when Robert Downey, Jr. took the stage with the Russo Brothers at Comic-Con 2024. Few villains command the need for excellent acting and diving deep into a character than Victor Von Doom.
In addition to his omnipresence within Marvel Comics, the Silver Surfer and Galactus comprise a troika of power within one Rogues Gallery. Notwithstanding those cosmic forces of nature, it's difficult to name another villain that tackles the Fantastic Four. Hopefully, with First Steps, there will be ample opportunity to introduce casual fans to some evil characters that would rock any superhero--Marvel, DC, or any other label.
Who else are these supremely sinister villains? Namor has been a villain within the Fantastic Four's ranks, but he's more associated with Black Panther. The Super Skrull is a longtime threat to the Richards family, but Captain Marvel in the MCU stole that thunder. Since 1967, Ronan the Accuser has fought the Fantastic Four, but that legacy may be tarnished considering the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy. Maybe we will get to find out soon enough who gets a fresh start.
Here are Bam Smack Pow's top 10 other choices from one of the most understated Rogues Gallery buried within the pages of Marvel Comics.
10. Blastaar
The fight scenes between Blastaar and The Thing could be worth the price of a movie ticket. Yet, "The Living Bomb-Burst" is more than a beast (yes, he looks that Beast). He is the King of the Balurrians, which is located inside the enigmatic Negative Zone and home of anti-matter.
When he first showed up in "Fantastic Four" Vol. 1, #62 (1967), he was a menace. Like Iron Man, the brutal warrior can firepower from his hands. Blastaar has also been a villain against the X-Men, so he may have some roots in the MCU. That's always a good thing.
9. Diablo
Esteban Corazón de Ablo is a formidable foe for the Fantastic Four. Diablo's first appearance in Marvel Comics was in Fantastic Four No. 30 (1964). His power lies within his magic concoctions. That, and he sold his soul to Mephisto in the 9th century who extended his life beyond reason.
Diablo mastered his craft in Transylvania because that is where evil goes to vacation. What's interesting about him is that he would give a "street view" version of an enemy for the Fantastic Four. When his potions wear off, the guy is turned into a bat by The Thing clobbering him to nothing, but it could be good for a scene or two.
8. Immortus
First appearing in Avengers No. 10 (1963), Immortus caused immediate suffering for Marvel's super team. Over the years, he found a home fighting the Fantastic Four. If his name sounds familiar, it should be because he is also the future self of Pharaoh Rama-Tut or Kang the Conqueror.
He wasn't that powerful unless he was dealing with time. He is probably the supreme intelligencia of chronophysics in the universe, so he fits in multiverses and gives the Avengers and Marvel's first family so many fits. He is the custodian of time and could be interesting in the MCU.
7. Ravonna Renslayer
Introducing who should have been Kang the Conqueror's queen. We never got nearly that far in the MCU because the franchise pivoted away from Kang. If we did, we would have seen what was first introduced in Avengers Vol. 1, No. 23 (1965).
Portrayed by Gugu Mbatha-Raw, she showed up again in Loki season 2, and we were this close to getting some comic-accuracy with the pairing. With Kang gone, Ravonna was eliminated as well. Superhuman abilities and intellect. A superb match for the Fantastic Four. Well, she would have been.
6. Mole Man
For casual fans, a man named after a mole doesn't create a strong fear factor. For canon fans, this was the Fantastic Four's first villain, who posed a serious threat to civilization with his power to create these Kaiju monsters to do his bidding.
He is the ruler of Subterranea (or, it could be Hollow Earth). Think "Jurassic Park" invested by Godzilla types; only Mole Man controls them. Kevin Feige and company could have serious fun with this guy on the big screen. Rumor has it that he's set to appear in the upcoming movie.
5. Molecule Man
His name is Owen Reece, and when he appeared in Fantastic Four Vol. 1, No. 20 (1963), he was on his way to becoming a key figure within Doctor Doom's army of menacing intergalactic terrorists.
Thanks to a random nuclear accident, Reece was given enormous amounts of radiation from a dimension containing the Beyonder, which is full of psionic power on all matter down to the molecules that bind them. Not even Sue Storm is a match for this guy, who helped establish the first "Secret War" in Marvel.
4. Abraxas
When Jeph Loeb was not creating for DC and Batman, he wrote Fantastic Four Annual, Vol. 1 (2001). Galactus bit the dust. So, another treacherous foe needed to rise from the ashes. Enter Abraxas. In Gnosticism (circa the first century), this deity was considered the "God beyond all Gods."
Marvel lifted the idea of Abraxas from ancient history into comic book canon. Then, they had the Fantastic Four deal with this guy. In canon, Abraxas is the devolution of eternity and the embodiment of the powers cosmic.
3. Maker
If we are trapped in the Multiverse, we can at least have fun while we're here. We've seen what an evil Spider-Man can do. In comics, Captain America eventually succumbs to "Hail Hydra." What would happen if Reed Richards struggled through some CTE and woke up evil as "The Maker"?
The eternal quest for wisdom doesn't always end well. With Brian Michael Bendis at the helm creating "Ultimate Fantastic Four" #1 in 2004, we see Mister Fantastic growing weary of Earth, so he longs to find another world he can make. It's a nefarious exploration, so Reed becomes the dreaded Maker. He's awesome, and this would be dynamic on film.
2. Kang the Conqueror
Mister Gryphon. He Who Remains. Victor Timely. Kang the Conqueror has many names and even more variants. He is the ruler of the Quantum Realm and any other realm he enters. And, we--MCU fans--had him. Although it was through Ant-Man and that amateur hour, Kang was coming in full force. And then, well, you know.
Maybe it never happened, but Colman Domingo would make a fantastic Kang. Despite the past IRL or MCU, we need him back. The first family was the first superhero team to battle this guy, and it was all through ancient Egypt. It could have been so great. It still can be.
1. Annihilus
In 1968 (Fantastic Four Annual Vol. 1, #6), Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created a sinister creature known as the Lord of the Negative Zone, Annihilus. As long as he is carrying his Cosmic Control Rod that empowers all negative energy to his whim, he is immortal. Not even cosmic heroes like The Silver Surfer and the Nova Corps have a firm answer for his rage and domination.
Reed Richards stalks him like Annhilus searches everywhere for something to conquer. There is scientific answers in the Negative Zone; answers to questions Mister Fantastic doesn't even know he has. It's anti-matter that has no positive charges. That's how Annihilus can reverse the matter of anything, making anything into a bomb or worse.
This dude must come to life and given the MCU treatment.