Marvel Comics Villains First Appearances
In 1961, The first book, The Fantastic Four by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, brought Marvel’s first family to the fans, and things were never the same again. These supervillains introduced new concepts to the comic world and became mainstream names. Surprisingly, some of the supervillains introduced then still stick around. The Fantastic Four was the first comic book under the Marvel Comics brand, and here are the villains introduced henceforth.
Mole Man
The Mole was the first supervillain to appear in Marvel’s Fantastic Four #1. He remains iconic today primarily due to the debut but has not attained a superior level like other villains in the Universe. Other than the “Fantastic Four,” Mole Man has appeared in other Marvel Comics and is the influence behind “The Underminer” in “The Incredibles” film.
The Skrulls
Fantastic Four #2 introduced an alien race challenging the team through a secret invasion. First, Mister Fantastic turned the Skrulls into cows and hypnotized their memory to keep them as animals. The battle between the team and the Skrulls created a mortal enmity and exposed the Earth to the Skrulls’ all-out attack.
Miracle Man
This villain emerged as the Fantastic Four team tried to deal with the dynamics in their family unit. They also had to strategize and battle aggressive supervillains like the additional Miracle Man known for his hypnosis power. Nonetheless, Miracle Man was nothing compared to the Fantastic Four. He has also fought The Defenders during his comic book appearances.
The Submariner
Namor, the Sub Mariner, made his first appearance in Timely Comics’ “Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1” in 1939. Marvel incorporated the villain in the Fantastic Four issue 4 now as an amnesiac. Later, he became a significant antihero and villain in Marvel Comics.
Doctor Doom
Most Comics such as “Loki” and “X-Men” introduce the villains early on the first issues. However, The Fantastic Four rolled out the key antagonists in the fifth issue featuring Doctor Doom. Doom maintained his arrogance from the first appearance and became the mainstay and the most dangerous Fantastic Four villain for decades.
Kurrgo
The First Four had a stark difference from other Marvel comic superheroes. They mainly relied on science and exploration as they battled the supervillains making the aliens a crucial part of the legacy. The Kurrgo alien came after the Skrulls and had several battles with the Fantastic Four. At some point, Kurrgo kidnapped the team to save the rest of his race from extinction. Later, his greed to rule over his people doomed his endurance in comics.
Puppet Master
Though Puppet Masters is not that acclaimed among Marvel fans, he played a significant role in the Fantastic Four’s lives. He attacked the Fantastic Four in issue 8 and controlled anyone he created a puppet of. Although the Fantastic Four have battled with the Puppet Master, they were attached forever by Puppet Master’s stepdaughter, Alicia, featured in other comics and married “The Thing” at some point.
With the earliest MCU villains highlighted here, there’s no denying Marvel’s milestone 60 years on. The development of these villains has influenced modern comics and steered Marvel Comics towards more titles, superheroes, and supervillains.