Fantastic Four Villains Spotlight

Seven of the best Fantastic Four villains from the original Marvel Comics!

On August 7, 2015, 20th Century Fox will take its third stab at a Fantastic Four film with a reboot that completely reimagines the team.

Forget everything you know about the first two Fantastic Four movies from Fox. Director Josh Trank is basing his adaptation on the Ultimate Fantastic Four comic book series by Mark Millar and Brian Michael Bendis.

Some of Trank’s changes to the FF have generated a pushback from certain comic book fans. No one has actually seen this movie yet, however, so it’s too early to tell if Trank’s Fantastic Four can win over those fans and become the big box office franchise that Fox wants it to be. Most fans just want to see a good Fantastic Four movie. So far, that goal has remained elusive. Can Trank turn that trend around?

The Fantastic Four comic book originated in 1961 through the collaboration of comic book legends Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Even back then, Lee was the master of hyperbole when he quickly declared the Fantastic Four to be “The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” The Lee/Kirby run lived up to that boast with a rich assortment of supporting characters, guest stars, and some of the most iconic villains in comic books.

Never underestimate the value of a good villain! Every hero needs worthy adversaries, and the Fantastic Four villains have grown significantly over the past five decades. And yet all of the Fantastic Four feature films have used the same villain, over and over again. If Fox really wants to set up a Fantastic Four sequel for 2017, then it needs to move past Doom and find someone else to be the Fantastic Four Villain.

Ahead of Fantastic Four’s release, ComingSoon.net has taken a look back at seven of the greatest Fantastic Four villains that they have faced in battle. At least 6 of them have a real shot at coming back for any potential Fantastic Four sequels!

Fantastic Four Villains Spotlight: Doctor Doom

Look, there’s no question that Doctor Doom is one of the all-time great comic book villains. Kirby’s design gave Doom a memorable appearance, but it was Lee who gave Doom his arrogance, his swagger, and his intellect. This is a man who may truly be the equal or the superior of Reed Richards. It’s only Doom’s hubris that has held him back from a final victory over his rival.

Trank’s Fantastic Four will feature Toby Kebbell as Victor Domashev, “an anti-social programer known as Doom.” That… is a significant departure from the comic book incarnation of Doom. That version of Doom is the dictator of Latveria, in addition to being a genius and a master of the mystical arts.

Fantastic Four Villains Spotlight: The Mole Man

As much attention as Doctor Doom gets, casual comic book fans tend to forget that he wasn’t the first Fantastic Four villain. Instead, that honor belongs to the Mole Man, AKA Harvey Elder. In his first comic book appearance, all the way back in Fantastic Four #1, Mole Man was the leader of a society of monsters and creatures that lived underground. He led attacks on the surface world to avenge perceived slights against himself and his kingdom.

Trank’s Fantastic Four movie will feature Tim Blake Nelson as Harvey Elder, presumably in a role closer to Mole Man’s comic book counterpart from Ultimate Fantastic Four. In that series, Dr. Arthur Molekevic was a part of Franklin Storm’s science team before being dismissed for attempting to create life. He eventually lived underground with the creatures of his own creation.

Fantastic Four Villains Spotlight: Annihilus

Here’s where things get really comic booky.

Annihilus is the ruler of an antimatter universe known as the Negative Zone, and his ultimate goal is to crossover into our universe and subjugate it as well. While the Fantastic Four were the first heroes to encounter Annihilus, more recent stories like Annihilation have elevated him into a villain who threatens the entire Marvel Universe with his Annihilation wave. Even death can’t seem to stop Annihilus for long.

Asking moviegoers to buy into the idea of the Negative Zone may be hard, but Annihilus’ unrelenting and merciless nature could make him a terrific Fantastic Four villain on the big screen.

Fantastic Four Villains Spotlight: Kang

Kang the Conqueror is more traditionally known as an Avengers villain. But as Guardians of the Galaxy director, James Gunn revealed earlier this year, 20th Century Fox holds the rights to depict Kang in live action because of his connection to the Fantastic Four.

That connection came about because the time-travelling Kang was revealed to be a later incarnation of Rama-Tut, the Pharaoh from the future who first appeared in Fantastic Four #19. Kang is also Nathaniel Richards, a descendant of Reed Richards, AKA Mr. Fantastic!

While the semi-villainous Immortus is also an incarnation of Nathaniel Richards, Kang is the most fearsome one of them all. Kang is more ruthless and more willing to use time travel as a weapon against his enemies. On the big screen, Kang could become even more formidable by striking at the Fantastic Four in their past before they even realize that they are under attack.

Fantastic Four Villains Spotlight: Super-Skrull

The Fantastic Four has had numerous run-ins with the shape-changing aliens known as the Skrulls. That entire race could be considered one of the FF’s deadliest enemies.

However, Kl’rt the Super-Skrull gets the nod here because he was genetically modified to have the powers of every member of the Fantastic Four. Super-Skrull can do everything that the FF can, and he’s less likely to hold back.

Should Fox ever decide to play the alien invasion card for the Fantastic Four, then Super-Skrull would have to be in that story. He represents one of the ultimate challenges for the team, as they will essentially have to figure out how to beat themselves.

Fantastic Four Villains Spotlight: Namor

Prince Namor the Sub-Mariner is one of Marvel’s earliest characters, who debuted in 1939. Namor is the son of a human sea captain and an Atlantean princess, which places him firmly in both worlds. Later retcons have established Namor as a mutant, which eventually led to him joining the X-Men.

Namor plays a pretty big role in the Fantastic Four’s history as a villain, an ally, and as a real romantic rival for Susan Storm’s heart. Much to Reed Richard’s chagrin, Sue actually seemed to reciprocate some of Namor’s romantic feelings before she ultimately married Reed. Even after that, Sue and Namor have shared a lingering attraction to each other.

Let’s be clear: there’s no way that Namor will ever appear in a Fantastic Four film. Universal Studios had the Namor film rights for a while, but they may have reverted to Marvel Studios. However, Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige has been extremely evasive when asked about the Namor movie rights. That tends to imply that Universal isn’t completely out of the picture.

Fantastic Four Villains Spotlight: Galactus

Despite what director Tim Story would have you believe in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Galactus is not an intergalactic space cloud. Galactus is the last survivor of the previous universe, and he is also the devourer of worlds!

Sure, the big giant man in a purple outfit look is pretty dated, but it was the ‘60s! And there were certainly worse designs than Galactus’ costume. Modern artists have updated that costume and made Galactus appear as the terrifying force of nature that he should be.

And if the idea that Galactus looks like a human bothers you, then keep in mind a later retcon revealed that every alien race views Galactus as a member of their race. So, the Skrulls see Galactus as a giant Skrull in a purple suit, and so on.

We can pretty much guarantee that Galactus will eventually be back on the big screen. He is irrevocably tied to the origin of the Silver Surfer, another iconic Lee and Kirby creation.

See some of these Fantastic Four villains in movie theaters on August 7.