The 10 ‘Fantastic Four’ Villains Who Must Return Now

The Fantastic Four are back this week in the pages of their own magazine — which Stan Lee called “The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine” — ready to explore the multiverse and foil evil schemes big and small. Since their debut, the Fantastic Four have been at the heart of Marvel Comics. In the first 100 issues alone, Lee and Jack Kirby created several of the most memorable characters and settings for the shared superhero universe. That also includes a collection of villains only rivaled by that of the early issues of Amazing Spider-Man. Now that the first family of Marvel is back in action, that means many of their classic villains are likely to make big returns as well.

While a wish list for villainous appearances in the new Fantastic Four series from writer Dan Slott and artist Sara Pichelli could run almost as long as the original series, we’ve narrowed it down to a top 10. These are the bad guys who most deserve a spotlight based on current events throughout Marvel Comics and their connections to the Richards family. A couple of greats are already in play: Doctor Doom and The Mad Thinker are both present in the pages of the prologue series Marvel Two-in-One, so they don’t need to be reconnected with the team. These 10 are characters that may or may not appear, but it would certainly be a shame if they did not.

Mole Man

Created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee

First Appearance: The Fantastic Four (vol. 1) #1

Mole Man isn’t just the first Fantastic Four villain; he’s the first villain in Marvel Comics history. In addition to that very important appearance, his connections to an enormous underground kingdom filled with enormous monsters make him a continually interesting character. As the series relaunches, it only seems appropriate to give a nod to this villain whose plans are far bigger than his stature.

Ronan the Accuser

Created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee

First Appearance: The Fantastic Four (vol. 1) #65

The events in Death of the Inhumans have left Ronan displaced from the Kree Empire once more and disconnected from his favorite characters on Earth. In the wake of so much tragedy, it’s likely that he’ll revert to his old ways and seek vengeance. It seems inevitable that those plans will eventually involve the very first superheroes he ever encountered: The Fantastic Four.

Galactus

Created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee

First Appearance: The Fantastic Four (vol. 1) #48

One of the biggest changes to emerge from the current event of Infinity Wars is the reversal of Galactus’ role as he left his Lifebringer title behind to become the Devourer once more. This means that all planets are at risk again, including Earth. It can only be a matter of time until Slott and Pichelli touch upon one of the greatest FF sagas ever and bring the family into a new confrontation with Galactus.

Namor the Sub-Mariner

Created by Bill Everett

First Appearance: Motion Picture Funnies Weekly

There’s no way that Susan and Reed Richards will return to their daily lives without this notable homewrecker making an appearance. Namor has never been able to let go of his feelings for The Invisible Woman since he was brought back into Marvel Comics in Fantastic Four #4. The question is not if he’ll show up, but when he’ll arrive to woo his recently resurrected paramour.

Puppet Master

Created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee

First Appearance: The Fantastic Four (vol. 1) #8

There are few villains better equipped to manipulate the Fantastic Four and their allies than the Puppet Master. The only thing that has stopped him from doing more damage in the past are his petty attitude and lack of imagination. As long as magical, manipulative clay exists, there is a great potential for mayhem and some long term plotting against this favorite family.

Annihilus

Created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee

First Appearance: The Fantastic Four Annual (vol. 1) #6

While Doctor Doom will always be at the top of the stack for Fantastic Four villains, Annihilus is part of a small club of universal threats that can threaten both the team and everything they’ve ever explored. His hordes in the Negative Zone present both a tremendous potential for epic stories and some explosive politicking between would be despots. It can only be a matter of time before he makes a big arrival on Earth.

Hate-Monger

Created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee

First Appearance: The Fantastic Four (vol. 1) #21

This master manipulator was originally designed to play on tension in the United States during the 1960s. While a lot has changed in the decades since then, the potential of this character to speak to larger concerns and fears remains. If Slott and Pichelli want to address the Fantastic Four’s role in modern America, the Hate-Monger would provide an excellent foil for just that.

Frightful Four

Created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee

First Appearance: The Fantastic Four (vol. 1) #36

While this odd combination of villains (in all of their iterations) have never been the greatest threat to the Fantastic Four, they have always been an entertaining mirror image that presents a dysfunctional superpowered family. The new series looks to be focusing on the familial themes of the original, and any combination of this villainous team would make for an entertaining means to examine that.

Impossible Man

Created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee

First Appearance: The Fantastic Four (vol. 1) #11

Thinking of fun antagonists, Impossible Man has regularly provided a much needed breather for the family across the decades of their adventures. He possesses immense power, but doesn’t have any interest in global domination. Instead, his freewheeling spirit and love for shenanigans make for adventures that might be frustrating for The Thing, but a lot of fun for the kids.

Molecule Man

Created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee

First Appearance: The Fantastic Four (vol. 1) #20

There is no character more deeply connected to the events that led to the disappearance of the Fantastic Four than Molecule Man. He also possesses immense power with little interest in villainous schemes. Unfortunately, others like The Beyonder and Doctor Doom have made use of him in the past to do a lot of damage. It’s unlikely he’ll be left alone now following the events of Secret Wars.

BONUS: Super-Apes

Created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee

First Appearance: The Fantastic Four (vol. 1) #13

While the Super-Apes may not be essential Fantastic Four villains, they are a lot of fun and can form the foundation for some great adventures. Without the Red Ghost controlling them, they might have even more inventive and imaginative schemes than their former Soviet master.