5 Great 1960s Fantastic Four Villains Not Enough Marvel Fans Talk About

The Fantastic Four were the first Marvel Comics team, and while they were not what people think of as a superhero team, they are a perfect example of a family that fights together. The idea of a family unit of four heroes opened up the chance to introduce some unique villains. There were some incredible villains that Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduced in that decade, with names like Doctor Doom, Galactus, and the Mole Man showing up and holding their place in comic book history. However, that first decade of the team’s storylines also had several great villains that no one really talks about anymore.

From someone who matches up to Reed Richards in his inventions to a villain who became one of the most personal for Ben Grimm, here are five Fantastic Four villains from the 1960s that not enough people talk about today.

5) Diablo

Diablo is Esteban Corazón de Ablo, and he made his debut appearance in Fantastic Four #30 (1964) by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. He was an alchemist imprisoned in Transylvania, and the Fantastic Four released him, which was a mistake because he was a very dangerous villain. He previously traded his soul to Mephisto for extended life and was buried alive in his castle before the Fantastic Four stumbled onto it.

Diablo was a dangerous villain from the start, promising he could cure Ben Grimm if he served him, splitting up the team for a short time. However, it was temporary, and that proved his devious nature. While not enough people talk about Diablo, he was responsible for a more popular character, as he is the villain who brought Dragon Man to life. As a genuinely gothic villain from the 1960s with a great Faustian backstory, he deserves much more recognition than he receives today.

4) Psycho Man

Psycho Man made his debut in Fantastic Four Annual #5 (1967) by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. This was a full-length feature story that defined the incredible Fantastic Four annuals of the era. Psycho Man is a technocrat from the Microverse (Sub-Atomica) who decides that, with the overpopulation of his world, he will conquer Earth and create a new colony there with a macro-scale army. However, his technological powers are what make him a threat.

Psycho Man uses the Control-Box to create fear, doubt, and hate in people on Earth. This was a fear-mongering weapon introduced years before it became a Marvel staple. His debut saw him so powerful that he fought the Fantastic Four, the Black Panther, and the Inhumans in his attempt to conquer the Earth. He deserves a lot more respect thanks to what he did years later when he warped Susan Richards into becoming the villain, Malice. That storyline made him a very personal Fantastic Four villain, and today he is barely spoken of at all.

3) Impossible Man

The Impossible Man was one of the Fantastic Four’s first antagonists, debuting in Fantastic Four #11 (1963) by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. What made him stand out was that he was a chaos-causing prankster more than he was a villain, and he just wanted to have fun, which made him one of Ben Grimm’s most frustrating enemies. What makes him interesting is that the comic book where he debuted was one of the worst-selling Fantastic Four comics of that era, and it caused him to disappear for 13 years.

Impossible Man came back in Fantastic Four #175 (1976), and this story changed everything, making him a hugely popular character. This is especially true with his fourth-wall-breaking moments where he even shows up to torment Stan Lee. There are so many great Impossible Man stories, with one of the best when he convinced Galactus to devour Poppup instead, which gave him cosmic indigestion, and this showed his power and comedy at the same time. He has since slipped from public consciousness in a more serious Marvel, but deserves much more respect.

2) Puppet Master

Puppet Master has one of the best story arcs in Fantastic Four history, and he deserves more respect. This is because he has a connection with the team that no other villain does. He is Alicia Masters’ stepfather, making him Ben Grimm’s father-in-law. Real name Philip Masters, Puppet Master debuted in Fantastic Four #8 (1962) by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. This was also the same issue that Alicia debuted in, and he showed his power of controlling people using clay figures he made of them.

His biggest storyline came with Fantastic Four #236, an iconic story he shared with Doctor Doom called “Terror in a Tiny Town,” where he gave the Fantastic Four a fake life in Liddleville so Ben and Alicia could live a “normal life.” This was a one-issue story that remains one of the most beloved in Fantastic Four history. He is a much better character than his reputation might indicate.

1) Wizard

The Wizard should be a huge Fantastic Four villain, but he has dropped to nothing more than a B-level villain today, and he ends up fighting kids in Power Pack rather than getting respect as a major Fantastic Four villain. The Wizard debuted in Strange Tales #102 (1962) by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby. He was actually a Human Torch villain, as Johnny Storm was the focus of this series away from his teammates at that time. He is unique: a brilliant inventor who turned to crime because he was bored.

His biggest moment with the Fantastic Four came in Fantastic Four #36 (1965) by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, where he founded the Frightful Four, a dark-mirror counterpart of the Fantastic Four. The Wizard was the mirror villain to Reed Richards, but since Reed ended up being so brilliant, it hurt the Wizard in comparison. No other Marvel villain in the 1960s created an entire team like this to face the Fantastic Four, while also introducing the Inhuman Medusa. He was rarely used outside the Frightful Four, but his intelligence makes him a real threat when used right.

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