10 Iconic Characters Introduced In Fantastic Four Comics

Beyond introducing the famous Fantastic Four themselves, the comic books have been home to many other memorable Marvel characters. It’s common for Marvel to test out new characters in popular titles to gauge fan reaction. Sometimes these introductions make sense – like Magneto appearing in X-Men – but other times they’re unexpected, such as Ka-Zar first appearing in X-Men, or Daredevil’s nemesis, Kingpin, debuting in The Amazing Spider-Man. Given that The Fantastic Four was Marvel’s first superhero comic, it’s no surprise that so many iconic characters first appeared within its pages.

As a longtime Marvel fan, it’s amazing to think so many of my favorite heroes first appeared in The Fantastic Four comics! Here’s a rundown of 10 truly iconic characters who got their start there.

10) Jamie Madrox

Jamie Madrox, also known as the Multiple Man, is a mutant who’s been featured in many X-Men comics. He even led his own team, X-Factor Investigations. Surprisingly, though, Jamie didn’t first appear in an X-Men comic. His debut was actually in Giant-Size Fantastic Four #4 back in 1974. In that issue, the Fantastic Four fought against the Multiple Man, meaning this future X-Men hero began his career as one of their enemies.

The story starts with The Thing spotting Multiple Man on the subway tracks. When The Thing attacks, Multiple Man unexpectedly creates copies of himself, quickly gaining the upper hand in the fight. The book delves into Multiple Man’s backstory, revealing he’s a mutant whose parents attempted to contain his powers with a special suit. Unfortunately, the suit wasn’t working properly, and he needed assistance. This story is also a great team-up, as Professor X arrives to help subdue Multiple Man and offers to provide ongoing support. Though fans expected Multiple Man to join the X-Men, this event allowed the Fantastic Four and Professor X to collaborate in an enjoyable crossover.

9) Agatha Harkness

Agatha Harkness and the Scarlet Witch share a deep and lasting connection. Their history goes back to when Agatha acted as a nanny for Wanda and Vision’s twins, children Wanda magically created. Later, Agatha erased Wanda’s memories of the twins, a decision that caused significant problems for Wanda in the future.

Wanda’s children weren’t the first kids Agatha Harkness looked after. She first showed up in a 1969 comic book, Fantastic Four #94, as a nanny for Franklin Richards. Agatha knew Franklin had powers, which is why she agreed to watch him while his parents battled villains. True to form, she also got involved in the superhero action herself, as she always has her own agenda when taking on these roles.

8) The Watcher

For about a year, the Fantastic Four comic book series launched many of the heroes and villains who are now most closely associated with Marvel. This period even included the first appearances of the Silver Surfer and Galactus, introduced by the Watcher, Uatu. However, Uatu actually first appeared earlier, in Fantastic Four #13 back in 1963. In that issue, the Fantastic Four traveled to the moon to battle the Red Ghost, and they stumbled upon the Watcher’s hidden base.

Uatu belongs to an old alien race dedicated to observing and documenting humanity’s story, but without getting involved. However, this particular Watcher couldn’t resist interfering on multiple occasions, even appearing eight times in the year leading up to Galactus’s first arrival.

7) The Inhumans

Before the cosmic being Galactus became well-known, the Fantastic Four comics featured a race of aliens called the Inhumans. Medusa was first introduced in issue #36 of Fantastic Four as a character initially misled into assisting the villainous Wizard and his Frightful Four. It was later revealed she wasn’t a villain at all, and the Inhuman Royal Family officially appeared in issue #45.

The conflict began when Johnny Storm encountered Crystal, who, thinking he was one of her people, used her giant dog, Lockjaw, to bring them to Attilan. This sparked a fight between the Fantastic Four and the Inhumans. The storyline, told across three issues, was a fascinating introduction to this group of super-powered individuals and the challenges they faced integrating with the human world – all before they relocated to the moon.

6) Galactus

Galactus first appeared in Fantastic Four #48 in 1965, right after the introduction of the Inhumans. He quickly became the Fantastic Four’s most powerful enemy. This issue also reintroduced the Watcher, who warned the team that Galactus’s arrival on Earth could lead to global destruction.

This was the first of several epic clashes between the Fantastic Four and Galactus in their comic book adventures. The storyline spanned three issues, focusing on the FF’s attempt to halt Galactus’s plans. A key moment involved the Watcher, who rarely intervenes, breaking his vow of non-interference. He sent the Human Torch on a quest to locate the Ultimate Nullifier—an incredibly powerful object that debuted in these issues and would have huge consequences for the Marvel Universe.

5) Kang the Conqueror (as Rama-Tut)

The history of Kang the Conqueror’s first appearance in Marvel Comics is surprisingly complex. While Kang debuted as himself in The Avengers #8 (1964), and Immortus appeared two issues later in #10 (later revealed to be the same person from Earth-6311), neither of these were actually his very first appearance in Marvel stories.

Rama-Tut first appeared in Fantastic Four #19 in 1963, and he’s another form of the time-traveling Kang, originating from Earth-6311. Essentially, all these characters – Rama-Tut, the Silver Centurion, Kang, and Immortus – are the same person, Nathaniel Richards, at different points in his incredibly long life. Rama-Tut was the youngest version (until the appearance of Iron Lad) and marked the first time this character appeared in the Fantastic Four comics.

4) Adam Warlock

As a huge Marvel fan, I always associate Adam Warlock with the big cosmic storylines, especially everything involving Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet. But it’s fascinating to learn his origins! He actually first appeared way back in 1967 in Fantastic Four #66, though he wasn’t called Adam Warlock yet. Believe it or not, for a while, Marvel just referred to him as “Him.” It wasn’t until 1971, with Marvel Premiere #1, that he finally got the name we all know him by now.

In this storyline, the Fantastic Four fought the group of villains called the Enclave, while a mysterious figure known only as Him operated from the shadows. He dramatically emerged in the following issue, revealed as an artificially created man who had been developing inside a cocoon. The story took a surprising turn when he rebelled against his creators, angered that they had designed him for malicious purposes. Newly born, he immediately sought out new challenges, first confronting Thor and then embarking on a series of cosmic adventures.

3) Silver Surfer

The introduction of Galactus also led to the first appearance of the Silver Surfer. In Fantastic Four #48, the Surfer arrived on Earth as Galactus’s messenger, warning everyone that Galactus planned to destroy the planet. But after seeing the kindness and intelligence of humanity, the Surfer rebelled against his master and worked to protect Earth.

Galactus fired Silver Surfer and, as punishment, took away his ability to travel through space and time, leaving him stranded on Earth. Eventually, Silver Surfer became a very popular character, starring in his own comic books that often showed him regaining his powers and joining larger adventures in the cosmos.

2) Black Panther

Just two issues after the epic Galactus storyline wrapped up, the Fantastic Four comic book introduced a truly significant hero: Black Panther. He first appeared in Fantastic Four #52, where the team met T’Challa and discovered the nation of Wakanda. This was a landmark event, and Black Panther and the Fantastic Four became close allies. At one point, both T’Challa and Storm even became official members of the Fantastic Four.

Like many of the Fantastic Four’s team-ups with other heroes (such as Silver Surfer and the Inhumans), their first encounter with Black Panther involved a battle. This fight wasn’t about animosity, but a test to see if the Fantastic Four were worthy of T’Challa’s trust. In the history of Fantastic Four comics, no other hero is as significant as Black Panther.

1) Doctor Doom

Doctor Doom is widely considered the greatest villain the Fantastic Four have ever faced, and one of the most powerful in the entire Marvel Universe. He first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 back in 1962. Looking back, it’s surprising it took five issues for him to show up! Since then, no other villain has caused the Fantastic Four more trouble than Victor Von Doom.

The storyline One World Under Doom demonstrated that Doctor Doom possesses the power and ingenuity to endanger all of Earth’s heroes. Despite this, his deep-seated animosity and competition with Reed Richards, combined with his loving bond with his goddaughter Valeria Richards, will forever tie him to the Fantastic Four.

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2026-02-18 18:12