When Marvel Comics launched, its very first superhero book was Fantastic Four, and it established the blueprint for a truly memorable group of heroes and villains. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, this team – known as the First Family – faced a diverse range of enemies. They introduced characters like the Skrulls, brought Namor the Sub-Mariner into the Marvel Universe, and helped Doctor Doom become a major threat. However, among those early villains, some are largely forgotten and rarely appeared again after their initial appearances.
Here is a look at the Fantastic Four’s first 10 villains in comics, ranked by power.
10) Wrecker
The cover of Fantastic Four #12 initially suggests Hulk is the primary enemy, but like in Avengers #1, appearances are deceiving. Another villain was actually pulling the strings, leading the Fantastic Four to mistakenly target the Hulk. While Loki was the mastermind in Avengers, the villain in Fantastic Four was a lesser threat named the Wrecker – not the one associated with the Wrecking Crew. This Wrecker was simply a communist spy tasked with sabotaging a U.S. military base. He reappeared a few times later, but this first encounter was relatively insignificant.
9) Kurrgo
Kurrgo first appeared in Fantastic Four #7 as an alien adversary of the team. While not as formidable as the Skrulls, who’d been introduced recently, he came from the technologically advanced planet Xanth. Xanth only had two spaceships, so they sent Kurrgo to Earth to capture the Fantastic Four and force them to help avert an asteroid collision. Although Reed Richards successfully moved Xanth’s population to safety, Kurrgo intended to take over, and the Fantastic Four had to thwart his plans. Kurrgo’s only real advantage was his access to advanced technology; he didn’t have any inherent superpowers.
8) Miracle Man
Miracle Man first appeared in Fantastic Four #3 as one of their initial foes. Originally a stage magician, he discovered he possessed genuine hypnotic abilities. After using these powers to embarrass the Fantastic Four during a performance, he decided to exploit them for personal gain. While his control over others was considerable, he wasn’t a truly powerful villain. The Human Torch ultimately defeated him by briefly blinding him with flames, disrupting his ability to use hypnosis.
7) Mole Man
The Fantastic Four’s very first foe was the Mole Man, appearing in Fantastic Four #1. While the Mole Man isn’t personally very strong, he’s dangerous because of his connections and the monsters he commands. He considers himself the protector of Subterranea and has many followers willing to fight for him, making him a formidable enemy when he rallies them. In their initial encounter, he teamed up with Giganto and Tricephalous, showcasing the extent of his threat.
6) Red Ghost
The Red Ghost first appeared in Fantastic Four #13, an issue also notable for introducing the Watcher. In this story, the Fantastic Four went to the moon so Reed Richards could study a piece of a meteor, but they discovered a Soviet villain there with a team of super-powered apes. While the Red Ghost wasn’t a major threat – his apes actually turned against him – he did possess impressive abilities. He was a super genius, and could become intangible whenever he wanted, making him incredibly difficult to harm.
5) Puppet Master
When Puppet Master first appeared in Fantastic Four #8, he seemed like a fairly unremarkable villain. Over time, however, he became a surprisingly important figure for the team. Initially, he was a typical bad guy – a man who could create lifelike puppets and control people through them, much like a form of voodoo. He relies on a special substance called Psychic Clay to create these puppets, and constantly has to return to the country of Transia to replenish his supply. Although his powers aren’t limitless, his connection to the Fantastic Four is significant: he’s the father of Alicia Masters, who is currently engaged to The Thing, making him a much more complex foe.
4) The Skrulls
I first encountered the Skrulls way back in 1961, in an old Fantastic Four comic, and they’ve been a major presence in the Marvel Universe ever since! What’s really cool about them is their ability to shapeshift – they can look like anyone and even copy voices perfectly. This particular group, the Deviant Skrulls, takes it a step further by being able to become weapons, forming blades and shields from their own bodies. They do have one weakness, though: they can’t just copy superpowers unless they’ve been genetically altered, like with the Super-Skrull. Over the years, they’ve shown just how dangerous they are, and that really came to a head during Secret Invasion when they tried to completely take over Earth. It was a wild ride!
3) Namor
Namor’s conflicts with the Fantastic Four stem from his pride and his feelings for Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman. Though he originally appeared in comics even before Marvel existed as a wartime ally of Captain America, his first appearance within Marvel Comics was in Fantastic Four #4. The Human Torch discovered him living on the streets, being harassed by others. After helping him and realizing he was the legendary World War II hero he’d read about, the Torch helped restore Namor’s memory. However, Namor quickly turned against them. Extremely powerful in the water, Namor’s villainous actions are driven by his unwavering loyalty to his underwater kingdom of Atlantis and his belief that it should come before the concerns of the surface world.
2) Impossible Man
As a fan of classic Marvel, I always found The Impossible Man fascinating. He first showed up in Fantastic Four #11, and he’s not your typical bad guy – kind of like Namor. He’s an alien from the planet Poppup, and honestly, he reminds me a lot of DC’s Mr. Mxyzptlk – a mischievous imp with basically unlimited power. He wasn’t evil, just a troublemaker who landed on Earth looking for fun, though he eventually wanted to be a hero. The best parts, for me, are his scenes with The Thing; he drives Ben Kelly absolutely crazy! And his powers are pretty wild – he can reshape his body into anything and even split himself into multiple versions. Plus, he’s a total know-it-all about Earth culture and is always bored, so he’s constantly looking for attention. It’s a good thing he doesn’t want to be a villain, because he’d be unstoppable!
1) Doctor Doom
Doctor Doom is easily the most formidable of the Fantastic Four’s early villains, far surpassing any other opponent they faced. First appearing in Fantastic Four #5, he quickly became a recurring threat in the comic’s early years. He’s a master manipulator, having turned Namor to evil, attempted to team up with the Hulk, and even tried to corrupt Spider-Man. Because of his diplomatic immunity, combined with his genius-level intellect, advanced technology like Doombots and powerful armor, and eventually, mastery of magic, defeating him proved incredibly difficult. He’s even managed to conquer the world on multiple occasions, most recently in the storyline One World Under Doom.
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2026-04-10 00:16