The Fantastic Four: First Steps has finally arrived, and it ushers in a new era for the MCU: Marvel Phase 6. Marvel movies are known to be loaded with cameos and Easter eggs, and the Fantastic Four digs up some lesser-known adversaries from the comics that you may or may not have heard of.
We all know Galactus and Doctor Doom, but some of us may have forgotten all about Mole Man. Below, we've rounded up every deep-cut comic book character from the Fantastic Four's history that is referenced in the Matt Shakman-directed pic. Though not everyone received a proper cameo: one villain in particular was cut from the film for time constraints.
Mole Man
Harvey Rupert Elder aka Mole Man makes an appearance in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and is played quite hilariously by none other than Cobra Kai's Paul Walter Hauser. A notable enemy of the Fantastic Four, Mole Man first appeared alongside the super group in their very first comic debut in 1961. In the comics, he rules over a species of half-mole half-human hybrids known as the Moloids and frequently attempts to take over the surface.
We see this attempt in the film, though he is ultimately defeated by the Fantastic Four and ends up brokering a peace deal with none other than Sue Storm. Towards the end of the film, Mole Man becomes an integral part of keeping the citizens of New York City safe by agreeing to usher them underground where they are safely out of Galactus's reach.
Super-Apes
Though Red Ghost does not make an appearance in the film, one of his Super-Apes does. In the first five minutes of the film, while Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) recounts the team's many victories, we see him fighting off a Super-Ape on a tower in New York City. The ape kicks him off of the tower, but Reed is able to activate his stretchy powers and not only hang on, but launch the ape into the ocean.
In the comics, the Super-Apes were assembled by Ivan Kragoff aka Red Ghost, a former Soviet scientist who was hell-bent on beating America to the moon during the Space Race. Kragoff managed to acquire a group of trained primates that each have their own super powers, and train them further to become lean, mean killing machines. If we had to guess, the Super-Ape that Mr. Fantastic fights might very well be Peotor, an orangutan member of Red Ghost's monkey clan.
Fantastic Four: The First Steps: deep-cut comic book characters that are mentioned but not seen
Red Ghost
During the first five minutes of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, a television broadcast chronicles the origin and achievements of the super team, which includes a montage of kick-butt action. During the montage, Reed Richards mentions fighting off Red Ghost and his Super-Apes. While we see the Super-Ape in question, Red Ghost is nowhere to be found. As was revealed by director Matt Shakman, John Malkovich was supposed to appear as Red Ghost, but his cameo was ultimately cut. If it he did appear, it's likely it just would've been for those few seconds during the montage.
In the comics, Ivan Kragoff AKA Red Ghost is a pretty notable adversary of the Fantastic Four. The villain, along with his Super-Apes, made his first appearance in The Fantastic Four #13 back in 1963. Throughout his comic book history, Red Ghost has battled everyone from the Avengers to Spider-Man, and was ultimately killed by Doctor Octopus before being revived by MODOK. Though his cameo was cut from the film, we could still see him make an appearance at a later date – as truly anything can happen in the MCU.
Mad Thinker
The Mad Thinker is another villain who is mentioned during the television broadcast montage in the beginning of the film, but is never seen. We do, however, see a building move and a child be put in danger – which Mr. Fantastic attributes to the Mad Thinker. Julius AKA the Mad Thinker, referred sometimes as simply The Thinker, first appeared in The Fantastic Four #15 back in 1963 – and doesn't have too much of a backstory, even some 60 years later. Though he wreaked havoc on New York City many times, his ultimate goal was always to steal Reed's state-of-the-art technology and use it to advance his own evil geniusness. It's worth noting that The Mad Thinker was one of the many Fantastic Four adversaries that John Malkovich was rumored to be playing when his casting was first announced.
Puppet Master
In the film, Reed Richards mentions keeping tabs on crime organizations in New York City – naming three in particular. One of the three mentioned is none other than the Puppet Master, AKA Philip Masters, a mad scientist who uses radioactive clay to create puppets in the likenesses of real people – who he can then control. He first appeared in The Fantastic Four #12 back in 1962, and eventually teams up with The Mad Thinker and even joins a group of villains assembled by Doctor Doom.
In the comics, the Puppet Master has a particular hatred for the Thing, who ends up marrying his stepdaughter Alicia Masters. Some fans assumed that this is who Natasha Lyonne would play in the film, but her character Rachel Rozman was created to be a completely different love interest for the Thing.
Wizard
The Wizard is another New York City crime leader that Reed Richards mentions keeping a careful eye on. Also known as Bentley Wittman, the Wizard was first introduced in Strange Tales #102 as an adversary for Johnny Storm AKA the Human Torch. Another mad scientist, the Wizard is also an expert at stage magic and escapism and uses these skills to repeatedly avoid defeat at the hands of the Fantastic Four.
After convincing himself that the super group was the source of all his troubles, he teamed up with Hydro-Man, Medusa, Sandman, and Paste-Pot to form the Frightful Four – which in turn became one of the Fantastic Four's biggest and most consistent adversaries. The lineup has changed over time, with everyone from Taskmaster, Electro, and even Red Ghost joining the super villain group.
Diablo
Another deep-cut comic book adversary mentioned by Mr. Fantastic is none other than Diablo, who made his first appearance in The Fantastic Four #30 back in 1964. Born Esteban Corazón de Ablo, Diablo was a skilled scientist and master of alchemy who then sold his soul to Mephisto (who just made his own MCU debut in Ironheart) in exchange for a lengthened lifespan. He later sets up base in Transylvania, where he runs into the Fantastic Four while the team is on vacation. Diablo is ultimatley buried underneath his castle by an angry mob, but is freed by the Thing. Diablo offers up a potion that can return the Thing back to his human form but, of course, it's a trap, and the evil alchemist gets his butt kicked by the super group. It's possible, of course, that because he is referenced as a crime leader in the movie, his Transylvania storyline has been changed.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is in theaters now. For more, check out our list of all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows you need to know about, or, check out our guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order.
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