Mole Man: Fantastic Four’s First Foe – A Comic Book Origin

Here’s a rewritten version of the provided article, adapted for a UK audience and expanded to meet the length requirements:

Unearthing the Mole Man: The Fantastic Four’s First Foe

The upcoming Fantastic Four: First Steps film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) promises a rogues’ gallery of formidable villains. While the planet-devouring Galactus, portrayed by Ralph Ineson, and his herald, the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner), are set to be major antagonists, another baddie lurking beneath the surface is the Mole Man, played by Paul Walter Hauser.

Harvey Elder, better known as the Mole Man, holds the distinction of being the very first villain the Fantastic Four encountered in their comic book adventures. Based on available information about the new film, it appears he will also be the first villain they face in the MCU. However, with numerous comic book iterations of the Mole Man and a potentially distinct on-screen portrayal, let’s delve into what we know about this subterranean scoundrel.

Genesis of a Villain: Fantastic Four #1

Fantastic Four #1, penned by Stan Lee and illustrated by Jack Kirby, is often hailed as the dawn of modern comics. Surprisingly, the issue doesn’t begin with the team’s origin story; that unfolds several pages later. Even more surprising is that their initial adversary isn’t Doctor Doom, but the Mole Man (originally called Moleman).

Summoned by Mister Fantastic, the team investigates a massive sinkhole that leads them to Subterranea, an underground realm akin to the Hollow Earth, where the Mole Man reigns supreme. He recounts his origin: an unsightly, deformed man rejected by society. Feeling like a monster, he sought refuge on Monster Isle, a haven for actual monsters. There, he stumbled into a chasm, losing his sight in the process, thus becoming the Mole Man.

The initial comic lacks detail on how falling into a hole led to ruling an underground kingdom. Nevertheless, he battles the Fantastic Four, who thwart his plan to invade Earth through a network of tunnels by sealing them off. Simple as that!

Mole Man’s Marvel Universe Rampage

Since his debut in 1961, the Mole Man has repeatedly clashed with the Fantastic Four and nearly every other hero in the Marvel Comics universe. He’s battled the Avengers, the X-Men, Namor the Sub-Mariner (a frequent Fantastic Four antagonist), and the Hulk. He’s even attempted to woo Squirrel Girl’s best friend.

In essence, if a story requires heroes to venture underground or a minor threat to be dealt with before the main event, the Mole Man is a reliable choice. While rarely a truly significant threat himself, he commands colossal, kaiju-sized monsters capable of causing mayhem on the surface world.

Harvey lacks inherent superpowers. His diminished sight has heightened his other senses, though not to the extent of Daredevil. He is highly intelligent and has trained himself to fight with his ever-present staff. However, in a direct confrontation with any hero, he would be swiftly defeated. His strategy relies on overwhelming opponents with hordes of monsters, hoping to survive the encounter.

The Moloids: Minions of the Underground

Another crucial aspect of the Mole Man, absent from Fantastic Four #1, is his Moloids. These are small, yellow beings, typically non-verbal, who are utterly devoted to their leader. Although created by the Deviants, the Eternals’ adversaries, they are more commonly associated with Harvey. These Moloids provide the aforementioned zombie-style hordes, but without the biting.

While usually mere drones (perhaps the inspiration for the Minions?), they’re significant because the MCU is presenting a different interpretation of them. Alongside the Moloids are gigantic subterranean creatures, such as Giganto, the massive green kaiju featured on the cover of Fantastic Four #1. However, the Moloids remain central to the Mole Man’s mythos.

Mole Man on Screen: Previous Attempts and Ultimate Universes

The Mole Man has appeared in numerous animated series and video games. Ironically, he was slated to appear in two previous Fantastic Four film adaptations, but his role was ultimately replaced by another character each time.

However, two significant versions of the character exist in different iterations of Marvel’s Ultimate Universe. In the first, he was Dr. Arthur Molekevic, a scientist working alongside the Fantastic Four at the Baxter Building. Feeling increasingly marginalised, he created the Moloids and retreated to underground caverns with them.

The second iteration was recently introduced in Ultimate Spider-Man. Little is known about him, except that he’s a member of the Sinister Six – mob bosses who have divided New York City and work for Wilson Fisk, also known as the Kingpin. The Mole Man controls the area beneath New York and briefly assists Spider-Man for his own purposes.

Mole Man in the MCU: A Union Boss?

To understand how the Mole Man will be depicted in the MCU, we can look at the comics, specifically, Fantastic Four: First Steps #1 by Matt Fraction and Mark Buckingham. This in-universe tie-in reimagines the Fantastic Four’s origin, as if the comic were published four years after the team gained their powers in the MCU (or at least their retro-future Earth).

As in Fantastic Four #1, the Mole Man is their first adversary. Like his comic book counterpart, this Mole Man commands both Moloids and giant monsters, such as the colossal Giganto.

However, the twist is that the Mole Man lived peacefully in his Subterranean civilisation, drilling and building like Snow White’s dwarfs, until the humans above began constructing larger and larger structures. Each instance of surface dwellers drilling below or creating a subway tunnel was seen as “an act of war.” But the final straw was the Fantastic Four building their new headquarters, prompting Harvey to attack the surface world.

The Fantastic Four stop him – or rather, he surrenders upon realising his pregnant mate is in danger. In this continuity, “moloids” is simply what they call people who live underground. Once captured, Susan Storm (Vanessa Kirby) recognises that he’s not just a rabble rouser, but a leader of a civilisation. Sue helps Harvey make Subterranea part of the United Nations, and they become friends.

Given that First Steps begins with a montage explaining the team’s origins, we’re likely to see much of what was on the page translated to the screen. Director Matt Shakman has said that Harvey is “really more of a union boss than a supervillain… He’s all about community, and that’s why Sue and Harvey have a good relationship and they get along. They understand each other.”

That’s a significant departure from the character who fell into a hole in Fantastic Four #1. Time will tell how this new interpretation unfolds.