If you loved last year’s Fantastic Four: First Steps movie, Marvel Comics has you covered with a new tie-in comic, The Fantastic Four: First Foes #1. Not only does it fill in some holes regarding the Fantastic Four’s origin, but it also establishes a big-time villain. It also features classic comics vibes thanks to Dan Slott’s script and Mark Buckingham’s traditional comics style.
Given the deep bench of villains the Fantastic Four face, The Fantastic Four: First Foes #1 is a nice reminder that the team is firmly established with multiple enemies in the Marvel Studios universe. Case in point: the Mad Thinker takes center stage in this issue and acts more like the main character until the last act.
Here, Mad Thinker is reimagined as Professor René Rodin, a former mentor to Reed Richards and ground control coordinator on the faithful day the FF were shot into space and changed forever. That’s an interesting dynamic right off the bat, made more complex by Mad Thinker saving the crew’s lives but not getting the acclaim he thinks he deserves. Turns out being blasted with cosmic rays and getting powers makes you a hotter commodity for TV appearances, as is shown here.
As the story unfolds, Mad Thinker, going by the “Great Thinker” at the start, the villain’s ego and narcissism drive him to strike out at the team using an entire city at his disposal. Not only does this idea fit well within the continuity, since the story takes place before the film, but it also makes the conflict directly connected to the minds of Reed and René.
Mad Thinker is thinking.
Credit: Marvel
Once in attack mode, Buckingham gets to flex his artistic muscles with each of the Fantastic Four using their powers to save those in danger of being crushed by various vehicles and smart tech. There’s even a supervillain fight, tied to Mad Thinker’s mind, prepped to take on each of the Fantastic Four’s powers. Buckingham designed this robot with a cool look and feel complete with a glossy visage that suits the retro look of the film.
To cap things off, Slott comes up with a clever and earned win for the heroes. No spoilers here, but don’t forget there are more members in the Fantastic Four that even the Mad Thinker fails to remember.
Capping off the issue is a fun two-page Fantastic Science episode, drawn by Phil Noto and written by Ryan North. Given Johnny’s proclivity to act first, the science experiment aired on TV goes about as well as Reed could have planned.
The Fantastic Four: First Foes #1 leans into what makes these characters work and delivers a polished, accessible tie-in that feels right at home with the team’s legacy. The spotlight on the Mad Thinker adds a fresh wrinkle, giving the story a strong emotional core rooted in ego and resentment. It balances action, character, and classic comic book energy in a way that is easy to enjoy. While it does not reinvent the wheel, it knows exactly what kind of story it wants to tell and executes it well.
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