Today, let’s delve into the fascinating history of Marvel Comics to uncover its first-ever supervillain.
Namor the Sub-Mariner, created by writer-artist Bill Everett, was one of the first characters introduced in “Marvel Comics #1.”
Namor’s early assaults against the surface world, motivated by his desire to protect his underwater realm, do align with the characteristics of a supervillain.
However, it’s also worth noting that Namor has often allied himself with heroes and has even been a member of superhero teams like the Defenders.
Introduced in “Fantastic Four #1” in 1961, Mole Man was the first villain to face off against Marvel’s first superhero team in the Silver Age of Comics, the Fantastic Four.
Mole Man, whose real name is Harvey Elder, is a character defined by his tragic backstory. A socially awkward and physically unattractive man, Elder becomes an outcast rejected by society.
His motivation—while fueled by personal pain—leads him to actions that jeopardize innocent lives, fitting the supervillain criterion of disrupting the status quo for personal gain.
The introduction of Mole Man complicates the question of who can be considered Marvel’s first-ever supervillain. While Namor has the advantage of being one of the earliest characters to showcase traits typically associated with supervillains, his fluctuating role between hero and villain makes his categorization less clear-cut.