Contains spoilers for “The Fantastic Four: First Steps”

Much of the buzz surrounding the critically acclaimed “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” has been on the heroes: Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Susan Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), and Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), as well as the film’s big bad, Galactus (Ralph Ineson), a classic Marvel villain who first appeared in “Fantastic Four” #48 back in 1966. However, Galactus isn’t the first villain that Marvel’s First Family fought; going back to the very beginning, the group’s first foe was actually Harvey Elder, aka Mole Man, brought to life by Paul Walter Hauser in “First Steps.”

Despite being the Fantastic Four’s first villain, Mole Man isn’t well known outside of dedicated comic book circles. He’s been a thorn in many heroes’ sides over the decades, but he’s generally left to his own devices in the underground world of Subterranea, which he rules. Elder’s minions consist of a variety of Deviants and Deviant Mutate creations, including Moloids. He has an army of gigantic monsters that he uses to launch assaults on the surface world. Mole Man is very much a traditional villain in the comics, but he actually comes to the rescue in “First Steps,” lending a much-needed helping hand when Galactus arrives to consume Earth.

News of Hauser’s casting came in May 2024, and fans finally got a first look at him as Mole Man in July 2025. Like many characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Mole Man differs somewhat from his comic book counterpart. The color scheme is the same, but the movie version rocks an outfit that kind of looks like a tracksuit over a shirt and tie. It’s a little odd, but when you see what he wore in the comics, you’ll perhaps understand why the filmmakers went for something a bit more grounded in reality.

In “Fantastic Four” #1, not long after the team forms after gaining their superpowers, cave-ins across the world destroy nuclear power plants, and gigantic monsters are found to be the cause. The Fantastic Four investigate, traveling to Monster Isle, where they meet Mole Man for the first time. Like any good villain, he monologues at the heroes, explaining his origin story. Harvey Elder’s unusual appearance had him shunned by society, so he seeks solace beneath the ground.

He discovers a vast worldwide network of caverns filled with all manner of monsters, both intelligent and wild, and he becomes their leader. While underground, Elder develops unnatural longevity and a form of radar sense that he uses due to living in near-total darkness. In the early days, Mole Man’s primary goal is to make the surface world pay for mistreating him, which is why he sends his monsters to destroy power plants.

He later attempts to start a nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union, so he’s definitely not messing about. Before becoming a subterranean supervillain, Elder was a scientist, but he never received the accolades he felt he deserved, which is another reason he shunned society. As the ruler of Subterranea, Mole Man has vast worldwide resources and Deviant technology at his disposal to fight the surface as he sees fit.

While he doesn’t have much screen time, Mole Man is pivotal to the plot of “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.” He’s introduced in the opening scenes showing the Fantastic Four’s history, boiling down their origin story into a few minutes. In his initial attack, Mole Man aims to sink the Pan Am building in Manhattan down into Subterranea, but the Fantastic Four thwarts his plan. In another scene, Giganto bursts through the street to wreak havoc, mirroring the cover of “Fantastic Four” #1.

Following his capture, Sue works with Elder through the United Nations to form a peace deal between Subterranea and the surface world. After the opening montage, Elder is seen again in the second act, when the world learns of its imminent destruction by Galactus, as heralded by the Silver Surfer Shalla-Bal (Julia Garner). He watches it unfold on television with a concerned look upon his face.

Finally, in the third act, just when it looks as if Elder’s time in the movie is over, he’s called upon by Sue to help evacuate much of Manhattan into Subterranea, protecting thousands of New Yorkers from Galactus’ destruction. He gets some digs in at Johnny and Reed before agreeing to help in one of the film’s funniest scenes. Painting Elder as a good guy is a major alteration to the comic book character, but it works in the context of the film and makes full use of Hauser’s abilities.